by Lucy Clark
Sheena stared at it, stunned that she seemed to be some sort of celebrity and that people were interested in her love life.
‘So I guess this means there is something going on between you and Will?’ Sister fished. ‘Is it serious?’
‘As a heart attack,’ Will remarked as he walked towards them. Sister quickly cleared her throat and returned to her duties as Will stared at the piece of paper Sheena held in her hands. She turned to face him and replaced the phone receiver in its cradle.
‘You’re here. Where are the girls?’
‘All tucked up in their beds. Aunty Nessa is more than content to stand there and watch them sleep.’
Sheena sighed and smiled up at him. ‘Good. Thanks for taking care of them.’
‘No problem. Where’s Jesse?’ he asked as he took the picture from her fingers.
‘Radiology.’
‘You look great in this picture. It’s definitely not my best side, though.’
Sheena chuckled. ‘You’re so vain.’
Will put his head on the side and looked at her. ‘You don’t mind about this?’
Sheena slowly shook her head. ‘Not really. Perhaps before today I would have had a bit of a rant and rave about the media but … I don’t know, today has changed things. Brought perspective.’
‘Really? In what way?’
‘In the way that a little boy climbing on a bookcase and hurting himself could have been a lot worse. In the way that families care and interact and show love for each other. In the way that even though I feel I’m floundering in a sea of parental confusion, everything will turn out right in the end. The media can take photographs and print what they like. They don’t know the real story behind that moment. They don’t know me and they probably never will. My girls are no longer conjoined and therefore no longer high-profile news. They’re going to be able to grow up and enjoy normal lives. The past belongs in the past.’
She smiled and sighed as she said the words. ‘And it feels great to say all of that out loud.’
Will nodded and reached for her hand. ‘Come with me.’
‘But I’m waiting for Jesse to return from Radiology,’ she said as Will led her from the nurses’ station.
‘Call Dr Woodcombe in Paediatrics when Jesse returns, please,’ he instructed the triage sister as they walked past. He was quiet as they took the stairs up to Paediatrics, walking along the busy corridors until they were back in Ellie’s and Sarah’s room.
‘Janessa, would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I just need to propose to Sheena,’ Will remarked, his words and tone direct.
‘Uh? What? Uh … sure. Whatever you say,’ Janessa said, as Will’s words penetrated the haze around their friend. Janessa headed out of the room and closed the door behind her.
‘You’re proposing?’ Sheena asked as both of them peered into the cribs, smiling at the two little girls, who were sleeping soundly.
‘I thought I’d give you a heads-up this time so I didn’t take you completely by surprise.’
‘Very considerate of you.’ She couldn’t help the wide beaming smile on her face. He was going to propose? Really? Her heart rate picked up as her mind processed the information but she forced herself not to jump ahead with a million and one questions, but instead to relax and focus on the moment.
He crossed to the vase that held the freesias he’d brought her that morning and plucked one out before turning to face her. He twirled the bloom in his fingers.
‘I hope this goes better than last time,’ he murmured with a slight frown.
‘It will,’ she replied encouragingly.
‘Oh. Good. That certainly gives me a confidence boost.’ He cleared his throat and took one small step towards her. ‘I love you.’
‘Strong beginning,’ she whispered, her heart leaping with joy at hearing those words from his lips.
‘Shh.’
‘Yes. Of course. Sorry.’ She nodded once. ‘Please. Continue.’
Will laughed then took another step towards her. ‘I have always loved you, Sheena, and I am so grateful that you’ve been able to have children and that those children were conjoined and that I was asked to come and look after them. The past belongs in the past. Hearing you say those words made me realise that you were right.
‘It’s the future we should be concerned about. The girls’ future—our future—and I want that future to start right now. I love your girls, Sheena. I love them with every beat of my heart and I will continue to love them for the rest of my life. And, yes, before you ask, I would love to have more children but not at the expense of your health.
‘You are far more important to me than the possibility of having more children. We have two beautiful girls and they’ll fill our life with so much sunshine we’ll need to wear dark glasses.’
Sheena chuckled and then gasped as he took one last step towards her and slid his arm about her waist, drawing her close to him. As he pressed her body against his, she sighed with delight, her gaze taking in his gorgeous mouth for a moment before she looked deeply into his mesmerising blue eyes.
‘Sheena.’ Her name was a caress on his lips. ‘Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’ He handed her the single freesia as he spoke the words and she accepted it with a nervous smile.
Sheena swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips. She was about to give her answer when Sarah started to fuss.
‘And could you be quick with the answer because I think our daughter is about to wake up?’
Sheena’s smile was as bright as the love in her heart. ‘I can’t believe this is actually happening. That I’m so fortunate to have you back in my life, to be able to contemplate a future with you. I love you, Will. So very much. And I’m the luckiest woman in the world to be able to have a strong, protective man like you to call my husband. I want to build a life with you and the girls. The four of us together as a family, and if any other children come along—the more the merrier. Thank you for loving my babies and wanting them to be your own. I’m honoured.’
Will’s smile was dazzling as he lowered his head, claiming her lips in a kiss that held all the promise of a wonderful future together. In the background, they both heard Sarah’s fussing turn to grizzles and in another moment those grizzles would turn into her cries for attention, and when those cries came, they would need to part to go and attend to her before she woke Ellie … but until then Will was more than content to kiss his new fiancée, their hearts forever joined with the purest love.
