Their Baby Surprise
Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Dear Reader

About The Author

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Copyright

Dear Reader

This is the fourth and final story in my Dalverston Weddings series, and I have to admit to feeling a little sad now that I have reached the end. However, helping my hero and heroine discover how much they love one another was a real joy for me—even though it did come as a shock to them!

Rachel Mackenzie and Matthew Thompson have worked together for a number of years, and they have an excellent working relationship based on mutual respect and liking. However, when the wedding of their respective offspring is suddenly cancelled, they find themselves taking a long, hard look at their own feelings and are stunned when they realise that they are attracted to one another. Both are wary of rushing headlong into a situation they might come to regret, and agree that an affair seems like the ideal solution—but will it be enough for either of them?

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. I particularly loved planning the last scene, as it reminded me of my daughter’s wedding day. I spent many happy hours looking through all the photographs in the name of research!

Best wishes to you all

Jennifer

Jennifer Taylor lives in the north-west of England, in a small village surrounded by some really beautiful countryside. She has written for several different Mills & Boon® series in the past, but it wasn’t until she read her first Medical™ Romance that she truly found her niche. She was so captivated by these heart-warming stories that she set out to write them herself!

When she’s not writing, or doing research for her latest book, Jennifer’s hobbies include reading, gardening, travel, and chatting to friends both on and off-line. She is always delighted to hear from readers, so do visit her website at www.jennifer-taylor.com

Chapter One

HE MAY have been putting on a brave face all day but Rachel Mackenzie wasn’t deceived. It was no secret to those who knew him that Matthew Thompson adored his only daughter, Heather, so the fact that Heather had decided to cancel her own wedding and leave Dalverston was bound to have caused him a great deal of pain.

Rachel sighed as she followed Matt into his house because it was painful for her too. It had been her son, Ross, who had been due to marry Matt’s daughter that day and she couldn’t begin to imagine how devastated Ross must be feeling.

‘I don’t know about you but I could do with a drink.’ Matt led the way into the sitting room and went straight to the table under the window that held an array of bottles. Picking up a bottle of whisky, he glanced at her. ‘Will you join me, Rachel?’

‘All right, but just a small one.’ Rachel grimaced as she sank down onto the sofa. ‘I’m so exhausted that even a sip of alcohol will probably send me off to sleep.’

‘It’s been one heck of a day,’ Matt concurred, pouring two small measures of whisky into a pair of cut-glass tumblers. He handed one of the glasses to her then sat down with a sigh that spoke volumes about how he was feeling. Rachel studied him while she sipped her drink.

Normally, Matt was so full of energy that he appeared far younger than his actual age. He ran the busy general practice that served the people of Dalverston with a verve that few could emulate. However, today every one of his forty-eight years showed in the deep lines that were etched onto his handsome face.

At a little under six feet tall, with a powerful physique and thick black hair that was only just starting to turn silver at the temples, Matthew Thompson was a very attractive man. Rachel knew she wasn’t alone in thinking that either. Several of her friends, the married ones as well as the single, had remarked on it. In fact, she’d had a job to convince them that she wasn’t interested in Matt that way and saw him simply as a colleague and a friend.

It was a good job, too, she thought suddenly. Quite apart from the fact that she wasn’t interested in having a relationship with anyone at the moment, there was definitely no chance of it happening with Matt. The thought touched a nerve oddly enough and she cleared her throat, unsure why it should trouble her in any way.

‘I couldn’t believe it when you phoned and told me we had a major incident on our hands. I mean for it to happen today of all days…’ She tailed off, not needing to explain why today had been the worst day possible. Instead of celebrating their children’s marriage, they had spent a large part of the day dealing with the aftermath of a serious accident on the banks of the canal. Talk about bad timing wasn’t in it.

‘At least it provided a distraction.’ Matt grimaced when he realised how uncaring that must have sounded. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out. A number of people were badly injured when that crane collapsed and I certainly wouldn’t have wished that on them.’

‘I know you wouldn’t, but you’re right, Matt. At least while we were treating them, it took our minds off this other problem,’ Rachel said quickly, not wanting him to feel bad about what he had said.

‘Exactly.’

He gave her a tight smile as he raised the glass to his lips. Rachel knew that he rarely drank alcohol, and never during the day, and it just seemed to prove how low he must be feeling. The thought caused her such intense pain that it surprised her. It was only natural that she should feel upset for Ross, but that didn’t explain why it was so painful to see the way Matt was suffering, did it?

Rachel wasn’t sure what to make of it all. In the end, she decided not to worry about it. Ross had attended the incident along with the rest of the staff from the surgery and she wanted to make sure that he had got home safely. She hunted her mobile phone out of her pocket and stood up. Matt looked up and she felt an odd little frisson run through her when their eyes met.

‘I just want to phone Ross and check he’s all right,’ she explained, trying to stem the shiver that was trickling so disturbingly down her spine. What bothered her most was that she couldn’t remember the last time something like this had happened. She kept too tight a rein on her emotions to let them misbehave this way, but obviously recent events had taken their toll.

She had been looking forward to this wedding so much, looking forward to the fact that from here on her son would have the woman he loved by his side to support him. Although she had never met anyone she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with, she believed in marriage, firmly believed that a happy marriage was a wonderful thing.

