Their Baby Surprise (5 page)

‘Fine. I’ll be able to hobble around and make myself some breakfast before you get here. Everything seems to take twice as long as normal when you have a gammy leg.’

She said goodbye and Matt went back to the bathroom. However, the thought of her struggling as she tried to make herself something to eat didn’t sit well with him. His conscience simply wouldn’t allow him to let her soldier on on her own.

It took him a scant ten minutes to get himself dressed and drive the short distance to Rachel’s house, and instead of ringing the front doorbell he went straight round to the back. It would save her having to trek down the hall if he used the rear entrance, he reasoned. He tapped on the door, feeling his heart lurch when she opened it. Rachel in the flesh was every bit as beautiful and as sexy as she had appeared in his dreams.

‘You’re early!’ she exclaimed.

‘I thought you could use some help.’ He smiled at her, determined to get a grip on such wayward thoughts. ‘I’m a dab hand at making tea and toast for the injured.’

‘Oh, that’s really kind of you, Matt. Thank you.’

She hobbled over to a chair and sank gratefully down onto it. ‘I hadn’t realised how difficult it is to do even simplest tasks like filling the kettle when you need to hang onto something to stay upright.’

‘Well, I’m here now so you just sit there and rest that leg.’ He glanced at her bruised knee and grimaced. ‘That’s a real beauty. You really need to raise it to reduce the swelling—here, use this chair.’

He pulled over a chair and gently manoeuvred her leg until it was resting comfortably on the cushion. Rachel groaned, the lines of strain easing from her beautiful face.

‘That feels
so
much better.’

‘Good.’

He turned away, although he could have happily stood there all day and simply enjoyed looking at her. He set to work instead, scrambling some eggs and making a stack of toast as well as a pot of tea to go with them. Rachel nodded approvingly as he placed everything on the table and sat down.

‘This looks delicious. Scrambled eggs are my absolute favourite.’

‘We aim to please.’ Matt helped himself to a slice of toast, thoroughly enjoying the experience of sharing breakfast with her. He could get used to seeing Rachel across the breakfast table each morning, he decided, very used to it indeed. The thought was so highly inappropriate when he was trying to be sensible that he immediately chased it from his mind and applied himself to his meal.

Rachel scraped the last morsel of eggs off her plate and sighed in contentment. ‘My compliments to the chef. That tasted every bit as good as it looked.’

‘Thank you kindly.’ Matt smiled at her, loving the way her eyes sparkled with golden glints when she was feeling happy. It was something else he hadn’t noticed before and he added it to the ever-expanding list. ‘Although I have to warn you that my repertoire isn’t exactly extensive. I can roast a chicken, grill chops, scramble eggs and that’s about it.’

‘Better than a lot of men, I imagine,’ she said cheerfully, attempting to stand up.

‘Whoa!’ Matt put out a restraining hand and eased her back down onto the chair. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

‘I was only going to stack the dishes in the machine,’ she protested.

‘I’ll do that.’ He picked up their plates and took them over to the dishwasher, adding the rest of the crockery as well as the pan he had used for the eggs.

‘Thank you.’ Rachel glared at her knee in frustration. ‘It’s a real nuisance not being able to do things for myself. I only hope the swelling goes down soon.’

‘It will probably take a couple of days before you get your full mobility back and even then you’ll need to be careful,’ he warned her. ‘If you try doing too much too soon, you’ll only make matters worse.’

‘In other words, I need to be patient.’ She grimaced. ‘The worst part was last night. The stairs here are really steep and I had a devil of a job getting up them to go to bed. And I had to come down on my bottom this morning—not a pretty sight, believe me!’

Matt laughed at the wry note in her voice although he couldn’t help feeling concerned. If there was an emergency, Rachel would have great difficulty getting out of the cottage. ‘Maybe you should sleep downstairs until your knee is better.’

‘I would do but the bathroom’s upstairs, so I have to go up to get to it.’ She gave a little shrug as she lifted her leg off the cushion and cautiously stood up. ‘Not to worry. I’ll soon be back to normal.’

