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Baby Miracle In The Er
Sue MacKay
Will love pass by them again?Or can a baby give them a second chance?When her ex, sexy doc Michael Laing, revealed he didn’t do commitment, it broke paramedic Steph’s heart. Two years later she’s back in town and thinks she’s moved on—until she meets Michael in the ER and their chemistry is as hot as ever! Both are wary of getting burned again, but a little miracle is about to bind them together for ever…
Will love pass them by again?
Or can a baby give them a second chance?
When paramedic Steph’s ex, sexy doc Michael Laing, revealed he doesn’t do commitment, it broke her heart. Two years later, she’s back in town having thought she’d moved on, until she meets Michael in the ER—and their chemistry is as hot as ever! Both are wary of getting burned again, but a little miracle is about to bind them together forever...
SUE MACKAY lives with her husband in New Zealand’s beautiful Marlborough Sounds, with the water on her doorstep and the birds and the trees at her back door. It is the perfect setting to indulge her passions of entertaining friends by cooking them sumptuous meals, drinking fabulous wine, going for hill walks or kayaking around the bay—and, of course, writing stories.
Also by Sue MacKay (#u85e6e138-1518-536f-8ba7-c988e5e10359)
Midwife…to Mum!
Reunited…in Paris!
A December to Remember
Breaking All Their Rules
Dr White’s Baby Wish
The Army Doc’s Baby Bombshell
Resisting Her Army Doc Rival
Pregnant with the Boss’s Baby
Falling for Her Fake Fiancé
Her New Year Baby Surprise
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
Baby Miracle in the ER
Sue MacKay
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-07512-1
BABY MIRACLE IN THE ER
© 2018 Sue MacKay
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
® and ™ 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.
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Writing is a lonely occupation, and yet we as authors cannot do it alone.
Baby Miracle in the ER is the twenty-fifth Mills & Boon book I have written for the Medical Romance series, and it’s dedicated to the people who helped me along the way. Number one—my husband. He has been unfailing in his support through the good and bad times. More dedications to my family, my dearest friends, the Blenheim Writers Group and my writing friends. Thank you all so much for being there for me.
Contents
Cover (#ud469a537-d7e5-5f5a-a7f9-e02ca010362e)
Back Cover Text (#ue2bf28ed-69ac-5e1c-98a0-21c9acc1efa2)
About the Author (#uf576f9d4-554f-55fd-a009-e8d1c53c7369)
Booklist (#u49f157fa-678d-52b0-9002-687866f0e3c6)
Title Page (#u88b9e5e9-8101-5845-b40b-b89d2f50f51b)
Copyright (#ubdab56a2-d0cb-53c8-a37f-eb80166a98af)
Dedication (#ue443b4a6-86bc-519f-8d9a-7cf7207dff1a)
CHAPTER ONE (#u8f1ea5ca-09a7-54ca-8037-8de663a6336b)
CHAPTER TWO (#u43bc49bf-347f-5778-a37f-ac4842df71c7)
CHAPTER THREE (#u8a25e791-4eae-5aaf-869f-e6d6b3f25286)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#u85e6e138-1518-536f-8ba7-c988e5e10359)
‘AHHH!’ TEARS STREAMED DOWN the pregnant woman’s face while fear glared out at paramedic Stephanie Roberts. ‘It can’t be a contraction!’
No, please not that.
Steph pushed her elbows into her sides to control a shudder. The baby was ten weeks too early, according to the garbled comments the woman’s work colleague had uttered as she and Kath, her crew partner, had loaded their patient into the ambulance.
Steph’s heart grew heavy as the woman’s grip on her hand tightened unbearably. ‘Melanie, I want you to breathe deeply and try to stay calm.’
‘Stay calm? When I’m losing my babies again. Tell me how to do that.’ Her voice rose on every word until she was practically screaming. ‘It’s not fair.’
I will do everything I possibly can to prevent that outcome.
Using her free hand to wipe her patient’s forehead, Steph read the heart monitor. All surprisingly normal there.
‘Babies? You’re having twins?’ That would explain the early contraction. Twins often didn’t go the distance in utero, but this early was not good.
‘Yes!’ Melanie huffed. ‘We had IVF.’ Another huff. ‘For the third time.’