Was it disappointment that all her hopes for her son’s future had amounted to nothing that was making her feel so mixed up? she wondered suddenly. She certainly couldn’t remember feeling so emotionally raw before and that could explain the odd way she seemed to be behaving that day.

‘You do that while I make us some coffee.’ Matt put his glass on the table and stood up. He shrugged as he took Rachel’s glass from her and placed it next to his. ‘I don’t think alcohol is the answer somehow, do you?’

‘Probably not.’ Rachel summoned a smile as he passed her on his way to the kitchen, but she was aware that it was an effort to behave naturally. Knowing that she wasn’t in control of herself as she usually was worried her, too. She certainly didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of Matt.

She sighed softly as she dialled Ross’s number. She and Matt had a very good relationship, she’d always thought. They trusted each other in work and enjoyed an easy camaraderie outside the surgery. Recently they had been spending a lot more time together as they had helped their respective offspring finalise the plans for their wedding and she had found herself enjoying his company too. Was that when she had become more aware of Matt as a man and not solely as a colleague? Had those hours they had spent together altered her perception of him?

The thought troubled her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to make any adjustments to how she saw Matt. It seemed rather dangerous to alter the status quo, unpredictable, and if there was one thing Rachel didn’t handle well it was the unpredictable. She liked her life to have structure, lots of nice tidy compartments to file away both people and events so she knew how to deal with them.

She frowned. It didn’t sound a very appealing way of living, did it? Nevertheless, it had worked all these years for her and worked well too. Maybe this wedding had thrown her off course but she mustn’t allow it to affect her too much. Once she got over the shock of it being cancelled, hopefully her life would return to normal.

Matt plugged in the kettle then took a tin of ground coffee out of the freezer. He spooned some into the cafetière then stood staring into space while he waited for the water to heat. It was almost four in the afternoon and if the day had gone as planned, he should have been enjoying the reception now. He would have been gearing himself up for his speech, not that it would have been difficult as wishing Heather and Ross every happiness for their future together was something he had been looking forward to doing. He had been so sure that Heather had found her ideal partner but had it been wishful thinking on his part? Although Heather hadn’t said so, was he guilty of pushing her and Ross into this marriage?

Matt had a horrible feeling it might be true. He had been so pleased that Heather had found someone as reliable as Ross that he had overlooked the signs that the relationship maybe wasn’t what it should have been. He had put his desire for Heather to have security above everything else and he regretted it now. Deeply.

Maybe he had sworn that he would make sure their daughter was safe after Claire, his wife, had died, but Heather needed more than security. She needed love, laughter, fun, and he wasn’t sure if Ross could have provided her with all of those things.

The truth was there had always been that vital spark missing, now that he thought about it. That extra dimension needed to take a relationship up a level. He and Claire had had it and it was one of the reasons why he had never been able to imagine falling in love with anyone else. He didn’t think any other woman could light that spark inside him again.

‘Ross is back at home. He says he’s fine, but I’m sure he’s only saying that to stop me worrying.’

Rachel came into the kitchen. She gave a gusty sigh as she stared at her phone as though it should be able to tell her if her son was telling the truth, and Matt felt himself grow tense. He couldn’t see her face clearly with her head lowered like that so maybe that was why she appeared different all of a sudden, almost like a stranger.

She looked up and his heart gave the oddest little jolt as he found himself taking stock of the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar features—the elegant little nose, the softly rounded cheeks, the lusciously full lips now gnawed clean of any trace of lipstick. She’d had her hair done for the wedding and the soft chestnut curls looked so invitingly silky as they tumbled around her face that he longed to touch them, feel their softness against the palms of his hands, the tips of his fingers, so tempting and alluring…

He took a deep breath and stamped down hard on that thought. There would be no stroking of hair going on here!

‘Did Ross say if he’d heard from Heather?’ he asked instead, picking up the kettle. He poured the hot water into the pot and pressed down the plunger, quite forgetting to let the coffee brew first.

‘No. I didn’t ask him, to be honest. Sorry.’

Rachel’s pretty face filled with remorse and that odd feeling he’d had about her being a stranger immediately receded. Once again she was Rachel Mackenzie, a woman he liked and respected, and he breathed a little easier at finding himself back on familiar territory. It had been just a blip, he told himself as he took a couple of mugs out of the cupboard, a tiny aberration caused by the stresses of the day and definitely nothing to worry about.

‘It doesn’t matter. I’m sure Ross would have said if Heather had phoned him,’ he said soothingly, filling the mugs with coffee and frowning when he saw how insipid it looked. ‘This doesn’t look too good. I’ll make another pot.’

‘It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.’

Rachel picked up one of the mugs and carried it over to the table. Matt’s heart ached when he saw how upset she looked as she sat down. What had happened today had had a big effect on Rachel too and for some reason the thought upset him even more. It wasn’t fair that someone as kind and as gentle as Rachel was should have to suffer this way.

He went to join her, trying to find the right words that, hopefully, would make the situation easier for her. ‘I know how hard this must be for Ross but he’ll get through it, Rachel, you’ll see.’

