The Greek Doctor's New-Year Baby

‘I haven’t booked in with the midwifery team yet, so I don’t know the exact date,’ Madison hedged.

Katrina scoffed. ‘Says the obstetrician.’

‘OK, OK. If I worked out my dates right, I’m due early February,’ Madison said.

Katrina hugged her. ‘Well, congratulations. And I want to be number one on your babysitting list.’ Her smile faded. ‘That is…as long as you get a really loud baby listener, one with lights.’

‘That’s a definite,’ Madison said, knowing exactly what her cousin was worrying about and hugging her back. ‘You’re top of my godmother list, too.’

‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Katrina smiled at her. ‘I’m really pleased for you. You’re going to be a brilliant mum. And I think Theo’s going to be a great dad—and husband, if you let him.’

‘And if it all goes wrong?’

‘Then I’ll be here for you,’ Katrina said.

‘Stop worrying. Get some sleep. And tomorrow you can talk to Theo and work out when you’re going to move in with him.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

THEO was busy in clinic next morning, and he spent lunchtime and half the afternoon in one of the delivery rooms with a complicated labour. When he finally took a break, he discovered that Madison was in one of the other delivery rooms.

So it looked as if he’d have to be patient.

Something he was starting to find very, very difficult.

He grabbed a sandwich from the canteen and ate it at his desk while he caught up with paperwork. He’d just finished replying to a slew of emails when there was a rap on his open office door.

‘Hi, there. I hear you missed lunch—so I thought you might need some supplies.’ Madison walked in with a mug of strong black coffee and a blueberry muffin.

‘Thanks.’ He gestured to the door. ‘Do you want to close that for a moment?’

She did so.

‘How are you?’ he asked.

‘OK, as long as I stay away from the scent of this stuff.’ She put the mug and plate on his desk, then sat down. ‘I’ve been talking to Katrina. Thinking.’

‘And?’

‘And if the offer of moving in with you is still open, I’ll give it a try.’

‘The offer was marriage, Maddie.’

She shook her head. ‘Don’t rush me. I’ve been married before and it went wrong. This is a big thing for me, Theo.’

‘It’s a big thing for me, too, matia mou.’ He smiled wryly. ‘I haven’t asked anyone to marry me before.’

‘You didn’t actually ask me,’ she pointed out. ‘You told me.’

‘Ah. Then let me remedy that.’ He went over to the blinds, closed them and locked his office door before returning to her side and dropping down on one knee. He fished the box from his pocket, opened it, then took her right hand and placed the box on it. ‘Madison Gregory, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’

‘I…’ Her voice was croaky.

‘I’m house-trained, I cook—a lot better than you do,’ he said with a smile, ‘and I promise you I’ll never lie to you, Maddie.’

She swallowed hard. ‘But supposing…?’

‘Stop worrying,’ he said softly. ‘My family will adore you, I hope that yours will like me, and it really doesn’t matter where or when we get married. Right now, the most important things to me are you and our baby. Everything else is just a minor detail.’

‘I don’t want to wear a ring at work,’ she said.

‘Because you don’t want people to know about us?’ he asked carefully.

She shook her head. ‘It’s not that. I don’t want the world to know about the baby until I’m twelve weeks and past the risky stage.’

Fair enough. He could understand that. Most of his mums-to-be said the same thing.

‘And there’s also the fact about what I do…I can’t wear a ring when I’m examining a mum or helping with a delivery.’

Also true. He relaxed. So it wasn’t that she didn’t want to wear his ring. There was a chance this was going to work out. ‘Sure. I’ll buy you a platinum chain so you can wear it round your neck instead of on your finger when you’re on duty, if you want to.’

‘Platinum?’ she queried.

‘So it’s the same metal as the ring—otherwise they’re likely to damage each other.’

‘This is platinum?’ She looked at the ring again.

‘Yes.’

‘And the stone is…?’

‘A diamond,’ he told her. ‘A pink one. And may I remind you that I’m still down on one knee here, and it’s starting to get a little uncomfortable?’