SEAL's Chance (Coronado Team 2), page 1
SEAL’s Chance
CORONADO TEAM 2
Makenna Jameison
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2022 by Makenna Jameison
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Table of Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
Books by Makenna Jameison
About the Author
About This Book
She’s been burned in the past yet can’t resist the guy next door…
Navy SEAL Tyler “Trigger” Howard has been interested in his gorgeous blonde neighbor for months. With her tall, toned body, heartbreaking smile, and cute-as-hell daughter, he can’t help but be drawn to her. When he realizes she’s single, he immediately asks her out—then the date is cut short as they rush home to her five-year-old.
Single mom Rachel Sullivan has been doing fine on her own, until her ex walks back into her life, demanding visitation rights with their young daughter. His reappearance only solidifies the fact that her neighbor Tyler is his complete opposite—muscular and caring, with a charming grin that slays all her defenses. Tyler’s easygoing personality makes him hard to resist, but the way he wants to protect both her and her daughter means everything.
When Rachel’s ex kidnaps the young girl, Tyler will stop at nothing to bring her home. Rachel has no doubt he’d risk his life for them both, but can he also be the man who claims her heart?
SEAL’s Chance, a standalone novel, is book two in the Coronado Team 2 series.
Chapter 1
Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Rachel Sullivan hurried across the parking lot. The handles of the plastic grocery bags bit into her hands, and she muttered under her breath. She always got a shopping cart when Keira was with her, but because her daughter was at her dad’s house today, Rachel had decided to carry the bags herself. Yeah. She’d regretted that decision almost immediately.
Rachel shifted the groceries to her other hand, feeling the blood flow back to her numb fingers. She had on running shoes and her joggers. Maybe no one would notice if she literally ran through the parking lot. She struggled again as she hurried toward her SUV, then wanted to cry in frustration as the package of juice boxes broke through the flimsy plastic and fell onto the asphalt.
“Damn.” She stopped, flustered, and glanced over at her car, which was still twenty feet away. She could carry the bags over and then come back for her daughter’s juice. Hopefully no one would run it over in the meantime.
“I got it!” a deep voice said, and she did a double take as her neighbor Tyler came out of nowhere and reached down for the juice boxes, his muscular hand easily gripping the pack. “Here, let me grab those too,” he said, lifting the remaining plastic bags full of food from her grip like they weighed nothing at all.
“Oh, thanks. I’m parked—”
“Right over there. I see it,” he said with an easy grin. “I parked a few spaces down from you,” he added, nodding toward his large pick-up truck. “Where’s Keira?” he asked as they headed toward her SUV.
“With her dad,” she muttered. Her relationship with Kyle, if you could call it that, had been fast and furious. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off one another during the few weeks they’d been together and then—poof! They’d already called things off when her period had been late and she’d realized she was pregnant.
Kyle had been an ass, insisting on a paternity test after Keira was born. He paid child support and had begun seeing her once a month since last fall. Rachel had gone to court and fought his sudden interest in visitation rights since he’d had no interest when Keira was a baby or toddler, but now he had a new girlfriend and magically wanted to be a great father.
“He’s still giving you trouble?” Tyler asked, raising his eyebrows as she glanced up at him.
Tyler was tall, a little over six feet, compared to her own five-foot-eight frame. With his dusty brown hair and light blue eyes, he looked approachable. Friendly. Some of his teammates looked intimidating with their hardened expressions and dark gazes. Tyler was literally the guy next door. He was muscular and fit, but he didn’t give off the intense vibe some of his friends did.
She felt safe with him. Rachel was slender but had always been taller than her female friends. She felt almost petite next to Tyler, which was unexpected. Kyle was tall, she supposed. He never gave her that same sense of security her neighbor did though—a man she barely knew. Kyle had been edgy and intriguing when she first met him, but now he was simply a thorn in her side.
“Eh.” Rachel shrugged and felt Tyler’s gaze land on her. She fumbled with her keys, opening the back hatch of her SUV. “He’s trying to do more with Keira now that he has a girlfriend. Never mind that he was out of her life for years and had zero interest in being a father then. Sorry,” she said, her eyes landing on his concerned gaze. “I don’t mean to get you involved. I could go on for hours about him and what a deadbeat dad he’s been.”
Tyler frowned but set the bags in the back of her SUV along with the wayward juice box package and closed her back hatch. “I don’t mind if you need someone to talk to. The guy sounds like an ass.”
She laughed despite herself. “Yeah. He is. We weren’t together very long either. It just—happened,” she said, flushing. Tyler knew how babies were made. He probably thought she was a moron for getting pregnant with a man she barely knew—who’d essentially deserted her and her child. He’d paid child support thanks to the courts, but yikes. He’d done nothing to help her when she was pregnant. Nothing to make her life easier as a new mom.
