Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba
Hot SEAL, Sweet & Spicy
A SEALs in Paradise Novel
Book TWO in the Grizzly Bitterroot Ranch Trilogy
Hot SEAL, Sweet and Spicy is a sweltering standalone contemporary romance in the SEALs in Paradise series.
She’s hankering for some happiness. He’s facing his fate alone. Together, can they find forever on the menu?
Addison Treadway needs time to heal. With her loveless marriage finally demolished by her breast cancer diagnosis, the talk-show host never expected to also lose her job. And since her weekend as a bridesmaid is her last before chemo, the thirty-three-year-old resolves to put her perky girls to good use… and the groom’s hunky brother is the perfect choice to kiss them goodbye.
Without orders to fulfill, Eli Miller feels aimless. With the former Navy SEAL’s duties now turned towards the family farm, he’s confused about what his future holds. And before he can figure out his next move, he finds the supposedly single woman he regretfully slept with at his brother’s wedding is staying in his parents’ apartment. Grateful to have acquaintances offer their home for her recovery from reconstructive surgery, Addison is floored when the sexy guy who ghosted her walks through the door. But when Eli uncovers the truth and sparks fly again, he starts cooking up something he’s sure she’s going to love.
Can they get past their awkward introduction and serve up a sizzling happily ever after?
Copyright © 2021 Cynthia D’Alba
All rights reserved — Riante, Inc.
To Eli, it felt like it was past time for him to pick up his share of the load.
Would he like being a cowboy again after being away for so many years? Would he miss the adrenaline rush of jumping from an airplane? Would he miss the ocean? The missions? His California friends? He had so many questions and so few answers. Only time would tell.
After dinner, he grabbed a Coke to go for caffeine and a couple of candy bars for sugar and got back on the road. At the rate he was going, he could be home around midnight and wake up in his own bed tomorrow. The idea spurred him to drive on.
When he reached the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, he was glad he’d killed some time. Now early evening, there appeared to be more cars leaving than entering. July at Yellowstone was a traffic nightmare. Crazy to think he had to drive through this park to reach home, but straight through from the West entrance to the North entrance was the fastest route. At least at this hour, the traffic should be reasonable.
It was nearing ten-thirty when he rolled through the north exit of Yellowstone and into the city of Gardiner. Thirty minutes later, he turned off the highway and down the drive of Grizzly Bitterroot Ranch. A smile broke over his face, and a sense of peace filled his soul. He was home.
He parked his truck in the drive and slid out. His back cramped as he stretched his arms over his head and twisted from side to side. As he stretched, he studied the area. The lights were off at his parents’ house. In the distance, he could see his brother and sister-in-law’s new house. From where he stood, he couldn’t see any lights there either. Cowboy Russ’s house adjacent to the barn was dark. Ranch work started early, he remembered that, but he’d forgotten how early everyone turned out the lights.
When his parents built the newest, small feed storage barn, his mother had included a small apartment for her sister, if and when she came to visit, which wasn’t often. The small, one-bedroom efficiency apartment was almost never occupied. His parents hadn’t wanted to use it as a vacation rental because of its close proximity to the main house, so his coming home plan had included bunking there until he could get his house built, not that he had any idea of what he wanted to build or where. But there was no hurry.
Because their ranch was so far removed from the main road, the small barn apartment was rarely locked, and he doubted it’d be tonight. If it was, he knew where the key would be hidden. He’d surprise everyone at breakfast.
He stepped into the dark storage barn, stopping long enough to enjoy the aroma of hay, oats, horse liniment, and saddle leather. He smiled. Surprisingly, he had missed those scents.
The door that led into the hallway to the apartment was unlocked. He dropped his duffle bag in the laundry room and tried the apartment door. To his surprise, it was locked. He retrieved the key from the laundry room, unlocked the door and entered. Lights were on, which he found surprising, but maybe someone had left them on by accident. Or perhaps this was Zane’s work. He had hinted to his brother that he could be home sooner than he’d planned. Inside the refrigerator was a six-pack of his favorite beer. Eli pulled one out, popped the top and took a long gulp. Bless his brother.
A woman’s scream startled him and he dropped the beer onto the hardwood flooring. His head jerked toward the door of the bathroom and his mouth dropped open. Wrapped in an undersized towel, her left thigh exposed, and her hair wrapped in another towel stood the last woman who’d ripped out his heart and made him question love and marriage.
What the hell was Addison Treadway doing there?