The Nurse's Reunion Wish (HQR Medical Romancel)

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘The purpose of marriage is that you may always love, care for and support each other, through all the joys and sorrows of life. It is a partnership in which two people can pledge their love and commitment to each other; a solemn union providing love, friendship, help and comfort to you both through your life together...’

  Hearing those beautiful words, Rachel started to cry. They had been here before, had heard those words before, but this time there was such certainty in the air that it was for ever, and it made the words sound extra-poignant.

  ‘We know we can do this now,’ Dominic said gently. ‘Whatever life brings.’

  She nodded and they made their vows, and she smiled as his ring slipped back on her finger, where it belonged.

  And then her ring was back on his. And finally they were husband and wife again. And Dominic kissed the woman who was clearly destined to be his bride.

  There were people everywhere as they stepped out of the small ceremony room. Love was in the air, and there were kissing couples and gorgeous bridesmaids trotting past as they were offered congratulations by people they didn’t know. It was, for both of them, the most perfect wedding.

  Rachel felt as if her heart might burst with happiness as they stood on the gorgeous staircase inside the Town Hall, with its crimson carpet and ornate banister, and had photos taken on their phones by a passing stranger. Especially when she felt Dominic’s arm holding her tightly and she turned and saw his proud and confident smile as the moment was captured for ever.

  They sent a photo to both sets of parents and some close friends to announce their union to the world.

  ‘Your dad will be annoyed at missing out on a chance to party,’ Dominic warned her.

  ‘I’m sure he’ll have a little party in our absence tonight, and we can head over tomorrow with a cake. Anyway, it’s his turn next.’

  They would be back at the Town Hall in precisely two weeks, for the wedding of her father and Moira.

  Dominic had been right to tell Rachel to give Moira a chance, for her father too had found love again, and Rachel could not be more thrilled for him. She was starting to adore her new stepmother—this woman who was willing to reach for her coat rather than sit quietly by and be shut out of their family.

  At last Dr and Mrs Hadley walked out of the Town Hall and into a taxi, to go for a very special wedding breakfast.

  ‘This is my favourite place in the world,’ Rachel told him as they walked in the gorgeous grounds of Chatsworth House and looked at the cascade of water in the fountains. Then, when they had selected their picnic spot, Dominic took out a bottle of champagne.

  ‘Here’s to us,’ he said as they clinked glasses.

  It felt so right to wear his ring, and so pleasurably strange to see Dominic wearing hers again.

  But Dominic really was a lightweight, because one glass of champagne in, he was making her laugh as he stood up and ran across Capability Brown’s perfectly manicured grounds. He started to spin like Maria in The Sound of Music, and she joined in, and they spun till they were dizzy, and then, the best part of all, they lay together on the grass and looked up to the bright blue sky.

  ‘I’m sorry I never gave Sheffield a chance,’ said Dominic. But he was more than happy to do so now, as he put on his terrible accent. ‘I might even have gravy on me chips tonight.’

  They were delirious with love, messing about on the lawn like the two teenagers they’d once been, and then lying back and relishing the fact that they were husband and wife.

  Rachel sighed. ‘I love it here.’

  ‘I know you do,’ Dominic said. ‘Are you sure about us staying in London?’

  ‘I’m very sure.’ Rachel nodded. ‘I like working at The Primary.’

  May had been thrilled to have her back—and, of course, despite refusing to give Dominic her phone number, she’d had no problem in sharing the juicy gossip that Dominic and Rachel had once been husband and wife.

  Rachel didn’t mind. It had given people the heads-up about their relationship, so she didn’t have to tell everyone, and even Tara had managed a smile and offered congratulations when they’d gone back.

  ‘We’ll be back up here often,’ Dominic said now. ‘We’ve got the flat, remember?’

  It was their wedding present to each other. The little flat where they had started married life the first time around would be their heavenly escape when they came back to visit her family.

  But for now it was on to Bakewell in the Peak District, where they had rented a gorgeous little honeymoon cottage, nestled in clouds of soft heather on the wild moors. There were low wooden beams and a log burner, and a welcome basket of food that they would explore later.

  It felt as if it were just the two of them alone in the world, save for the sheep, and Rachel enjoyed a feeling of peace she had long forgotten—a sensation of utter contentment that wrapped around her like a hug. Dominic made her smile, but he also allowed her to cry and express all the emotions in between.

  There was grass on his suit from where they had lain on the ground, and she felt the eternal thrill of Dominic as he took her in his arms and kissed his bride again.

  ‘So... Are you happy?’ Dominic asked the same question he had on the day she’d returned to his life.

  And she knew he asked because it would always matter to him.

  For Rachel there was no need to pause or examine her answer this time. ‘So very happy.’

  For she was back with the man she had always loved.