Matt doubted it but he decided not to say so. He waited while she found her coat and bag then offered her his arm so she could lean on him while they went out to his car. It was obvious from the strain on her face that it was an effort for her to walk even that short distance but he knew it was pointless advising her to stay at home and rest. She was far too dedicated to go off sick unless she really couldn’t avoid it, and in all truth they would find it very difficult to manage without her when they were trying to lighten Ross’s workload.

It was frustrating not to be able to do more to help her, though. Matt resolved to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t push herself too hard until her knee was better. What Rachel needed at the moment was someone to take care of her and he was more than happy to take on that role. The fact that he wouldn’t mind it being a long-term project flashed through his mind but he didn’t dwell on it. It was too soon for ideas like that, way too soon.

CHAPTER FIVE

M
ORNING
surgery was exceptionally busy that day. There was a nasty tummy bug doing the rounds and a lot of people wanted to see the doctor. Rachel dispensed sympathy and advice in almost equal measures. Although this type of winter vomiting bug was very upsetting for the victims, so long as they behaved sensibly by restricting their food intake and maintaining their fluid levels, it was rarely life-threatening. The only exceptions were the elderly and the infirm, and young babies and infants. They needed extra care so she was particularly concerned when one young teenage mum brought in her three-month-old son.

‘How long has Charlie been like this, Melanie?’ she asked, studying the poor little mite. Little Charlie’s lips looked extremely dry and when she gently opened his mouth and checked, his tongue was dry to the touch too, worrying signs in a child this young.

‘Since yesterday lunchtime. He was sick after he’d had his bottle and kept being sick all afternoon long. He also had the most horrible nappies,’ Melanie added, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

Rachel stifled a sigh. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that she lacked experience and hadn’t realised just how urgent the situation was. ‘Has Charlie had anything to drink since then, cool boiled water, for instance?’

‘No. The health visitor told me to give him some the other week, but he doesn’t like it,’ Melanie explained. ‘He prefers his milk.’

‘I see.’ Rachel gently pressed her index finger against the baby’s arm and was unsurprised to find that his skin was lacking in elasticity. Charlie was exhibiting all the classic signs of being severely dehydrated and he needed urgent treatment. Picking up the phone, she dialled the emergency services and requested an ambulance, briefly outlining the problem to the operator when she was connected. Melanie looked at her in dismay after Rachel hung up.

‘An ambulance! But surely Charlie isn’t so ill that he needs to go to the hospital?’

‘I’m afraid he is, Melanie,’ Rachel replied quietly. ‘He’s extremely dehydrated and it’s very dangerous in a baby this young. He needs to be rehydrated as quickly as possible so he’ll be put on an intravenous drip when you reach the hospital.’

‘But I thought you’d just give me some medicine to stop him being sick,’ Melanie wailed, tears pouring down her face.

‘I wish it was that simple.’ Rachel struggled to her feet and hobbled around the desk. She placed a comforting arm around the young mother’s shoulders. ‘The doctor at the hospital will also do a blood test to check Charlie’s fluid and salt levels. Once an infant becomes severely dehydrated, it’s essential to ensure that the right balance is maintained.’

‘I wish I’d known all this before,’ Melanie sniffed. ‘I’d have brought Charlie in to see you last night if I’d thought he was in any danger.’

‘Do you have anyone to help you with him?’ Rachel asked and Melanie shook her head.

‘No. I was brought up in care. I don’t know where my parents are—they never came to visit me while I was in the children’s home. And as for Charlie’s dad, well, he didn’t want to know when I told him I was pregnant.’

‘I see.’ It was an all too familiar tale and Rachel’s heart went out to her. She had been so fortunate to have her parents there to help her through the first difficult years following Ross’s birth, she thought.

