Page 18 of Unexpected Christmas with the SEAL

His smile was sad before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Hungry?”

“Famished.”

He slid out of bed. “I’ll go grab us some pizza. Stay here and don’t you dare put on any clothes.”

She beamed at him, then gave him a cheeky salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”

She was not prepared to be tackled on the bed by a redheaded growling man with an octopus tattoo. But she was sure happy that she was.

Hannah woke Christmas morning with a smile on her face. She stretched her legs, pointing her toes, and reached her arms above her head, wrapping her fingers around the top of the headboard.

Then she crossed her fingers that last night hadn’t been a dream, before she finally opened her eyes and rolled over to the side of the bed where Cal had fallen asleep.

Only, there was no sexy tattooed SEAL with a ruddy five o’clock shadow and spinach-colored eyes, laying beside her.

That side of the bed was empty.

Her heart tightened, and her mouth dipped into a frown.

Had it all been a dream?

She sat up, and the pleasant ache between her legs, along with the slight chafe around her nipples from his scruff, told her that it was no dream.Phew!

So where was he?

Not wanting to jump to too many conclusions, she slid out of bed, put on her pajamas and a housecoat, slipped into her slippers, then scuffed her way into the house.

The wood stove had been stoked, and the house was warm.

And oh yeah, it was also Christmas morning.

“Cal?” she called out. There was no answer. “Bruno?”

Also, no answer.

More sadness filled the space in her chest around her heart.

She knew he was attached to the dog, but would he reallytakeher uncles’ dog with him? Was she alsotoo muchfor Cal? Did he decide in the middle of the night that he couldn’t handle another day with her, so he skedaddled in the early morning, taking her different-color eyed companion with him?

She had his phone number on a piece of paper stuck to the fridge. Should she call him?

Don’t jump to conclusions, Hannah. Maybe he just took Bruno outside for a pee.

Right. Maybe that’s all it was.

She opened the front door only to be met with an empty driveway where his truck was parked last night. The sun shone; the sky was clear and there seemed to be very little wind. It was a beautiful Christmas morning she wished she could appreciate. But she couldn’t. Not properly anyway, thanks to the overwhelming sadness that replaced the last traces of joy she’d felt last night.

And now she didn’t even have Bruno.

Did he take Macklin, too? Did he take all her therapy animals?

She was halfway through changing from her slippers to her boots when the rattling sound of a helicopter drawing closer echoed above.

She quickly threw on the other boot, grabbed her winter coat from the hook and darted out the front door just in time to see a beautiful black helicopter zoom over top of the farmhouse—terrifyingly low—and head toward the nearest field.

Careful not to break her neck—or her hip, again—she navigated the gravel driveway slowly, avoiding the divots that were now icy puddles. She reached the closest field just as the helicopter touched down on the crispy white grass dressed in frost. A bark from inside the helicopter made her laugh.

Once the rotors stopped spinning, the door opened and out came her redheaded SEAL and a very happy dog. “Merry Christmas, Hannah!” Cal cheered, running up to her.

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