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Reunited With His Runaway Bride
Robin Gianna
Brought back together by a baby
It broke Dr. Bree Donovan’s heart to end things with family-orientated surgeon Sean Latham, but marriage and kids are not for her. Only, now Sean is asking her to help care for his newborn nephew while his sister is in hospital, and Bree can’t say no.
It’s temporary, but as Bree experiences how rewarding family life can be—and gives in to the passion she and Sean have always shared—is it possible for her to believe that this time around they really could have it all?
“What else hurts?”
“I’m not going to say everything, even though it does,” she said softly.
The instant vision of smoothing fragrant oil all over her naked body robbed him of breath. Sean lifted his head, and the eyes that met his seemed to have seen exactly the same vision.
They were both remembering well the essential-oil massages they’d shared that hadn’t had a thing to do with homeopathic therapy.
He gritted his teeth, fighting down the insistent hot desire for her surging through his blood. Not only was Bree in pain, the last thing either of them needed was to fall into bed, bringing reminders of all they’d shared together before it had ended. Ripping up old wounds that had barely started to heal as it was. Brief sexual pleasure—which at that moment he wanted with her more than he could remember wanting anything in his life—would be pointless and beyond a bad idea. She would be moving soon, and he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to get on with his life without her.
I realised I’d never had an infant featured in one of my stories, only young children, and decided I wanted that for my next book. The first idea that came to me was this version of the ‘baby on the doorstep’ theme, and I decided to go with it!
Bree and Sean broke their engagement six months ago because it became painfully clear that there are too many differences between them—number one being that he wants children and she doesn’t. When a car accident seriously injures Sean’s nine-monthspregnant sister, who is also Bree’s good friend, they’re unavoidably thrown together to care for the healthy newborn. Sean and Bree have zero experience with infants, and I had fun remembering a few things new parents go through as they learn how to cope with a tiny human arriving in their lives.
Sean and Bree expect to be stuck spending time together just briefly, until his mother arrives to take over baby duty. But it ends up being days longer, and it’s not easy fighting the attraction still sizzling between them. So many good memories are there, too, despite the bad ones that keep surfacing. Ultimately they both figure out what is most important to them, but it isn’t easy!
I love to hear from readers! You can find me at my website, RobinGianna.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter, @Robin_Gianna. I hope you enjoy the story.
Robin xoxo
Sibling relationships are unique and special, and I’d like to dedicate this book to my brother’s memory. Mark, I have a feeling a few of the stars in the sky are really you, lighting the firecrackers you loved to throw at me while the other angels laugh at your jokes. I miss you.
‘Yet another splendid read from the author...a romance which should not be missed by everyone who loves medical romance.’
—Harlequin Junkie on It Happened in Paris...
“YOU KNOW, THAT tummy of yours isn’t what you can call a ‘baby bump’ anymore. More like a baby beach ball,” Bree Donovan teased. She glanced at her friend Emma, who was settling herself in the passenger seat of her car. “Good thing he didn’t decide to pop out while you were flying over the mountains. Giving birth on a plane would be a little stressful, don’t you think?”
Bree had to at least lightly chide her friend for waiting to travel until she was thirty-seven weeks along in her pregnancy, after she’d told Emma more than once she shouldn’t. Not that the woman ever listened to advice, and in fact usually did the opposite of anything suggested to her.
“I know you wanted me to come sooner, but I wasn’t ready to deal with Sean yet,” Emma said with a grimace. “Lecturing me and fussing over me like I’m still a little kid instead of twenty-nine years old. Besides, the reason I look like I swallowed a volleyball is because the baby is still high and happy, with no intention of coming soon, I’m told.”
And even if she hadn’t been sure of that, free-spirited Emma probably wouldn’t have worried about it anyway, would she? Bree would have smiled, remembering the way Sean alternately rebuked then pampered his sister, if it didn’t make her heart hurt thinking about Sean at all.
Though not thinking about him had become impossible with Emma coming back to San Diego for a while.
The ache in her chest was joined by self-mockery. Who was she kidding? It didn’t matter that she and Sean had broken up six miserable months ago—he was on her mind way too often, anyway. It also didn’t matter that their relationship had started to list toward rocky shore shortly after their engagement, showing how wrong she’d been during those first starry-eyed months with him. Obvious, important differences had wedged between them, slowly shaking the foundation of what had seemed like perfection together. How that had happened was something she still couldn’t figure out—didn’t falling in love at nearly first sight mean it was meant to be?
The blinding happiness she’d felt then had convinced her it did. And was blinding the right word, or what? She’d certainly chosen not to open her eyes to all the reasons things could never work out between the two of them until after he’d put a ring on her finger, making their breakup all that much harder for both of them.
“Oh, and speaking of Sean,” Emma said, emphasizing her brother’s name in a way that had Bree bracing herself for what might be coming next, “I wanted to confess something.”
“Confess what?”
“Mom told me he’s been gloomy and restless ever since you two broke up. So I set him up with a dating service to help him move on. Just so you know, in case you see him on a date.”
“You did what?” Bree’s mouth fell open and she stared at her friend.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Emma raised her eyebrows, the picture of surprised innocence. “I’m just trying to help him find someone better suited to him, and he works so much, he doesn’t have time to meet women. I mean, you’re the one who broke the engagement. And are ready to move to Hawaii. Right?”
Cold, shocked dismay shot through Bree at Emma’s statement. Why, she didn’t know. She shouldn’t care one bit. A rational woman wouldn’t. It was over between them for a lot of good reasons, and she was moving on, literally and figuratively.
“Of course I don’t mind.” And she didn’t. And maybe her nose was growing, because the thought of seeing Sean with another woman on his arm, thinking of him sleeping with someone else, made