Tina Leonard - The SEAL's Holiday Babies

Ty stepped back a pace, stunned. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I want you to give me a child.”

Ty blinked, took in Jade’s very serious expression.

“That’s a pretty good tactic, beautiful. You nearly gave me heart failure. But I’m not falling for it, so move your sweet little buns away from that door. My brothers need me.”

She shook her head. “I want a baby, and you’re the man who can help me.”

He smiled, staggered by her charming ploy to keep him in the bunkhouse. “Well, of course I can help you. But as we both know, I’m leaving. I don’t have time for romance and nonsense, and I’m not getting married so—”

“I didn’t say I wanted to marry you,” Jade said. “You’re never coming back to Bridesmaids Creek, so you’re the perfect man for what I need.”

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TINA LEONARDis a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty projects, including several popular miniseries for the Mills & Boon® Cherish™ line. Known for bad-boy heroes and smart, adventurous heroines, her books have made the USA TODAY , Waldenbooks, Ingram and Nielsen BookScan bestseller lists. Born on a military base, Tina lived in many states before eventually marrying the boy who did her crayon printing for her in the first grade. You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Many thanks to the wonderful readers who embrace my work so loyally—I can never thank you enough.

Contents

Cover

Introduction “I want a baby.” Ty stepped back a pace, stunned. “What does that have to do with me?” “I want you to give me a child.” Ty blinked, took in Jade’s very serious expression. “That’s a pretty good tactic, beautiful. You nearly gave me heart failure. But I’m not falling for it, so move your sweet little buns away from that door. My brothers need me.” She shook her head. “I want a baby, and you’re the man who can help me.” He smiled, staggered by her charming ploy to keep him in the bunkhouse. “Well, of course I can help you. But as we both know, I’m leaving. I don’t have time for romance and nonsense, and I’m not getting married so—” “I didn’t say I wanted to marry you,” Jade said. “You’re never coming back to Bridesmaids Creek, so you’re the perfect man for what I need.”

Title Page The SEAL’s Holiday Babies Tina Leonard www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author TINA LEONARD is a USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty projects, including several popular miniseries for the Mills & Boon® Cherish™ line. Known for bad-boy heroes and smart, adventurous heroines, her books have made the USA TODAY , Waldenbooks, Ingram and Nielsen BookScan bestseller lists. Born on a military base, Tina lived in many states before eventually marrying the boy who did her crayon printing for her in the first grade. You can visit her at www.tinaleonard.com , and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Dedication Many thanks to the wonderful readers who embrace my work so loyally—I can never thank you enough.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“Hang on a sec,” Ty Spurlock said to Sheriff Dennis McAdams, stunned as he watched a tall redhead wearing seriously tight blue jeans that complemented her seriously sexy figure walk into The Wedding Diner on the arm of Sam Barr, a bachelor recruit whom Ty had brought to town for the express purpose of matchmaking.

It appeared that a match might indeed be in the making. The problem was, the redhead wasn’t one of Ty’s intended bachelorettes.

Because he secretly had his eye on her for himself.

“What was that?” Ty demanded.

“What was what?”

“Jade Harper going into The Wedding Diner with Sam.”

Dennis grinned at him. “Free country, isn’t it?”

“Sure it is.” Ty sank onto the hood of the sheriff’s cruiser and pondered why the idea of Jade and Sam together bothered him, like a real bad toss from a bull. He’d had those, many of those. They were never any fun.

Neither was this. “Is there something going on there I don’t know about?”

Dennis’s eyes twinkled. “Do you think there’s something you should you know about? Are you taking over from Madame Matchmaker, our resident maker of matches? That’ll put Cosette’s pink-frosted hair in a twist for sure, if she thinks you’re butting in on her area of expertise.”

Ty felt strongly that Sheriff Dennis might be keeping something from him, which only made Ty resolve to get to the bottom of the matter. Jade had no business going out with Sam Barr, as prime for matchmaking as Sam might be. “ Is there something going on between Sam and Jade?”

Dennis shook his head. “You’ll have to ask Jade. Or Sam.”

The sheriff was being deliberately obtuse, prickling him because he could. Nobody understood him the way Dennis did. The man had been elected sheriff after Ty’s adoptive father, Terence, had given up the sheriff’s job—fifteen years of being a great sheriff undone by one rumor. A rumor that had never gone away. But Sheriff Dennis had always supported Terence Spurlock, and Ty appreciated that more than he could say. Maybe only another sheriff could understand how loose lips and bad information could strike down a career and a man. “Or I could just ask you, since nothing goes on in Bridesmaids Creek that gets past you.”

Dennis chuckled. “True enough.”

“So? Is there?” Ty asked impatiently.

Dennis crossed his arms and smiled. “Didn’t you bring those four cowboys here to find them brides? Sam Barr, Squint Mathison, Justin Morant and Francisco Rodriguez Olivier Grant, otherwise known as Frog?”

“What does that have to do with Jade?”

Dennis laughed. “Ty, you can’t blame her for dating someone. Jade thinks you don’t know she’s alive, except for her occasionally scooping you some ice cream in her mother’s shop. You haven’t exactly pursued her.”

Ty grunted, glancing around the main square of the town he called home, even as an adopted son, and the town to which he owed so much. Owed them everything because they’d helped raise him, and because he’d had a great childhood because of them.

He owed them everything but his bachelorhood.

“Is there a problem?” Dennis asked.

“No.” There was, but he knew Dennis wouldn’t needle him about it further. Except he did.

“You could always try talking to her,” he said, surprising Ty. Dennis prodded him in a gentle, fatherly way that made him miss his own dad.

“I’m good at talking,” Ty said, “but I’m a couple weeks away from trying to make it into the SEALs. I have nothing to offer Jade.” He’d be gone for six long months of training, and then a little longer, if he made it.

No. When I make it.

Mentally, he reviewed The Plan, which was so far working like a charm.

Bring home eligible, trustworthy, elementally studly bachelors with the intent of pressing some of the ladies—not Jade—into marriage. This would start a rollerball of reactions: namely, babies and families, new blood in Bridesmaids Creek.