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The Children's Doctor's Special Proposal
Kate Hardy
A special bride for a special doctor New consultant paediatrician Rhys Morgan is everything the hospital grapevine promised: piercing blue eyes, perfect physique and a mysteriously guarded manner. He is also Katrina’s boss, but children’s doctor Katrina thinks she’s safe from Rhys’s charms. Until they discover a shared commitment to their little patients – and a heartfelt passion for each other.Rhys has never believed in happy families, yet Katrina opens his eyes to what love and family really mean. Her courage and vulnerability create a fierce desire to protect her. Enough, perhaps, to make Rhys risk his heart with the most special proposal of all…THE LONDON VICTORIA These city doctors are ready to wed!
What people are saying about Kate Hardy…
‘THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE is a
spellbinding romance that I devoured in a single
sitting! Kate Hardy is a fabulously talented writer
hose books never fail to make me laugh, cry and
care, and THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE is the latest
in a long line of captivating romances that have
made her one of my all-time favourite writers.’
–Cataromance on THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE, edical™ Romance August 07
Look out for Kate Hardy in Modern Heat™!
‘BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S is simply terrific!
Sexy, funny, tender, passionate and romantic,
this engrossing tale features a loveable heroine
and a gorgeous Italian hero who will make you swoon!
Kate Hardy is a writer readers can count on in order to
deliver an entertaining page-turner which
they will devour in a single sitting, and
BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S is certainly
no exception. So take the phone off the hook,
put your feet up and lose yourself…’
—Cataromance on BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S,July 07
Kate Hardy is the winner of theRomantic Novelists’ Association Romance Prize2008 for her Modern Heat™ novelBREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S.
Kate Hardy lives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two young children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history, she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking—spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.) Writing for Mills & Boon has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She’s been writing Medical™ Romances for nearly five years now, and also writes for Modern Heat™. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!
Kate’s always delighted to hear from readers, so do drop in to her website at www.katehardy.com
Recent titles by the same author:
Medical™ Romance THE SPANISH DOCTOR’S LOVE-CHILD THE DOCTOR’S ROYAL LOVE-CHILD (Brides of Penhally Bay) THE ITALIAN GP’S BRIDE
Modern Heat™ HOTLY BEDDED, CONVENIENTLY WEDDED SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! BREAKFAST AT GIOVANNI’S
Dear Reader
Sometimes you really, really fall in love with a hero. And I fell head over heels for Rhys. Firstly, he’s a fabulous doctor—caring, gentle, and very good at what he does. Secondly, he has the most gorgeous voice. And thirdly, he understands Katrina’s hearing problem—he rescues her when she needs it, just as my husband rescues me when I haven’t caught what someone has said.
I also fell for Katrina’s family—because they remind me of mine! The kind of people who’ll celebrate the good times with you and always be there for you in the bad: the kind of family my hero Rhys has never had, but definitely deserves.
As I was writing the wedding scene, I was privileged to attend a special family wedding (my daughter was the flower girl). It was in a beautiful little country church, and I couldn’t resist borrowing both the wedding cake and the weather from the day! That’s why I’ve dedicated this book to my cousin Lee and his lovely bride Lucy, with congratulations and lots of love.
I’m always delighted to hear from readers, so do come and visit me at www.katehardy.com
With love
Kate Hardy
THE CHILDREN’S DOCTOR’S SPECIAL PROPOSAL
BY
KATE HARDY
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/)
For Lee and Lucy,
with love
CHAPTER ONE
‘WELCOME back.’ Lynne greeted Katrina with a broad smile. ‘So how was Italy?’
‘Fabulous. Italy in late September is just perfect. It’s my new favourite place in the world,’ Katrina said. ‘Pompeii was stunning. And the Blue Grotto. And…’ She laughed. ‘That isn’t what you really want to know, is it? Yes, I brought Italian biscuits back for the ward. Seriously nice ones.’ She dangled a carrier bag in front of the charge nurse. ‘A big tin of them.’
‘Good girl.’ Lynne patted her on the back. ‘Just what we all wanted to hear. Though I’m glad you had a good time on holiday.’
‘How’s Sadie doing?’ Katrina asked, walking with Lynne to the kitchen and placing the biscuit tin on the worktop along with a note saying, Help yourself, with love from Kat.
