The Midwife's Longed-For Baby

A marriage worth fighting for

Obstetrician Nick Jarvis and midwife Liv had the perfect marriage—until not conceiving the baby they ached for tore them apart.

But separation has only compounded how much they need each other, and now they’re working together again, delivering babies every day! It could be their chance to rekindle their relationship, but only if they can rediscover the sheer joy of loving—the one thing that will make their marriage whole and give them the courage to try for a baby again.

Dear Reader,

I felt moved to write this book to try and understand the rollercoaster of emotions that is infertility. My daughters are of an age when they and their friends are having families, and it seems that for quite a few of them the road is far from straightforward.

What do they go through? How do they feel? How on earth do they cope with the endless setbacks, the inevitable despair that every failed attempt at pregnancy must give rise to? And when it takes its toll—as it often must—what then?

For Nick and Liv, with a brilliant marriage and so much love to share, working in the business of babies means they are constantly surrounded by the ‘success’ of others whilst they are ‘failing’. And they do what many couples seem to do: they stop communicating, withdraw into themselves and in doing so destroy their marriage.

Do they miss each other? Yes. Do they miss the endless rounds of hope and despair? Not at all. And that’s the stumbling block. They aren’t happy apart, but they weren’t happy together.

So what now? I had to get them back together and throw them headlong into a situation where they have no choice but to talk. Enter fate—me playing God again and then sitting back and waiting for them to work it out.But it wasn’t easy for any of us.

Did I succeed? I hope so. I’ll let you be the judge...

Caroline x

The Midwife’s Longed-For Baby

Caroline Anderson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Books by Caroline Anderson

Mills & Boon Medical Romance

Yoxburgh Park Hospital

Their Meant-to-Be Baby

From Christmas to Eternity

The Secret in His Heart Risk of a Lifetime

Mills & Boon Cherish

The Valtieri Baby

Snowed in with the Billionaire Best Friend to Wife and Mother?

Visit the Author Profile page

at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.

For all those whose infertility stories have

touched my heart, and for the very many more whose stories I have never heard but who are themselves travelling this emotionally challenging road with courage. My heart aches for you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Dear Reader

Title Page

Booklist

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘LIV, HAVE YOU got a minute?’

She hesitated, about to say no, but Ben wasn’t one to waste time and if he wanted to talk to her...

‘If it really is only that? I need to check on a mum soon.’

‘That’s fine, it won’t take long. I just want to run something by you. Can we go in my office?’

His office?

‘Is this about Jen?’ she asked as Ben closed the door.

The fleeting smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘In a way. Did you know she’s got cancer?’

‘Yes, Simon told me yesterday. I was gutted. She’s such a lovely person and it seems so unfair. He said they’re moving home so their families can help with the children while she’s having treatment. So what is it you want me to do?’ she asked, thinking flowers, a gift voucher, something for the kids—

‘Nothing, but what I do could affect you, because yesterday was Simon’s last day and his compassionate leave’s pretty open-ended so we need a locum, and I’d like to talk to Nick about it.’

‘Nick?’

Of all the things he’d been going to say, her ex husband’s name was so far down the list it wasn’t even on it, and just the sound of his name made her heart beat faster. And he wasn’t officially ex, because she’d never quite been able to follow through on that—

‘Are you still in touch?’

Ben nodded. ‘Yes, we’re in touch. I speak to him quite often. He always asks about you,’ he added gently.

Her heart lurched. ‘Does he? How is he?’ she asked, trying not to sound too needy and failing hopelessly.

‘He’s OK. He’s well, keeps himself busy.’ He frowned, hesitating, then went on, ‘I know it’s none of my business, Liv, and I’m not asking any questions, but I was really sorry when you two split up.’

She felt her eyes fill and blinked as she looked away. ‘Me, too, but it wasn’t working.’ Any more than this was, this awful aching emptiness where her love for Nick had been...

‘I know. I could see there was something wrong, so I wasn’t surprised, just saddened for you both. Look, don’t worry about it. I’ll try and get someone else. I only thought of him because he’d be perfect for the job, but I don’t want to make things difficult for you—for either of you, really.’

The shock had worn off now, swamped by a tidal wave of mixed emotions that she couldn’t quite work out. Longing? Dread? She didn’t have a clue. Both, maybe, but confusion was fighting its way to the top of the pile.