‘Do you think so?’ She looked up and he could see tears brimming in her huge brown eyes. ‘I feel so helpless, Matt. Oh, I know Ross is a grown man and more than capable of running his own life, but he’s still my son and I love him dearly.’ The tears spilled over and trickled down her cheeks. ‘I just can’t bear to think of him hurting this way.’

‘I know. And I understand how you feel, really I do.’

Matt reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Her hand was so small that his seemed to engulf it and it surprised him how it made him feel—overwhelmed with tenderness and a need to protect her. He cleared his throat but he could hear the roughness in his voice even if Rachel couldn’t.

‘It’s a difficult time for both Heather and Ross but I’m sure they will work things out in the end.’

He withdrew his hand, unsure what was happening and why he felt this way. This was Rachel, he reminded himself, someone he had worked with for a number of years, a trusted colleague as well as a friend. However, the description no longer seemed to fit as accurately as it had done in the past; there seemed to be an extra dimension to Rachel he had never noticed before.

He frowned because that wasn’t quite true. If he was honest, his view of her had been changing for a while now. They had spent a lot of time together in recent months planning for the wedding and he had found himself looking forward to it too. She wasn’t just a colleague and a friend any longer. He was very much aware that she was a woman as well and a very attractive woman too.

The thought stunned him. For the first time since his wife had died Matt realised that he was aware of another woman’s femininity and he couldn’t believe that the feelings he had believed long dead were very much alive. His whole body suffused with heat all of a sudden because he was powerless to stop what was happening. When he looked at Rachel, sitting here at his table, what he saw, first and foremost, was a woman he wanted to put his arms around. A woman he wanted to make love to.

Chapter Two

‘SORRY. I know this is just as difficult for you as it is for me, Matt.’

Rachel plucked a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was to make the situation even more stressful for Matt.

‘There’s nothing to apologise for,’ Matt said swiftly, and she looked at him in dismay when she realised how strange he sounded. It wasn’t that he sounded angry or even upset, just…odd.

‘Are you all right?’ she asked anxiously, leaning forward so she could get a better look at his face. It was early December and the nights soon drew in at this time of the year. They hadn’t switched on any lights and Matt’s face was in shadow, making it difficult for her to see his expression clearly.

‘Yes. Just a bit shaken by what’s happened, I suppose,’ he replied, and she was relieved to hear him sounding more like he usually did this time.

‘You and me both. I was stunned when Ross told me this morning the wedding had been called off.’ She gave a little sigh. ‘I still find it hard to understand why it’s happened, if I’m honest. I always thought he and Heather were a perfect match, didn’t you?’

‘Ye-es.’

Rachel frowned when Matt seemed to hesitate. ‘That sounded almost as though you had your doubts. Did you?’

‘Not before this happened, no. However, now I’m not so sure.’

He stood up and switched on the light then sat down again. Rachel could see a glimmer of some emotion in his green eyes that she found it difficult to interpret.

‘You don’t think their marriage would have worked?’ she said slowly, struggling to digest the idea.

‘The honest answer is that I don’t know any more. I thought they were ideally suited too, but I was thinking about it while I was making the coffee and I realised there was always something missing, that spark which makes a relationship truly special.’

‘Do you really think so?’ she said in surprise.

‘Yes, I do. I only wish I’d realised it sooner. I wouldn’t have pushed them into getting married then.’

‘You didn’t push them, Matt!’ she exclaimed. ‘It was their decision and it had nothing to do with you or anyone else for that matter.’

‘I wish I could believe that but I have a horrible feeling that I’m more than partly responsible for this mess.’

‘Rubbish!’ She glared at him when he looked at her in surprise. ‘I’m sorry but that’s exactly what it is—complete and utter rubbish. They’re both old enough to know their own minds. It wouldn’t have mattered a jot what you thought.’

‘Let’s hope you’re right.’ He gave her a quick smile although Rachel could tell that he wasn’t convinced. Matt obviously blamed himself for what had happened and that must make the situation even more difficult for him.

There was little she could say to persuade him otherwise, however, so she let the matter drop, talking about what had happened down by the canal instead. They had treated at least a dozen people who had been injured in the accident and it was always useful to compare notes after the event. It was only when Rachel heard the hall clock strike the hour that she realised it was time she left.

‘I’d better be off,’ she announced, standing up.

‘I’ll run you home,’ Matt offered straight away, following her into the hall. He had collected her in his car along with the rest of the team from the surgery and ferried them to the site of the accident, which was why Rachel didn’t have her own car with her. However, as she lived only a ten-minute walk away she immediately protested.

‘There’s no need, Matt. I can easily walk home from here. There’s no point dragging you out of the house.’

‘No, it’s dark outside and I don’t want you walking down that lane on your own.’ He took his coat off the hallstand before she could protest any further and she gave in. There was no point making an issue out of it, was there?

It took them a bare five minutes to drive to her home. She had bought the cottage when she had moved to Dalverston and had spent a lot of time and effort restoring it over the last few years. She had always loved the cottage’s quirkiness and its sense of history, not to mention its location, backing onto the river. However, she had to admit that the sight of the darkened windows made her heart sink a little as they drew up outside.

