‘You’re awake, I’ll just let Cameron know. He told me I had to phone him the minute you woke up. My, my,’ she went on, ‘I don’t think I’ve seen him this agitated since he was sent away to school.’
Meagan had a sudden glimpse of a young boy in short trousers being taken away to school. She could almost see the resolute line of the mouth and the young Cameron’s determination not to show any fear.
‘You have known him a long time, then?’
‘All his life. I have been at the house ever since he and Simon were born. Speaking of which, the news is that Simon has just gone and proposed to Jessie. And she’s accepted him.’ Flora gave a satisfied nod of her head. ‘And that’s exactly as it should be. She says to tell you she’ll be down soon, but Cameron has forbidden visitors until he says otherwise.’
Meagan sat up, taking the cup of tea Flora was passing to her.
She was delighted for Jessie. She guessed her friend would be down to tell her all about it soon.
‘Speaking of which, I gather the wedding at the house is off. Not that I am surprised.’ She gave Meagan a shrewd look. ‘I’ve suspected for some time his affections lie in another direction altogether.’
For a moment, Meagan felt her heart lift. She raised an eyebrow in the housekeeper’s direction. ‘Oh?’ She couldn’t help herself. She had to know what Flora meant.
‘Oh, don’t you go pretending that you don’t know that he’s smitten with you. I had given you more credit than that. I don’t think you’re the kind of woman to play games with a man’s heart.’ She looked sharply at Meagan, making it clear that any woman who played around with her beloved Cameron’s heart would be answering to her.
Meagan’s own heart was beginning to beat faster. Could it be true? Could Cameron really want her—not because she was carrying his child or because he needed a surrogate mother for his son?
Just then the man in question opened the door and strode into the room. At the sight of him, Meagan’s breath caught in her throat.
Mrs Macleod took one look at his expression and decided to beat a hasty retreat. ‘I’ll be down later with your supper, dear,’ she said, before closing the door behind her. Cameron looked as if he hadn’t slept all night.
After a quick examination of her foot and pronouncing himself satisfied with his earlier diagnosis, he glared down at Meagan. Seeing his expression—challenging, demanding but just a little bit scared—she knew the truth. He loved her!
‘Just tell me,’ he demanded without preamble. ‘Tell me you feel the way I do. As long as I know that I can wait.’ He pulled a hand through his hair in the gesture Meagan was coming to know so well. ‘If you don’t love me…well, I guess I’ll have to live with that.’
‘Of course I love you, you idiot,’ Meagan capitulated. ‘I guess I have loved you since the night we met.’ She could read the triumph in his deep brown eyes. He grinned.
‘Well, then, baby or no baby, you will have to marry me.’ He held a finger to her lips. ‘I am warning you, Meagan, I won’t stop asking you until you say yes.’
Meagan sank back on her makeshift bed. ‘Then, you great big stubborn man, I guess I will just have to say yes. It seems it’s the only way I am going to get any peace.’
She had just enough time to see his smile before once again he was kissing her.
‘My love, mo ghràigh, I’ll love you until the end of time,’ he whispered between kisses.
‘Just you see that you do, Dr Stuart,’ she said. And deep in her heart she knew that, whatever the future would bring, she could face anything with this man by her side.
Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad
Janice Lynn
Liz was going to have a baby.
His baby.
Liz, who was the most wonderful woman he’d ever met, who was the woman he loved, was going to have his baby.
Elation battled horror.
From the moment he’d been diagnosed with his Multiple Sclerosis he’d known he’d never have any children. How the hell could he have known he’d already fathered a baby?
How could he have a child when he’d only be condemning the child to a father with a disease that had the power to demand everything?
To have loved her, never wanting to hurt her, to keep from being a burden to her, he sure was doing a wrap job on Liz.
He’d told her he didn’t love her on the night she’d intended to tell him about their baby. In his mind he’d had a clear idea of what the right thing was—for him to set Liz free.
Her pregnancy changed everything.
She’d need him more than ever.
Oh, hell.
What had he done?
Janice Lynn has a Masters in Nursing from Vanderbilt University, and works as a nurse practitioner in a family practice. She lives in the southern United States with her husband, their four children, their Jack Russell—appropriately named Trouble—and a lot of unnamed dust bunnies that have moved in since she started her writing career. To find out more about Janice and her writing, visit www.janicelynn.com
To my fabulous editor Lucy Brown.
Thanks for all you do to make me a better writer.
CHAPTER ONE
ASHES to ashes. Dust to dust.
The preacher’s words blurred in Liz’s mind like a hazy cloud.
She couldn’t believe Gramps was really gone, that she’d never again look into those twinkling sky-blue eyes, never hear him call for his “Liza girl” or hear his laughter. Not ever. A tear slid down her cheek.
Not that there had been much laughter over the past two years. There hadn’t. Gramps’s congestive heart failure had seen to that. His condition had been worsened by dementia near the end and she’d never known if she’d see recognition in his eyes or not. But those occasional glimmers, those few lucid moments had kept her going.
As much as her heart ached that he was gone, as much as she’d miss him, relief also washed over her. Never had she begrudged caring for her grandfather. Goodness knew, he’d cared for her when no one else had. But working full time as a registered nurse and coming home to relieve the hired nurse each night wore on a person’s resolve, their sleep, their mental and emotional state. Still, she’d have done it endlessly if it had meant Gramps getting better.
Only he hadn’t, and she’d known that no matter how much she did, she’d only been delaying the inevitable. Each day she’d seen him slip further away from the vital man he’d once been. She’d watched him long for death and eventually let go to the disease that had claimed his life.
Thank goodness for Adam. Without him she’d never have stayed sane these past few months.
Dr Adam Cline had been by her side, understanding when she’d cut their dates short if Sara, Gramps’s hired nurse, had called, understanding why she hadn’t been able to stay the night at his place, understanding why their relationship could never progress. She’d promised Gramps she wouldn’t put him in a nursing home as long as she could care for him, and she hadn’t. Somehow between she and Adam they’d managed to keep him at home.
She’d never expected Adam to take on the care of her seriously ill grandfather, but in many ways Adam had. He’d been wonderful.
Was wonderful.
She glanced