Tyler seemed competent and capable. He served in the military, didn’t throw loud parties or otherwise cause trouble, and was friendly and helpful to all their neighbors. No doubt if Tyler got a woman pregnant, he’d be an active father. That was just the type of person he was. Friendly. Compassionate. He dated sometimes from what she’d seen but seemed happy living the single life. He was busy with his military career, and she respected that.
Most of the time, Rachel felt completely frazzled, running from one place to the next each day to keep her life in order. The single mom hustle was no joke. She didn’t have family around to help. Her friends had pitched in occasionally, babysitting when she was absolutely desperate, but Keira was entirely her responsibility. Or she had been, until Kyle suddenly reappeared and wanted one weekend a month with her.
It was really only one day at this point. Keira hadn’t spent the night at his place yet, and Rachel didn’t think that Kyle wanted to deal with bath and bedtime stories. He’d spend the day with Keira, basically doing whatever the hell he wanted, then drop her off in the evening. It sucked. Especially knowing his girlfriend was around most of the time. She’d seen Carly in Kyle’s expensive BMW once but still hadn’t even met the woman.
“You’re a great mom from what I can see,” Tyler said with a smile. “You’re a natural. Keira’s always happy, and she’s friendly and polite.”
“Sorry she asks you a zillion questions,” Rachel said, looking up into his light blue eyes. “She likes you, and you’re good with kids.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know too many, but how could I not like her? She’s a feisty little thing, not to mention whip smart. What’s she, five or something?”
“Five going on fifteen,” Rachel said, brushing her blonde hair back behind one ear. Tyler’s gaze tracked her movement, and she felt herself flushing again. He wasn’t interested in her. They were neighbors. Acquaintances. She hadn’t dated at all since Kyle. First, she’d been unexpectedly pregnant, and then she’d been overwhelmed as a new mom. They’d finally gotten in their grove now that Keira was in kindergarten and after-school care every day. Life was finally getting easier…until it wasn’t. She hated sending Keira off with Kyle for the day, but the short visits had progressively gotten longer over the past several months, and she knew at some point her daughter might spend the night or even an entire weekend there. She sensed it was coming. Rachel just had to deal with it. Bitterness and resentfulness coursed through her. Damn Kyle for being such a shitty man and father.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked softly.
She realized she’d frozen in place, thinking about all the complications of sending her baby off alone overnight with her ex. Was Kyle even really her ex? They’d barely dated, and she’d made the mistake of falling into bed with him. She loved Keira more than anything, but goodness. Couldn’t she have met a decent guy instead of that ass?
“Yeah. I’m just stressed about Keira being gone. I’m so used to being on mom duty 24/7, it’s weird when her dad has her. When I’m at work, I’m busy and used to the routine, but on the weekends when she spends an entire Saturday with him, I’m just…alone. I’ll get used to it.”
“How long
“Until eight tonight. She doesn’t stay overnight there yet, so I’m just running errands and trying to distract myself until he drops her off later.”
A car drove down the row in the parking lot, looking for an empty space, and she realized they’d been standing there a few minutes talking. It felt nice. Usually, she had her daughter with her, so she didn’t have time to stop and talk with anyone when running errands. A young child required all of her attention, and she almost didn’t know what to do with her adult alone time.
“Do you want to come to a barbeque with me?” Tyler asked, those light blue eyes oddly intense as her gaze flickered back to him in surprise. “It’s just with my teammates—guys from base, plus, another group of men that we work with. Some of them have girlfriends or wives, so you wouldn’t be the only woman there or anything.”
Briefly, she wondered how old Tyler was. She wasn’t exactly young at twenty-eight but felt older than her peers with a five-year-old. Certainly, there were other young moms, but she felt out of place more often than not. Tyler looked to be around her age but led a completely different lifestyle.
“Oh,” she said in surprise. “Um, maybe. I mean, where is it? Somewhere close by?” Her mind was already filling with possibilities. She didn’t want to drive anywhere far away with her daughter gone for the day. What if she got hurt or sick? The whole arrangement with Keira’s dad still felt new and unsettling.
Tyler didn’t seem put off by her questions. His lips quirked slightly, but she could tell he was trying to put her at ease. “It’s at my buddy’s house. Ace. He’s having two of the teams over to his place. It’s just casual. He’s got a new girlfriend and wants her to meet everyone. You’ll like Addison. She’s really down-to-earth. No one has kids that are your daughter’s age yet, but Grayson and Hailey have a baby. And hell. Harper and Logan are expecting a little one. She’s due any day now.”
Rachel relaxed slightly. For some reason, she’d assumed all of Tyler’s friends were single Navy guys. She didn’t get the player vibe from him though. Sure, she’d seen him with a woman every once in a while, but he wasn’t bringing new girls home every night or anything like that. He wasn’t throwing loud parties with a bunch of rowdy, single guys. He dated just like everyone else did. She’d dated…years ago. Kyle had seemed fun and exciting until she’d unexpectedly gotten pregnant. She couldn’t fault Tyler for going on dates and living his life. They were just friends. Neighbors. She didn’t know him too well but sensed she could trust him. Something about Tyler put her at ease.
