LITMIR.BIZ

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down. Kissed her dry lips and tucked her in. ‘Go back to sleep.’

      When she woke in the morning Rayne was still there. His eyes were closed but for some reason she didn’t think he was asleep. The drips had stopped feeding blood and had changed to clear fluid, so she guessed that was a good thing.

      Connor was still sleeping. She reminded herself that babies could sleep up to ten or twelve hours after the first feed to get over the birth and she didn’t need to feel guilty she hadn’t fed him again. Remembered he’d probably make her pay for it later by feeding every time she wanted to put him back in his cot. Though she couldn’t imagine wanting to put him back in his cot. It felt so long since she’d held him in her arms.

      ‘Good morning.’ Rayne’s eyes were open. ‘How do you feel?’

      ‘I must look like a dishrag.’

      ‘You look beautiful. A little pale and interesting as well.’

      ‘At least I’m interesting.’ She winced as she smiled too hard.

      ‘I’ll get Misty.’ He left and came back with Misty, who was almost ready to hand her over to the morning staff.

      So they repeated the whole Rayne lifting her, tablet taking, observation thing, and this time she didn’t want to go back to sleep afterwards. She wanted to change out of her horrible gown and get into her nightie. Get up and shower, but she didn’t think she’d be able to do it.

      Could feel herself getting cross. ‘Why don’t you go back to the manse and have a sleep?’

      Rayne lifted his brows and looked at her. Smiled. ‘Later. When you have a wash, and get into your nightie, and have Connor’s next feed. I don’t know you well but I know you enough to see you want to be fresh, and hold your son, soon.’

      He looked at her and shrugged. ‘I want to help you, and help the midwife helping you, and I can be the muscle so you don’t have to hurt yourself trying to do all those things.’

      She looked at him. Flabbergasted. Was this guy for real? ‘Aren’t you tired?’

      ‘No 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

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