“Thank you, all of you. I’m a damned lucky man.” He looked at Nick. “Just one more thing would make it perfect.”

“What’s that?” the commander asked.

“A vacation with my mate,” he said, hugging her close to his side. “I’ve never had a real vacation in my life, and I think we’ve earned it.”

Nick’s lips curved upward. “I believe that can be arranged. Put your request on my desk and I’ll approve it. In fact,” he told the group, “anyone who wants time off, put your name in and I’ll stagger weeks so we’re not all gone at the same time. We’ve all earned it.”

That idea was met with a ton of approval. Kalen couldn’t wait to be completely alone with his baby.

Make that times two.

Kalen lounged on his towel, feet planted off the end so he could dig his toes into the gorgeous sand. “This is the life, huh? God, I never dreamed Fiji would be this beautiful.”

His mate eyed his rum concoction with the little umbrella in it, with no little envy. “Some of us get to enjoy more than just the sights.”

“Hey, I offered to go virgin! I’m a gentleman that way.”

“You are a gentleman, but it’s a little late to go virgin, I think.”

Turning his head, he stared at her for a couple of seconds before he got it and laughed. “Oh, you’re so bad. Nope, no virgins around here!”

“You would know.”

“That I would.” Sucking down the rest of the delicious drink, he removed the tiny umbrella and rolled toward Mackenzie. When she saw him reaching for her stomach, she tried to wiggle away.

“What are you doing?”

“Be still. I need to concentrate.” Frowning as though he were creating important art, he placed the tip of the toothpick to rest in her belly button. “Almost . . .” He had it standing upright, but she started giggling and it fell over onto her stomach, where it jerked up and down.

“Kalen, what on earth?”

“I was making a shade for the baby.”

“You’re an idiot!” But she was still laughing. “We’re already in the shade. I think you’ve had too many of those rum thingies.”

He pouted. “Have not.” Turning her attention back to her stomach, he studied the smooth skin, then ran his palm over it in fascination. “Do you think he can hear me?”

“I don’t know.” She buried her fingers in his hair and combed them through the strands, the way he loved. “I’ve heard that babies in the womb respond well to music and having books read to them. It sure can’t hurt.”

“Hello, baby,” he murmured. “I’m your daddy. I promise I’m going to do my best to be the greatest daddy in the world, because that’s what you deserve. I love you, sweetheart, and I can’t wait to meet you.”

His throat closed up and he couldn’t go on. But he’d made the most important promise of all to his child, one that had never been made to him. And he’d follow through.

“Oh, honey. I love you.”

“My God, I love you, too.”

His mate rolled into his arms, and as they kissed, he vowed he’d never forget what a lucky man he was to have all his dreams come true.

He’d made it out of the darkness and into the light. And that was where he planned to stay. Forever.