A Father For Baby Rose

By Margaret Barker

Surgeon Yannis Karavolis dedicates his life to his patients – since he lost his wife, romance isn’t something this gorgeous doctor cares about. But when vulnerable Cathy Meredith and her lovable infant daughter Rose arrive at his Greek island hospital, Yannis begins to wonder whether fatherhood, marriage and happiness could be his once more…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488787379

Margaret Barker

Margaret Barker has always enjoyed writing but it wasn’t until she’d pursued several careers that she became a full-time writer. Since 1983 she has written over 50 Medical Romance books, some set in exotic locations reflecting her love of travel, others set in the UK, many of them in Yorkshire where she was born. When Margaret is travelling she prefers to soak up the atmosphere and let creative ideas swirl around inside her head before she returns home to write her next story.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

CATHY pushed the buggy past the vibrant tavernas edging the harbour, which hummed and buzzed with early evening revellers. Little Rose, squashed against her pillows in the buggy, was leaning forward now so she could point out something of interest that she wanted Mummy to see.

Cathy put her foot on the brake and went round to the front of the buggy, smiling down at her daughter.

What is it, darling?

Ah, yes, now she saw it. Rose loved cats. The black and white cat was now mingling with a group of people strolling along the harbour. The nearest woman to Rose’s buggy bent down to look at the small girl.

"Kali spera, she said to Cathy as she smiled down at her daughter. Posseleni?"

Rose chuckled but didn’t reply to the woman who was asking her name.

My daughter is only ten months old, Cathy explained in Greek. She’s called Rose.

Horaya!

As the woman hurried away to catch up with her friends Cathy repeated the compliment under her breath. Horaya! She didn’t know whether the woman considered the name or her daughter to be beautiful but whatever it was she was right on both counts.

She paused to look up at the beautiful evening sky, not a sign of a cloud, the golden shades of the advancing twilight mingling with the seemingly endless blue that merged with the lighter colour of the sea. What a difference eighteen months had made! The last time she’d been here on the island she hadn’t even known that she was actually going to be a mother. And then when she’d found out!

She drew in her breath as she remembered the shock, horror, her awful, mixed, muddled emotional reactions. How could she have had such dreadful ideas? She swallowed hard. How different her life would be now without Rose, the centre of her universe. There would be no meaning to it at all, apart from her medical career. But even that paled into insignificance now that she was a mother.

Eighteen months ago she’d come out to Ceres to attend her cousin Tanya’s wedding, so happy to get away for a while, still licking her wounds and feeling the awful despair of another failed relationship. When Tanya had suggested she apply for the temporary appointment of doctor that would be available when she and her husband Manolis went on honeymoon, she’d jumped at the chance.

But two weeks later, back at home in Leeds, discovering she was pregnant had changed everything. She still had to suffer the awful pangs of despair at the fact that Dave had gone back to a wife she hadn’t known existed. Coupled with the morning sickness that had set in with a vengeance, she’d withdrawn her application for the temporary post at Ceres hospital.

When Rose had been a few months old Tanya had phoned to say she and Manolis were taking a six-month sabbatical from Ceres hospital to work in Australia and there would be a vacant post for her if she wanted to apply. She’d got a second chance! Tanya had asked if she would like to stay in their house and she’d even arranged child care for Rose. She could make a fresh start at last and concentrate on her number one priority, Rose.

Looking down at her beautiful daughter, she could feel her heart lifting at the thought that they were going to be fine out here. Life was beginning to take shape again.

Involuntarily, she increased her stride, now desperate to get away from the evening crowds by the harbour, yearning for the peace and calm of the next bay where all would be quiet and she could sit down at a table outside the final taverna, which she remembered from the times her mother had taken her there as a child was always quiet.

She needed to watch the sun setting whilst chatting to Rose in Greek or English as her own mother had done with her. It didn’t matter which. Rose was learning both languages as she had when her mother had brought her here every holiday to pick up Greek from her cousins and the children she played with.

Later, while at medical school, she’d taken Greek lessons with a private tutor who’d helped her sort out the grammar and linguistic rules. He had also been a retired Greek doctor, which had been a help when she’d made sure she was conversant with Greek medical terminology. She’d always hoped she might have a chance to use it. Never had she thought things would turn out as they had!

The buggy was rattling alarmingly now and not just the gentle groaning of an ancient model that should have been scrapped long ago. She tried to ignore it as she pushed hard against the rough cobblestones. Seconds later it ground to a jolting halt. What now?