  EPILOGUE

  NIGHT FEEDS WERE the best.

  Rachel loved nothing more than to sit in semi-darkness and just relish the quiet time with their little girl.

  Araminta Aoife Hadley.

  Minty.

  ‘Minty?’ her dad had barked when he’d come to visit them at the hospital. ‘Oh, I’ve lived too long—I really have. First there’s Pixie and now Minty. I’ll be laughed out of the pub!’

  ‘Oh, give it a rest, Dave,’ Moira had said, and she and Rachel had shared a smile.

  And then Rachel had teared up as she’d watched her dad holding little Minty, telling her just how very precious and loved she was.

  Dominic’s parents had visited too, and agreed she was beautiful indeed, and Dominic had had to borrow Rachel’s superpower to push down his resentment as he’d accepted their congratulations and smiles.

  Minty was now six weeks old, and while Rachel’s pregnancy had been terrifying, she and Dominic had faced it together this time, sharing their hopes and fears and taking it in turns to be strong.

  She had silky dark hair, a sweet rosebud mouth, fat cheeks and long fingers, and Rachel took her time to trace them all as she fed her. Her feet poked out from the little sleep suit and Rachel could not resist counting her tiny toes.

  She was rather certain that Minty smiled.

  When she’d finished feeding, instead of heading straight up the stairs, Rachel stood and cuddled her for a moment, rocking her as she held her, enjoying the sweet, milky baby scent and the softness of her hair as she gently paced the room before coming to stand at the fireplace.

  They had, as both she and Dominic as well as all their visitors agreed, the best mantelpiece in the whole world.

  At one end there was a photo of them on the steps at Sheffield Town Hall, both smiling—Dominic probably in terror and Rachel trying to contain her love.

  At the other end there they stood again, thirteen years older and a whole lot surer of their mutual love.

  And between them there were photos of Minty, and of Jordan and Heather’s newest son, Andrew, who was Rachel and Dominic’s godchild.

  Richard’s wife, Freya, was expecting again, so there might be another photo to add soon.

  And there was Pixie, and her other nieces and nephews too. And there, nestled within the other photos, next to the beautiful portrait of her mother, the
much-mourned Aoife Walker, with her gorgeous red hair and smiling eyes, was Christopher, in the arms of his parents.

  They were both a part of their journey and a part of their family, and would be for evermore.

  ‘If you throw me out I’ll come back,’ Dominic said, and his delightfully tricky wife smiled as she realised he had come downstairs to join her. ‘And then we can get another wedding photo to put in the middle—because I’m just going to keep on marrying you.’

  ‘And I’ll just keep on saying I do.’

  Rachel smiled, and when he held out his arms she handed him little Minty.

  They were, they both knew, simply meant to be.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Carol Marinelli

  The Midwife’s One-Night Fling

  Christmas Bride for the Sheikh

  Their One Night Baby

  Their Secret Royal Baby

  All available now!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Baby Bombshell for the Doctor Prince by Amy Ruttan.

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  Baby Bombshell for the Doctor Prince

  by Amy Ruttan

  CHAPTER ONE

  Toronto, Ontario

  DANG IT!

  She was late.

  Imogen hated being late. Especially on the first day of the medical conference, in her first lab of the conference. This was a lab she’d specifically signed up for. This was her number one reason for coming to the conference and she was late.

  Jet lag. It was jet lag and that was the story she was sticking to.

  She’d been in Yellowknife a long time and hadn’t traveled in a while. Jet lag usually didn’t bother her.

  Except today, of course. It had to be today.

  She slipped into the room, hoping no one clocked her or noticed she was late for the simulation lab that was the talk of this conference. It was the whole reason why she had come. If it hadn’t been for the lab and workshops, she would’ve stayed in Yellowknife, in her safe little bubble where she knew her routines, knew her patients, knew her work.

  She tried to move quietly at the back of the lab, looking for any open seat.

  “Dr. Hayes?”

  She cringed as her name was called out.

  “Yes. Sorry,” she responded.

  The instructor looked less than impressed. “Join group five over there. They’ve already started without you.”

  Imogen’s cheeks heated with embarrassment as she slunk over to group five.

  She sat down. The other two doctors briefly filled her in, but she knew they were annoyed she was late.

  She was too. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention. She hated it, and arriving late had done exactly that.

  Her ex, Allen, had craved the limelight and she didn’t.

  She loved helping her patients. She loved Yellowknife, but Allen had wanted more.

  She was mortified to be the last one here.

  “Another latecomer,” the instructor piped up. “Honestly, people, let’s not make this a precedent. Join group five, please.”

  Imogen looked up to see the other straggler, hoping to find a kindred spirit with whom she could commiserate. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who was walking toward her group.

