The Midwife's New Year Wish. Jennifer Taylor

      

      “Katie, if more people were like you then the world would be a much better place, believe me.”

      He touched her lightly on the cheek then strode away. Katie bit her lip as she watched him hurrying to the stairs. He gave out such mixed signals that it was no wonder she felt confused. One minute he was pushing her away and the next.…Well, the next he was behaving as though he really felt something for her. Was it just that he was an inveterate flirt and couldn’t help coming on to a woman: the gentle touch, the intimate smile, the lingering eye contact? Or was there more to it than that? Did Nick really feel something for her, perhaps?

Dear Reader,

      Midwife Katie Denning never imagined that she would meet the man of her dreams while dressed as an elf! Desperate to find a replacement Santa for the hospital’s Christmas carol concert, she accosts a tall, dark, handsome stranger in the car park and begs him for help. All she needs is someone who can be nice to the kids and do a bit of ho-ho-ho-ing and their new specialist registrar, Nick Lawson, seems to be perfect for her requirements.

      Despite his misgivings, Nick agrees to help and proves to be a huge hit with the children. He certainly makes their wishes come true by turning himself into the perfect Santa, but can he make Katie’s wish come true as well? All Katie wants is a man who will love her as much as she loves him, but Nick seems reluctant to make a commitment to her despite their shared attraction. Can she convince him that love can overcome any obstacle if that is what they both wish for?

      I had enormous fun writing this book. Nick and Katie are both lovely characters and deserve to find happiness together. The Midwife’s New Year Wish is the latest book in my Dalverston General Hospital series and I would like to thank you all for writing to tell me how much you have been enjoying it.

      I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and that all your wishes come true.

      Jennifer

      P.S.You can e-mail me at: [email protected].

      The Midwife’s New Year Wish

      Jennifer Taylor

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

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      CONTENTS

       Cover

Dear Reader

       Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

       CHAPTER THREE

       CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       EPILOGUE

       Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

      ‘OK, FOLKS, can we have a bit of hush while I check that everyone’s here?’

      Katie Denning flicked the pompom attached to her bright green elf’s cap out of her eyes and consulted her list. It was Christmas Eve and the staff at Dalverston General Hospital were about to perform their annual Christmas carol concert. It was the first time that Katie had organised the event and she was determined that it was going to be a huge success. She’d spent hours working on their costumes but it had been worth it, she decided, looking around the room. Never had she seen such a well-dressed collection of elves and fairies in her entire life!

      ‘Right, if you could all shout out when I call your names it would be a big help,’ she instructed. ‘I’ll start with the fairies so that’s Anne, Vicky, Linda and Jane.’

      ‘Here!’ they chorused obediently.

      Katie put ticks beside their names then worked her way down the list, ticking off the elves, the reindeer and George, the hospital’s head porter, who’d agreed to be a snowman that year. ‘So that just leaves Santa,’ she concluded, glancing up and frowning when she realised that Jim Carstairs, the surgical registrar who’d offered to play Father Christmas, was nowhere in sight. ‘Has anyone seen Jim today? I hope he hasn’t gone off sick with that flu bug that’s been doing the rounds.’

      ‘He was in Theatre when I last saw him,’ Vicky explained helpfully. ‘He said to tell you that he’d be along as soon as he’d finished so I don’t know what’s happened to him.’

      ‘I’ll give Theatre a ring and find out,’ Katie said, hurrying to the phone. She put through a call to Theatre, her heart sinking when one of the staff there explained there’d been a problem with the patient they’d been operating on and that she had no idea how long it would be now before Jim was free to leave.

      Katie thanked her and hung up but it was going to cause no end of problems if she had to find a replacement for Jim so late in the day. They could always go ahead without him, of course, but the kids on the children’s ward would be so disappointed if Santa didn’t turn up for his promised visit and Katie hated to think of all their sad little faces. She quickly explained her predicament to the others, sighing when everyone groaned.

      ‘I