Page 58 of Prognosis Christmas Baby

CHAPTER NINE

Maggie stirred earlythe next morning and stared down at Nash’s golden hair. It took a moment to orientate herself. She’d shuffled down the bed overnight and was lying on her side, facing Nash, in a foetal position.

Their heads were quite close, one of his hands tucked into hers, cradled in the juncture between her curled belly and tucked-up thighs. His head was angled awkwardly towards her, his right cheek against the sheets, his gorgeous face relaxed in slumber.

The usual wave of morning sickness appeared to be absent so she took a moment to just gaze at him. Her love swelled in her chest and she savoured the moment, knowing there would be no more of these. She felt strangely emotional as the impact of last night hit her anew.

Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and dropped a light kiss against his mouth.

Nash woke up abruptly. He’d slept fitfully all night with the constant interruptions from the nurses and had only fallen into a deeper sleep in the last couple of hours as the neuro obs had gone to four-hourly. Still, he was instantly awake at the brush of her lips.

‘Hi.’ She smiled as he raised his head off the bed like he’d been hit with a Taser. ‘Sorry. Couldn’t resist it. Bad Maggie.’

Nash’s thundering heart rate settled as he realised everything was okay. He smiled back at her and laid his head down again. ‘She’s my favourite.’

Maggie laughed and the dull throb behind her eyes gave a vicious pulse. She winced.

‘Head still hurt?’

‘Only when I laugh,’ she murmured. ‘It’s much better. I feel much better.’

Nash let his gaze roam around her face. Her colour was back and apart from the bruised graze on her temple she looked essentially normal.

She’d certainly had more sleep than he’d had.

He lifted a hand and brushed her fringe off her forehead. ‘You scared me, Maggie May.’

Maggie’s heart squeezed painfully in her chest at his endearment. ‘I was pretty damn scared myself.’

‘Don’t do that to me again.’

Maggie looked at him. How would he know? But she remembered his face from last night and cut him some slack. Their situation sucked and she had no one but herself to blame. ‘Deal.’

The night nurse bustled in for her last set of obs and Maggie sat up. Nash missed her immediately. He’d loved waking up next to her these past couple of months and this morning hadn’t been any different.

In fact, after last night, it had been an absolute joy.

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