Normally it didn’t bother her that she lived on her own. She’d had Ross while she was still in her teens, getting pregnant the first time she had slept with her boyfriend. Ross’s father had been just a year older than her, far too young to want to accept responsibility for the child he had fathered.

With her parents’ help, Rachel had brought Ross up, working hard to give them both a good life. Getting through medical school had taken a huge amount of determination with a young child to care for but she had succeeded and it had got easier as Ross had grown older. However, one thing she had never factored into her busy life was time for a proper relationship.

She’d had a couple of affairs over the years, and still dated occasionally, but that was all. Although the few men she had been involved with had appeared perfect on paper, she had never been tempted to commit to a long-term relationship with any of them. Quite frankly, she hadn’t had any inclination to fall in love with all its attendant pitfalls, especially not after her first disastrous experience. She had been perfectly happy with her life the way it was…

Or so she had thought.

Rachel’s breath caught as the doubts slid into her mind. She had everything she had ever dreamed of having, a job she loved, a son she adored, a comfortable home, so what on earth could be missing? Surely she didn’t wish that she had someone to come home to, someone who would be waiting for her with a smile and a hug?

‘Here we are, then. Want me to come in with you and check everything’s all right?’

Matt’s voice mingled with her thoughts and Rachel had the craziest urge to shout, Yes, please! Please come in with me. Please stay and talk to me, share this evening and maybe share other evenings with me too, but she managed to stop herself in time. If she took the first step down that route, who knew where she would end up? The thought scared her.

‘No, it’s fine,’ she said, hoping he couldn’t hear the panic in her voice.

‘Sure?’ He stared at the darkened windows and frowned. ‘I don’t like to think of you going into an empty house on your own.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ Rachel said firmly, as much for her own benefit as his. She grasped the doorhandle, ready to get out of the car, then stopped when he suddenly leant across the seat and kissed her gently on the cheek. His lips were cool from the night air and she shivered when she felt them brush her skin, hastily blanking out the thought of how good it would feel if he kissed her properly on the mouth.

‘Take care, Rachel. It’s been a tough day for all of us. If you need someone to talk to, you know where I am.’

‘I…um…thank you.’

Rachel scrambled out of the car and almost ran up the path to the front door. Her hands were shaking so hard that it took her a moment to fit the key into the lock. Stepping into the tiny vestibule, she switched on the porch light then turned and waved. Matt gave a toot on his horn and drove away, his taillights rapidly disappearing into the darkness, but it was several minutes before she closed the door and went inside.

She stood there in the hall, deliberately drinking in the peace and quiet of her home in the hope that it would calm her, but for some reason the magic didn’t work that night. Instead of peace all she felt was loneliness, instead of soothing quiet, emptiness, and she bit her lip. She had thought she was happy with her lot but all of a sudden she was aware of all that she lacked. She may have a fulfilling job, good friends, a son she adored, but she needed more.

She needed someone to love her and hold her in the night. Someone she could love and hold onto too, but was it too late for that? She was forty-six years old and it seemed crazy to be wishing for more than she had, more than might be good for her. Did she really want to risk falling in love at this point in her life, always supposing she met someone to fall in love with. Suitable men weren’t exactly thick on the ground.

A picture of Matt suddenly appeared in her mind’s eye and she frowned. If she did fall in love, it would have to be with someone like Matt, someone she trusted and respected, someone she found attractive too. But where could she hope to find anyone like Matt? He was a one-off. Special. There wasn’t another man like Matt in the whole wide world.

A tiny sigh escaped her as she went into the sitting room and turned on the lamps, filling the house with light. There was no point even thinking about falling in love with Matt when there was little likelihood of him reciprocating her feelings. The only woman Matt had ever loved was his late wife and she certainly couldn’t compete with her.

‘I’m sorry, Matt, but I’ve had to add a couple of extra patients onto your list. Rachel asked me if I’d try to make some cuts to Ross’s list and it was the only way I could fit everyone in.’

‘That’s fine, Carol, don’t worry about it. We’ll just have to pull together until everything settles down.’

Matt smiled at the practice manager, hoping he hadn’t visibly reacted at the mention of Rachel’s name. It was Monday morning and he had just arrived at the surgery. He had planned on getting there early that day but as luck would have it, he’d had a phone call from the Ambulance Control centre as he’d been about to leave home. By the time he had dealt with that, the traffic had built up in the town centre and he’d had the devil of a job getting through it. Now he had barely five minutes to spare before his first appointment.

‘Oh, good, there you are, Matt. What happened? Did you oversleep?’

Matt turned when he heard Rachel’s voice, trying to quell the tremor that ran through him when he saw her standing behind him. She was wearing what she normally wore for work—a tailored suit with a white blouse and low-heeled shoes. Today her suit was cherryred, a colour that shouldn’t have worked with her glorious chestnut hair, yet it did. The richness of the hue highlighted her porcelain-fine complexion and made her large brown eyes look darker than ever. She had chosen a slightly deeper shade of lipstick to complement it and the colour emphasised the fullness of her mouth.

Matt felt his stomach lurch as his gaze lingered on her luscious lips. He still didn’t understand what was going on. For almost six years, six extremely comfortable years too, he had viewed Rachel as a colleague and a friend, but he could no longer think of her solely that way. Far too many times over the weekend he had found his thoughts returning to her and they had been thoughts he had never entertained before. The memory of them made him inwardly squirm and he hurried to reply. Rachel would run a mile if she discovered that he had been fantasising about her sharing his bed!