‘Fine. Though she’s been missing your stories and wants to know when Doc-a-rina’s coming back.’
‘Oh, bless.’ Sadie, a two-year-old with a clicky hip that had been reset by the orthopaedic surgeon, was one of Katrina’s favourites; even though lying on a cot in traction must have been uncomfortable for the little girl, she never once complained and always had a huge smile for the medical staff. ‘I’ll go and see her in a minute before I start the ward rounds.’ Katrina switched on the kettle, then she slapped a hand to her forehead. ‘I almost forgot. The new consultant.’ He’d started the day after she’d gone on holiday, and she’d been off duty the day he’d come for his interview and a look round the ward, so she hadn’t yet met him. ‘What’s he like?’
Lynne nodded with obvious approval. ‘Gorgeous. And as soon as you hear that voice you just want it to start whispering sweet nothings to you.’
‘Except he’s unavailable because, like you, he was snapped up as a teenager?’ Katrina teased.
‘Nobody has a clue, but I’d say probably not. He’s excellent with the children, he’s polite and pleasant to the parents and the staff, but as for what makes him tick…’ Lynne shook her head ruefully. ‘Your guess is as good as mine. He’s refused every single invite to a team night out so far—politely, but very definitely.’
Katrina frowned. Most new consultants would accept every invitation going in the first couple of weeks, to help them get to know the team outside work and bond with them. ‘He’s not one of those who spend the bare minimum of time here and as much as possible in private practice, is he?’ she asked.
Lynne shook her head. ‘Far from it. He puts in the hours. He stays late—and if he does leave early, he’ll either ring in or come back to chase up some results.’
A workaholic, then, Katrina thought. Just as long as he didn’t expect everyone else to follow his lead—it wouldn’t be fair on colleagues who happened to have young families. ‘What’s he like to work with?’ she asked.
‘Quick, intuitive and—well, you’re about to find out for yourself. He’s just walked in.’ Lynne glanced towards the door. ‘Morning, Dr Morgan.’
‘Rhys,’ the doctor corrected with a smile.
And what a smile.
Lynne was right, Katrina thought. Rhys Morgan was absolutely gorgeous. Tall, with dark hair and fair skin and blue, blue eyes—pure Celtic colouring. And with a name like Rhys Morgan, she would’ve been very surprised had his voice not had that faint Welsh lilt.
That incredibly sexy Welsh lilt.
And an incredibly sensual mouth.
She pushed the thought away. Rhys Morgan was her new colleague, and she didn’t date colleagues. Not since Pete. She didn’t make the same mistake twice.
‘Good morning, Lynne,’ he said.
‘Rhys, this is Katrina Gregory, our senior house officer.’ Lynne introduced them swiftly. ‘Kat, this is Rhys Morgan, our new consultant.’
‘Hello, Rhys. Good to meet you,’ Katrina said, and stretched out her hand.
When he took it, she was surprised by the jolt of awareness that shot through her. One that was clearly mutual and just as surprising for him, judging by the way his eyes widened very slightly. But then he seemed to regain his control and gave her a polite smile, releasing her hand. ‘Hello, Katrina.’
‘The kettle’s about to boil and our rounds don’t start for another ten minutes. Coffee?’ Katrina asked.
‘Thanks. Black, no sugar, please.’
She spooned instant coffee into three mugs, adding sugar to Lynne’s and milk to her own before pouring on boiling water and handing the first mug to Rhys. ‘Help yourself to biscuits while you still get a chance. As soon as Lynne spreads the word, they’ll be gone.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘And if you’ll excuse me, I want to pop in and see Sadie before we start, to let her know I’m back.’
‘Sadie? The little girl with the clicky hip?’ he asked.
Katrina nodded. ‘Lynne tells me she’s been missing my stories.’
He looked slightly disapproving. ‘As a doctor, you need to keep a certain amount of distance. Don’t get too emotionally involved with your patients.’
‘I hardly think telling a story to a little girl who’s bed-bound is getting emotionally involved.’ And just who did Rhys Morgan think he was, telling her what to do? He may be the new consultant and, strictly speaking, her senior, but that didn’t mean he could tell her how to do her job. In her experience, taking a little extra time with their patients often did wonders—it helped them to settle, and she believed that anything that made the hospital a less scary experience for them was a good thing. ‘I enjoy my job, and I’m not going to apologise for taking five minutes of my own time to make a child’s day that little bit brighter. Excuse me,’ she said coolly. ‘I’ll be back in time for ward rounds.’