There wasn’t time to dwell on it then, however. The ambulance had arrived so she saw Melanie and baby Charlie out to Reception then went back to her room. However, as she worked through her list, Rachel decided that something needed to be done to help other young mums like Melanie. If they had somewhere they could go for advice it could prevent another situation like this from occurring.

She decided to mention it to Matt and see what he thought about the idea. If they put their heads together, she was confident that they could come up with some sort of a plan. A smile curved her mouth. It may mean extra work for her but working with Matt was always a pleasure and never a chore.

Matt went straight to Rachel’s room after his last patient left. He had found himself clock-watching, willing the time to pass so he could check up on her. She was sitting at her desk, her head bowed as she jotted down some notes on a pad.

Matt felt a rush of heat erupt in the centre of his chest. She had no idea he was there so he could study her at his leisure and he made the most of the opportunity. Her hair was a riot of rich chestnut curls as it tumbled around her face. It looked so silky and so soft that once again he was struck by the urge to touch it. Then there was her skin, so smooth and satiny that he ached to touch that too. Everything about her was appealing, seductive, and he couldn’t understand why he had never realised it before. Had he been walking around with his eyes closed for the past few years? Or had he been afraid to notice how beautiful she was because of what it could mean? By admitting that he was attracted to her, it meant that he was getting over Claire.

The thought shook him. He had never considered the idea that he had been deliberately clinging on to the past but it was true. He had been afraid to let it go when he had been scared of what the future held. Until Claire had died his life had been mapped out and mapped out in a way he had wanted it to be. He’d had a job he loved, a child he adored and a happy marriage. However, Claire’s untimely death had changed everything. He had been cast adrift, his future sent spinning out of his control, and the only way he had been able to cope had been through clinging onto what he’d had—especially his love for Claire.

Deep down he knew it wasn’t enough any longer. He needed more than just his memories. But having more meant taking risks and he couldn’t imagine placing himself in the position of getting hurt. Even supposing he found someone else to love, did he have the courage to risk his heart again?

Thoughts tumbled around his head and Matt realised that he needed time to deal with his inner turmoil. He quietly backed out of the room but just as that moment Rachel looked up and saw him. Her face broke into a smile and his heart clenched in fear. Even now it might be too late. He already felt far more for Rachel than he should have done.

‘Ah, just the person I wanted to see.’ Rachel smiled at Matt across the desk, her mind still busy with the plans she had made for the new teenage pregnancy advisory service she was hoping to set up. She glanced at her notes again and nodded. Yes, it was do-able. Just.

She looked up, eager to share her ideas with him, and frowned when she realised that he hadn’t moved an inch. He was still standing in the doorway, looking to all intents and purposes as though he wished he was anywhere but there. What on earth was wrong with him?

‘Are you all right, Matt?’ she began, but he didn’t let her finish.

‘I’m sorry, Rachel, but I can’t stop right now. I’ve an urgent call to go to. I’ll catch up with you later. OK?’

‘I…um…yes, of course,’ she murmured, although he couldn’t possibly have heard her seeing as he had already left.

Rachel grimaced as she struggled to her feet. It must be something really important if Matt couldn’t spare even a couple of minutes to talk to her. She gathered up her case notes and made her way to the office. Carol leapt up from her desk when she saw Rachel coming in and rushed over to the door.

‘You should have buzzed me,’ the receptionist admonished her. ‘I’d have come and got those notes off you. Here, sit yourself down and take the weight off that knee.’

‘Thanks.’ Rachel gratefully subsided onto a chair. ‘I never realised before just how long that corridor is,’ she joked, easing her leg onto a handy cardboard box full of stationery.

‘And it’ll feel even longer by the end of the day,’ Carol retorted, taking the cushion off her chair and placing it under Rachel’s swollen knee. ‘You should be at home, resting, instead of galloping around this place.’

‘I’m not sure galloping is the right way to describe it. More like a hop, skip and hobble. All I need is a parrot on my shoulder and I could double for Long John Silver!’

Carol laughed. ‘At least you can see the funny side, that’s something.’