‘Sorry I’m so late. Someone fromAmbulance Control phoned as I was about to leave home.’ He picked up the bundle of notes Carol had prepared for him and headed to his consulting room, talking to Rachel over his shoulder because it seemed wiser than doing so face to face. At least this way he wouldn’t start fantasising about her gorgeous mouth again. ‘That’s what delayed me.’

‘Did they want to know about what happened on Saturday?’

Rachel followed him along the corridor, quickening her pace to keep up with him. At a smidgen over five feet three, she was a lot shorter than he was even in heels. Matt’s first instinct was to slow down but the need to curtail all this craziness was just too strong. He had to stop thinking of Rachel as a woman and remember that she was a colleague.

‘Uh-huh. That’s right.’ He stopped when he reached his room, inwardly groaning when he realised that he couldn’t keep avoiding looking at her. Rachel would think it very strange if she had to carry on talking to the back of his head.

He forced himself to smile as he turned to face her. This close he could smell her perfume and his nostrils twitched appreciatively as he inhaled the scent of jasmine mingled with something even more exotic, a fragrance that stirred his blood in a way it hadn’t been stirred for years. As the father of a grown-up daughter, Matt was accustomed to the smells of the lotions and potions that women applied to themselves; however, he had to admit that he hadn’t smelled anything as delicious as the perfume Rachel was wearing that morning. It was an effort to concentrate when his mind was intent on racing off down a completely different path.

‘Ambulance Control want us to send them a detailed report of what we did once we arrived on scene,’ he explained, taking a step back in the hope it would make life easier. It did, a bit, but he could still smell jasmine as well as that other fragrance, something exotic and spicy and wickedly sexy…

‘It will need to be a joint effort, then, won’t it?’ Rachel stated, and Matt dragged his wayward thoughts back into line again. At least one of them was functioning with a clear head and he should be grateful for that.

‘It will. Everyone did something different, plus we arrived separately too. Ross and Gemma were first on scene and they had already prioritised the casualties by the time we turned up.’

‘How long was it before the rapid response unit got there—do you remember?’ Rachel frowned as she tried to recall the exact order of events and Matt sucked in his breath as he watched her brow pucker. When had a frown become so beguiling? he wondered in astonishment, then hastily blanked out the thought because he really and truly didn’t want to know the answer.

‘About fifteen minutes after us, although I think there was a paramedic car there before then. I’ll have to check with Ross about that. He’ll have a better idea than me.’

‘I hope this isn’t going to turn into a major investigation,’ Rachel said anxiously. ‘There’s bound to be a bit of a hullabaloo because most of the rapid-response vehicles were off the road thanks to that problem they had with their fuel supply. That’s probably why Ambulance Control want us to write a report. They will need to have a full picture of what went on. I don’t want Ross dragged in if there’s an inquiry, though. He’s got quite enough on his plate at the present time.’

‘I can’t see why any of us should be involved to that extent,’ Matt assured her, hating to hear her sounding so worried. He patted her arm then wished he hadn’t done so when he felt his blood pressure soar. ‘We’ll keep our report as general as possible. There’s no reason why individual members of our staff should have to account for their actions at this stage.’

‘Good. I don’t want to add to the pressure Ross is under at the moment. To be honest, I don’t think he should be at work today. It’s madness to try and carry on as though nothing has happened.’

‘We’ll do our best to lighten his load as much as we can,’ Matt said soothingly. ‘Carol said that you’d asked her to re-jig his lists so that should help. And if it gets too much for him then he must go home.’

‘You wouldn’t mind?’ Rachel smiled in relief when he shook his head. ‘Thanks, Matt. I know Ross thinks I’m fussing but I can’t help worrying about him.’

‘Of course you can’t,’ Matt replied, his innards doing cartwheels as he basked in the glow of her smile. He cleared his throat and forced himself to focus. ‘Right, I’d better get ready before my first patient arrives and catches me on the hop.’

‘Me too. There’s nothing more offputting for a patient than watching their doctor scrabbling about, trying to find the right case notes. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, does it?’

Rachel laughed as she hurried away, causing his insides to perform yet another tricky manoeuvre. Matt thankfully went into his room and closed the door, hoping it would provide some protection from what ailed him.

He sighed as he sat down behind his desk. What did ail him, though? Was it the shock of Heather cancelling her wedding and leaving Dalverston that was making him feel as though he was on some sort of emotional roller-coaster ride?

For eight long years, ever since Claire had died so tragically of a stroke, he had felt very little. Every thought, every fibre of his being, had been poured into looking after Heather. Caring for Heather had filled the void left by his wife’s death, but now that Heather no longer needed him he had nothing to fill it with. Did that explain why he was suddenly experiencing all these desires and urges he had believed long dead?

Matt tried to tell himself it was that simple but in his heart he knew it wasn’t true. He was merely papering over the cracks because he was afraid of what he would find if he delved too deeply. He had loved once and it had been the most wonderful experience of his life. He was too scared to try and repeat it, terrified that it could only end in disappointment. How could he ever hope to find another woman to replace Claire?

