Their Baby Surprise

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘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?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  RACHEL could feel butterflies flitting around her stomach as she entered the restaurant. It wasn’t very busy with it being a Monday evening and she had no trouble getting a table. She told the waiter that she was expecting someone to join her and sat down to wait, trying to control the frantic fluttering inside her. It was just dinner with Matt, nothing more, nothing less, and definitely nothing to get worked up about.

  Matt arrived a few minutes later, looking big and imposing as he stopped to speak to the waiter. Rachel noticed several women glance his way and look a second time too as he made his way over to her. No wonder, she thought as he took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair. He was an extremely handsome man and she wouldn’t blame any woman for finding him attractive.

  ‘This is nice.’ He looked around the restaurant with obvious pleasure. ‘It all looks very sleek and modern without being too stark and bare. Call me old-fashioned but I like a bit of clutter around the place.’

  ‘Me too, probably too much clutter,’ she agreed ruefully.

  ‘So you don’t go in for the minimalist look that Ross favours?’ Matt queried, loosening his tie. He undid the top button of his shirt as well and Rache
l hurriedly averted her eyes when she felt those pesky butterflies start flapping even more wildly. She had seen Matt wearing a variety of outfits over the years they’d worked together, from the jeans he had worn on staff outings to the suits he preferred for work, so why was she reacting this way to a glimpse of bare tanned flesh?

  ‘No, it’s not my taste at all. As for Ross, well, he probably favours that style because it’s the complete opposite from what he grew up with.’

  Rachel hurriedly dismissed the question. They were there to have dinner, not so she could analyse how she felt about Matt. He was a colleague and a friend, and that was all she needed to know.

  ‘Really?’ Matt sat back in his chair, obviously keen to hear more, and she continued, finding it easier to talk about such a safe topic.

  ‘We lived with my parents for a long time, you see, so Ross grew up in a house decorated according to his grandparents’ tastes. Mum is very much into chintz and frills and I think that’s why Ross rebelled and opted for something very different when he bought his own home.’

  ‘It must have been a help to have your parents on hand,’ Matt said quietly, and she nodded.

  ‘Oh, it was. Mum not only looked after Ross while I was studying but while I was doing my rotations as well. I don’t know how I’d have managed otherwise. The hours a newly qualified doctor has to work are horrendous.’

  ‘I remember how exhausting it was working such long shifts. My first post was as a junior house officer in A and E at a hospital in London—I don’t think I went to bed for three days solid at one point because I was on call.’

  ‘Thank heavens they’ve put a stop to young doctors working such terrible hours, although it’s no picnic for them even now,’ she agreed. ‘It’s madness to expect someone to function properly when they’re exhausted.’

  ‘It is. I certainly couldn’t have coped with looking after Heather on top of the hours I worked. Thankfully, I didn’t need to because Claire took care of all that. She gave up work when Heather was born so she could be a full-time mum.’ Matt sighed. ‘You’ve not had an easy time, Rachel, have you? You didn’t have that option.’