A SEAL's Secret Baby
Boot Camp Didn’t Prepare Him For This!Navy SEAL Deacon Murphy’s tryst with Ellie Hilliard was white-hot, but quickly forgotten when she met her husband, his best friend Tom. That was fine by Deacon. As a rule, he avoided making commitments, at least to anything other than the Navy. But when Tom died, Deacon promised that he’d watch over Ellie and her daughter Pia. Not knowing that Pia was actually his, and never expecting that he’d fall for them both in the process.Ellie is terrified of getting too close to Deacon, and not just because of his high-risk career. Losing Tom was hard enough. If Tom’s parents knew the truth about Pia, she could lose them too–and they’re the only family she has left.
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Boot Camp Didnât Prepare Him For This!
Navy SEAL Deacon Murphyâs tryst with Ellie Hilliard was white-hot, but quickly forgotten when she met her husband, his best friend, Tom. That was fine by Deacon. As a rule, he avoided making commitments, at least to anything other than the navy.
But when Tom died, Deacon promised that heâd watch over Ellie and her daughter, Piaânot knowing that Pia was actually his, and never expecting that heâd fall for them both in the process.
Ellie is terrified of getting too close to Deacon, and not just because of his high-risk career. Losing Tom was hard enough. If Tomâs parents knew the truth about Pia, she could lose them, tooâand theyâre the only family she has left.
Deacon made a beeline for Ellie, making her stomach somersault
âHey, gorgeous.â Hand casually about her waist, he bent to deliver a platonic kiss to her cheek. Why was she wishing for more?
âHey, yourself. Glad you could make it.â
âLooked dicey for a bit, but considering the fancy hair youâre sporting, it was worth the effort.â
Like a giddy teenager, Ellieâs spirit soared at the compliment.
âStop. My hair always looks like this.â
He snorted. âI donât know what mirror youâve been looking in, but I havenât seen you look this hot sinceâ¦wellâ¦â He whispered in her ear, giving her shivers, âSince that time back whenââ She reddened, and he had the good grace to look away and clear his throat. âBut we probably shouldnât discuss that here.â
Cheeks still flaming, she elbowed him before leading the way to their seats. When he squeezed her hand, she squeezed back. Her usual guilt was there, but so was something else she hadnât felt in a long timeâanticipation for what might be next to come.
Dear Reader,
Never have I written a story more about familyânot just blood ties, but the relationships we form with friends and coworkers and the entire network of people who comprise the colorful quilts of our lives.
If youâve read any of my books, you know I adore kids of all ages. In real life Iâm pretty much the same. Iâm honored that my kidsâ friends are usually mine, too, and once I learn their struggles, I add those to my already full worry list.
Deacon Murphy spends a large portion of this book struggling to figure out if heâs even capable of love. Love for his family and friends and most especially Ellie, his best friendâs widow.
With the recent loss of my last surviving grandparent, my blood family has grown perilously small, yet the more friends I make, the more reassured I am that since they, too, count as family, I will never be truly alone.
My daughterâs friend Louisa is having a baby and I find myself more and more excited to welcome this little boy or girl into the world. That, in turn, makes me excited for when my kids start having kids. Eeeek! (But not too soon! LOL!) By the time this story hits shelves, I will have held this new addition to our extended family and in doing so, will have found a whole new person to love.
Whomever you count as your family, give them a hug!! And cross your fingers for Deacon to figure out what love means to him, before itâs too lateâ¦.
Happy reading!
Laura Marie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After college (Go, Hogs!), bestselling, award-winning author Laura Marie Altom did a brief stint as an interior designer before becoming a stay-at-home mom to boy-girl twins and a bonus son. Always an avid romance reader, she knew it was time to try her hand at writing when she found herself replotting the afternoon soaps.
When not immersed in her next story, Laura teaches art at a local middle school. In her free time, she beats her kids at video games, tackles Mount Laundry and of course reads romance!
Laura loves hearing from readers at either P.O. Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101, or by email, [email protected].
Love winning fun stuff? Check out www.lauramariealtom.com.
For one soul leaving this Earth and another enteringâ¦
My grandfather, Frederic William Alisch, and Louisa Margarita Hamilton and Ian Keserichâs sweet baby. Wherever they lead, I wish you both blessed journeys.
Contents
Chapter One
Tell him.
Ellie Hilliard caught herself staring at Deacon, her dead husbandâs best friend. He stood at the surfâs edge, glaring at the angry Atlantic. For August, it was a gloomy, miserable day. The rest of the crowd gathered at her in-lawsâ to commemorate Tomâs life was inside, clustered about the big screen TV, which flashed home videos of happier times. Family clips had been merged with lighter moments shared with his Navy SEAL team. The worst to bear were intimate scenes caught with him and his daughter. Hard to believe a year had already passed since Tom had been gone.
