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thought made him groan under his breath. What was it about Lucy that made him react this way?
    Max had no idea what the answer was but he knew that he needed to put a rein on his feelings if he wasn’t to make a fool of himself. He glanced at the file, hoping it would help if he focused on the current problem. There was no point torturing himself by recalling how Lucy had looked at him…
    ‘I see that Sophie is registered with DalverstonSurgery,’ he said briskly, cutting off that thought. ‘Rachel Thompson’s her GP. That’s good news.’
    ‘You think it would be an idea to have a word with Dr Thompson about her?’ Lucy said quietly.
    Max felt a wave of tenderness wash over him when he heard the tremor in her voice. Although she was making a valiant effort, he could tell that she was as shocked by what had happened as he was. His own voice softened because he wanted her to know that there was nothing to worry about. Even if they were attracted to one another they would take things slowly; he definitely wouldn’t rush her into his bed.
    That was another thought that needed to bite the dust, fast. Max mentally ground it beneath his heel, praying that would be the last he heard of it. Getting hung up on the idea that Lucy would sleep with him was the last thing he needed!
    ‘Yes, I do. Rachel set up an advisory service for teenage mums in Sophie’s position a couple of years ago. Rachel was a teenage mum herself so she understands the problems better than most people do. I’ve heard a lot of good reports about the work they do.’
    ‘What a brilliant idea!’ Lucy exclaimed. ‘I know we hold classes for all the new mums but it’s impossible to cover everything in the time we can spend with them. The younger mums in particular could do with a lot more help.’
    ‘That’s why Rachel decided to set up this advisory service,’ Max told her. ‘I sat in on a session last year and it was excellent—good, sound advice presented in a way that the girls could understand but not feel as though they were being talked down to.’
    ‘It’s exactly what Sophie needs. She’s very capable;all the staff have said how good she is with Alfie. She just needs to gain a bit more confidence in herself.’
    ‘Then the classes would be ideal for her. Another plus is that she’ll meet other girls in her situation and hopefully make some friends. She won’t feel quite so alone if she has someone her own age to talk to.’
    ‘It’s the perfect solution. Thanks, Max. I’ll give Dr Thompson a call and see what she has to say.’
    Lucy smiled at him, her whole face lighting up with delight, and Max felt another surge of heat flow through him and wash away every sensible thought he’d had. Maybe he didn’t want to rush her, but he had to start somewhere.
    ‘Look, Lucy,’ he began, then stopped when the phone rang. He tried to curb his impatience as he reached for the receiver, but it was frustrating to be interrupted at such a crucial moment. ‘Maternity. Max Curtis speaking.’
    It was A and E requesting his assistance with a patient who’d been involved in an RTA. She was twenty weeks pregnant and bleeding heavily, and they needed him there, stat.
    Max promised them he’d be straight there and hung up. He explained to Lucy that he had to go and left, sighing as he made his way to the lift. Another couple of seconds and he would have asked her out, but would that really have been the wise thing to do? Lucy wasn’t the sort of woman he usually went out with. She would expect more from a relationship than a few casual dates, invest more of herself into it too. Was he prepared for that when it went against all his rules?
    For the past three years, he had avoided commitment yet he knew in his heart that he wouldn’t be able to dothat with Lucy. Lucy made him dream about home and family, made him long for happily-ever-after, and they were all the things he could never have.
    What he needed was a distraction to take his mind