The Children's Doctor's Special Proposal

‘It’s a nice part of the world. And you have to take him to Walberswick—it’s really pretty on the coast,’ Katrina said with a smile.

‘So you’re local?’

‘Local-born,’ Katrina said. ‘We’re just staying here for a couple of days.’

‘And we’ve spoiled your holiday.’ Ben’s father bit his lip. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘We’re not exactly on holiday,’ Rhys said as he shook the inhaler again. ‘We’re celebrating our engagement.’

‘Your engagement? Congratulations. Oh, and this is the last thing you need, the night of your—’ Ben’s mother began.

‘We’re doctors. This is what we do,’ Rhys cut in gently. ‘We couldn’t sit by and see Ben struggle like this. Not when we can help.’

‘Absolutely,’ Katrina confirmed, stroking Ben’s hair. To her relief, she felt the wheezing start to ease. Rhys looked at her, got the message she mouthed to him, and the worry left his eyes.

By the time the ambulance arrived, Ben was breathing much more normally. ‘He still needs to go in, though, to be checked over,’ Rhys warned, and he and Katrina went to the ambulance door with the paramedics to give them Ben’s medical history and explain what they’d done.

When they walked back into the restaurant, people at the other tables stood up and clapped.

‘It’s our job. We didn’t do anything special,’ Rhys said.

‘Yes, you did.’ Mair, the youngest of Llewellyn and Dilys’s girls, came over to him and hugged him. ‘My brother, the hero. I’m so proud of you.’

Rhys hugged her back, not saying anything, but Katrina could see in his eyes that finally he felt part of his family, that he was accepted and valued exactly for who he was—and she could feel tears pricking her own eyelids.

‘I’m afraid we had to send your puddings back,’ Babs said. ‘Your ice cream melted and Rhys’s apple crumble went cold, but I’ll ask the waitress to bring you a replacement.’

Katrina smiled. ‘Thanks, Mum. I don’t want a pudding now, though. I’m fine.’

‘Same here,’ Rhys agreed. ‘Too full of adrenalin.’

‘I wouldn’t say no to coffee, though,’ Katrina said. ‘Especially as I know what the petits fours are like here.’

Danny laughed. ‘I’ll go and sort it out. Coffees all round, yes?’

When he’d gone, Sian asked, ‘So that’s the sort of thing you both do all day? Saving lives like that?’

‘Not all day,’ Rhys explained. ‘It’s usually the emergency department who’d deal with a severe asthma attack and then once the patient’s stable they’d send him or her up to us. But we do have an emergency assessment clinic and the doctors take turns running it.’

‘We have other clinics, too. Plus we have ward rounds twice a day to check up on the children we’re looking after who are staying in,’ Katrina added.

‘And my wife-to-be here spends half an hour a day in the playroom on the ward, after her shift, telling stories.’ Rhys slid his arm round her shoulders. ‘I told her off the first day we worked together. Told her she was getting too involved with her patients. And I’m very pleased to say I’ve learned that she’s absolutely right.’

Shortly after Danny returned to the table, the waitress brought them coffee.

Dilys nudged Llewellyn. ‘Now would be a good time.’

‘Good time for what?’ Rhys asked.

‘To give you both this.’ Llewellyn took a parcel from under the table and handed it to Katrina. ‘It’s traditional.’

Katrina undid the ribbon, opened the box and unwrapped the tissue paper to reveal a carved wooden spoon.

‘It’s a Welsh love spoon,’ Rhys said.

‘Symbolic,’ Llewellyn said. ‘With a heart, horseshoe and a celtic knot—it means love, good luck, and everlasting.’

‘It’s beautiful,’ Katrina said.

Dilys nudged her husband again. ‘Tell her the rest of it.’

Llewellyn flushed, but said nothing.

‘Men,’ Dilys said, rolling her eyes. ‘He carved it for you himself. He’s been working on it ever since we got back from London, after you gave us the wedding invitation.’

‘I just wanted it to be special,’ Llewellyn said simply.

‘It is.’ Rhys’s voice was slightly cracked.

This was a gift straight from the heart, Katrina knew. ‘We’ll treasure it always. Thank you.’

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AFTER that, time seemed to race by, and then it was the day of the wedding. ‘We’re not going to need confetti,’ Madison said, walking into Katrina’s bedroom. ‘It’s snowing.’