The SEAL's Miracle Baby

The SEAL's Miracle Baby
Laura Marie Altom

A Second Chance at Love?Jessie Long loved Grady Matthews, but he wanted the one thing she could never give him: a home full of kids. So they went their separate ways – Grady leaving to join the navy and Jessie staying home.But when a twister flattens their home town, Grady and Jessie find themselves together again, caring for an orphaned baby. The passion’s still there and Grady is sure they can make a life together. But, with Jessie’s tragic secret still threatening to keep them apart, Grady must convince her to trust him so they can build a new future… together.

“Come on, Grady. The statute of limitations has long expired on breakup hard feelings.”

“Says who?” He shoved an extra pillow behind his head. “From where I’m sitting, I’m still mad as hell.” He downed his second longneck and went in for a third.

Jessie had the gall to cross her arms and roll her eyes.

“You think I still shouldn’t be pissed? I asked you to marry me. You accepted.”

“Almost a decade ago!” She smacked the dresser top. “Get over it. That’s ancient history.”

“The hell it is.” He sprang from the bed, planting his hands on either side of her, pinning her in but not giving her the satisfaction of touching her. “Give me an honest reason and I’ll let it go. More than anything, I want to let this—you—go, but you’re stuck in my head.”

“Sorry.”

“I need a reason, Jess.”

She raised her chin. “You know the reason.”

“Oh, right—you don’t love me.”

“You know how much I care for you. You were my best friend. Why can’t we just go back to that?”

“No, thanks.” The friend card had long been off the table.

The SEAL’s Miracle Baby

Laura Marie Altom

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

LAURA MARIE ALTOM is a bestselling and award-winning author who has penned nearly fifty books. After college (Go, Hogs!), Laura Marie did a brief stint as an interior designer before becoming a stay-at-home mum 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 plays video games, tackles Mount Laundry and, of course, reads romance!

Laura loves hearing from readers at either PO Box 2074, Tulsa, OK 74101, USA, or by e-mail, balipalm@aol.com (mailto:balipalm@aol.com). Love winning fun stuff? Check out www.lauramariealtom.com (http://www.lauramariealtom.com).

This story is dedicated to the town of Moore, Oklahoma. May your skies be forevermore blue.

Contents

Cover (#ua78f1326-f533-513e-bfb5-1c6ccb894df8)

Introduction (#u5017901e-deda-5c41-b7d2-1f9b6aa09b25)

Title Page (#u1238bcf1-40e9-51f6-a8ce-b28251637536)

About the Author (#uee20ed27-cb3e-565d-96f0-1037eb22aefe)

Dedication (#u0940c3f0-2d43-51a4-8936-68d8c12d9ce7)

Chapter One (#ua2f8ae46-b239-559c-a382-d226c3e42c6c)

Chapter Two (#ue9cf44f4-028b-5138-99b0-6f96166eed52)

Chapter Three (#ub06439c1-1b89-56b8-bd15-a0350b0dd098)

Chapter Four (#uddf99bab-586b-550c-b464-b722019a17e0)

Chapter Five (#u5537364f-9b86-5858-8c64-74afa8112117)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#ulink_f2f8ce77-3990-589f-9c8f-9d326ee099d2)

For all practical purposes, Rock Bluff, Oklahoma, was gone.

Navy SEAL Grady Matthews pulled his rental sedan onto the highway’s shoulder, being careful not to hit a pink bathtub that rested on its side in a nest of debris. He lowered his window, bracing his forearm on the vehicle’s frame to take in the tragic view. The early-May tornado had been damn near a mile wide, and it had razed everything in its seventeen-mile path.

When his dad called, asking him to help rebuild their ranch, Grady thought he’d exaggerated the degree of the storm’s damage, but if anything, Ben’s description had been inadequate. Grady’s brain knew that a hundred yards down the road was where the historic Flamingo Motel should be, along with a McDonald’s, an Arby’s, the First Baptist Church and the Dairy Barn, but all of it was just gone, as if God had swept His hand over it, wiping the slate clean. Only the resulting mess wasn’t clean. It was an unfathomable pile of concrete blocks and upended church pews and— Tears stung his eyes.