Read Their Baby Surprise for Free Online

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    ‘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.’
    ‘It wasn’t that bad,’ she protested, touched by the concern in his voice. ‘As I said, Mum and Dad were marvellous and once I’d completed my GP training, life became much easier. It was still hard work, of course, but at least I didn’t need to work such gruellingly long hours.’
    ‘When did you move out of your parents’ house?’ Matt asked curiously.
    ‘When Ross was about twelve. I was earning a decent salary by then and I was able to afford a mortgage. Mum still helped out if I needed a hand, but it was good to be independent at last.’
    ‘You value your independence, then?’ he said quietly, and she frowned when she caught a hint of something she couldn’t identify in his tone.
    ‘Yes, I suppose I do. It was a long time before I was able to strike out on my own and it’s important to me to know that I’m not beholden to anyone.’
    ‘Is that why you’ve never married?’ He shrugged when she looked at him in surprise. ‘It just seems strange that you’re still single. It certainly can’t be for lack of offers.’
    Rachel felt the colour rush to her cheeks and stared down at the table. Had she imagined that sensuous note in Matt’s voice, that hint of sexual attraction? She must have done because there was no sign of it on his face when she looked up.
    ‘I guess I’ve never met anyone I wanted to spend my life with,’ she said lightly, opting for a partial truth.
    The waiter arrived just then to take their order and by the time they decided what they wanted, the moment had passed. However, several times during the evening Rachel found herself wondering if she should have been more up front with Matt and explained that she had been wary of falling in love in case she had committed another error of judgement. For some reason she couldn’t explain it seemed important that he should know the truth. How odd.

    They left the restaurant shortly after ten p.m. Matt would have happily stayed there longer but it was obvious the staff were waiting to close for the night. If anything the temperature had dropped even further and he saw Rachel shiver as they walked towards their cars.
    ‘Brr, it’s freezing,’ she declared, huddling into the collar of her coat. ‘Do you think it will snow tonight?’
    ‘It could do, although it’s probably a bit too cold at the moment.’ Matt carried on past his car and saw her look at him in surprise. ‘I’ll just make sure you get off safely,’ he explained, and she laughed.
    ‘Ever the gentleman even in the freezing cold!’ She quickly zapped the locks open