Page 2 of Winter Surprise (Seasoned SEALs #4)

“I completely understand.” Lieutenant Eve Sanders knew exactly how he felt. Once again, she’d be alone for Christmas.

She’d been transferred to San Diego almost a year ago to complete her hospital rotations before receiving her white coat as a physician’s assistant.

Because she’d been moved from one department to another so often, she hadn’t made friends with the nurses, not that they’d been friendly.

Once they discovered that she was in the PA program, she was no longer part of their group.

The current physician’s assistants working at the hospital hadn’t accepted her yet either. Failure to succeed in the program wasn’t unusual and most weren’t interested in becoming buddies with someone still learning the ropes.

She’d only received her white coat days before taking the holiday duty at the Coronado clinic. Since most everything on the small base shut down over the holidays, the remote clinic didn’t require a doctor. She’d grabbed the chance to be away from the huge hospital emergency room.

Past Christmases hadn’t been bad, but she’d spent the last two weeks of the previous year at the Norfolk Medical Center. Sailors went crazy around New Year’s so long, intense hours had filled her emergency room rotation.

“Are you all by yourself with a baby, too?” Dylan’s question jolted her out of her memories.

She gave him a small smile. “No. No baby. Just all by myself.” She raised one eyebrow. “Captain and Mrs. Hubbard aren’t around?”

He shook his head and grinned. “They’re on their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. They got married quickly after Ian was born so they could get custody of him. Otherwise, he was heading into the foster care system.”

Eve hesitated, not knowing how much she should tell him.

On one hand, he was Ian’s father and could look in the medical files and see that she had been one of the baby’s caretakers.

On the other hand, the Hubbards had rights when it came to their daughter and her death.

Mentally shrugging she said, “I know, I was there when Ian was born.”

“You were?” Dylan’s excitement was written all over his face.

“Yes.” She grinned. “Can I tell you a secret?”

He raised his thumb toward his chest. “Navy SEAL. My life is a secret.”

So, he’s a SEAL. So are most of the men on this base. Why then do I feel more compelled to talk to him than anyone else I’ve seen in the past few days? Is it because he’s the first lieutenant I’ve met here? Is it because of my connection to baby Ian?

“I helped keep Ian in the hospital while Captain and Mrs. Hubbard gained emergency custody of him.” Eve was extremely proud of that maneuvering. She hated when people gamed the medical system, but in that case, it was for the betterment of everyone involved, especially the baby.

“I can’t thank you enough for keeping my baby out of foster care.” Dylan tenderly ran his big thumb over his son’s cheek while the infant chewed on his index finger.

That small act of love made her sigh.

“I would never have known about him had they taken him away.” She could hear the fear in Dylan’s voice.

Wanting to change the subject, she asked, “Your family isn’t coming for the holidays?”

He chuckled but there was no humor in it.

“No. Yes. Maybe.” He pinned her with those unique gold and green eyes, and she could see the sadness hiding behind his words.

“Last night Mom and Dad were snowed in at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport. They’ve been trying to get out all day but the early snowstorm that dumped several feet on the Rockies—making some damn good early-season skiing—left airplanes stranded all over the west and buried the big Minnesota airport.

Last time I talked to them, the winds keep blowing snowdrifts across the runways faster than they can keep them plowed. ”

“I’m sorry that happened to them.” She wanted to give him some hope. “Maybe they’ll still be able to make it here.”

He shrugged. “If they can’t get out by tomorrow, they won’t be coming.

Dad was only able to take off a few days during the holidays.

They’d no sooner get here, open their presents, and have to turn around and leave.

He might own the company, but he’s very involved in the daily operations.

His plant manager is taking his wife on a cruise for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and they’re leaving the day Mom and Dad are scheduled to get back home. ”

“Have your parents ever seen Ian?” She finished the paperwork that would be entered into the computer system when the clinic opened the next morning.

They only had half a day being that it was Christmas Eve.

Given how slow it had been that day, Eve couldn’t imagine being swamped with cases the next day.

The staff should have plenty of time to enter the information.

In no hurry to leave since she had nowhere to go except her stark room in the Bachelor Officers Quarters, she leaned her hip against the examining table.

“Yes. They came in July after school was out. Mom’s a teacher. Second grade. At home, they go to school until late in June.” He was kind of babbling and she thought it was cute.

“My mom taught third grade then retired a few years ago after my brother graduated from college. Chris is actually my half-brother. He’s quite a bit younger than me.

” Now she was babbling and had no idea why.

Sure, Dylan Chaney was very handsome, and it had been a long time since she’d enjoyed talking to a man as much as she did him.

He gave her a smile that she was sure melted panties.

She suddenly wondered if Ian was the result of a one-night stand.

Not that it was any of her business, but Eve distinctly remembered the baby’s mother never mentioning the father’s name even when pressed for the birth certificate.