She hadn’t wanted to borrow it from Grandma Anna’s vast array of baby equipment because it had obviously seen years of service. But Anna had been very persuasive, telling her that it would be difficult to get a taxi down from Chorio, the upper town, to Yialos, the area around the harbour. The hourly bus would be overcrowded and with standing room only. Much better to push Rose in the buggy down the Kali Strata.

Cathy knelt down to take a look at the loose wheel that was now firmly stuck in a deep crevice in the cobblestones. Rose leaned over the side and stroked Cathy’s long blond hair as she struggled to extricate the wheel, gurgling all the while, obviously desperate to communicate her own thoughts on the situation!

Can I help you?

The deep masculine voice startled her. She adjusted her sunglasses as she squinted up at the tall figure outlined in the dying rays of the low-lying sun.

Oh, it’s you! For a moment I hadn’t recognised you in…in your er…casual gear, Dr Karavolis.

Please call me Yannis.

That wasn’t what he’d said that afteroon when she’d disturbed him whilst he’d been operating in Theatre! His eyes above the mask had carried a definite expression of irritation as she’d pushed open the swing door, taken a peek and then hurried away.

Holding onto the buggy handle, she stood up so as not to feel inferior to Dr Karavolis for the second time in one day. Tanya had told her when she’d been contemplating coming out to work at the Ceres hospital that she might find Yannis Karavolis difficult to understand on a personal level. She’d explained that his wife had died in a tragic accident over three years ago and he didn’t seem to have yet recovered. He was an excellent doctor, apparently, but made no effort to socialise.

Let me take a look at that wheel.

He bent down just as she was standing up and she felt his arm accidentally brush the side of her breast as she attempted to rise from her crouching position as elegantly as possible. For a second it startled her, the feel of a man’s arm against her body. The hint of masculine scent as he crouched down. She had thought she was now totally immune to instant attraction. But she couldn’t ignore the heightening of her senses, the excitement of being in close contact with a man, the probably imagined increase in her pulse rate.

Heavens above! She would have to get out more so that she could apply her new rules to every encounter with the opposite sex. She’d had her fingers burned so many times before that she wasn’t going to ever—repeat, ever—take another chance with a man. However handsome—and Dr Karavolis was decidedly handsome from where she was now standing. If she wasn’t now so world weary and experienced she might have considered a little dalliance with this man who’d literally just dropped by so suddenly.

Rose was now giggling, having stuck out a chubby, dimpled hand to grasp a clump of the helpful doctor’s thick black hair.

Cathy, glanced anxiously down at the crouching Yannis. Their eyes met. For a moment she felt a definite flutter of excitement. Yes, that’s what it was. Just a simple flutter but enough to make her think that this man must have been quite something in his younger days; before tragedy had turned him into a working zombie.

It was a good thing that she’d given up on the difficult male species or she might at that fleeting moment have found herself advancing her embryonic ideas into something exciting.

His eyes were dark brown, sultry, vulnerable. She’d had time to notice that before he bent down once more to his task.

Gently, Rose, Cathy said in Greek. You must be careful not to hurt Dr Karavolis

Rose giggled on, completely ignoring her mother’s instructions.

You’re teaching your daughter Greek? That’s good.

Oh, she’ll pick it up like I had to when I came out here for holidays and my cousin Tanya and all the other children used to make fun of me. I soon learned out of self-preservation, I can tell you.

Yannis gave one more tug at the wheel and removed it from the deeply sunken crevice between the cobblestones.

Here’s the wheel, but unfortunately it’s come unstuck from the buggy, he said, gravely. He pulled himself to his full height, holding the wheel in one hand and making sure the buggy remained upright with the other.

Cathy looked up at him. Well, er…thank you, anyway. I suppose…

Look, I was just going to have a drink and watch the sunset so…

Great minds think alike. I mean, we were just…

Please, why don’t you join me?

He couldn’t imagine why he’d just said that! Company was the last thing he needed after his long, tiring day at the hospital. Especially another doctor…and a child…

Both of us?

He took a deep breath. Well, we can hardly ask Rose to sit it out in her broken pushchair.

He was already unbuckling the seat belt and lifting the delighted baby up into his arms. Something about the way he held her daughter told Cathy he adored babies, children in general.

She wondered, fleetingly, if he had children being looked after by a doting grandmother back in Athens, which Tanya had told her had been where he’d been working before he’d come here. Better not ask. She didn’t want to upset the fragile ambience that was building up between them.

