Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom's Redemption (22 page)

BOOK: Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom's Redemption
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‘Forget Sasha, we’re going to miss our date night,’ Tom teased. ‘I wonder if there’s another student in the Pathways Programme who might be interested in paid babysitting.’

‘Jared!’ Sasha’s running feet hit the tiles of the balcony. ‘Can you cut your cake, please?’ She managed to elongate the ‘please’ with endearing charm.

Jared laughed. ‘For you, Sash, anything.’

‘Daddy, I can cut some cake for you.’

‘Thank you, darling, but let Jared help you. Mummy and I will be there in a minute.’

When he heard the sound of their retreating feet ebb into the carpet, he pulled Hayley in close and a rush of tenderness made him smile. ‘I just felt the baby bump.’

Hayley’s hands slipped around his neck and she kissed him. ‘In four months our life is going to change.’

He stroked her cheek. ‘Life’s always changing. We’re going to have a new baby and a new puppy.’

‘Poor Baxter. His retirement’s going to be noisy and busy with a baby human and a puppy in the house. Sasha can’t wait to play with him and I think she plans to dress him up for her tea parties.’

Tom still pinched himself every day that he’d been so blessed in his life. Hayley had changed his world and then Sasha had arrived and added to it in more ways than he could count. Now he could hardly wait to welcome their second child.

Tom laughed. ‘Poor Baxter indeed. I had to be the tea-party guest last Wednesday.’

Hayley giggled. ‘The work of a father is never done.’

‘And I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

‘I might have known you two would be out here canoodling,’ Carol interrupted with a chuckle. ‘Akim and his wife have just arrived and they’ve brought basboosa cake.’

‘We’ll be right there, Carol.’ But he didn’t move his feet.

Hayley sighed. ‘We should go.’

‘We should and we will.’ With the fingers of both hands he traced Hayley’s face and then he brought her lips to meet his. He savoured her taste and felt her love pouring through him, and then he gave her all his love in return.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

® and TM 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.

First published in Great Britain 2012
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House,
18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Harlequin Books S.A. 2012

Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Fiona Lowe
for her contribution to the
Sydney Harbour Hospital
series

ISBN: 978-1-408-97574-9

Table of Contents

Cover

Excerpt

About the Author

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Copyright

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