He couldn’t because Claire had been unique, special. However, it didn’t mean that there wasn’t someone else equally special in her own unique way. Once again his thoughts returned to Rachel and a little tingle ran through him, like a frisson of static electricity passing over his skin. He could deny it till the moon turned blue but the truth was that Rachel definitely had an effect on him.

Chapter Three

RACHEL heaved a sigh of relief as she sat down at her desk and switched on the computer. She had been dreading seeing Matt after what had happened over the weekend. Time and again she had found herself returning to the thought that he would never love anyone the way he had loved his late wife and it was so stupid to have let the idea upset her. She really couldn’t understand why it had become such a big deal when she had always known how he felt.

In the whole time she had worked at Dalverston Surgery, Matt had never shown any interest in another woman. He never dated, never flirted, never even hinted that he was interested in the opposite sex. He had poured all his energy into his job and caring for Heather, and she had admired him for it too, so why had that admiration suddenly changed to concern? Was she reflecting her own emotional turmoil onto him?

Rachel wasn’t sure if that was the real answer and it was unsettling to find herself dealing with uncertainties when she preferred absolutes. It was a relief when her first patient arrived and she could concentrate on her instead. Miss Bessie Parish was eighty years old, a spinster who had lived in Dalverston all her life. She was one of Ross’s patients normally but she had agreed to see Rachel instead that day. Rachel invited her to sit down and asked her what she could do for her.

‘I’ve not felt at all well lately, Dr Mackenzie,’ Miss Parish replied in her forthright way. ‘I had a nasty cold a couple of weeks ago and it’s left me feeling very wheezy and breathless.’

‘I see. Have you had a cough as well?’ Rachel asked, picking up her stethoscope.

‘Yes, and I’ve been bringing up phlegm too.’

Miss Parish’s mouth pursed with distaste and Rachel nodded sympathetically.

‘Horrible for you, I’m sure. Now, I’d just like to listen to your chest, if you wouldn’t mind.’ She waited while Miss Parish unbuttoned her coat then listened to her chest. ‘And I’ll take your temperature too,’ she told her once she had finished doing that.

Miss Parish sat perfectly still while Rachel checked her temperature. The reading was higher than it should have been and Rachel nodded because it confirmed her suspicions. Sitting down at her desk again, she smiled at the old lady.

‘It looks as though you have bronchitis, Miss Parish. The symptoms you described certainly point towards it—wheezing, shortness of breath, a persistent cough that produces considerable quantities of phlegm. Your temperature is higher than it should be, too, which is another indication.’

‘Bronchitis? Well, I never!’ Miss Parish looked shocked.

‘It’s an acute form and we can treat it quite easily with a course of antibiotics,’ Rachel said soothingly. She wrote out a script and handed it over along with detailed instructions aimed at making the old lady more comfortable in the interim.

Miss Parish listened attentively to what she said then nodded. ‘I shall follow your advice, Dr Mackenzie. Thank you. I must say that I was very sorry to hear what had happened to your son. It can’t be easy for him, having his wedding cancelled like that.’

‘I’m sure Ross will deal with it,’ Rachel replied evenly, hoping to avoid any further well-meaning comments.

‘Oh, I’m sure he will. Once he gets over the shock, I expect he’ll realise that it’s better it happened now rather than later.’ Miss Parish stood up. ‘So many young couples end up getting divorced these days and that must be just as distressing for them, I imagine.’

Rachel frowned as the old lady bade her goodbye and left. Would the marriage have ended in divorce if it had gone ahead? she wondered. A couple of days ago she would have pooh-poohed the idea but she was no longer so sure. Heather obviously had had her doubts and that was why she had called the wedding off.

She sighed because it just proved how difficult relationships really were. Even those that seemed guaranteed to succeed could and did fail. It took both love and an awful lot of commitment to build a lasting relationship, not to mention that vital spark Matt had mentioned. That was essential too. Thinking about Matt immediately reminded her of what had troubled her all weekend and she groaned. She didn’t want to go down that road again!

She buzzed in her next patient, a young woman with a screaming toddler suffering from a nasty ear infection. It was hard to make herself heard over the din the poor little mite was making but Rachel was glad because it blotted out any other thoughts. She didn’t want to dwell on what a special relationship Matt must have had with his late wife when it was so painful, didn’t want to sit here daydreaming about him when she had work to do. It wasn’t the best way to get things back onto a normal footing, which was what she desperately needed to do.

Lunchtime arrived and Rachel hurried to Ross’s room to see how he had fared. She caught him as he was about to leave and her heart ached with motherly concern when she saw how drawn he looked. Having his wedding cancelled at the eleventh hour must have been a terrible experience for him despite the brave front he was putting up. She wasn’t sure that he should be at work, but he was adamant that he wanted to be there when she broached the subject.

They chatted for a couple of minutes, but her heart was heavy as she watched him leave. No matter what Ross claimed, she knew he must be devastated by what had happened. A tear trickled down her cheek and before she could wipe it away, Matt appeared. He took one look at her and gently steered her along the corridor into his room.

‘Is it Ross?’ he asked as he sat her down in a chair and offered her the box of tissues off his desk.