“What time is the barbeque? I need to be back by eight—a little earlier actually. Kyle’s dropping her off at my place then.”
“I’ll get you home in plenty of time,” Tyler said with a smile. “The barbeque starts at five, and Ace only lives about twenty minutes from our apartment complex. He rents a house, so he has a large backyard to grill and host things like this. You can wear whatever—what you have on now is fine,” he said, his gaze briefly sweeping over her.
Rachel felt her skin heat. She hadn’t been with a man in years, but she had to admit she liked Tyler’s eyes on her, even if nothing would ever come of it. Going to a barbeque together didn’t mean much. It wasn’t even really a date, right? They were just hanging out with his friends. Tyler had on cargo shorts and a tee shirt, but she swore he’d look good in anything. Or nothing, she thought with a flush. Not that she was imagining him shirtless or anything. He was an attractive guy. And at the moment, she just felt flustered by his sudden attention.
“I’ll wear something nicer,” she said lightly. “Joggers and running shoes were just for errands. Oh. Should we bring something?” Her gaze landed back on the storefront. “I can go back and….” Her voice trailed off. Was it strange to offer to bring something to a barbeque when she didn’t even know the hosts? She wasn’t Tyler’s girlfriend or anything.
“I was just about to grab some drinks now,” he said. “I’ll get some beers, and I know some of the women prefer wine or wine coolers. They’ll have sodas and water, too. Is there anything you like?”
“Oh, I’m fine with whatever,” she assured him.
“All right, so, I’ll pick you up around four-thirty,” he said, his lips quirking. “No need to tell me your address,” he joked. “I’ll just come over and knock.”
She smiled up at him. Of course, she couldn’t ever actually date the man. They were quite literally next-door neighbors. If they went out a few times and then things fizzled out, it would be awkward to live right next door to Tyler. Not that he was interested in dating a single mom like her anyway. He was just being friendly. She’d seen the women he was with. They were young, unattached. They sure didn’t have the frazzled mom look that she often had going for her, not to mention the Kindergartner shadowing her every move.
“Sounds good,” she said. “And thanks for your help with the groceries. I better get home and get everything in the fridge.”
“My pleasure. I’ll see you soon, Rachel.”
He turned and headed toward the store, glancing back once over his shoulder at her. She waved and then, feeling flustered, hurried to open her car door. Tyler had just caught her watching him. The man was gorgeous—all hard lines and muscle. He wasn’t overly bulky, but wow. Tyler looked like an athlete ready to spring into action. And she loved the way he made her feel like the only person in the world when they were talking. He might be laid back, but there was an intensity about him as well. He honed in on her when they were together. She was used to having her daughter around, but just now?
That blue gaze on her had made Rachel feel all sorts of unexpected things.
Shaking her head, she climbed into her vehicle. She pulled out her cell phone, making sure there were no messages from Kyle. She’d insisted he call in the event of an emergency, but otherwise she didn’t usually hear from him. It was unnerving. Unsettling. The man hadn’t been involved in her daughter’s life for years, and now the courts let him spend an entire day with her.
Blowing out a sigh, she turned on her SUV. She’d get everything put away and then figure out what to wear to the barbeque. Tyler seemed genuine when he’d invited her along, but hopefully, he hadn’t done so out of pity. They’d been friendly to one another since she and her daughter had moved in last year, but that was it. They hadn’t flirted or dated. They were just neighbors.
She had too much to juggle anyway without worrying about having a new man in her life. Glancing in the rearview mirror, her stomach fluttered. She was more excited about spending the evening with Tyler than she wanted to admit.
Chapter 2
Tyler “Trigger” Howard grinned as he walked into the grocery store. He was looking forward to the barbeque at Ace’s even more after running into Rachel. Hell. He’d been interested in her for months but unwilling to do anything about it since one, they were neighbors, and two, she had a kid. Keira was cute as hell but certainly a handful. He’d come home from base more than once to see both Rachel and Keira playing outside in the evenings. Fortunately, the apartment complex had a small playground, and there was a soccer field nearby. He’d almost jogged over there to join them once when they were kicking a ball around but decided he shouldn’t intrude. Rachel probably wanted some mother/daughter time after working all day. Still, he had to admit she intrigued him.
When he’d spotted Rachel coming out of the store, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from walking over to say hello. And then the plastic bag had broken, and he’d swooped in to help her. Not that she needed it. She’d managed to raise a young child on her own all these years and seemed to be doing okay for herself. He wasn’t sure what she did for a living, but Rachel left in business clothes every day. He liked that she was on the tall side for a woman. For some reason he’d always been attracted to women closer in height to him. He still had several inches on her, but she was the perfect height for him to easily duck down and kiss.
Damn.