EPILOGUE
‘QUIET. Quiet, please!’ Giuseppe demanded as he walked through his restaurant, which was closed for a private function—the function being the first birthday celebration of Adelaide’s first previously conjoined twins, Ellie and Sarah Beckman.
The restaurant had been decorated in blue, which was Sarah’s favourite colour, and yellow, which Ellie had declared she loved. Frills and flowers and lace and soft toys in the chosen colour theme were placed around the room, making it feel more like a toy factory than a restaurant.
‘Quiet. Quiet, please!’ Giuseppe called again. ‘The mother and the father want to propose the toast.’
The family and friends gathered to celebrate Ellie and Sarah’s first birthday all shifted back to their seats. While the girls were too young to ever remember this day, Will had arranged for his father to film the proceedings. ‘That way we can embarrass them on their twenty-first birthdays by replaying it,’ he’d lovingly suggested to his wife.
Will stood, scooping Sarah into his arms, shifting her around so he could put his other arm around Sheena’s shoulders. ‘Thank you, Giuseppe,’ he called as the noise died down. Sheena bent to pick up Ellie, the little girl resting her head on her mother’s shoulder as she looked out at the crowd before them.
Miles and Janessa were standing not too far away, almost ready to leave for their next adventure—in the UK, looking after the next set of conjoined twins. They’d delayed their departure specifically to be here today. ‘There’s n
o way I’m missing my nieces’ first birthday,’ Janessa had declared, and Miles had readily agreed with her.
Anna, Jeff and the rest of their brood, along with a brand-new granddaughter for Mary and Stephen, sat not too far away. Kaycee, Raquel-Maria, Clementine, Charisma and many of their other friends from the hospital were there as well, all smiling and beaming brightly at the two gorgeous little girls who had brought such happiness into their lives.
Two months ago Will had surprised Sheena with a glorious pre-wedding gift of a five-bedroom home with a large backyard only fifteen minutes from Adelaide Mercy. Both Will and Sheena had decreased their hours at the hospital in order to spend as much time with their girls as they could, the four of them bonding together in perfect harmony.
Will had applied to officially adopt the girls but in his heart they already were and always would be his sweet Sarah and his elegant Ellie. He cleared his throat and looked around the room at everyone who had come to celebrate with them, then his gaze settled on his wife.
His wife. His Sheena. He loved her more today than he had for the past ten years and he knew she felt the same way. They talked daily, about deep and meaningful things, about plans they had for their future.
She looked up at him and smiled brightly. ‘I love you,’ she said softly, before he bent and brushed a kiss across her lips.
‘Love you right back,’ he murmured. Their wedding two months ago had been a quiet affair held in the backyard of their new home. Intimate and relaxed, just the way they’d both wanted it, and two weeks ago, when the girls had finally been released from the hospital, their lives had begun in earnest.
‘Friends,’ Will began, feeling Sarah already impatient to be down and crawling around the floor, getting her pretty blue dress all dirty. He smiled. That was his girl. No doubt she’d have Ellie into all sorts of mischief before the evening was over and he looked forward to discovering what they would do next.
‘Thank you all for coming to help us celebrate the first birthday of these two very special girls. Sheena and I had many things to say, many people to thank, but Sarah’s eager to be down and enjoying herself once again so in order to acknowledge her impatience—no doubt for the incredible cake Giuseppe has created—please, all raise your glasses of milk as we toast Sarah and Ellie.’
‘To Sarah and Ellie,’ everyone toasted, clinking their glasses of milk and laughing.
Sarah squirmed once more in her father’s arms and Ellie snuggled into her mother but as soon as Will put Sarah down, Ellie immediately erupted with energy and was eager to be off after her sister.
Will drew his wife close and pressed another kiss to her lips. ‘We’re going to have our hands full,’ he said.
‘Even fuller than we ever expected,’ she murmured, her words punctuated with deep meaning. She eased back to look directly into his eyes. Just after their wedding, Sheena had needed to have two cysts removed from her ovaries, as well as be treated for her increasing endometriosis. Both she and Will had been told that if they wanted to try for more children, there was an extremely small window of opportunity, and until today, when Sheena had returned to see her surgeon for a review, she hadn’t dared to hope for such incredible news.
Sheena smiled up at him, her heart bursting with love as she nodded, tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.
‘What?’ Will was stunned.
‘I’m pregnant. I only found out an hour ago, and you were finishing up in surgery and then with coming here and … We’re going to have a baby. The ultrasound is booked for tomorrow and I’ll need to take things even easier and—’
Will pressed his mouth to hers in complete happiness. ‘We’re going to have another baby! I can’t believe that we’ve been so blessed already with the girls and now we’re—’
Sheena employed his tactic and kissed him quiet, knowing he wouldn’t mind.
‘We already have the fairy-tale family,’ she murmured against his mouth. ‘But this new baby will be the crowning glory.’
‘And he will be loved and cared for as much as his big sisters,’ Will announced with joy.
‘He? Who said anything about it being a boy?’
Will winked at his wife. ‘Trust me!’
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
First published in Great Britain 2011
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Lucy Clark 2011
ISBN: 978-1-408-92492-1
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Wedding On The Baby Ward
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Special Care Baby Miracle
Excerpt
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Copyright