Page 65 of Prognosis Christmas Baby

Nash suddenly felt lighter than air. He grinned at her. Then he stood, dragging her up with him, lifting her in his arms and twirling her round and round. Maggie laughed and held on tight.

He finally placed her on the floor. ‘Are you sure, Maggie?’

She nodded. ‘But what about you? You’re the one who’s going to be lumbered with an older woman.’

Nash’s head swooped down for a deeply passionate kiss. ‘I love you, Maggie. For the first time in my life I’ve fallen in love with an incredible woman. Last night you were on the floor in a pool of blood and I thought I’d lost you. Age is so irrelevant compared to that.’

Maggie stood on tiptoes and kissed him. He was right. If last night had taught them anything it was that life was short and was there to be lived. They didn’t talk for a long time then. Their kisses got deeper and eventually they tumbled back onto the lounge behind them.

Maggie put a finger against his mouth as Nash homed in on her lips. ‘Wait a moment.’

‘I’m sorry.’ He took a breath, desperately trying to dampen the fiery furnace burning in his belly. ‘We shouldn’t be doing this. You must be exhausted.’

She traced his jaw line with her finger. ‘No. I meant we can do this any time. Let’s get the really important thing out of the way. Let’s go and book me an air fare.’

Nash frowned. ‘What?’

‘I’m going to London with you.’

The furrows in his brow got deeper. ‘It’s okay, Maggie. I don’t have to go to London. I can complete my training here in Australia. I know you don’t want to go and nothing is more important to me than you.’

Maggie smiled, her heart filling with love. She pushed against his chest and they both struggled into a sitting position. ‘Not even the promise you made to yourself after your sister died? Great Ormond Street’s the best, Nash. The best.’

‘Yesterday it was the best. Today it’s just another hospital on the other side of the world, keeping me away from you.’ He slid his hand to her stomach. ‘From the baby.’

She rested her head against his chest as his words swelled, a lump of pure emotion expanding her chest to an unbearable tightness. He really did love her. He was reforging his set-in-stone career path for her.

‘It won’t be on the other side of the world if we’re there with you.’

‘Maggie.’ Nash placed a finger under her chin and lifted it so he could see straight into her eyes. ‘It’s not important. I know you don’t want to go.’

She smiled at him, cupping his face in her hands. ‘I do. I do if you love me. If you want to commit, if you want to be a family with me and the baby, I’ll follow you anywhere, Nash. I just didn’t want to go on some whim to appease your sense of honour and responsibility. I didn’t want to travel to the other side of the world just to see how it panned out. But, Nash, you loving me makes all the difference.’

Nash’s heart beat painfully in his chest, fighting for room past the constriction in his throat. ‘Really?’

She nodded. ‘Of course. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.’

‘Even in the middle of the outback where the nearest supermarket or movie theatre is hundreds of kilometres away?’

‘Especially there,’ she whispered.

Nash shut his eyes and placed a hand over hers. He opened them again and looked into her eyes. The tree lights danced in her irises. ‘What did I do to deserve you?’

‘Something good, I think.’

Nash smiled. ‘Looks like Santa came early,’ he murmured against her mouth.

Maggie gave a soft laugh, their lips touching. ‘It’s going to be Christmas all year from now on.’

Nash chuckled. ‘Ho, ho, ho.’

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THE END

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