Chayton's Tempest (43 page)

Maverick didn’t respond. It wasn’t necessary. He only

had to show up in time for dinner.

He showered at his place and got ready to leave for

dinner, trying to imagine what he would do out of the Navy.

He could be a cop. His shoulders slumped as the real

possibility of never doing things that made his blood race

again. He would, however, give it all up to be with Tempest. It

would just take a while to get used to it.

Maverick was the last to arrive at Scott and
Lex’s
house.

He parked his bike and jogged up to the door.

“Hey,
Mav
, come on in,” Scott said and handed him a

beer. “
Lex
is just a bit behind with dinner.”

“Well, if you’d help, maybe we’d be able to eat on time,”

her voice snapped.

Maverick just smiled and kissed
Lex
on the cheek as she

breezed by with a child on her hip. “Anytime you get tired of

him,
Lex
, you know where to find me.”

She winked as she yelled over her shoulder, “I may just

keep that in mind.”

He said hi to everyone else and didn’t understand why

they were all watching him with smiles on their faces. “Okay,

guys. What’s up? Why is everyone looking at me like I’m

crazy.”

“We just want to see your face,”
Osten
piped up.

“When?” he asked. “Some horrid thing you have

planned for me?”

Landi
stood up and the rest of the women followed suit.

“Horrid?” she said. “Not hardly. Now, if y’all will excuse us,

we’re going to help
Lex
.”

The men continued their conversation after the women

had left even though they still kept watching Maverick.

“You are giving me a complex. What the hell is going on

here?”

“We just wanted to see your face,”
Dimitri
repeated, like

it would make everything so clear.

 
“Wanted to see my face when what?” Maverick asked,

exasperated.

All seven men looked toward the kitchen. Maverick

followed their line of sight and stared hard at the vision before

him. In the middle of the women stood Tempest.

She wore a pair of khakis and a nice, black, ribbed shirt.

White canvas shoes were on her feet. Her thick hair fell about

her face in a gentle wave.

“When you saw who was having dinner with us,”

Tyson’s voice finally clarified.

Maverick ignored everything but the woman who

haunted his every move. He strode toward her, unhesitant,

gathered her into his arms, and pressed their lips together.

Her arms wound around his neck as her mouth met his

with the same passion his had. She whimpered into his mouth

and he had to force himself to pull away.

Big eyes shimmering with tears stared up at him. “Hello,

James,” she said on a whisper. “I missed you.”

He caressed her cheek with one hand. “I missed you,

too,
mitawin
. When did you get here? Why didn’t you call me?”

“It’s called a surprise, James,” she admonished lightly.

“And I couldn’t have asked for a better one.”

“I choose you. I want to be with you. And I want you to

continue doing what you love as well.”

His heart skipped a few beats. She was staying here? He

was still going to be a SEAL? “Are you sure?”

Tempest smiled and all his doubts fell away. “Yes.

Absolutely. I want to marry you, if you’ll have me.”

He kissed her again, hot and hard, until he heard people

clearing their throats. She buried her face into his chest as wolf

whistles broke out.

“Let’s get some dinner. There are little kids around

here,” Tyson said, laughing and leading everyone outside.

Soon they were all eating. Maverick couldn’t believe it.

Tempest was with him. Beside him. He was touching her. She

was marrying him.

He handed her a bottle of beer. “Here you go.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no, I can’t.”

“I thought you liked beer.”

She worried her lower lip. “I do. But I can’t drink.”

“Why not?”

Maverick noticed how she looked at the women at the

table before she met his gaze. He could read the tension on her

face.

“I’m pregnant.”

He dropped the bottle of beer. The fact people had

jumped up around him and were trying to clean it up escaped

him.

“What?” he gasped.

“I’m pregnant. By the doctor’s estimation, it was from

the cabin.”

Looking at the others who were listening avidly,

Maverick stood up and took her over to the swing set and sat

her on a swing. Leaning over her, he asked, “You’re pregnant?

Pregnant?”

“Yes.”

A warm whisper of wind flowed over his skin. He

smiled as he knelt in the sand before her. “I’m
gonna
be a

daddy?”

His heart melted as she cupped his cheek. “You’re

gonna
be a daddy.”

Standing in a smooth motion, Maverick pulled her into

his arms and walked toward the table.

“Thanks for dinner, but I’m taking this woman home.

I’m going to be a daddy.”

Maverick left to cheers and congratulations from

everyone there.

Epilogue

The ride back to his place was done in a very short time.

Maverick carried Tempest into his apartment. She snuggled

against him, not keeping any space between them. He loved it.

Placing her on the couch, he said, “I thought you couldn’t get

pregnant.”

“That’s what I’d been told. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you

earlier, but I had to make sure it wasn’t a hoax.”

He settled a hand over her belly. “Are you okay? Feeling

sick?”

“I’m fine. Shelia has worse morning sickness than I do.

I’m just a bit more tired.” She laced their fingers together. “Are

you upset?”

“Not in the slightest. I get you and a baby.
Mitawin
, I’m

the happiest man in the world.”

Tempest crawled onto his lap. “And I’m the happiest

woman. I love you, James
Chayton
Lonetree
. Will you tell me

what you keep calling me?”

“Wife.
Mitawin
means wife.”

Her eyes softened. “You’ve been calling me ‘wife’ all this

time?”

“Yes. I knew where you belonged. I just had to wait for

you to realize it.”

“You knew?” She arched a brow. “How so?”

“My grandfather told me so.” He leaned in and kissed

her. “I love you, Tempest Independence
Burnell
.”

“Take me to bed, Navy man.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He carried her to his room and smiled as her clothes fell

to the floor.

Later as she lay curled against his chest, Maverick stared

off into the dark of his room. Come morning, he would get her

a ring and begin looking for a house.

Dakota would be renting out the house in New Mexico

and
Mili
would be taking over the bar. Tempest wanted to be a

stay-at-home mother. Maverick was willing to move heaven

and earth to get her what she wanted.

One year later…

Maverick stood with Hondo by the grill. Everyone had

met at Scott’s house for a barbeque cookout.

“It’s a good life,” Scott said, appearing by their sides.

“None better,” Maverick agreed. One by one, the rest of

the Team showed up near the grill. The eight men looked at

their wives as they watched over the children and chatted

amongst themselves.

Maverick’s eyes lingered over the pink bundle Tempest

held. He had a daughter. Angela “Angel” Hope
Lonetree
. It

had been his baby after all in the dream. Dakota and Shelia had

a son.

As if she felt his eyes on her, Tempest looked over at

him and smiled gently. He winked and blew her a kiss. It

couldn’t get any better than this. The best friends anyone could

ever ask for. A powerfully knit family. A loving wife. A small,

baby girl. A grandson.

“You know that smile won’t be on your face when Angel

starts having boyfriends,”
Dimitri
told him.

“Over my dead body,” Maverick growled fiercely.

The men just laughed. They all felt the same. None of

their daughters would date.

That night, Maverick stood over Tempest as she slept,

something he did more often than not. The gentle streams of

moonlight fell across her skin. He loved her so much it hurt.

He belonged to her and she to him. It was how things

were supposed to be. After all, she was…

Chayton’s
Tempest

About the Author

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