a two-year difference in Tatum’s and Tempest’s ages and the two were extremely close. They looked out for each other. He liked that about them. He figured that unlike Tia, they would never grow up and ask for separate rooms. They would enjoy being in each other’s pockets for as long as they could. Placing kisses on their cheeks, as well, he moved to the room that was closest to his bedroom. The one where three-year-old Tasha slept.
Although he tiptoed into the room, he wasn’t surprised when Tasha’s eyes flew open and she stared at him a minute before a huge smile touched her lips. “Daddy!”
She threw himself into his arms and he held her. After three girls, he and Teri had been hoping for a boy, but when the nurse had placed Tasha in his arms, it hadn’t mattered that he had gotten a fourth girl. Tasha looked more like him than any of the others. She was his Mini-Me.
Picking her up into his arms, he went over to the rocking chair he’d gotten for Tia, the one that had been passed down from daughter to daughter. He gazed down at his daughter and saw dark brown eyes staring back up at him.
“Tasha loves Daddy.”
He smiled. “And Daddy loves Tasha.”
Cradling her against his chest, he began rocking her back to sleep. Having come back from such a dangerous mission, he needed peace in his life at that moment, but he knew true peace wouldn’t come until he went after Teri and found out what was going on with her. Why she’d called his parents to keep the girls so she could get away.
Other than him, his sister and his parents, Teri had no family. Her parents had died when she was young and her grandparents had raised her on their ranch in Terrell, Texas, which was a stone’s throw from Dallas. When Mac had met her, the grandparents she’d adored had died and at twenty-three Teri was trying to run the ranch alone. After their whirlwind romance she’d made the decision—one that he knew had been hard for her, even though she’d never complained about it—to sell the ranch and accept his marriage proposal. She’d turned in her spurs to become a SEAL wife.
It had been her suggestion that they go to a dude ranch for their honeymoon, which would be her last hurrah as a cowgirl. That had been two weeks he’d totally enjoyed, and he’d gotten to show her how well he could handle a horse, thanks to his mother’s family, who’d owned a horse ranch in Ocala, Florida.
The timing of their meeting had been perfect. He’d just graduated from the naval academy three years before and was enjoying being a SEAL. It had been his intention to remain a bachelor for quite a while, but all that had changed after he met Teri.
As he continued to rock his daughter back to sleep, Mac closed his eyes, recalling the day Teri Cantor walked into his life...
Ten years ago
“Damn, Lawton, will you slow down?”
Mac glanced over at the man walking beside him. Lawton was walking so fast you’d think he was rushing to put out a fire. Against his better judgment, Mac had let Lawton talk him into coming here of all places—a rodeo—just to see a woman.
“You shouldn’t walk so slow,” Lawton said, grinning, not breaking his stride.
“Whatever. Now, how did you and this woman meet again?”
“We met online three months ago and officially met last month when I flew to Atlanta for the weekend. She’s a photographer for the Bill Pickett Rodeo circuit. LaDorria mentioned they would be in the DC area, so I figured this would be my chance to see her again.”
As they neared the entrance to the arena Lawton slowed down and so did Mac. “Is there a particular spot where the two of you plan to meet once we’re inside?” Mac asked, looking around.
“Yes. She said to meet her at the booth that sells the commemorative booklets.”
Ten minutes later they were there, and Lawton introduced Mac to LaDorria Clark. Mac had to admit she was an attractive woman, and just for the hell of it, he asked if she had a single friend. She quickly replied, “It just so happens I do. Her name is Teri and she’s competing tonight.”
LaDorria grabbed one of the commemorative booklets and flipped through to a certain page, pointed and said, “This here is Teri.”
Mac figured if a man could fall in love with a photograph, then he had done so in that moment. The very beautiful woman in a cowgirl outfit was smiling for the camera and she captured his heart then and there.
“What event is she competing in?”
“Roping and barrel racing. She’s the current champ in the women’s division. She was also rodeo queen last year.”
Mac looked at the photo again. He could definitely believe that. He figured her age was around twenty-two or twenty-three and she had the most gorgeous pair of honey-brown eyes. They were perfect for her high cheekbones and full, shapely lips. Her skin was the color of rich mocha and he loved the way the mass of curly hair fell around her shoulders.
He looked over at LaDorria. “And you’ll introduce us?”
She laughed. “Yes, just as soon as the rodeo is over, and only if you cheer for Teri tonight. Like I said, she’s competing.”
As far as Mac was concerned, Teri Cantor didn’t need him cheering for her because she had her own fan section in the stands. And she was good. So good that she won both competitive events easily. He couldn’t help admiring how well she handled a horse, how skillfully she rode the animal. Nor could he fight his attraction to her—she was a beautiful woman in person and in action in the ring. And he definitely liked the way she looked in her cowgirl outfits. She had changed into a couple of different ones and each one he would claim as a favorite.
He liked the way she handled a rope and how easily her lasso fell over the cow’s head. He knew that sort of aptitude came from hours of practice. That meant she was well disciplined.
Mac had heard the comments from the men around him. Men who’d made it obvious they had the hots for Teri. Some had even admitted to hitting on her and striking out. He hoped he wouldn’t be one of those men.
He thought about other women he’d dated in the past. Most liked the idea of dating a military man, but none ever fancied marrying one. They’d all heard the life of a SEAL’s wife was too demanding. The thought of not knowing where their husband was and when he’d be returning was just something they couldn’t tolerate.
Their attitude was something he hadn’t been able to tolerate, either. Although he had no intention of acquiring a wife for years to come, it still bothered him how some women thought a relationship was all about them. They had no idea that a navy SEAL wife was, in a way, serving her country, as well.
“I just got a text from LaDorria,” Lawton said at the end of the rodeo. “They asked us to give them thirty minutes and then they’ll meet us by that souvenir table again.”
“Okay, and it looks like you’re kind of serious about LaDorria,” he said to Lawton.
“I am. I just hope she’s serious about me.”
Mac hoped she was, as well, since Lawton was a pretty decent guy.
It was almost forty-five minutes later, but Mac was convinced it was worth every minute of waiting for LaDorria and Teri to arrive. When he saw Teri Cantor walking toward
