Fall Back

By Zoe York

When Navy SEAL Cade Duncan partners up with Mel Vincent for an endurance race, he doesn’t expect to tumble into a romantic fling in paradise—or to be so pissed with the beautiful woman when he finds out she’s been keeping secrets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781094418155

Zoe York

Zoe York lives in London, Ontario with her young family. She has an English degree and works at a university, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she’d write a romance novel one day. What Once Was Perfect is her debut novel.  

Book preview

Cade and Mel

Chapter One

Melissa Vincent threw herself into the backseat of the taxi she’d just called, grateful that the driver had the air conditioning going full blast. It was a scorching August afternoon in Coronado Beach, and when she went flying into Cassie’s hospital room, she didn’t want to look like the panicky hot mess she felt inside.

Balboa Hospital, please. After giving directions to Navy Medical Center San Diego, she leaned back against the vinyl seat and closed her eyes. Please let Cassie and the baby be okay.

Her best friend had dealt with infertility through two marriages, and her first IVF treatment hadn’t worked. Now Cassie was thirty-two weeks pregnant, and everything had been going so smoothly. They’d gone swimming in the ocean just two days earlier, and the pretty blonde had rocked her baby bump in a cute two-piece.

They’d been celebrating the return of Cassie’s husband, a Navy SEAL, from overseas. Just when everything was supposed to be easy for Mel’s friend, now she was in the hospital? It wasn’t fair.

When traffic slowed to a snarl, she pulled out her phone and tried to distract herself with work, but the first email that popped up was a reminder about the Viking endurance race she’d signed up for with Jared, Cassie’s husband. Like that matters now.

The next email was from her most high-maintenance client, concerned that her cream walls were too creamy. Mel made a note to herself to check the lighting when she dropped off the fabric swatches—sometimes a couple more lamps made all the difference.

That reminded her to check in with her upholsterer, and that prompted a quick visit to her rug guy’s website—thank you, modern technology—and when the cab came to a stop in front of the hospital, she realized she’d actually gotten lost in work.

Good. Now the panic could begin in full earnest.

She tossed two twenties at the driver and scooted out of the car, her purse firmly in one hand, the piece of paper with Cassie’s room number in the other. Dashing around an older couple moving slowly, she found the elevators and pressed the button for the third floor.

Come on, come on, she muttered as the doors took their sweet time closing. Just as they jerked to life, a hand slid inside the car, causing the doors to open again. She bit back a sigh as a tall, dark-haired white guy stepped into the elevator. Shifting out of the way so he could press the button for his floor, she performed the little inventory she did on all hotties, because she wasn’t dead inside.

He looked like he could move mountains if he wanted to. Extra tall and built like a fortress, with thick, corded arms and a broad chest that stretched the limits of his t-shirt. She couldn’t help but notice how his torso tapered to narrow hips, then long legs. Even in this heat, he was wearing cargo pants and boots. Obviously military, although he wasn’t in uniform—Mel had flirted with enough sailors and Marines to know the type. He was as big as Cassie’s husband and seemed just as determined. That single-minded SEAL focus, Cassie called it.

This guy had that in spades; he didn’t even notice her. Instead he looked at the lit-up number three then hit the doors-closed button.

Of course they closed right away for him.

And still he didn’t glance her way. Oh well. It was for the best. If he did, she’d be obligated by her ovaries to flirt with him, and then it would be super rude when she ran away once the elevator got to the third floor.

But her best friend was in the hospital, with real lady-part problems, so Mel’s libido would have to take a back burner.

Ding. The elevator stopped on their floor, and Mr. Mountain Mover stalked off as soon as the doors slid open. He turned right without any of the where-the-hell-am-I hesitation Mel felt. She scanned for a sign pointing to Ward 3, then headed down the same hallway where the hot guy had disappeared. She found Labor & Delivery triage through a closed set of doors past the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The pictures of tiny babies in special incubators made her eyes burn. No way could her bestie be having a baby—her little boy wasn’t ready for the world yet.

As she entered the waiting area, she saw all the rooms were past a gatekeeper—the nurse at the desk.

And the gatekeeper was currently flirting with the guy from the elevator. Great.

That’s fantastic, he murmured as he looked at the other woman, holding her gaze like he was a hypnotist. His voice was as big and strong as the rest of him, and warm, too.

Mel edged around him and poked her face into the middle of the love fest because she didn’t have time to be polite. Excuse me, I’m looking for Cassie Sutter?

The hot guy glanced down at her and moved a few inches to his right. Me too, actually. I’m Cade.

Mel stared at the hand he was offering her, then back at the nurse, who gave her a polite smile. Did neither of them understand this was an emergency? She held up the piece of paper with Cassie’s room number on it. If you could just point me in the right direction?

The nurse opened her mouth, then snapped it shut, and pointed through the door to her side.

Thanks, Mel said, not sparing another second. She went into the triage space and looked at the room numbers outside the assessment rooms. Three, four, five…

Slow down, hot shot, a warm, sexy voice drawled from behind her. She’s not in there.

What? Mel stepped into the sixth room, Cassie’s room, and after finding it empty, whirled around to look at Mr. Mountain Mover—Cade—leaning in the doorway. Where is she?

They took her to Imaging to have a more detailed ultrasound. So there’s no rush to get to an empty room. His eyelids dropped, hooding his eyes as he gave her a slow grin. That’s what that nurse would’ve told you in the waiting room if you hadn’t looked like you’d bite her head off.

Mel straightened her spine and cocked her head. I didn’t bite her head off.

Nope. But you sure looked like you wanted to. He grinned. That’s okay. You’re just worried about your friend. I get it.

She took a deep breath. Then another.

You need to let those out in order for them to be effective, he teased, moving closer to her.

Exhaling roughly, she nodded. Right.

You’re close friends with Cassie?

Another ragged nod. I’m Mel. I assume you know Jared?

Yeah. We work together. Cassie is a sweetheart. He crossed his arms over his chest. The nurse was saying that she’s not in labor. So that’s good news.

Maybe. There was a lot that could go wrong. Mel had read What to Expect When You’re Expecting from cover to cover. That book was terrifying. Did she say how long they’d be?

Not long.

Do you know how hard it was for them to make this baby? Mel asked, her voice wobbling.

I do. Jared shared some of it. But this is a world-class medical facility. They’re in good hands.

How do you know that? She wrapped her arms around herself to keep her hands from shaking. "I mean, isn’t this a teaching hospital? I don’t want people practicing on Cassie. I want experts."

They have those, too. He laughed, a surprisingly gentle sound, and his green eyes crinkled at the corners. I have a friend who’s an OB/GYN resident here. She’s scary smart and up to date on all the latest research. Trainees aren’t allowed to do anything they aren’t ready for.

She could just imagine this guy—a Navy SEAL, calm under pressure—dating a doctor. They’d be cool and save the world together. She gave him a weak smile. I hope that’s true.

He twisted and glanced over his shoulder into the hall, then stepped out of the way. Speak of the devil.

Mel gasped as Cassie was pushed into the room in a wheelchair by a nurse, Jared close behind.

Her best friend rolled