The Surgeon's Baby Surprise

She drank in the sight, but slowly the dark-circled eyes, unshaven stubble, and slightly haunted expression registered. It gave her something to cling to.
‘I’m about as good as you look,’ she murmured shakily.
‘That bad, huh?’ His eyes were loaded with regret.
‘Pretty much. I can’t believe I fell asleep. When did Annie go?’
‘You’re exhausted. Annie said you dozed off as soon as our phone call ended and she stayed with you until I got here.’
‘Half an hour?’
‘Twenty-four minutes.’
‘You really were already down here?’ A few more restraints of caution gave way.
‘Outside Annie’s house,’ he confirmed quietly.

‘It’s private.’ Max glared at the young woman. The last thing he wanted to do was rake over the crippling pain he’d been fighting against ever since Evie and Imogen had left.

PULLING THE CAR into the garage, Max leaned back in his seat and rubbed his hand over his neck. It had taken three days of gruelling surgeries, just to keep himself busy, sleeping at the hospital, and stop any wayward thoughts of Evie.

And maybe a couple of nights on call at the hospital would be the best thing for both Evie and himself, too.

And as for Max—did it make things better or worse that it was just overtiredness keeping him awake?

‘Just as we suspected, her tummy woke her in the night and she had a good feed and a little play. So she’ll probably sleep longer than usual this morning.’

‘I couldn’t sleep,’ she offered, willing her feet to move. After some objection, they mercifully obeyed.
‘Me neither. But our daughter is gently snoring her little head off.’
He jerked his head and a baby monitor blinked at her from the small side table. So it wasn’t Imogen keeping him awake, then.
‘Has she been asleep all this time?’
‘No chance. I think the excitement of seeing you home last night got to her.’

This was his first morning in charge of his daughter, having taken Imogen off Evie late last night and telling Evie to get a full night’s sleep.