All the nurses thought the mother would give up the baby for adoption.

“I’m sorry, you were saying that your parents came to see the baby in June. ”

“They came in July,” he politely corrected. “See, July fourth on the lake is a really big deal. Dad’s company has a huge Fourth of July party at our house, and everybody stays to watch the fireworks. It’s really something special to see fireworks in the air reflected on the water.”

“Sounds wonderful.” She felt like she could talk to Dylan for hours.

Her stomach growled.

She slapped her hand over her abdomen as she grimaced. “I’m sorry. My body is reminding me that I haven’t had anything to eat since toast and coffee this morning.”

Dylan quickly packed up the baby’s bag. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you here so long past closing.”

Without thinking, she reached out her hand and touched his forearm. “Please, don’t worry about it. It’s nice to have somebody to talk to.”

He held her gaze for a long minute. “Do you have a long drive home?”

She giggled. “No drive. It’s a short walk to the BOQ and it’s well lighted.”

“You’re stationed here on Coronado?” He casually picked up the baby and held him to his broad chest. His huge biceps flexed as Ian settled into a natural position.

She wondered what it would be like to be held by Dylan. To have those strong arms around her .

She shook her head as though it could erase that line of thinking—which was thankfully the answer to his question. “No. I’m just here for three weeks during the holidays.”

His brows pinched together. “There’s no place still open on base for you to get something to eat. I live not far out the gate. Please, let me feed you.”

She led the way out the door of the examining room into the relatively dark hallway. “Thank you, but I couldn’t impose.”

“Really, you’d be doing me a favor. Genevieve made all these casseroles for me and my family so we wouldn’t have to bother cooking during their visit. I defrosted a huge pan of lasagna yesterday when I thought they were coming in last night. I have to cook it tonight or it’ll go bad.”

Lasagna. Homemade. Eve’s mouth watered. “I can’t tell you when the last time I ate a home-cooked meal that I didn’t have to prepare.” She glanced at the handsome man holding his precious cargo. She’d always considered herself a good judge of character and her bullshit radar hadn’t pinged once.

She waved the papers. “Let me put these in the office and grab the keys so I can lock up.” She entered the security code to the door and closed it behind her.

After setting the baby’s paperwork on the clerk’s desk, she grabbed the keys, locking everything according to the nightly routine.

It gave her a few minutes to consider her next step.

She was hungry and Dylan was correct; there was no place open on base to eat.

She’d have to drive into town and probably eat fast food once again.

Definitely not an appealing idea. She could feast on the hummus and naan she’d bought at the Commissary when she arrived.

There might even be an apple left in her mini fridge.

Or she could go to his house and eat homemade lasagna. Home cooking always won in her life.

“Thank you for the invitation. You had me at lasagna.”

His smile softened his exhausted face. “Thank you. Ian isn’t much for conversation so trust me, I’ll enjoy the company.” He hesitated. “I only have one question and it’s kind of personal.”

What the hell is he going to ask me? She pasted on her professional smile. “I’ll answer if I can.”

“Lieutenant Sanders, you know I’m Lieutenant Dylan Chaney. I have no idea what your first name is, and I refuse to call you Lieutenant Sanders all evening.”

Eve burst out laughing and extended her right hand. “Lieutenant Eve Sanders. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Dylan Chaney.”

He held her hand in his much larger one just a heartbeat longer than the norm. “Eve, thank you for agreeing to help me eat that huge pan of lasagna. Shall we go?” Releasing her hand, he held open the front door.

Exiting the clinic building, she entered the nighttime code into the security pad. “If you’ll give me a few minutes while I’ll walk over to the BOQ, I’d like to change.” She glanced down at her hospital uniform. “I’ll grab my car and meet you at your place.”

“Hop in.” The new SUV’s lights blinked as the car beeped.

“I’m not going to let you walk by yourself to the BOQ after promising the clerk that I would see to it that you got home safely.

” By the time he was done with his lecture, he had Ian strapped into his baby seat.

Dylan opened the passenger door. “You can take down my address and phone number in the two minutes it takes us to get there.”

He pulled out his wallet and held it just below his chin. “Take a picture of my face and my ID card and send it to your BFF telling her that you’re going to…” He rattled off his address and then gave her his phone number.

“Thank you.” Eve had been on a lot of first dates and no man had ever suggested those precautions for her. He was so considerate and protective. Too bad she didn’t have a BFF to send the information to. Chris would just have to do. She quickly texted him an explanation for the picture.

Three minutes later she stood in front of her closet debating what to wear.

She liked Dylan and wanted him to see her in something other than her unappealing uniform.

He’d been in jeans, so she’d wear her most flattering pair.

A short-sleeved lightweight sweater would be perfect.

She grabbed her keys and jacket, smiling as she headed to her car.

She was looking forward to the lasagna as much as she was anticipating spending a few hours with Dylan Chaney.