Page 31 of The SEALs' Single Mom Baby Surprise

SLOANE

Icount to sixty, and Cole re-emerges from my apartment, holstering his gun. Those serious eyes take in everything, and I’m struggling to keep it together in front of Reese.

Who the fuck? Is this because of work or because of Alistair?

“Looks like someone’s been through the place, but nothing’s destroyed.” He waves us inside, and I step forward first, bracing Reese behind me to block her from the worst of it.

It is a mess, our boxes left open, mail spread across the floor, clothes and toys on our bed. The few mementos I was able to save fan across the thin carpet.

I take a deep breath. Nothing is destroyed other than our sense of peace. Our perceived safety. Such a new and fragile thing, so easily broken.

Sinking down on the bedroom floor, I gather up the baby photos, Reese’s baby book, and her first baby blanket, and I gently pack them back into the box I’d brought them here in. She was such a happy baby. Lively. Full of giggles and smiles.

She’s become a much more serious child, although easy with a smile when I need one.

Tears rim my eyes, and I’m on the brink of breaking down.

This is the last goddamn straw.

I’m not as strong as I thought because I simply cannot shoulder anymore.

Cole appears behind me in the doorway, blessedly keeping Reese in the living room so that she can’t see her things strewn around the room.

I wipe my eyes with the butts of my palms.

“Anything missing?”

I huff, shoulders dropping. “No. It doesn’t look like it.”

He offers me a hand up, and I take it, stepping out of the bedroom with him.

“Wasn’t a lot for them to take to begin with. I don’t even own a TV.” I wave at the bare wall in the living room.

Reese stands by the small, second-hand couch we got from the Navy thrift store. Her lip trembles as she blinks up at me.

A new fire tears through me as I gather her up in a tight hug, bouncing her as she hugs be back. Her grip is hard, and her body shakes from the fearful tears.

I rub her back and hum to her. “Everything’s alright. We’re okay. We’re fine, baby. Nothing’s gone. And we’re okay.”

My words repeat softly, reassuring her with slow circles of my palm between her shoulders, and slowly, she calms, her cheek resting against my collarbones and her hands loosening on my shirt.

When her breathing is steady, she tips her head back and mumbles to me.

“Hmm, honey?”

“Can Sterling hold me?” Reese asks a little louder.

I hesitate. Sterling? Is that his name? I peer at Cole over my shoulder where he hovers by the broken door. His features are impassive. Soft, maybe.

My eyes narrow in accusation. How long did he spend with my daughter? How did he build this kind of trust in her in such a short amount of time?

Cole spreads his hands, offering to take Reese from me. He must have heard her request, so I can’t play it off now.

Taking another deep breath, I clutch my baby girl to me for another few beats before I relent, turning to allow him to gather her in his arms and take her weight from my grip.

It leaves me cold as Reese lays her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes.

He holds her so easily, cradled in one arm and whispering to her so low that I can’t catch what he says.

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