  He was six-three, at least, broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, and he had a neat beard. He reminded her of all those Viking heroes that she would see on the covers of her best friend’s mother’s romance novels. The ones she and her friend would sneak out and read at slumber parties.

  It was like he had walked straight out of the pages of a book.

  She was pretty tall herself, at five-eleven, so it was rare for her to find someone who towered over her and made her feel like she could actually wear a nice pair of heels with him and be swept off her feet.

  Allen had never liked her to wear heels, as he was already an inch shorter than her.

  What are you thinking about? Why are you thinking like this?

  It had to be the jet lag. She wasn’t thinking rationally. She shook those thoughts from her head.

  He sat down next to her, smiling politely at her; she met his gaze, which was intense. It was as if he could read exactly what she was thinking and he in turn looked her up and down with a brief flick of his eyes.

  She really hoped she wasn’t blushing, because suddenly it was very hot in this room, especially after the chilly reception she had received from the others and the hotel air-conditioning, which was cranked up full blast.

  “I’m Dr. Hayes,” she whispered. “And I was late too.”

  He smiled. “Dr. Vanin.”

  He had an accent she couldn’t quite place, but there was no time to talk, as they both had to catch up on what they’d missed.

  And she got the feeling, by the way he sat so stiffly beside her, that he wasn’t the chatty type. After the instructor gave them all directions, their group went to work in the simulation lab that had been set up. She was paired off with Dr. Vanin as they practiced using robotic technology to perform a surgery she would usually do with a laparoscope.

  Their operation on the silicone abdomen was removing a gallbladder with a gallstone that was lodged in the common bile duct. One that could not be retrieved after an ERCP and that needed to be surgically removed.

  Thankfully, this was her forte.

  She was one of the top general surgeons in the Northwest Territories.

  “Have you ever used this technology before?” Dr. Vanin asked.

  “Robotic, no, but I’m pretty familiar with laparoscopic surgery, but when there’s a situation like this with a stone lodged in a duct, I usually do a full laparotomy at that point. It’s why I’m here, to learn how to do this kind of surgery in the most minimally invasive way possible.”

  He nodded, seemingly impressed. “I do not do much general surgery, especially delicate work with laparoscopes. My specialty is trauma. I’m here to hone my skills.”

  “Well, I can help guide you.” She stepped to the side. “Why don’t you go first?”

  He smiled warmly. “Thank you, Dr. Hayes.”

  “No problem.” Imogen stood beside him. Her heart raced like she was a young girl standing beside her first crush. It was silly, but there was just something about him that made her feel out of control.

  And she didn’t like to lose control.

  Control protected her. It had got her where she was today.

  And she was kicking herself for offering to guide him with the instruments. The last thing she wanted to do was crow about her achievements. Allen used to get so defensive when she was lauded over him.

  Allen’s not here. He’s gone.

  “If I’m overstepping...” she started to say, and he looked up at her, confused.

  “How? I appreciate the help from a more experienced general surgeon. Please, you are not overstepping.”
/>
  She blushed. “Okay.”

  He nodded and turned his attention back to the instruments.

  She watched him use the robotic controls easily. He was picking it up quickly.

  “What stitch do you use on the common bile duct?” he asked.

  “A running stitch using a monofilament absorbable suture. That allows me proper repair of the anastomosis of the bile duct. And it will hold well; the last thing a patient needs is a leak, which would lead to sepsis.”

  “Show me how you do it.” He stood up and she took his spot. She showed him her running stitch, which she could do blindfolded.

  “You do that so efficiently,” he remarked.

  “Thank you.”

  “No need to thank me. It is the truth,” he stated.

  She blushed. “Still, thanks.”

  Imogen couldn’t remember anyone, other than her late father, complimenting her. But her father had had to compliment her—he was her father. He had been supportive and loving, but he’d also been biased.

  Allen had never complimented her, but she’d never really worked much with him because the way they’d started out had been through professional rivalry, a torrid romance, then her broken heart when he’d left because he couldn’t handle her popularity or life in the north.

  She’d sworn she’d never again date another doctor.

  Of course, with her workload in Yellowknife, she never had time to date, and the only people she interacted with besides patients were doctors, paramedics, nurses...medical people.

  So she never bothered dating. Never thought about it.

  And if she didn’t think about it, she had control over her feelings. She didn’t feel so alone or hurt.

  Why are you thinking about it now, then?

  She had to get a grip. She was not at this conference to date. She was here to work. Even if her friend and boss, Jeanette, had told her to loosen up and enjoy herself, Imogen had no time for that.

  Once she finished her part of the lab, and the class was over, she was going to ask Dr. Vanin out for a cup of coffee. But when she looked up, he’d already left the room. She was disappointed, but it was probably for the best that she keep her distance.