That grip on Steph’s hand would break something any second now.
It was nothing compared to the ache in Steph’s heart, though. Having to undergo IVF in the first place came with a load of unbearable pain and stress. Losing the resultant baby or babies would be beyond description. She herself hadn’t got that far, but it had been bad enough—and the consequences even worse. This woman was facing her third round of unbelievable heartbreak if these babies weren’t saved.
Stephanie couldn’t comprehend that—not even with her own experience of being unable to have children.
‘If it’s okay, I’m going to examine you. We need to know what’s going on.’
Maybe there was some miracle floating around that would mean the pain was just a stomach ache. Not that Steph was into miracles. There hadn’t been any going spare when she’d needed one, but Melanie might be luckier.
‘My back’s been aching all morning, my waters broke, and now I’ve had a contraction. I know what that means.’
The woman’s teeth dug so deep into her lip Steph looked for blood. None. Yet.
‘Except I want to deny it so that it isn’t true.’
She doesn’t want me confirming what she suspects. I totally get that. But I’m a paramedic, not a counsellor.
Tugging her hand free, Steph moved along the stretcher and gently lifted her patient’s skirt and lowered her panties. Dilation had begun. She bit back a curse. They weren’t carrying one incubator, let alone two.
Now what? These twins had to be saved. They just had to be. Somehow.
Tucking the clothing back in place, Steph stepped to the front of the ambulance, where Kath was focusing on the road, and spoke quietly and urgently. ‘We haven’t got time to go to Auckland Women’s. Those babies are intent on making an entrance and I doubt they’re going to take their time about it. Head to Auckland Central Hospital as fast as you’re allowed.’
Actually, faster than they were allowed—irresponsible or not. But of course Kath wouldn’t do that. And nor would Steph if she were behind the wheel. Or perhaps she might, knowing what their patient was facing. The speed limit was there for a good reason, but sometimes rules were made to be broken.
‘I’ll let Central ED know the situation.’ Kath reached for the radio handpiece while simultaneously pressing the accelerator a little harder. ‘Sorry I handed you this one.’
Not half as sorry as I am.
‘It’s fine.’ Steph’s heart lurched as she returned to their patient. Life could be so horribly cruel. ‘Has your husband been told what’s happening?’
‘Someone at work rang him. He’s going to meet us at the hospital.’
‘Then we need to let him know where we’re taking you. Where’s your phone?’
‘You just said we’re going to Auckland Central, but my specialist said I have to go to National Women’s if anything goes wrong.’
Those terrified eyes widened, glittering with unshed tears, and Melanie’s chest rose and fell, rose and fell.
‘There isn’t time. I get it.’ The fear became agony. ‘Why do we keep trying? Why are we putting ourselves through this when it never goes right for us? What have I ever done to deserve this? I only want a baby. People have them all the time—easy.’
Steph reached for her hand, let Melanie hold tight; too bad if her metatarsals were fractured. Apart from taking obs and willing the ambulance to go faster there wasn’t much else she could do. She certainly couldn’t soften the truth; because she pretty much knew what her patient was going through.
‘Please don’t do this to yourself.’
As if the woman could stop.
If the outcome wasn’t good, those questions would haunt Melanie for months, even years to come. But Steph would make sure that didn’t happen. There was no room for things going wrong. Not this time—not today.
‘Concentrate on breathing normally so you’re not agitating your babies. I know it’s hard, but we have to try.’
‘You think breathing is going to save my babies?’
The eye-roll didn’t quite come off but hurt still stabbed Steph under the ribs.
Because she couldn’t save the babies if they persisted in coming out into the world before reaching the emergency department. That would take a team of gynaecologists and neonatal specialists and a room full of specialised equipment and—oh, look, none of those were on board right now.
And because... Yeah, well. Because some things were never forgotten. No matter how hard she tried, how much she turned her life upside down and all around, Steph understood some of this woman’s anguish too well.
‘Mark’s going to be devastated.’ Melanie gulped.
Concentrate.
‘Your husband?’ she asked softly around the lump of sadness building in her throat. Sadness for Melanie or herself? Both?
‘Yes.’
‘Want me to call him?’
