Bonnie Vanak - Navy Seal Protector

A sexy hometown hero returns to rescue the one who got away

Ten years ago, bad boy Nick Anderson left home—and a brokenhearted Shelby Stillwater in his wake. Now the retired navy SEAL has inherited the family ranch Shelby calls home. Almost in foreclosure, the property is being sabotaged to force a sale...and Shelby is in mortal danger.

As Nick and Shelby work together to stop the vandals, old passions and new threats arise. The ranch carries painful memories, and Nick’s not sure if he’s willing to work to save the land. But as he finds new purpose and a new home, he remains determined to keep Shelby from harm...even if it means risking everything he holds dear in the process.

“Six o’clock sharp. Wear something more civilized than jeans.”

“I have some black silk boxers that are formal. That do?”

Flushing, she scowled at him. “Stop it, Nick.”

Then his cocky grin dropped and his gaze turned serious. “You’ll be safer with me here, Shelby. I’m not going to leave until I find out who’s been doing these things and threatening you and the ranch. I promise you, I will catch them.”

With a nod, he headed out the door. “I’ll bring my things over later. Need to have a look around the place first.”

As she watched him walk down the steps, a warm tingle raced down her spine. Not from his quiet words or the relief they brought, but the awareness of him as a man and the unspoken intent lingering in his eyes, a sensual promise that could lead them straight down the road where they’d left off ten years ago.

And straight back into hell.

* * *

Dear Reader,

Everyone remembers their first crush. Sometimes we may wonder what happened to that cute guy who broke our hearts and got away.

Shelby Stillwater isn’t left wondering anymore when handsome Nick Anderson comes waltzing back into town after ten long years. Nick is the cute guy who was her first crush. Protective of her in high school, he was her best friend, until the day when he caught her crying and kissed her.

Nick abandoned her afterward, and Shelby never forgave him for walking away. But when Nick comes back to Tennessee for his father’s funeral, Shelby knows there is more at stake than opening wounds from the past. Someone has been sabotaging the Belle Creek ranch, where she lives, putting its operation deeper into debt. Shelby needs Nick’s help to save the only home she’s ever known.

For Nick, a former SEAL who has felt lost ever since leaving the navy, seeing Shelby fires his blood once more. He could never forget the soft feel of her mouth beneath his, or how her kiss drove him mad with desire. Now the old feelings have returned. Nick is a classic nomad, running away from his feelings. It will take all his self-control and discipline to work with Shelby to find the criminals trying to force him into selling Belle Creek to a powerful developer.

I hope you enjoy Navy SEAL Protector and Nick and Shelby’s reunion romance. It’s a story of two lost souls who never forgot each other, and of a homecoming they will always remember.

Happy reading!

Bonnie Vanak

Navy SEAL Protector

Bonnie Vanak

www.millsandboon.co.uk

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author BONNIE VANAK is passionate about romance novels and telling stories. A former newspaper reporter, she worked as a journalist for a large international charity for several years, traveling to countries such as Haiti to report on the sufferings of the poor. Bonnie lives in Florida with her husband, Frank, and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She loves to hear from readers. She can be reached through her website, bonnievanak.com.

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For Frank, my hero. I love you, always.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

No one was kicking her out of her home, even if she had to work double shifts until she dropped.

Shelby Stillwater swiped a hand across her sweating brow, righted the white cowboy hat on her head and then watched as the bartender poured another frosty pitcher of golden beer. Friday night at the Bucking Bronc Steak House. Tips should be good tonight, as long as she could avoid the ungentlemanly slurs and smile, smile, smile.

Brown curls bobbing as she walked and the white fringe at the hem of her short skirt swaying like reeds in a hard wind, she carried the pitcher to table fourteen. The gray-haired geezer with a belly spilling in a waterfall over his silver belt buckle tried to squeeze her bottom, but she danced away.

“C’mere, sweet thang,” he called out in a slur. “Lemme take another look at you.”

Look at this, she silently fumed, tempted to flip him her middle finger. Instead, she headed for another table, pad in hand, her back and feet feeling as if twin weights were dumped on them. The group of ten businessmen from Nashville had ordered enough food to feed a small country. Their bill was solidly into the triple digits and they might give her a triple-digit tip if she could avoid the octopus with the wandering hands.

A big tip meant a store-bought cake instead of homemade for Timmy. His sixth birthday was in a few days and she planned to celebrate it in style.

Shelby bustled through orders, patiently allowing a patron to switch tables three times “because the lighting isn’t good here,” and returned a steak when a grumpy woman said it was rare, even though the woman had ordered it extra rare. She generally liked waitressing and most guests were well-mannered locals who treated her well. But with the big country-music convention in the next town this weekend, the out-of-town guests were taxing her patience.

Shelby returned the credit card to table fourteen. Waterfall Belly belched, signed the check and the men left, talking loudly.

She peeked at the bill and stared at the tip.

A measly twelve dollars for a three-hundred-and-fifty-dollar bill? Anger simmered, but she refused to surrender to it. Already skating on thin ice with Bill, if she ran after the customers and told them what she thought of their “tip,” then...

Instead, she shoved the check into her apron and pushed on.

Later, she’d kick off the white cowboy boots, put up her feet and have a glass of white wine while watching Steel Magnolias, a favorite comfort movie. Gone were the days when her mother, in a rare moment of sobriety, would cuddle up next to her on the sofa and they’d watch the movie while munching on a tub of popcorn. Mom had named her after the tragic Shelby in the film. This Shelby preferred to think she was more the Ouiser type, tough and pragmatic.