The Navy Seal's Bride

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Caitlin crossed the room and fell onto the sofa beside Gabby. “I think he likes you.”

She watched her patient, kind-natured Burmese cat as he stretched out in Gabby’s arms, paws swatting at the little girl but meaning her no harm. She knew he’d never show his claws.

“I’d love a pet.” Gabby sighed dramatically.

“They’re a lot of work you know,” said Caitlin, reaching over to stroke Smokey. “You need to feed them and love them every day, and if you get a dog you need to walk it, too.”

Gabby rolled her eyes, but she didn’t let the cat go and she was still smiling. “You sound just like my mom.”

“Well then, your mom must be a very smart woman.”

A knock echoed through the living room and Caitlin jumped. Jeez, just when she forgot that she was waiting for someone. The loud knock rang out again.

“Coming!” she called.

Gabby stretched out on the sofa, Smokey curled up against her belly. “Tommy always knocks like that. My mom says it like he’s always in a hurry and can’t wait for even a moment.”

Caitlin didn’t turn around when Gabby spoke, was too busy rushing to the door and running her hands over her jeans to answer.

Because no matter what Gabby’s mommy said, Caitlin guessed she never felt like this when Tom was knocking at the door. And Caitlin didn’t want him to be in a hurry, she wanted him to stay.

She didn’t know why, she just did. Even if she was nervous as hell.

Caitlin pulled the door back and found a rumpled-looking Tom standing on her porch.

“Hey,” she said, as though seeing him there was the most natural thing in the world.

“Hey,” he replied, running a hand through hair that looked as if he’d just fallen out of bed. “Sorry I’m so late.”

Caitlin took a step back, gesturing with one hand. “Come on in.”

He hesitated, shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I don’t want to put you out, Caitlin, so we’ll head straight home.”

“But Miss Rose made us dinner,” Gabby called out.

Caitlin shut her eyes for a beat before forcing a smile on her face, trying to stop her hand from shaking, from trembling. She’d never been so pleased for a child to interrupt a conversation in her life, and she’d never felt like she’d held her breath for so long, either.

Tom raised an eyebrow, his head on the slightest of angles. “You cooked for us?”

Caitlin swallowed. “Yeah,” she said softly, “but it’s just lasagna …”

“Just lasagna?” Tom was grinning now, one hand falling from his pocket to rest on the doorjamb. “On second thought, I’d love to come in.”

Caitlin stood back as Tom passed her, his frame dwarfing her as he moved toward Gabby, grabbing her around the waist and planting a kiss on her head before following her to the sofa.

She paused, just for a second, knowing she’d taken a big step, but feeling as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Just like that, she’d invited a man to step over the threshold and into her home. And she had no regrets whatsoever. Maybe if he’d been on his own she’d have thought otherwise, but with Gabby here, too, it comforted her. Made her feel secure.

“Tommy!” Gabby squealed.

Caitlin followed and stood, watching them play, seeing the look on Tom’s face as he pulled his niece onto his knee. Even if it was only one dinner with the pair of them, she was going to enjoy every moment of it. After years of wanting to live alone, to keep a distance from others, suddenly she was pleased to have company. No, more than pleased, she was happy.

“So, tell me about being in the Navy, or is that a taboo question?”

Caitlin nursed her glass of red wine, taking a slow sip before turning her attention back to her meal. She watched as Tom swallowed before pausing, his knife and fork hovering an inch above his plate.

“If I tell you I’ll have to kill you.” His voice was deep and dangerously serious.

Now it was Caitlin who was swallowing, or more like gulping furiously. He was joking, she knew he was, but those kinds of flippant comments still made her teeth rattle.

“Kidding,” he said, raising his eyebrows, smile hitting his eyes.

Caitlin laughed nervously and blew out a breath. “I didn’t mean to pry, I’m only interested, that’s all.”

Tom kept eating, focused on the food, before raising his head and setting the cutlery down. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. It’s— I don’t know, complicated, I guess.”

Caitlin understood complicated. “Honestly, Tom, I was only making conversation.” The last thing she wanted to do was pressure him into talking about something he’d rather keep private. “Don’t feel like you have to answer me.”

“Tell her one of your stories!” Gabby called out from the living room, cross-legged on the floor and leaning against the sofa, eating her dinner in front of the television. “Please.”

Caitlin waited, not wanting to stare at Tom but finding it difficult to look away. She’d thought he was too similar to her father and her ex because he was military, and because he was physically imposing, but she could see from the look on his face that she’d been wrong. He was different. At least he seemed to be.

Tom didn’t have the hard edge to his profile, the cocky, self-assured aura that she had expected. Maybe when she’d first met him she’d wanted to think he did, but he was so far from that she didn’t know how she could have been so judgmental. When he’d found out that she’d made dinner for them tonight, his face had lit up like hot embers being coaxed back to flame.

The last thing Tom wanted to do was talk about his career, that much was obvious, but he never snapped at Gabby, and seemed to want to shield her from any hurt. “Maybe another night, okay?”

Caitlin could see the pain, see how troubled he was behind those deep, dark eyes. But if he didn’t want to talk she wasn’t going to push him. Because she’d been there herself.

“How do you feel about dessert?”

Tom grinned at her, his face breaking into the most genuine smile she’d seen in a long while. “I think that’s the best question I’ve heard all night.”

“It’s not much, so don’t get too excited. Some ice cream and a chocolate brownie,” she told him, clearing their plates and leaving them in the sink to do later. “And before you ask and make me feel guilty, they’re store-bought brownies. I’m not the world’s best cook.”

Tom laughed. “You could have fooled me. I’d never have known.”

She was pleased he was still at the table. Having him here—it was different. Ever since she’d been single she’d kept home as her private place, only ever inviting girlfriends over. She’d been on dates every now and again, but she’d never let a man collect her or come back to her place, so Tom being in her private space was … not uncomfortable, but something she was going to have to get used to. Slowly. Just like ever learning to trust a man again would be a huge leap of faith for her.

Caitlin ran her wrists under the cold water she had running; she was nervous, jangling like a bunch of jittery wind chimes. He was just a parent. An acquaintance.

Argh. Who was she kidding? He wasn’t a parent and that’s not why she’d asked him in.

She turned off the faucet and served up dessert.

“Can I help?”

Caitlin spun around and pressed a plate into Tom’s hands. “Here we go, this is for Gabby.”

His gaze held hers, eyes questioning, but he took the plate and took it to his niece.