When Katrina walked into the cubicle, Sadie’s delighted smile took away that rattled feeling she’d had since meeting Rhys Morgan. ‘Doc-a-rina!’
‘Miss me, poppet?’ Katrina sat on the chair beside her, and ruffled her hair. ‘What a lovely welcome-back smile.’
‘Story?’ Sadie begged.
‘Later today. After you’ve had your lunch and I’m on my break,’ Katrina promised. ‘Hello, Jo,’ she said, turning to Sadie’s mother. ‘I’ll be doing the ward rounds in a few minutes, but I wanted to pop in and see you first. How’s it going?’
‘Dr Morgan says she’s doing really well. Hopefully we can go home at the end of the week—not that it’s horrible here,’ Jo hastened to add.
‘But there’s no place like home,’ Katrina finished, understanding just what Jo meant.
‘Good holiday?’ Jo asked.
‘Brilliant, thanks. I must be three inches shorter after all that walking, but it was worth it.’
Jo laughed. ‘If I’d known you wanted to be three inches shorter…’
‘Sorry. My cousin Maddie has first dibs on my spare height,’ Katrina teased back. ‘I’ll see you later. And my story for you today, Miss Sadie,’ she added, smiling at the little girl, ‘is all about a princess. Because when I was away I actually saw a magic cave—the one where a princess met the prince from under the sea.’
‘Mermaid,’ Sadie said happily.
‘Something like that,’ Katrina said. ‘See you soon.’
When Katrina joined Rhys for the ward rounds, she discovered that he was exactly as Lynne had described. Pleasant to the children, polite to their parents and patient enough to answer every single question and explain in more detail when it was needed. Professionally, she couldn’t fault him. And yet there was a reserve about him. Some kind of invisible wall. Like Lynne, Katrina couldn’t quite work out what made him tick.
She put it out of her mind so she could concentrate on her patients in the children’s assessment clinic for the rest of the morning, and then caught up with her cousin over lunch.
‘Welcome home, hon.’ Madison hugged her. ‘You look fabulous. Though I still think you were mad, going on a walking tour of the Amalfi coast.’
‘I saw a lot more than I would’ve done if I’d been stuck on a beach,’ Katrina pointed out.
‘So did you meet a gorgeous Italian prince while you were away?’
Madison really was incorrigible, Katrina thought. ‘No, but I’m making up a story for Sadie. About the prince from under the sea.’ She laughed. ‘Right up your street. Or it would have been, had you not met Theo.’ She paused. Madison had her finger on the pulse. She might know more about Rhys Morgan. ‘Have you met our new consultant yet?’ she asked, trying her best to sound casual.
‘Rhys Morgan?’ Madison nodded. ‘I called him into Theatre last week during a difficult birth—and the baby was absolutely fine, before you ask. He’s a nice guy. Knows his stuff but doesn’t throw his weight around.’
Oh, doesn’t he? Katrina thought, remembering what he’d said about Sadie.
Madison’s eyes sparkled. ‘Since you’re asking about him, Kat, does that mean you’re—?’
‘No, it doesn’t,’ Katrina interrupted, guessing what her cousin was about to ask. Since she’d found happiness with Theo, Madison had been trying to find the same for her cousin, and the matchmaking was driving Katrina crazy. ‘He’s nice enough, as you say—a good doctor—but he’s a bit reserved. And he told me off this morning for getting too emotionally involved with my patients.’
‘He has a point, hon. You do get too close to your patients,’ Madison said gently.
Katrina rolled her eyes. ‘I love my job. I love the ward. And, actually, telling stories to the kids is good for me. It’s the best stress-reliever I know, going off into a world of make-believe and seeing all these little faces smiling back at me.’
‘But you still worry about them when you get home. You never quite switch off.’
‘It goes with the territory.’ Katrina glanced at her watch. ‘I’d better get back. I promised Sadie a story over lunch, and I don’t want to upset the new consultant by being late for ward rounds this afternoon.’
‘Sounds to me as if you just got off on the wrong foot with each other. Give the guy a chance. He’s OK.’ Madison paused, looking concerned. ‘Not all men are like Pete, you know.’
