Bride on the Children's Ward / Marriage Reunited: Baby on the Way by Lucy Clark / Sharon Archer Read Free Book Online Page B

being brave, helping everyone else to deal with what had happened. He’d been deeply concerned that her own grieving process hadn’t started, but now he realised she’d simply been waiting…waiting for Eden. Eden would be strong for Sasha, would help his sister through this difficult time.
    What was his role, then? To be strong for Eden? To let her lean on him as she had just a few hours ago? The idea certainly had a definite appeal to it.
    Eden smiled at her friend. ‘It’s what I’m here for. Now, take a deep breath. Nice and slow.’ Sasha did as she was told. ‘Then let it out just as slowly. There. Feel better?’
    Sasha’s answer was to look at her friend and laugh again. ‘That’s my Eden,’ she repeated. ‘You’re such an amazing person.’
    Eden dabbed gently at the corner of Sasha’s eyes with a tissue. ‘Right back at ya.’
    ‘Ugh. I must look a sight.’ Sasha tried to finger-comb her hair and Eden quickly found a brush and passed it over. David smiled at them.
    ‘You both look like you’ve been chewing raw onions.’
    ‘You’re such a charmer, David Montgomery.’
    ‘But you did eat raw onions once, right? I distinctly remember coming into the kitchen and you were both redfaced, puffy noses and eyes, and eating raw onions.’
    Eden groaned. ‘Do you remember every stupid thing we ever did?’
    David grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, enjoying the opportunity to tease her a little. ‘Pretty much. Why were you eating them again?’
    Eden squared her shoulders. ‘It was a test. To see if boys were stupid enough to do anything for a pretty girl, even if she smelled like onions.’
    Sasha giggled. ‘That’s right. We had a dance on at school and three different boys had asked you to go. That was a funny night.’
    The door to the room opened and this time it was Robert who came in. Sasha immediately put on a bright face, not wanting her husband to see she’d been upset. Eden gave her hand a squeeze and leaned down to whisper in her ear. ‘Let him see you like this, Sash. Vulnerability is sometimes a good thing, and he loves you very much. Open up to him. Let him help you.’ She kissed her friend’s forehead again before pulling away.
    Robert walked over to his wife’s side and smiled down at her. ‘You all right?’
    ‘We’ve been eating onions.’ Eden spoke matter-of-factly, as though the comment was perfectly normal. Sasha giggled when Robert looked blankly at her. ‘I’ll let Sash explain. David?’ Eden smiled brightly at him and crossed to his side, lacing her arm through his and flicking her hair down her back. ‘Why don’t you show me your ward? I’d love to meet some of your patients.’ She urged him towards the door and thankfully he picked up on her cue. ‘I’ll be back in about half an hour,’ she said to Sasha over her shoulder.
    ‘OK.’ Sasha was looking lovingly at her husband.
    ‘Eat some onions with Robert,’ David suggested, before escorting Eden from the room.
    Once they were out, Eden kept her arm where it was, even though she felt him shift away. ‘They need to be alone.’
    David agreed. ‘It looks as though you’ve broken the drought.’
    ‘Yes, thank goodness. Now hopefully they can cry together and heal together.’
    David shook his head as they walked slowly along the corridor. ‘You’re quite a woman, Eden.’
    ‘So glad you’ve noticed,’ she said saucily. Since she’d discovered his parents had been the real reason why he’d left all those years ago, she felt as though at least one huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She tightened her grip on his arm, liking that she could be this close to him again.
    David was well aware of the looks he was receiving from the nursing staff, and he smiled politely—as though it was more than natural for him to walk around the hospital with an incredible redhead on his arm.
    ‘Eden. You’re flirting again.’
    ‘Am I, David? Well, thank you so much for pointing that