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MIDWIVES ON-CALL
Welcome to Melbourne Victoria Hospital—and to the exceptional midwives who make up the Melbourne Maternity Unit! These midwives in a million work miracles on a daily basis, delivering tiny bundles of joy into the arms of their brand-new mums! Amidst the drama and emotion of babies arriving at all hours of the day and night, when the shifts are over, somehow there’s still time for some sizzling out-of-hours romance … Whilst these caring professionals might come face-to-face with a whole lot of love in their line of work, now it’s their turn to find a happy-ever-after of their own!
Midwives On-Call
Midwives, mothers and babies—lives changing for ever …!
Always an avid reader, FIONA LOWE decided to combine her love of romance with her interest in all things medical, so writing Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ was an obvious choice! She lives in a seaside town in southern Australia, where she juggles writing, reading, working and raising two gorgeous sons with the support of her own real-life hero! Unlocking Her Surgeon’s Heart Fiona Lowe Usually writing a book is a relatively solitary job, but when you’re writing a novel which is part of a series written by a group of authors it comes with a lovely sense of camaraderie. The Midwives On-Call series was no exception. Way back in the day, I worked as a midwife. I loved it. There is something so precious and special about delivering a baby. For a few hours you’re part of people’s lives as they experience one of their most momentous events. It’s an honour and a privilege. One of the births that stands out in my memory is delivering twins on Christmas Day. I’ve also been on the other side of delivery—the woman giving birth—and I still remember with great fondness the midwives who delivered my sons. In Unlocking Her Surgeon’s Heart Lilia is a dedicated midwife in a small coastal town. She loves her work but to a certain extent she’s hiding behind it. Her world is small and safe—which is how she wants and needs it to be. The arrival of an arrogant and grumpy city surgeon is something to be endured for four short weeks and she’s endured worse—so how hard can it possibly be? Noah is in the final months of his surgical fellowship, and being sent to the tiny township of Turraburra is his worst nightmare. He’s chosen surgery so he doesn’t have to talk to patients, but his boss at the Melbourne Victoria Hospital has other ideas. Noah starts counting down the hours until he can leave from the moment he arrives, and he surely doesn’t need or want the enigmatic midwife’s opinion on his rusty communication skills. As the weeks go by Noah not only discovers his bedside manner, but exactly what’s been missing in his life. Can he convince Lilia to take the biggest risk of her life and love him? I hope you enjoy Lilia and Noah’s story. For photos, back story and information about the series, as well as my other books, please join me at www.fionalowe.com. You can also find me at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course you can catch me by email at [email protected] Happy reading! Fiona x To my fellow Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ authors. You’re all amazing and talented women. Thank you for the support, the laughs and the fun times when we were lucky enough to meet in person. Table of Contents Dear Reader Dedication CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
‘WANT TO CLOSE?’ Noah Jackson, senior surgical registrar at the Melbourne Victoria Hospital, smiled behind his mask as he watched the answer to his question glow in the eyes of his surgical intern. ‘Do I support The Westies?’ Rick Stewart quipped, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. His loyalty to the struggling Australian Rules football team was legendary amongst the staff, who teased him mercilessly. ‘For Mrs Levatti’s sake, you need to close better than your team plays,’ Noah said, knowing full well Rick was more than capable. There’d be no way he’d allow him to stitch up his patient unless he was three levels above competent. The guy reminded him of himself back in the day when he’d been an intern—keen, driven and determined to succeed. ‘Thanks, team.’ Noah stepped back from the operating table and stripped off his gloves, his mind already a long way from work. ‘It’s been a huge week and I’ve got the weekend off.’ ‘Lucky bastard,’ muttered Ed Yang, the anaesthetist. ‘I’m on call for the entire weekend.’ Noah had little sympathy. ‘It’s my first weekend off in over a month and I’m starting it at the Rooftop with one of their boutique beers.’ ‘I might see you there later,’ Lizzy said casually. The scout nurse’s come-hither green eyes sparkled at him, reminding him of a previous good time together. ‘Everyone’s welcome,’ he added, not wanting to tie himself down to anyone or anything. ‘I’ll be there until late.’ He strode out and headed purposefully towards the change rooms, savouring freedom. Anticipation bubbled in him as he thought about his
