Spotlight & Giveaway: The Midwife’s Christmas Miracle by Fiona McArthur

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Fiona McArthur’s new release: The Midwife’s Christmas Miracle

The timing’s terrible…

Fleeing a life her wealthy father planned—including the groom he picked out—Perth midwife Gabi Hudson heads off grid to the small and charming town of Wirralong in the Outback. She’s hoping for a fresh start and to live a life of purpose while working in a local baby crèche during her friend’s maternity leave. A cute cottage is included, but the hot cowboy setting up an unusual holiday display is a heart-pounding surprise.

Texas Cowboy Cormack Callaghan has been traveling the world working odd jobs, until a lucrative hobby changes his fortunes. He loves making metal art in Wirralong, but Cormack’s finally booked his ticket home. He promised his patiently waiting family that he’d finally be home for this Christmas, but then he’s blindsided by the intriguing Gabriella.

Cormack’s never been a relationship kinda guy, and Gabi knows he’s temporary. Surely two weeks isn’t long enough for either of them to be so foolish as to fall in love. Or is it?

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from The Midwife’s Christmas Miracle 

CHAPTER ONE
Gabi

Six metal cattle dogs waved steel paws beside the WELCOME TO WIRRALONG sign, along with the slightly rusty Santa Claus on the hay bale heralding Christmas. The pups looked sleigh-ready and eager to fly off into the sky for the holiday season.

Wide-eyed, Gabi Hudson flicked off the cruise control and slowed the speed of her dusty car to admire the metalwork.

Her lips twitched at the cuteness. Another sign, plastered to a telegraph pole, decreed, Get your Jolly on. The Christmas Fair is coming 17th December. Don’t miss it!

Gabi glanced in the rear-view mirror as she steered past and felt the tension ease from her shoulders. It had been an intense, long drive across the centre of Australia, but she’d seen things she’d have missed if she’d flown from Perth.

The gift of a smile from Wirralong felt like a welcome omen for her new life.

For Gabi—or Gabriella Maria to her darling departed Romanian mother—the first of December seemed excellent timing to escape. Two nights ago, her widowed, used-to-be-normal father had suggested she make a business relationship marriage with a distant relative and hadn’t believed her refusal or seen how ridiculous he was.

A serendipitous phone call for help from an old friend across the continent in Wirralong offered an escape, with employment for at least six months. Gabi had left within forty-eight hours, without leaving a forwarding address.

A tiny house was included in the package, which even backed onto the childcare centre and creche she’d manage. Easy then, to hold the fort while Stevie Lee, or Stevie Grayson as she was now, welcomed her first child—which made everything even more exciting for Gabi.

Hopefully, neither Gabriella’s father nor his sleuthy acquaintances would have heard of Wirralong, the tiny Victorian ex-goldmining town not that far from the Australian Alps, two-thousand miles from Perth.

She squeezed her fingers on the steering wheel and released the tension. At least not until she settled in.

Driving farther into town, her curious gaze snagged on a startling six-foot-tall blue emu at the edge of a park, another quirky metal animal sporting a red-bowed Christmas gift in his pointed beak and a scatter of baby emus at his feet.

Somebody in this town must be a welding freak, she thought with a smile, just as movement near the emu caught her eye and a tall, wide-shouldered man in a cowboy hat stepped into view and straightened the emu’s beak with a pair of pliers.

On a whim, she pulled in under a handy tree and watched, delighted, as the hunky guy stepped back, gestured to the inanimate bird as if having a conversation, and adjusted the beak again.

She noticed a red pick-up truck parked to the side on the park grass. WIRRALONG METAL ART was painted on the rear panel, along with a small American flag. Aha. Another traveller, this one from even farther afield than her.

Gabi couldn’t help admiring the work, when she could lift her gaze from the man, that was. ‘Built indeed,’ she murmured to the car. His well-loved, extra-tall cowboy hat hid his face, but those powerful shoulders were definite eye candy, as was the broad chest that angled down to where the black muscle shirt tucked into his jeans. Long, muscular thighs and strong legs disappeared into well-made cowboy boots. They might have helped him top the six-foot-high emu, but he had enough height without them. Tall, taut and creatively talented. Nice work. She liked Wirralong.

She smiled as he bent, admonishing the huddle of baby emus frozen in flightless frolic at his feet, and laughed out loud in delight. ‘You crazy man.’

She’d missed Christmas childishness since Mamâ had passed away. Mamâ who’d loved all the trimmings of a European Christmas, which meant hot dinners on Christmas Eve despite the Perth heat. Mamâ who had lamented the lack of snow and carollers to serenade with Christmas songs like she’d had in her childhood in Sibiu. That had happened in the last two Christmases, since Dad, her only family, had lost the warmth and wonder he’d always had in his eyes for Mamâ. And for the daughter who now reminded him of his loss.

Gabi lifted her chin. It would be fun to see what a Wirralong Christmas could do. In fact, this town—or at least this man—had made her smile already. Twice. And she couldn’t wait to see what the next six months would bring.

CHAPTER TWO
Cormac

Cormac Callahan—name bestowed by his Irish heritage-Texan grandfather—paused in his work when his neck prickled. He turned slowly until he spotted the darling in the dusty Lexus, watching him style his babies. ‘Well, howdy, ma’am,’ he drawled quietly to his emus, and lifted his hat.

