Page 31 of SEAL's Surprise Daughter

I blinked at the man across the desk for a second, then felt Charlotte squeeze my knee. “Well, sir, then I’d want Charlotte to get custody of the baby. She’s got a stable income, a stable home, and—”

“And I love Savannah like she’s my own,” Charlotte said, her tone impassioned. “Alexis was my best friend, sir, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure Savannah has the absolute best life possible. I’d do anything to make her happy. I’ve also qualified to be a foster mother, so there should be no concern about Savannah’s safety.”

Judge Mayhew looked between the two of us, then stared at Savannah a moment before nodding. “Yes, I can see that this little girl is much loved.” He sighed and closed the folder. “Based on what I’ve seen in the paperwork, it all looks in order. My primary concern in these cases is the best interests of the child, and you seem like a fine young man, Mr. Kelley. And I’ve known Charlotte all her life and know she’ll make a great mother. So,” he sat back and clasped his hands atop the folder. “Given that the DNA results conclusively prove your paternity of Savannah, I hereby grant you sole legal custody of your daughter, Mr. Kelley, along with guardianship rights to Charlotte. Congratulations to you both.”

And just like that, I became a dad. For real.

Charlotte was standing and shaking the judge’s hand, and then someone clapped me on the shoulder. But all I could do was kiss my daughter’s head and breathe in her sweet baby smell, closing my eyes and thanking God and everyone else that this was over and we could move on with our lives.

SEVENTEEN

We’d been home for a few hours, relaxing after the stressful hearing, when my doorbell rang. I left Savannah and Gabe playing on the floor in the living room and went to answer the door. It was my mom, holding a bakery box in her hands.

“Congratulations!” she said, hugging me awkwardly around the large box. “I just wanted to stop by and see the new parents.” She held out the box with a wink. “And I worked for hours making this for you guys.”

“Thanks,” I said, returning her smile. Even if the box hadn’t had a sticker from Delicious Delights on it, I’d know damned well the cake came from the bakery in Charles Town. My mom never baked anything in her life. After opening the box to show off the cake inside—fluffy white icing with “Happy Custody Day” written on top in pink frosting—I took it into the kitchen and served up slices for each of us. Back in the living room, I took a seat on the sofa, while Gabe stayed on the floor with Savannah and my mom sat in one of the armchairs.

Gabe downed half his slice of cake in two bites, grinning at my mom. “This is fantastic, Mrs. Rhodes.”

“Thanks.” My mom beamed at him.

We chatted as we ate our cake, and then I carried the plates to the kitchen. “Gabe, are you okay with the baby? I need to go get ready for work.”

“Oh, uh.” He gave me a wounded-puppy look before quickly covering it behind his usual stoic façade. “Yeah. Sure. I’m good.”

“I can watch the baby, if you want,” my mom offered. “And Charlotte, why don’t you call in sick tonight? You two deserve to celebrate a little on your own.”

To say I was surprised was an understatement. My mom loved Savannah, but was usually sick of watching her after doing it every weekday. My thoughts must’ve shown on my face, because next thing I knew, my mom had gotten up and joined me in the kitchen.

“Seriously, honey. I don’t mind. Savannah might be the closest thing to a granddaughter that I’ll get.”

Ouch. I did not want to go there, so I turned away, staring down at the plates as I rinsed them off before shoving them in the dishwasher. “It’s fine, Mom,” I said, probably a little more harshly than I should have, but dammit, I was hurt and a little pissed that she’d come at me like that. “I really need to go in tonight to check on things and take care of some paperwork. Gabe’s got it handled here.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you, honey,” Mom said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “It’s just that…” She sighed. “I want more for you. You know that. More than running a tavern in a small town. You have a college degree. You’re smart. You could do so much more than this.” She waved a hand toward the living room. “And now with Gabe here, and the baby, I thought you might…”

“Might what?” I gave her a look. “It’s not like that, okay?” I shoved the feeling aside. I didn’t want it to be like that.Do I?No. That was ridiculous. Sure, Gabe and I were sleeping together. The sex was hot. Amazing. And we both loved Savannah so much. But that didn’t mean we could build a life together. Didn’t mean we should even try. “I need to get ready.”

I went back to my room, trying to look as normal and casual as possible despite feeling like a robot. To distract myself from the ache in my heart, I closed the door and concentrated on getting ready. Mom knew I was interested in having a career, not having kids. It had never been an issue between us before.

And especially after what I’d seen her go through when I was young—she’d raised me alone, my own dad popping in and out of our lives whenever he felt like, at least until he left for good when I was seven —I couldn’t believe she’d put me on the spot like that. She had to see how much I’d accomplished on my own. How I didn’t need anyone to make me feel like a success. I owned my own business, was in charge of my own life. What more could a woman want?

With a sigh, I stripped and put on my robe, then headed into the bathroom, turning on the old shower to let the water heat up while I scrubbed my face in the sink. Fine, maybe I did feel lonely sometimes… maybe more so since Gabe had been here to show me what it could be like with a partner around. That didn’t mean I was going to give everything up to be with him. Not with him going back out with his SEAL team soon and me left behind to pick up the pieces.

Nope. Not doing that.

Been there, watched my mom go through that with me.

The one time I’d tried to have a relationship, back in high school, it had fallen apart, just like I knew it would. I’d fallen completely in love with Dustin. We’d planned to spend the rest of our lives together. Then he got accepted into a college in England, and boom, he was gone. He’d asked me to wait for him, but no. Hell no. I wasn’t about to put my life on hold for anyone. Not my dad. Not Dustin. Not even Gabe now.

Steam filled the bathroom, and I turned to check the shower temperature before getting in. That’s when I felt the hand on my shoulder, and I screamed. Or I would have if not for the hand over my mouth. Eyes wide with fear and heartbeat thumping in my temples, I spun to find Gabe behind me, grinning like an idiot. My terror turned to outrage in one second flat.

* * *

“What the hell?” Charlotte whispered, eyes sparkling with rage. “You scared the living shit out of me.”

I chuckled, pulling her closer. Man, she felt good. All soft and curvy, even when she was pissed. “I thought maybe I could help you get ready. After we celebrate a little.” I reached between us to undo the belt on her robe. The terry cloth parted and bared her to me. My cock hardened instantly, letting her know how much I wanted her. She looked so cute glaring up at me that I couldn’t resist bending down to kiss her.

She dodged my lips, though, hissing, “My mom is out there!”

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