‘How did you guess?’ Rachel blew her nose and tried to get a grip on herself. The situation was difficult for Matt too and she didn’t want to upset him as well.

‘Simple deduction, Watson. If you eliminate everything else, whatever you’re left with, no matter how improbable it seems, must be the solution.’

Despite herself Rachel laughed. ‘Is that a fact, Sherlock?’

‘It certainly is, Doctor.’ Matt smiled back her at her and her heart immediately lifted. She couldn’t deny that she was touched that he should try to cheer her up when he must be feeling extremely low himself.

‘So how is Ross holding up?’ he asked, placing the box of tissues back on the desk.

‘Fine, according to him.’ She shrugged when he looked quizzically at her. ‘You know Ross. He isn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve. He was the same when he was a child, very self-contained and serious…a little too serious, in fact.’

‘Did he have much contact with his father while he was growing up?’ Matt asked quietly, and Rachel tried to hide her surprise. It was the first time he had ever asked her a personal question like that in all the time they had worked together and she couldn’t help wondering what had prompted it that day.

‘None at all,’ she replied, determined that she wasn’t going to make too much of his sudden interest. Maybe he wanted to find out more about the past in the hope it would provide a clue as to how to bring Ross and Heather back together? If that was the case then she was all for it. She would do anything at all to see Ross happy again.

‘Ross’s father made it clear from the outset that he wasn’t interested in him,’ she explained truthfully. ‘I don’t blame him in a way because he was only eighteen when Ross was born. Not many boys of that age are ready to become fathers.’

‘You were very young to be a mother but you coped,’ Matt pointed out, and she sighed.

‘Yes, I know, although I wouldn’t have managed nearly as well if my parents hadn’t supported me. They were marvellous.’

‘It must have been hard, though, even with their help.’ Matt’s tone was gruff and she frowned when she heard it. She couldn’t help wondering why he sounded so uptight all of a sudden, apart from the obvious reason, of course. He must miss Heather dreadfully and the thought made her heart ache for him.

‘It wasn’t easy. Finding the time to study and look after Ross was a real juggle. Looking back, I don’t know how I fitted everything in.’ She gave a little laugh, hoping it would lighten the sombre mood. ‘If I had to do it now, I’d need a few more hours tagged onto the end of each day!’

‘I imagine you fitted it all in by dint of sheer hard work. You should be proud of yourself for what you’ve achieved, Rachel.’

‘I am extremely proud of Ross, although I can’t claim any credit for how he’s turned out,’ she said firmly. ‘Ross put in the effort himself.’

‘I don’t just mean raising Ross but what you’ve achieved.’ Matt leant forward and she could see the light in his eyes, a hint of fire she hadn’t noticed before and certainly hadn’t expected. Her heart gave a little bounce then started to race as he continued.

‘You must have worked incredibly hard to get through medical school. I remember how difficult it was to keep up with all the work and when you factor in a child as well…’ He shrugged. ‘Not many people could have done what you’ve done, Rachel.’

‘I always dreamed of being a doctor,’ she said quietly, deeply moved by the compliment. To know that Matt admired her made all the years of hard work and struggle seem even more worthwhile.

‘And you achieved your dream. You’re a damned fine doctor. Your patients couldn’t speak more highly of you.’

‘Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that,’ she murmured, feeling a little choked with emotion.

‘It’s nothing more than the truth. You should be proud of yourself. You’ve achieved everything you set out to do.’

Had she? she wondered. Had she really achieved every single dream she’d ever had? Just days ago Rachel would have agreed with him but she was no longer sure if it was true. Once upon a time she’d had other dreams for the future. She had buried them as deeply as she could over the years because there’d been no time to worry about them, but they were still there, maybe not as bright and as shiny as they had been, but still there.

Her heart caught as she looked at Matt and remembered all the hopes she’d had at one time for a happy marriage like her parents’, a loving relationship that would sustain her throughout the years. She had abandoned those dreams because she’d been afraid of what would happen if she allowed herself to fall in love again. She had done it once, fallen in love with Ross’s father, and it had been a disaster…Hadn’t it?

The thought pulled her up short. Having Ross hadn’t been a disaster, far from it. It had been a turning point. Knowing she’d had a child to provide for had given her the impetus she had needed, pushed her to make a good life for herself and her son. Without Ross, she might not have studied as hard, but made another mistake and fallen in love with someone else who might have held her back.

Rachel took a deep breath as she faced the facts, head on. Her life could have turned out very differently if she hadn’t had her son. For one thing, she might never have met Matt.

Matt decided to stay on after evening surgery ended. He wanted to make a start on that report Ambulance Control had requested while the facts were fresh in his mind. After all, it wasn’t as though there was anything to rush home for, was there?

His heart sank at the thought of returning to an empty house, although he knew that he would have to get used to it. With Heather gone he would be spending a lot of time on his own. He had just drafted out a rough timetable of events when there was a tap on his door and Rachel came into the room.

‘I spotted your light was still on as I was passing,’ she explained, coming over to the desk. She frowned when she saw the timetable he had made. ‘Is that about the accident?’

‘Yes. I thought I’d better make a start on that report.’

