The Soldier's Surprise Family

Jolene Navarro

Unexpected DaddyTexas state trooper Garrett Kincaid is a lone wolf—until he becomes an instant father of two young children. The former solider never knew he had a son . . . or that his little boy has a baby sister with nowhere to go. His landlady, lovely widow Anjelica Ortega-Garza, offers to help, and suddenly Garrett’s life is all about nap schedules and baby bottles and trying to make his traumatised son smile. Falling for Anjelica isn’t part of the plan. Yet even Garrett can’t deny that love has begun building a family of four right around him.

Unexpected Daddy

Texas state trooper Garrett Kincaid is a lone wolf—until he becomes an instant father of two young children. The former solider never knew he had a son…or that his little boy has a baby sister with nowhere to go. His landlady, lovely widow Anjelica Ortega-Garza, offers to help, and suddenly Garrett’s life is all about nap schedules and baby bottles and trying to make his traumatized son smile. Falling for Anjelica isn’t part of the plan. Yet even Garrett can’t deny that love has begun building a family of four right around him.

Garrett stared at his son’s photo.

Anjelica kept her gaze on Garrett’s face as he stared at the top photo of the boy. Not able to resist, she peeked over his arm and saw a serious little boy with Garrett’s green-gray eyes staring back at them.

Garrett pressed his hand over his eyes.

Moving back, she wanted to give him space to collect himself. A broken heart was nothing new to her, but to watch such a controlled man fighting to hold it together made her want to wrap him in her arms.

He handed her the photo, paper-clipped to an information sheet. “I don’t know how to do this, being a father.”

“We can make it work.” She blurted it out. Thinking of what had happened to those two small children, she knew they needed a home full of love and good memories. Tears started burning her eyes. “We have to make this right for them. We have to bring them to a real home.”

He looked at her. “We?”

A seventh-generation Texan, JOLENE NAVARRO fills her life with family, faith and life’s beautiful messiness. She knows that as much as the world changes, people stay the same. Vow-keepers and heartbreakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who shows her holding hands never gets old. When not writing, Jolene teaches art to inner-city teens and hangs out with her own four almost-grown kids. Find Jolene on Facebook or her blog, jolenenavarrowriter.com (http://www.jolenenavarrowriter.com).

The Soldier’s

Surprise Family

Jolene Navarro

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you

to build a house for the sanctuary;

be courageous and act.

—1 Chronicles 28:10

This story is dedicated to the military families

that support, serve and protect our nation.

Especially Baron Von Guinther for talking

with me until the wee hours of the morning in

San Diego, brainstorming this story and

helping me get to know the hero, Garrett Kincaid.

Contents

Cover (#u7dbf7090-c26b-52e5-b1bd-4c1e3355eb0c)

Back Cover Text (#uc07c95bf-01eb-5d76-b17d-56517e078c92)

Introduction (#u4c862151-5812-576a-8829-d34ba2978d18)

About the Author (#uc4f54f6c-0274-546f-9af1-4f55c5df9eff)

Title Page (#ue6156477-bf0c-5e55-987f-9c69feaf80f5)

Bible Verse (#u7ea2d15b-11ad-52d8-8a62-0c30c09d443d)

Dedication (#u3d5745a0-a933-5cdf-96ef-37ed2b62a561)

Chapter One (#uc61e7aeb-c9ae-5cca-986e-45cdf9bedd77)

Chapter Two (#uebd1e5fb-158a-5e31-9962-7b252ce37d7f)

Chapter Three (#uc8a1cfd2-4ff5-5703-9e47-188134937aa6)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_pro