Their Marriage Miracle

‘You never returned any of my phone calls. Not one. I knew you’d be having a hard time of it watching Maddy suffer. All I wanted was to talk to you, listen to you—anything that would help you.’ And hold him. And kiss the pain away.

‘I tried to call you back and tell you how the pain had returned like it had never gone away while I watched the child struggling for her life, to explain how afraid I was for Maddy and her family. But I didn’t know how to do it without putting you through all that again. I’m so sorry. I knew you were waiting, wondering, probably feeling the anguish too.’

‘You must stop trying to protect me from everything, Tom. I am strong enough to cope, you know.’

‘Believe it or not, I know you are. Your strength is one of the things I love about you. It’s just so hard not to want to take care of things for you.’

One of the things he loved about her? Hope touched her again. Could they start over? She certainly wanted to, if they could sort everything out that came between them. She tried for a lighter tone. ‘Tell me another.’

His eyes widened, and then he grinned at her. ‘The fact that you cooked me my favourite meal the other night. You remembered.’ Then his grin slipped. ‘You seem to have remembered a lot of things about me. The little things that add up to the bigger picture. Thank you. Those things make me feel special again.’

‘Tom, you are special.’ She gulped. Then went for broke. ‘I love you, Tom. I’ve never stopped loving you, even at the worst moments over the years.’

The thudding of her heart was deafening. If he didn’t return the sentiment then she really had to climb aboard the Cessna and fly away. What was he thinking? Would he tell her he loved her? Or break her heart all over again?

Tom’s eyes lit up, and his mouth curved into a delicious smile that set the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She still didn’t know what he would say as he stepped up to her and reached for her hands, wrapped them in his large, warm ones. ‘I love you with all my heart, Fi. There’s never been anyone else for me since the day I first set eyes on you in the children’s ward at Auckland Hospital.’

Happiness spread through her like a tornado, flinging its warm tendrils down to her toes, out to her fingertips, and easing the weight on her heart. ‘Thank goodness,’ she breathed quietly, and slipped her arms around his neck. ‘What took you so long?’

‘Sometimes you still are as impatient as ever.’

‘Especially when I’m dealing with a certain stubborn man I know.’ She brushed his mouth with hers. Suddenly she felt very impatient. ‘Where are we going with this? If I stay in Hanmer Springs I’ve got ideas about what I’ll do with my plastic surgery expertise. Ideas that could help fund the hospital, too.’

‘You can do whatever you think is best. I just want you back in my life, Fi. That means in every part of it. The hospital, my cottage…my bed.’ He kissed the corner of her mouth. ‘I’d like to have a family, Fi. With you.’

Fiona’s eyes misted over. ‘Are you sure? You haven’t been able to spare me five minutes most of the week. That’s not the sort of marriage I want.’ But they were getting darned close.

‘I’m absolutely sure. I’m even thinking about getting a manager to take care of all that paperwork I loathe.’

Suddenly she laughed and squeezed him tight. This felt so right. She’d come home. Home to Tom, the man she loved more than life itself. Then they were kissing. And hugging. And kissing some more.

Then just as suddenly she pulled away, looking into those beautiful eyes. ‘Tell me again.’

He hauled her back against him. ‘I love you, Fiona Saville. Will you marry me?’

She leaned back in his arms, and those swollen lips curved into a wide, heart-stopping smile. ‘Shame on you. I’m a married woman.’

Epilogue

Two years and nine months later.

FIONA dashed through the gardens towards the new house tucked in amongst the trees and the flowerbeds that Connor’s mother tended regularly. She was late.

But she slowed as she came out into the autumn sun. She missed the heat of summer and grabbed whatever sun she could before winter slammed in and created havoc. Freezing cold, icy havoc, that Tom enjoyed and she tolerated. All part of their busy, rich lives—lives they wouldn’t change for anything.

Although there was about to be one small change. One Tom knew nothing about yet.

Giggles burst out across the short distance from home and her steps quickened again.

‘Mummy, Mummy, here I am. Daddy’s been tickling me.’

Fiona reached down and swung her beautiful two-year-old up into her arms and smothered her with kisses. ‘Hello, my birthday girl. Are you ready for your party?’

‘No one’s here yet. The twins will come?’ Worry clouded Molly’s grey eyes.

‘Of course they will.’ Maddy and Karla wouldn’t miss the party for anything. They adored Molly, had almost adopted her.

Tom stood on the large veranda that ran the length of their new, larger house. ‘Come on, you two, stop gossiping. We’ve got a party to get organised.’

Fiona rolled her eyes at her husband. ‘Just what have you been doing all morning if you haven’t got everything ready? While I’ve been working, I might add.’

He grinned at her. ‘You can close the plastic surgery unit any time you like, and become a stay-at-home mum.’

‘As if.’ He knew she loved her work, and enjoyed the fact that the money she made through plastic surgery went towards helping those families who would otherwise struggle to send their children to Tom’s hospital. She’d not forgotten Shaun Elliott’s parents and the hardship they’d faced to get their son the help he needed.

‘The party’s ready to go. The barbecue’s warming. Just waiting on Kerry and Craig to arrive.’ Tom pulled his women in against his chest for a cuddle. ‘Molly and I have been having a bit of clean-out of her room.’

‘I’m bigger now. I don’t want the plastic ducks or the books with no paper.’

The fabric books that Molly had spent hours trying to read. Fiona’s heart squeezed. Her baby was growing up fast.

Tom nudged her. ‘Thought we could giv

e a box of toys to the kindergarten fundraising stall.’

‘Good idea. They’ll be grateful for them.’

‘And there’s the box of baby monitors. All ten of them. I’m sure we could find a home for them.’

When they’d learned Fiona had got pregnant that week she’d come to see Tom, Tom had gone shopping for a monitor to put in the crib, ready for the day Molly was born. In an attempt to lighten their fears he’d bought ten. Thankfully not one of them had ever gone off.

‘Tom.’ Fiona lifted her head, met his steady gaze. ‘Don’t take those monitors anywhere. We’re going to need them.’

He stared at her, his beautiful, strong mouth curving up into a big smile, the grey of his eyes brightening into a soft ash colour. ‘We are?’

‘We are. In November.’ She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed that smile.