Forever And A Baby

Forever And A Baby
Margot Early

DRU HAVERFORD FALL: Midwife. Pregnant. Widow.A MAN FROM THE PAST: Dru hasn't seen Ben Hall (a nephew of her dead husband's) in more than twenty years. But they share memories of a difficult and traumatic even in their childhood.PREGNANCY: Now, for reasons that run very deep, Dru wants a baby. Ben Hall becomes the father of her child–by artifical insemination.THE BABY: Dru loves her baby-to-be. And she's beginning to feel a very real connection with her baby's father. A passion unlike anything she'd experienced with her husband…A MARRIAGE: Ben wants to marry her–has always wanted to marry her. And he knows that Dru needs a marriage based not on memories or past promises but on forever…and a baby.

He wanted to thank her for being pregnant with their child

He wanted to thank her for loving that child so unconditionally. “I love you,” he said.

Dru watched his lips. Her legs shivered, her heart pounded. A prickling warmth needled her face and scalp. She hugged herself.

Ben stood closer, touched her cheeks.

“I love you,” he repeated, his body almost brushing hers, ready to catch her if she fell into another fearful trance—a memory of their past, in the desert. Ready to catch her whenever she fell, or at least help her up. “Will you marry me?” he asked.

Dru saw the man across from her, and on the thought that she’d never love another, her eyes filled.

She’d believed that about Omar, too. Her husband. Now dead.

But Ben Hall was this baby’s father—and would be her husband. Soon.

Dear Reader,

I’m happy to introduce the fourth book in my continuing Harlequin Superromance series, THE MIDWIVES. While the characters from You Were on My Mind, Talking About My Baby and There Is a Season enjoy the love they’ve found, we meet two new midwives, best friends Dru and Keziah.

Keziah attends home births on the island of Nantucket. But Dru, a certified nurse midwife, was torn from her vocation years ago by family notoriety and her marriage to a renowned financier. Just as it seems all her dreams will be lost, her husband’s death brings her a chance at love with childhood friend Ben Hall, and much more. Finally Dru has the chance to regain herself—and to bear a child of her own.

I hope you enjoy this story and that you’ll be eager to learn what happens between Keziah and Dru’s twin, Tristan, in The Story Father. And what happened between them in the past.

Thank you so much for reading my books.

Sincerely,

Margot Early

Books by Margot Early

HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE

625—THE THIRD CHRISTMAS

668—THE KEEPER

694—WAITING FOR YOU

711—MR. FAMILY

724—NICK’S KIND OF WOMAN

743—THE TRUTH ABOUT COWBOYS

766—WHO’S AFRAID OF THE MISTLETOE

802—YOU WERE ON MY MIND (THE MIDWIVES)

855—TALKING ABOUT MY BABY (THE MIDWIVES)

878—THERE IS A SEASON (THE MIDWIVES)

Forever and a Baby

Margot Early

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The nature of this book, its landscapes and seascapes, its peoples and their backgrounds, dictated two things. One is that I would do extensive research; the second is that I would both take artistic license and make some mistakes (which are two different things, though they can look the same). The following people generously gave of their time:

Marina Alzugaray, MS, ARNP, CNM, Cathy Hartt, CNM, and Bill Dwelley, MS, LM, WEMT-I, thoroughly answered extensive questions about the art, science and business of midwifery.

David M. Good, M.D., P.C., thoughtfully addressed the mental health questions I asked. Without his help, this book would not have been written.

My sister Joan Early Farrell, Matt Hunder and James M. Early, my father, answered questions about fishing, boating and sailing. My family has always speedily assisted when I’ve needed help with my books.

Deb Kidwell, owner and breeder of the Azawakh of Kel Simoon, told me about these noble sighthounds and helped me name both of the heroine’s dogs, always increasing my appreciation for this beautiful and unusual breed.

Julie Elliott allowed me to use invaluable information for sections of the book having to do with belly dancing. Nearly all of my information on belly-dancing, including song translations, came from her rich and fascinating Web site, The Art of Middle Eastern Dance.

Finally, this book required the use of numerous reference texts. They include: Serpent of the Nile by Wendy Buonaventura, Return of the Tribal by Rufus C. Camphausen, The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw, Nantucket: Seasons on the Island by Cary Hazlegrove, The Ocean Almanac by Robert Hendrickson, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, Ethnic Dress by Frances Kennet, Sahara Unveiled by William Langewiesche, Veiled Sentiment and Writing Women’s Worlds by Lila Abu-Lughod, Nantucket Gardens and Houses by Taylor Lewis and Virginia Scott Heard, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, the mystery novels of Francine Mathews, Black Tents of Arabia by Carl R. Rasway, Dangerous Places and Come Back Alive by Robert Young Pelton, Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger. Internet resources were too numerous to mention.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE (#uf447a808-a69e-5d5a-831f-a9e0a477a037)

CHAPTER ONE (#u21e25a08-c2eb-5009-ae49-04912783deca)

CHAPTER TWO (#u5584af05-d20b-57ef-9407-89bb0ead0d47)

CHAPTER THREE (#ub9bb8076-f56e-5ba8-a90e-1af3ca04b8b2)

CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)