Page 54 of Married to a SEAL

She looked around the group after Patrick broke off the kiss, amazed that everyone had come and planned this without her knowing. Patrick’s entire SEAL team was here with their significant others—even his CO, Captain Ryan Mitchell, who’d recently begun dating Patrick’s sister Sarah. Somehow amidst all the commotion of Patrick’s injury, they’d finally gotten together after flirting with one another for a year.

A year’s worth of foreplay, as Sarah had described it.

Her eyes fell on Alison, seated at the table on the patio, nursing her baby boy while Evan hovered nearby. God they were cute together. Alison waggled her fingers in greeting and grinned.

“You’re in trouble!” Rebecca called out.

“Your husband was very persuasive,” she said.

“Who, Patrick?” Rebecca asked with a laugh. “Never.”

“And who am I to argue with a bunch of determined Navy SEALs? They want to throw a party—we throw a party.”

“Damn right,” Evan agreed.

Rebecca laughed and grabbed Patrick’s hand as they walked toward the group on the patio. His strong fingers wrapped around hers, and she beamed, feeling like she might actually burst with happiness.

Matthew stood up from the patio table, his fiancé Brianna rubbing her slightly swollen belly from where she sat. She was a few months further along than Rebecca but barely looked any more pregnant than Rebecca did.

“About time you arrived,” Matthew drawled, walking over to give Patrick a handshake. “Congratulations to the happy couple.”

“Had to give you time to set up,” Patrick quipped. “And thank you.”

Matthew’s green eyes settled on Rebecca. “And I understand even more congratulations are in order? We’re going to have a mini SEAL team running around here soon.”

“We just might,” she agreed with a laugh. “I’m due a few months after Brianna.”

“Congratulations, ma’am,” he drawled, his eyes warm. “I think Bri’s driving Alison crazy with pregnancy questions,” he admitted. “Now that you’re expecting maybe she’ll start asking you—I mean, since you already had a baby before.”

Rebecca laughed, glancing over at Brianna, who was watching in awe as Alison expertly moved her baby over to nurse from her other breast. She wasn’t sure who looked more shocked—Evan or Brianna. Alison was a pro already though. It was hard to believe she and her best friend had each ended up with a man on the same SEAL team and now would have babies close together in age. Not even two years ago she’d been a single mom and Alison had been lamenting she’d never get married or have kids.

Funny how things worked out.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the party,” Rebecca said, walking over to give Alison a quick hug.

“Are you kidding? Your husband would’ve killed me.”

Her boyfriend Evan’s eyes flared. “Not a damn chance would he have gotten past me.”

The women all laughed.

“Let’s have a toast to the happy couple,” Mike said with a huge grin, handing Patrick a bottle of beer and Rebecca a bottle of water.

“Most people toast with champagne,” his fiancée Kenley said, eyeing him skeptically.

“Angel, we’re Navy SEALs. We don’t do champagne.”

The other men guffawed in agreement.

“That’s where we come in,” Lexi said, pulling two bottles of champagne from the cooler. Her black hair shone in the sunlight and her violet eyes flashed with amusement.

“Amen, sister,” Kenley said, walking over to Lexi. “Let me help.”

Lexi and Kenley were friends who had worked together near Washington, DC—Lexi for the Pentagon and Kenley for a defense contractor. When Lexi had been kidnapped during her assignment, Kenley had rushed down in worry. She’d been in the condo where Lexi was staying when Mike and Christopher burst in, Mike unintentionally mistaking her for an intruder. He’d pinned her to the wall in the confusion, but the sparks had flown between them.

It was hard to believe such a rough and tumble group of Alpha males had finally settled down—but those guys fought hard for what they believed in, including the women they’d fallen for. They were all protective, assertive men with that natural instinct to help others.

And now instead of chasing after women at Anchors, the bar they’d used to frequent, they’d be chasing their kids around soon.

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