more than you. I’ll sleep later.’
‘I can’t let you do that.’
Another enigmatic smile. ‘You’re not running this show, Princess Maeve. I am.’
Ooh. Bossy. She was too weak, and it was hard not to sort of like it. ‘Then maybe later, if you’re good, you can put me in the shower,’ she said with a tired smile.
‘I don’t think you’ll be up to a shower but we’ll see.’
But she dug her heels in. ‘I’m not being washed in bed like a baby.’ They all looked at Rayne for help.
‘Fine,’ he said.
So they agreed on a compromise before Misty went off. Once Maeve’s pain tablets had kicked in and she wasn’t too sore, they disconnected her IVs for the few minutes it would take, and Rayne lifted her to the edge of the bed then carried her to the shower chair and the hand-held shower nozzle, and gently hosed her all over, washed her back and her legs, until she began to feel human again. Amazing what some hot water and a change of position could do.
Misty made her bed up with fresh sheets and plumped up her pillows so that when Rayne had helped her dry and dress again she could sink back and relax.
‘I’m walking back to the bed under my own steam.’ She glared at him. He held up his hands.
‘Your call. I’m happy to watch.’
So she eased herself into a standing position, and it wasn’t too bad now that she’d loosened up. She tentatively took a few steps, knowing there was no way he would let her fall because his arms were right behind her. Not a bad feeling to have.
She straightened up more and she felt tender, but okay. She could do this. She looked up at Rayne to poke out her tongue, but then a wave of faintness caught up with her.
He must have seen the colour drain from her face because he said, ‘No, you don’t.’ Before it could get too disastrous she found herself back in her bed, with Misty pulling up the sheets and saying, ‘Someone needs to tell you about the blood you lost last night.’
When the world stopped turning she looked up to see Rayne frowning darkly at her. She thought vaguely that he was still too damn good looking even when he frowned. ‘You’re a stubborn woman.’
But Misty smiled at her as she tucked the sheets in. ‘Stubborn women are the best kind because they never give in.’
Rayne rolled his eyes. ‘Another mad midwife saying.’
Five minutes later Connor made a little snorting noise, and they both turned their heads to see, watched him shift in his cot, blink and then open his eyes.
‘He’s awake.’
Rayne saw the longing on Maeve’s face and was so glad he’d stayed for this.
‘Good morning, young man. Your mother has been through a lot while she waited for you to wake up.’ He reached down and untucked the sheets and opened the bunny rug. A black tar train wreck lay inside. Was even glad he’d stayed for this. He’d cleaned up enough dirty nappies in his time to make short work of even the biggest mess and it seemed his son had quite a capacity. Go you, son.
Connor grumbled but didn’t cry, as if confident of the handling he was receiving.
Rayne looked across at the bed and Maeve was holding her stomach to stop herself laughing, and they grinned at each other in mutual parental pride. Then he pinned up the new nappy efficiently and lifted Connor away from his bunny rug in his hospital clothes so Maeve could see his long legs and feet as he tucked him carefully in her arms.
Rayne watched her face soften and her mouth curve into such a smile, and the ball in his chest tightened and squeezed. This stuff had turned him into a wimp but he wouldn’t have missed it for the world. He tucked a pillow under Maeve’s arm so she didn’t have to hold Connor’s weight and watched as she loosened her neckline to lift out a breast.
Now, there was a sight he’d never tire of as Connor turned his head and poked out his tongue. Rayne put his hand under Connor’s shoulders to help Maeve manoeuvre him closer until Connor opened his mouth, had a few practise attempts and then a big wide mouth and onto the breast. Just like that.
Maeve sighed and rested more comfortably back on the pillows, and Rayne sat back with wonder filling him until he thought he would burst.
My God.
How had this happened? Yesterday he had been lost, without purpose or future, a social misfit and almost-pariah, following his instinct towards a woman who so easily could have turned him away.
Now he had a family, Maeve and Connor and him—his family. And this morning he knew there would be battles of will, adjustments to make, discoveries and habits and ideas that might clash, but he could never doubt he had love for this incredible woman he had almost lost as soon as he’d found her, and that love would only grow bigger—probably daily. The future that was theirs stretched before them like a miracle. A Christmas miracle.
Rayne looked with wonder at the big country-style clock on the wall and watched the hand click over to six-thirty a.m. Exactly twenty-four hours since his car had rolled down the street and swerved towards the woman he’d been searching for as she’d walked towards him.
‘Rayne?’ Maeve’s voice was softly concerned. ‘You okay?’
He shook his head. The room was blurry. Stood up and stepped in close to the bed, leant down and slid his arm around the two of them and gently rested his cheek on Maeve’s hair. He’d just discovered that she made him feel brand new. That he could do anything. And he most certainly was the only man for this job of looking after his family. ‘I need to hug the most important two people in my life.’
She rested back into his arms with a contented sigh. ‘Feel free any time.’
Over the next day there were a lot of firsts.
Connor’s first bath, a joyous occasion where Maeve sat like a princess packed up in pillows and watched while Rayne deftly floated and massaged and swirled his son around like he’d been doing it for years.
‘You’re so good at that,’ Maeve said approvingly. ‘Still, I always tell the mums it’s nice to shower with your baby. One of the parents undresses and hands baby in to go skin to skin with the person in the shower and the other—that will be you Rayne.’ She grinned up at him. ‘You lost. You just get to take him back and dry and dress him while I have the fun part.’
Rayne grinned. ‘Poor me. I have to watch the naked lady with the awesome breasts in the shower with my baby.’ Maeve held her tummy and tried not to laugh.
Then came the visitors with hugs and kisses of relief.
Also along came things for Connor. His first knitted set of bonnet, booties, cardigan and shawl all lovingly created by his step-great-grandmother, Louisa, who also brought food just in case the hospital ran out.
His first pair of tiny jeans and black T-shirt to match his dad’s, from Uncle Simon and Tara.
Goodness knew where he’d got it from, because he’d barely left her side, but Rayne produced a bright yellow rubber duck for
