Page 179 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

The Diehard Warrior

Prologue

Maddox clutched the bundle of flowers as he willed his feet to move forward. Interesting that he’d gone on scores of SEAL missions and none of them made him as nervous as he was right now. His throat tightened as he swallowed. Maybe it was a mistake to come here. He looked at the large double doors of the resort, forcing himself to relax. For all he knew, Addie might not even be here. She didn’t know he was coming, probably thought he was still overseas. He pushed a hand through his hair. What would she think of his ragged appearance? He’d lost a good thirty pounds due to his imprisonment in Syria. His clothes hung on him but he refused to buy more, vowing that he’d gain weight and rebuild his muscle. If it was the last thing he did, he’d take back his life.

What he wanted more than anything was Addie. An image of her flashed through his head, his favorite memory, the one he’d lived by when he was stuck in a filthy cell in Syria. He saw her deep-brown curls blowing in the wind, the tenderness in her smile as she looked at him with fiery green eyes.

He stepped inside the foyer and looked around. There was a woman at the front desk, helping an older couple. He didn’t want to ask for Addie and draw attention to himself. Better tosee if he could find her. He walked toward her office, stopping in his tracks when he spotted her from a distance. His breath froze in his throat. She was a vision—part fairy, part angel, part vixen—the silky fabric of her emerald dress hugging her curves. It occurred to him that she was overdressed for work. Then he saw a guy in a sport coat and slacks striding toward her, carrying a bundle of red roses. His posture was erect, a confident grin plastered over his face.

Maddox’s heart dropped when the guy leaned in and said something as he handed her the roses.

Addie tipped her head back and laughed, gazing adoringly into his eyes.

Nausea rolled in Maddox’s gut, and he had the urge to charge forward and punch the guy’s lights out. He’d make the guy bleed, make him wish he’d never laid eyes on Addie.

He clutched the flowers. No, he wouldn’t do that. Maddox was no longer a prisoner in Syria. Heck, he wasn’t even a SEAL anymore. He was a member of polite society—the place where people buried their wounded hearts under polite trivialities and wooden smiles.

His heart thudded dully in his ears as the foolishness of this endeavor flooded through him. Addie didn’t want to see him. She’d ended their relationship before he even went to Syria. She was probably glad when she thought he was dead.

No doubt. Maddox was dead to her now.

He dropped the flowers on the floor and turned on his heel, walking swiftly away, before the raging part of him succumbed to the temptation to rip the guy’s head off.

Addie’s skin prickled with the sensation of being watched as she pulled her attention away from her date. She looked toward the foyer, scanning the faces of the people surrounding her. Crazy. For an instant, she’d felt Maddox’s presence.

She forced a smile. “Would you please excuse me for a minute? Oh, and can you hold these?” She handed him the roses.

He nodded. “Of course.”

Even as she walked in the direction of the foyer, she laughed at herself.

She’d lost count of the number of times she mistakenly thought she’d spotted Maddox in a crowd. Her heart clutched, the longing for him nearly unbearable. She’d thought he was dead. Two days ago, the news came that he was still alive. She’d been waiting on pins and needles, hoping he’d contact her. So far, nothing.

A few paces ahead, she saw a bundle of yellow calla lilies on the floor, wrapped in green ribbon. She hurried forward, picking them up.

Her heart began to pound.

No one except for Maddox knew those were her favorite.

Chapter One

SIX WEEKS LATER …

Addie gritted her teeth as she tightened her hold on the phone, fighting to keep her voice even. “I wish I could just drop everything and leave for San Diego this minute, but I can’t. This afternoon a trove of executives from Watermill, Inc. are due to arrive for their conference.”

“Are you talking about those water filter guys?”

“Yep,” she snipped. “It’s the conference I’ve been planning for six months.” She hoped adding that tidbit drove her point home. She couldn’t just up and leave. Sure, she was excited about the baby, but she had responsibilities.

Pops let out a long sigh. It had the same effect on Addie’s nerves as a pick axe scratching metal. “Isn’t there someone else who can fill in for you?”

Addie barked out a laugh. “No, there isn’t.” Technically, Pops was her grandfather, but he was more like a father. He and his late wife Lou Ella raised Addie and Corbin, her older brother, when their parents were killed. She loved Pops more than anything, but he was the most stubborn man on the planet. This conversation was irritating the heck out of her, especially with everything else she’d dealt with this morning.

“It would be nice if you could be here to support your brother and Delaney.” Pops lowered his voice. “Corbin’s putting on a good face, but I can tell he’s worried about the pre-eclampsia.”

Addie pushed a curl away from her eye. Arguing with Pops was as futile as having a shouting match with a fence post. “I thought Delaney was doing better.”

“Her spirits are good, but she’s really swollen. The doctor’s got her on some medicine to stabilize her blood pressure in the hope that she can carry the baby until at least thirty-five weeks.”

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