Midwife's Christmas Proposal
For the first time ever midwife Tara Dutton is actually looking forward to Christmas in charming Lyrebird Lake! Even more charming – but much more dangerous! –is gorgeous recently returned Dr Simon Campbell. The heat in his eyes promises Tara the future she’s always dreamt of… but does she dare believe that his Christmas proposal will finally lead to for ever?
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CHRISTMAS IN LYREBIRD LAKE
Where Christmas miracles can happen â¦
For midwives Tara and Maeve, the sleepy town of Lyrebird Lake is the haven theyâve always wanted. So theyâre determined to make their first Christmas there special!
Neither of them are looking for loveâbut this year, with the help of some Lyrebird Christmas magic, the celebrations will be beyond their wildest imaginings â¦
You wonât want to miss this fabulous new festive duet from Fiona McArthur:
MIDWIFEâS CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL
&
MIDWIFEâS MISTLETOE BABY
Available December 2014
Mother to five sons, FIONA MCARTHUR is an Australian midwife who loves to write. Mills & Boon® Medical Romance⢠gives Fiona the scope to write about all the wonderful aspects of adventure, romance, medicine and midwifery that she feels so passionate aboutâas well as an excuse to travel! Now that her boys are older, Fiona and her husband, Ian, are off to meet new people, see new places, and have wonderful adventures. Fionaâs website is at www.fionamcarthurauthor.com
Iâve loved Simon Campbell since he was a twenty-year-old on his first visit to Lyrebird Lake. That was about ten years ago in real time.
Simon has always made me smile, and has made me want to write his story for years. Readers have asked for him, and heâs been in the back of my mind, but I just couldnât find the right woman for himâand he deserved the right woman.
Simon even visited in a couple of the Lyrebird Lake storiesâa fleeting visit ⦠just enough to remind me how much I cared about him, how much potential I always felt he had as a hero for the right woman. In the meantime he cared for his sisters, grew in his work, but always something was missing.
And then along came Tara ⦠Tara who was so externally tough, so inwardly fragile, so able to be incredibly giving but so unskilled at relationships because sheâd never had the chance. Tara who had missed out on so much in her childhood that only someone like Simon could hope to even the scales. Simon and the magic of Lyrebird Lake.
Iâve so enjoyed sharing with Tara and Simon in their journey to falling in love. Iâve loved the whole Christmas setting. Iâve loved revisiting the lyrebird dance. And Iâve absolutely loved setting a little of Maeve and Rayneâs story amidst it all for the next book. I hope you do too.
Happy Christmas!
Fi xx
To my son Scott, who gifted me my first parachute jump and the pictures that went with it. And to the experience that I knew I would put into this book.
And to Lawrence, my chute buddy from Coffs Skydivers, who made it such fun that I was never, ever scared.
Table of Contents
SIMON LOOKED AWAY from the road as he drove and across to his sister. Saw the tiny furrow in her brow even while she was sleeping. His eyes returned to the car in front. So she was still angry with him. Where had he gone wrong? All heâd ever wanted to do was protect his family. Protect Maeve from making the same mistakes their mother had made.
Maybe he felt more responsible than other siblings because the day heâd found out he was only a half-brother to Maeve and the girls had been devastating and he did wonder if heâd over-compensated.
But he was concerned about Maeve. About the way sheâd been taken for a ride and she still couldnât see it. If Simon was honest with himself, he was just as hurt because heâd thought Rayne was his friend and heâd been suckered in as well. His sisterâs predicament had been all his fault.
Simon could feel his knuckles tighten on the wheel and he consciously relaxed them. He needed a holiday, and Maeve needed somewhere safe away from the babyâs father if he ever came back, so maybe Lyrebird Lake was a good choice, like Maeve said.
And it was Christmas.
Two hours later they drove into the driveway of the Manse Medical Centre, Lyrebird Lake. The long day drive north from Sydney had been accomplished with little traffic issues or conversation. The last hour since theyâd turned away from the coast had been unusually relaxing as theyâd passed green valleys and bovine pedestrians. It was good to be here finally.
Simon felt that warmth of homecoming heâd forgotten about in the rush and bustle of his busy lifeâalmost like he could feel one of Louisaâs enthusiastically warm hugs gearing upâas he slowed the car.
The engine purred to a stop and Maeve woke. She smiled sleepily, then remembered they were at odds with each other, and the smile fell away.
He watched her twist awkwardly in her seat as she took in the dry grass and huge gum trees âIâve heard such a lot about this place over the years. Thanks for bringing me, Simon.â
The tension in his shoulders lessened. At least she was talking to him again. He should never have mentioned his reservations about her idea of giving birth at Lyrebird Lake. That had been his obstetricianâs point of view. Life had compartments, or should have, and he usually kept everything separate and in control.