Matt glanced at the notes he had written, trying not to think about the fact that Rachel lived on her own as well. It had no relevance to his situation, especially as it was obviously her choice to do so. By no stretch of the imagination could he believe that she hadn’t had lots of offers to change her single status.

‘Do you need any help?’

Matt barely heard what she said. Not once in the all the time they had worked together had he wondered why Rachel was single, but now the question clamoured for his attention. She was a beautiful and highly intelligent woman and there must be lots of men keen to share their lives with her, so why had she resisted? Was it because she had never met anyone she had cared enough about to spend her life with?

Thoughts whizzed around inside his head. It was only when he realised that Rachel was waiting for him to answer that he pulled himself together. ‘It’s kind of you to offer, but I don’t expect you to give up your evening as well, Rachel.’

‘It’s not a big deal, Matt.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘And it isn’t as though I’ve anything better to do. In fact, I’d be glad to help, if I’m honest. It will stop me worrying about Ross if I have something else to think about.’

‘In that case, I’d be glad of your help. Thank you.’

Matt smiled up at her, feeling warmth ripple along his veins when she smiled back. She pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, leaning over so she could read what he had written. Matt felt his whole body grow tense when he inhaled her perfume but he was wise to the effect it could have after that morning and quickly brought himself under control. So long as he focussed on what he was doing, there shouldn’t be a problem.

With Rachel’s help they soon compiled a list of events and the times they had occurred. Anything hazy—such as what Ross and Gemma, their practice nurse, had been doing before they had arrived—they marked with an asterisk so they could check it later. By eight o’clock they had the bare bones of the report prepared and Matt was delighted they had accomplished so much.

‘Excellent!’ he said, leaning back in his chair and easing the crick out of his neck. ‘I thought it would take a lot longer than that.’

‘Two heads, et cetera,’ Rachel replied with a grin, and he laughed.

‘Too right, especially when the two heads are in tune with one another.’ Matt smiled back, feeling more relaxed than he had felt in days. Ever since Heather had told him that she was leaving Dalverston, it had felt as though his nerves had been strung out on a rack. However, after just an hour of working with Rachel he felt much better, so much better, in fact, that he was reluctant to let the evening end there.

‘How do you fancy going out for dinner?’ he suggested impulsively. ‘I don’t know about you but all this extra work has given me an appetite. I could eat a horse!’

‘I’m not sure if you’ll find horse on the menu anywhere in Dalverston,’ she replied lightly, although he saw a hint of colour run up her cheeks.

Did she think he was being presumptuous by asking her out? he wondered, then immediately dismissed the idea. Of course Rachel didn’t think that. They were colleagues and having dinner together wasn’t anything to get worked up about.

‘Hmm, good point. I’ll have to settle for a steak instead.’ He pushed back his chair, not wanting it to appear as though he was pressurising her to go out with him. It was her decision and he would abide by whatever she decided to do, although he really hoped she would say yes.

It was unsettling to realise just how much he wanted her to agree and he hurried on. ‘So long as it comes with all the trimmings, I’ll be more than happy.’

‘I have to confess that I’m hungry too,’ she admitted, standing up. ‘I can’t remember when I last had a decent meal—it must have been last week. I definitely didn’t cook anything for myself over the weekend.’

‘Me neither,’ Matt agreed, sliding the notes they had made into a folder. ‘The most I’ve managed is tea and toast for the past couple of days. My poor stomach must think my throat’s been cut.’

She laughed as she headed for the door. ‘It sounds as though we’re both in desperate need of some proper sustenance. How about that new place on the bypass? I believe they do excellent steaks there.’

‘Sounds good to me.’

Matt managed to hide his delight as he switched off the light and followed her along the corridor. It was just dinner with a colleague, he reminded himself, although he had to admit that it felt somewhat different to the usual staff outings he had attended in the past. For one thing, he and Rachel would be by themselves tonight and that was something that didn’t usually happen. Even when they had spent all that time planning the wedding, they hadn’t been on their own—Ross and Heather had been with them. This would be a whole new experience for them.

He took a steadying breath as he stopped beside the reception desk, determined that he wasn’t going to let himself get carried away by the thought. ‘I’ll set the alarm and follow you out. We can go in my car, if you like. That way you can have a glass of wine with your meal without worrying about driving home.’

‘Thanks, but it’s easier if we take both our cars. It will save all the hassle in the morning of getting here.’

It was on the tip of Matt’s tongue to tell her that he would give her a lift, but he sensed that would be overstepping the mark. ‘Fine. I’ll see you there, then.’

He waited until she had left then switched the phone through to their on-call service and set the alarm. There was only his car left in the car park when he went outside and he hurried over to it, shivering as a blast of icy wind blew down from the hills. The temperature had dropped over the weekend and it looked as though they were in for a really cold spell. Still, it wouldn’t be long before he got to the restaurant and warmed up, he consoled himself.

He started the engine, smiling at the thought of meeting Rachel there. Maybe it was only dinner with a colleague but it was good to know that he wouldn’t be spending the rest of the evening on his own. Was that her main attraction? he wondered suddenly. Was he so eager for her company because he was lonely?

He tested out the theory and discovered that it did fit. However, deep down he knew it was more than that. Loneliness didn’t explain the way he had responded to her recently, did it?

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