Carefully holding Rose, whose fingers, had now transferred from his hair to his ears, he pushed the wrecked pushchair to the side of the path and led the way to the taverna that occupied the rocky peninsula at the beginning of this quiet bay.

The owner came out to the table Yannis had selected, beaming all over his face. He was carrying two glasses half-full of colourless liquid.

I saw you struggling with that buggy, he said in Greek. "You need a drink, ghiatro."

So, the owner knew Yannis was a doctor. Probably this was Yannis’s hideaway when he was off duty, searching for solitude.

Efharisto, Michaeli. Yannis proceeded to introduce Cathy as Dr Catherine Meredith.

So Yannis had found the time between operations to check that she’d signed in with the admin department today. Otherwise she doubted whether her arrival on the island had registered with him. Certainly, no one had been expecting her to turn up unannounced today. The staff in the small admin department had told her she was expected to start work tomorrow but she could have a look around if she wanted to. That had been when she’d made her solitary tour of the hospital and barged into Theatre.

She picked up her glass. Realising the clear liquid was ouzo, Cathy decided to ask Michaelis for some water to dilute it. "Nero, parakalor."

You’re sure you’re happy with ouzo? Yannis asked as Michaelis disappeared inside the taverna to get the water.

She smiled. When in Rome…or rather on Ceres…it’s best to go with the flow. I prefer wine but I don’t want to hurt Michaelis’s feelings. He obviously knows you very well.

Oh, yes, we go back a long way. I’ve got a house further along this bay, on the shoreline near Nimborio. This is my bolt hole at the end of the day.

I thought it might be.

Michaelis brought a bottle of water. Yannis, expertly holding the tired child against his shoulder, leaned across and topped up Cathy’s glass.

Thank you.

He raised his glass towards her. Yamas!

Yamas!

Rose’s eyes were closing now. In another few seconds she would be asleep. Maybe she should relieve him of the burden on his shoulder. But something told her he was quite comfortable with the arrangement and she didn’t want to speak until Rose was asleep.

They sat together in companionable silence that was broken only by the sound of the sea close beside them below the rocky promontory. Cathy found her eyes, protected by her sunglasses, drawn towards the sun that was slipping slowly behind the mountain, casting a shadow over their table. She moved her gaze to her daughter, who was now peacefully sleeping with her small head cradled against Yannis’s shoulder.

Yannis saw Cathy looking anxiously at her daughter. Gently he eased the child down to a more comfortable position, cradled in the crook of his left arm. He smiled across the table, wondering why he felt so comfortable here with this mother and baby. It was a whole new experience and not something he’d expected to enjoy like this. He could feel it soothing his jangled nerves.

This was what life would have been like if…if only he… No! He mustn’t torment himself by going down that road again. Just enjoy this simple, pleasurable feeling that was stealing over him—if he would let it.

He forced himself to relax again. Rose is sound asleep now, Cathy, so don’t worry about her. Would you prefer a glass of wine?

Well, only if…

He tipped his ouzo glass and finished the fiery liquid in one swift gulp. So would I.

Usually he sat, watching the sunset, sipping his ouzo slowly before ordering supper and a glass of wine, always reminding himself that he needed a clear head for his work the following morning. He’d no idea where this reckless feeling had come from but he was suddenly feeling in party mood. It had been a long time since he’d felt like this.

Michaelis, who was obviously watching from his seat just inside the door, came hurrying across and after a discussion about whether the wine was to be red or white he disappeared again, bringing out a tray with a selection of mezes and a bottle of white wine.

We Greeks usually like to eat something if we’re drinking wine, Yannis explained, pointing out the different small dishes of taramasalata, squid, calamari and olives. But, then, you’ve obviously spent a lot of time in the Greek community so I don’t need to tell you all this. I vaguely remember meeting you at Tanya and Manolis’s wedding. So you’re Tanya’s cousin?

Yes, our mothers were sisters. My mother was keen to bring me over to Ceres after her sister married Dr Sotiris and came to live out here. Every holiday she would bring me here so that I could learn the language and absorb the Greek culture. I’d always hoped that one day I would have the opportunity to come and work out here.

Yannis leaned across the table and poured more wine into Cathy’s glass. She’d hardly touched the ouzo but seemed to be enjoying the wine.

I didn’t know you were planning to start a family when I last saw you.

Cathy raised an eyebrow. "Neither did I! I’d just ended a relationship and didn’t know I was pregnant. Tanya had just suggested I apply for the temporary four-week post they needed to fill at the hospital while she and Manolis were