Cormac checked out the car and the lady. Followed the line of her gaze. So, she liked his big bird. He pushed the brim back on his head and dropped his chin to see under the hat more clearly. With the second look he took the time to savour the sight of wispy chocolate hair escaping the ponytail, big eyes, and porcelain-white skin. Oh my. Elegant arms rested across the steering wheel, but it was the smile that captured him. A sunburst of warmth that brought his own grin.

Maybe she was lost? Or just found, he thought, as an unexpected, invisible string pulled him across to her car. The passenger window slid down silently, and he lifted his hat right off as he bent.

She leaned his way, oh my, and he kept his eyes on her face. Her delightful lips parted as she said, ‘I like your baby emus.’ Quiet Christmas music played in the background, but it was her perfect mouth that snagged his attention. The words were soft and yet the hint of something foreign made him wonder if there was another accent along with the Aussie twang he enjoyed so much out here.

He just knew he wanted to hear more. ‘Why, thank you, ma’am.’ He dipped his chin again. ‘What about my big bird? You like him?’

‘He’s amazing.’ Her gaze travelled back to the park and he noted the kink to that marvellous mouth as she admired his work. ‘Has to be a daddy emu,’ she murmured. ‘They’re the ones to raise the chicks after the mother leaves, aren’t they?’

‘That’s right.’ He’d thought that ironic, given his family history.

She grinned at him, her face alight, captivating. ‘I’m a fan of Santa and his dog-deers at the welcome sign, as well.’

His chest warmed. She’d noticed them, too? Cormac laughed. ‘Last year’s project reinstalled.’

He lifted his hand and offered it through the window. ‘Welcome to Wirralong. Y’all are not from around here? That’s a different accent.’

She studied him before answering. As if he’d surprised her. ‘I’m Aussie. But yes, I have a slight accent from my Romanian mother.’ They shook, her fingers cool and elegant against his, and when he couldn’t justify holding on any longer, he reluctantly released her warm fingers and pulled his hand out of the car, but not before he glanced in the back.

Noted the suitcases. Arriving? Or was she just driving through? Strange alarm at her driving away pinched his chest—now that had to be crazy, since he’d just met her—but he felt anxiety prickle just the same. ‘You passin’ or stayin’?’

‘Staying.’ No explanation offered. He didn’t press. Just let out the ridiculous relief. Staying he could work with. Something about her snagged his undivided attention, which was dang inconvenient with his own plans. But her eyes. Her mouth. He stared some more. ‘Well then, ma’am. I’m Cormac Callahan.’

‘Not ma’am. Gabi.’ No last name, but he’d take that for now.

‘Lovely name. Miss Gabi. Gabi short for somethin’?’

She shot him a quizzical look. ‘Gabriella Maria.’

He rolled the name around in his head. Beautiful like her. Sweet as gravy. He loved women—always briefly, since he wasn’t staying—but this focus on her, those eyes with colours shifting even in the scattered light in the car, was unusual. Green, amber and gold, all shades he wanted to study up close. Maybe stare into the depths for a bit. For more than a bit.

Even so briefly acquainted, he could tell she wasn’t a love-em and leave-em kinda woman.

Therefore, not his style. He was leaving not just town but the country in two and a half weeks.

She should have come a year ago. Or maybe he was lucky she hadn’t. He moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘You lost?’ Right this second, he felt a little that way himself, knocked off-kilter and searching for solid ground.

‘Nope. My friend, Stevie Grayson owns The Bridesmaid’s Baby Creche.’

Ah, interesting. Friend of Eli’s wife. Another real lady, like this one. ‘Head on through to the end of this road and turn left into the main street. Left side. Three doors up from the doctor’s surgery you’ll see a driveway for the creche car park.’

She considered him and nodded. ‘My thanks, Mr Cormac Callahan.’ Her peepers sparkling with something he couldn’t pin but would love to explore. ‘Nice to meet you.’

‘My absolute pleasure, Miss Gabi …’ Hoping for a last name despite the fact he didn’t need it. Nope. Just told himself she wasn’t for him.

She raised her brows but didn’t offer.

Cormac grinned. ‘Expert at being mysterious. Won’t do you no good. This here’s a small town.’

Excerpt. ©Fiona McArthur. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: Winner will receieve one ebook copy of THE MIDWIFE’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE plus one additional ebook from Tule Publishing of the winner’s choice.

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Giveaway will end 3 days for post date.

Meet the Author:

Fiona McArthur has written more than 60 books and shares her medical knowledge and her love of working with women, families and emergency services in her stories. In her compassionate, pacey fiction, her love of the Australian landscape meshes beautifully with warm, funny, multigenerational characters as she highlights challenges for rural and remote families, and the strength shared between women. She always champions the underdog, and the wonderful, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Then that bit of drama thrown in because who doesn’t love a few tears, a heartfelt sigh of relief and a big happy smile at the end? Make that gorgeous man earn the right to win his beautiful and strong-willed heroine’s heart because that’s something she believes in. And, absolutely, happy endings are a must.

https://tulepublishing.com/books/the-midwifes-christmas-miracle/