Pregnant Midwife: Father Needed. Fiona McArthur

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СКАЧАТЬ ‘Should I tell you something and you can decide whether you think it’s a good choice on my part?’

      She frowned. ‘I was just making polite conversation.’ Well, she wasn’t really, because she wanted to know, but blow him. He could keep his plans secret for all she cared.

      ‘Ah. Polite.’ The inflection rose as if he didn’t believe a word of it.

      She glared at him again. The guy was infuriating. Then she noticed the tiny quirk at the edge of those sinfully seductive lips of his and realised.

      And he confirmed it. ‘So I should stop teasing you?’

      She relaxed as he dragged a smile out of her. ‘You had me going. I’m not used to subtlety. My fiancé has none.’ She didn’t know why she did it, maybe some dormant protective instinct, but she put the present tense in there as a safeguard from the feelings this man stirred in her.

      ‘You’re engaged?’

      She didn’t meet his eyes. ‘To a doctor in Sydney.’

      Angus looked interested. ‘So when are you getting married?’

      That’s what came of telling lies. ‘We’re having a break.’ Then she looked at him and added, ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Well, that was the truth.

      ‘Fine. Neither do I.’ He did that almost-smile thing with his lips and she held her breath in case he actually did give her a full-blown grin, but it didn’t happen. The guy would be an awesome poker player.

      She took a sip of the glorious coffee and closed her eyes. ‘Did you make this?’ Good coffee was the only thing she missed about Sydney. Even a taste was heaven.

      ‘Yep. My specialty.’ He paused. ‘So what are you doing today?’ he asked just as she took another sip, and her glottis closed too late as coffee slipped into her windpipe and suddenly she had to cough and splutter inelegantly as she wheezed to get her breath.

      Almost immediately Angus was behind her chair and with both his hands he straightened her shoulders and then tapped her once between the shoulder blades. Not in that thumping, cure-worse-than-thedisease way men usually had, but one firm tap with the flat of his hand that cleared her airway instantly.

      She whistled in the next breath and her sight cleared as she wiped her eyes. ‘Thank you.’

      He sat down. ‘My pleasure. Next time I’ll wait until after you sip before I start a conversation.’

      She pushed the coffee away. She was embarrassed enough. ‘I’ve had enough.’

      He nodded. ‘Then it’s safe to ask again? If you have any plans for today?’

      Mia didn’t know where to look so she settled for a glance at the coffee pot and back. ‘I’m on call from three this afternoon and doing the night shift if I’m needed in Maternity.’

      ‘Then you could come for an early lunch?’

      That’s what she’d thought he was getting to. Whoa, there, boy. Didn’t I just say I was unavailable?

      Almost as if he heard her thoughts he went on. ‘I should explain. You being engaged actually helps as I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.’

      Wrong impression? Didn’t want her to get her hopes up, perhaps? What a poser. The man had tickets on himself.

      ‘I’m taking my father and his future wife out for lunch today and I think Louisa would be more comfortable if there was another woman there instead of just three men.’

      For the first time he looked anxious. ‘I really do want this to go smoothly and I think you would be able to help that.’

      Maybe not a poser? She’d have to stop jumping to conclusions about people, but Mark had left her wary. Now she understood and she wasn’t disappointed that he hadn’t actually wanted to ask her out. At all. Honest. ‘Steer the conversation when it falters, you mean?’

      He nodded. ‘Something like that.’

      She thought of his son. ‘I don’t think you’d have to worry with Simon at the table.’ Their eyes met in acknowledgement of the truth of that and Mia smiled.

      Angus said, ‘My son is adept at conversation. I grant you that. Must be his mother’s side.’ A shadow passed across his face at the mention of Simon’s mother and Mia couldn’t help but wonder what the story was there. No way was she asking.

      The less he thought about that the better, Angus admonished himself silently, and looked up at the curly-headed nymph across the table. Unfortunately it felt like he could sit and look at her all day. She made him feel alive—not something he’d dwelt on for a long time—and she made him smile inside. Years since he’d done that.

      ‘Nevertheless, you will come?’ He didn’t know why it was so important to have Mia with them, especially now he knew she was engaged, though what sort of ‘engagement’ had a break? The marriage didn’t sound too imminent. But he did want her with them today. He barely knew her, but he had this crazy idea in his brain that he wouldn’t mess up with his father and Louisa if Mia was there.

      He could run hospitals, organise airlifts and troubleshoot the health of disaster-affected cities, but last night, even with Simon there yabbering away like a rabbit, he’d had trouble talking to the man who had banished him twenty years ago. And his father had been just as bad.

      He watched her sniff the cup and it was funny just how much he enjoyed her obvious appreciation. Maybe he could bribe her with more coffee.

      ‘I’ll come if you think it will help,’ she said when she put the cup down. ‘Where were you planning on taking them?’

      He’d sorted that one. ‘I thought the white guesthouse on the lake. They have lunches on the veranda.’

      She nodded and he guessed that was approval. ‘We could walk there.’

      He watched her consider that. Her thoughts flicked across her face like a digital photo frame, one after the other. How could anyone be that transparent? It was strangely endearing in a way. Then she said, ‘Nice. I’ll be there. What time do you want me to be ready?’

      It was that easy. She’d be there. It had been Simon’s suggestion and his know-it-all son had been right again. She had said yes.

      He would have asked her even if Simon hadn’t suggested it. He was pretty sure. ‘Twelve. I’ll book for twelve-fifteen.’

      ‘No problem. I’ve a breathing and relaxation class this morning for a client, but will be home by eleven. I’ll see you then.’

      ‘Thank you, Mia. I appreciate this.’

      She was wearing a little green sundress and when she shrugged those beautiful shoulders of hers his fingers spread on his lap as he imagined the feel of her. He’d bet her skin would be like silk. He needed to get a grip—but not on her.

      Lucky his face wasn’t readable like hers.

      ‘No problem,’ she said. ‘You’re offering free lunch at a place I’ve wanted to go to and with people СКАЧАТЬ