Surgeon in a Wedding Dress

How stupid to think doing a complete flip-over of her life would change anything.

She shoved her fists into her jacket pockets, already knowing she should have stayed at home for these months. Back in her gorgeous apartment overlooking Auckland’s inner harbour, the vibrant City of Sails, where money talked. Where gorgeous, chic sandals stayed gorgeous, not getting ruined the moment she hopped out of her car.

The months in Port Weston stretched out before her like an endless road. But she wasn’t quitting. Port Weston might be like nothing she was used to, but she had to stay. She’d given her word.

Then her eyes focused on Daniel Reilly, and for some unknown reason she wondered if she should leave right away, while she still could …

Dear Reader

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island is a very special place. It is wild and rugged, and stunningly beautiful. They breed them tough down there, and they need to. It is an area that has had more than its fair share of tragedies—the most recent being the Pike River Coal Mine disaster.

I have created a town that is an amalgam of all the towns along the coast as I couldn’t pick a favourite. The idea came to me on a trip home from Hokitika, when we came across a similar accident as that in the beginning of this story. Unfortunately the outcome was very different. That’s where writers have the upper hand. I have spent hours sitting on the beach in this district: beaches that show the full force of nature. It is that nature that forges the people who live in this remote area.

I hope you enjoy Dan and Sarah’s story. Sarah, a true blue Aucklander, learns with Dan at her side to appreciate the spirit of the people in this area, and all the wonderful everyday things they have to offer. Dan is beginning to live again, drawn out of a funk by the sassy, citified goddess sharing his home.

Cheers!

Sue MacKay

www.suemackay.co.nz

With a background working in medical laboratories, and a love of the romance genre, it is no surprise that SUE MACKAY writes Medical^>™ Romance stories. An avid reader all her life, she wrote her first story at age eight—about a prince, of course. She lives with her husband in beautiful Marlborough Sounds, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, where she can indulge her passions for the outdoors, the sea and cycling.

Also by Sue MacKay:

RETURN OF THE MAVERICK

PLAYBOY DOCTOR TO DOTING DAD THEIR MARRIAGE MIRACLE

These books are also available in ebook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Tania

For all the moments we have shared, and the moments to come.

And

Kate David: the newest and very supportive member of the Blenheim Writers’ Group.

Sue MacKay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

NEW YEAR’S DAY. Resolutions and new beginnings.

‘Huh.’ Sarah Livingston scowled. As if anything new, or interesting, was likely to be found down here in the South Island, so far from the cities. Thanks to her fiancé—very ex-fiancé—coming to this godforsaken place had more to do with excising the pain and hurt he’d caused, and nothing at all to do with anything new.

But there was a resolution hiding somewhere in her thinking. It went something like ‘Get a new life’. One that didn’t involve getting serious with a man and being expected to trust him. Surely that was possible. There had to be plenty of men out there willing to date a well-groomed surgeon with a penchant for fine dining; who didn’t want anything other than a good time with no strings.

So why couldn’t she raise some enthusiasm for that idea? Because she hadn’t got over her last debacle yet. Six months since she’d been dumped, let down badly by the one man who’d told her repeatedly he’d loved and cherished her. Her heart still hadn’t recovered from those lies. Or from the humiliation that rankled every time someone at work spoke of how sorry they were to hear about her broken engagement. Of course they were. Sorry they’d missed out on going to her big, fancy wedding, more like.

After learning of the baby her fiancé was expecting with that sweet little nurse working in Recovery, Sarah had started putting in horrendous hours at the private hospital where she was a partner. It had been a useless attempt to numb the agony his infidelity caused her. Not to mention how she’d exhausted herself so she fell into bed at the end of each day instead of drumming up painful and nasty things to do to the man she’d loved.

And it was that man’s fault her father had decided, actually insisted, she get away for a few months. What had really tipped the scales for her in favour of time away from Auckland was that her ex was due back shortly from his honeymoon in Paris.

Swiping at the annoying moisture in her eyes, Sarah pushed aside the image of her beautiful French-styled wedding gown still hanging in its cover in the wardrobe of her spare bedroom.

Why couldn’t she forget those damning words her fiancé had uttered as he’d left her apartment for the last time. You should never have children. You’d be taking a risk of screwing up their lives for ever.