‘That’s probably all,’ Rachel replied pithily. She looked round when Ross poked his head round the door, putting up her hand when she saw his expression change as he spotted her injured leg. She had managed to avoid telling him what had happened by going straight to her room when she had arrived that morning. However, there was no way she could avoid it any longer. ‘There’s no need to panic, darling. I just slipped and bumped my knee getting out of the car last night. It looks far worse than it is.’

‘Why on earth didn’t you phone me, Mum?’ He came into the room and crouched down in front of her, shaking his head when he saw the bruising. ‘I’d have come straight round.’

‘I know you would but I didn’t want to bother you. Anyway, there was no need for you to come haring round,’ she added, deliberately distorting the truth a little. The last thing Ross needed at the moment was to have to worry about her. ‘Matt sorted me out. He even came round to make breakfast for me this morning
and
drove me to work.’

‘Oh, right. I see. Well, that was good of him but you still should have phoned me and let me know.’

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief when Ross accepted her explanation at face value. He wasn’t to know that she had struggled on by herself the previous night, neither did she intend him to know. She smiled at him, her heart aching when she saw the shadows in his eyes. There was no doubt at all that recent events had taken their toll on him, despite his attempts to carry on as normal. ‘I feel suitably rebuked. I’m sorry, darling.’

‘I’ll let you off this time so long as it doesn’t happen again,’ he told her with mock severity, and she laughed. He gave her a peck on the cheek and straightened up. ‘Have you got that list of calls ready, Carol?’ he asked, turning to the receptionist.

‘Here it is. There’s nothing urgent. Most folk seem to be suffering from that wretched tummy bug.’

Carol handed over the list of house calls that needed doing along with a printout of the relevant case notes, and Rachel frowned. Nothing urgent? But what about the call that Matt had gone rushing off to? She waited until Ross had left before broaching the subject.

‘Matt mentioned something about an urgent call. Who’s he gone to see?’

‘Matt?’ Carol looked blankly at her. ‘Sorry, I don’t know what you mean. Ross is on call today, not Matt, and there’s been nothing urgent, as I said.’

‘My mistake. I must have got the wrong end of the stick. Blame it on the painkillers.’

Rachel passed it off although she couldn’t help feeling puzzled. Matt had been very clear about being called out, so what on earth was going on? If he needed to go somewhere then why not say so…? Unless it had had something to do with Heather and he hadn’t wanted her to know.

Rachel sighed sadly. She had never known Matt to prevaricate before and it was upsetting to know that he felt he needed to do so now. She must make it clear to him that she had no intention of taking sides when it came to their respective children. She certainly didn’t want it to have a detrimental effect on their relationship—whatever that relationship was nowadays.

Once again the uncertainty caused a rush of panic. Mere days ago she had been happy to call Matt her friend but friend wasn’t enough any longer, neither was colleague. Matt seemed to have assumed a new role in her life, one that demanded a great deal of her attention, too.

How did he view her? she wondered, harking back to the question that had troubled her the previous night. Was she still just the same person he had worked with all these years or did he now see her differently too?

One part of her preferred the security of thinking that nothing had changed so far as Matt was concerned while another part knew that it had. The trouble was that she had no idea if it made the situation easier or more complicated. It all depended on
how
Matt felt about her and only time would tell her that.

Matt drove round for almost an hour before he went back to the surgery. By then his initial panic had subsided and had been replaced by a definite feeling of embarrassment. What on earth had he been thinking, rushing off like that after only the flimsiest excuse? he thought grimly as he parked his car. Rachel only needed to check with Carol and she would soon discover that there’d been no emergency and then he would have some explaining to do.

His mouth compressed as he pushed open the surgery door and went inside. He wasn’t used to making a fool of himself and he didn’t enjoy the experience. From now on he had to stop acting like an idiot and behave like the rational and responsible person he was.

‘Matt, hi!’

Rachel’s voice brought him to an abrupt halt. He turned slowly around, steeling himself for the questions and the answers as well. How the hell was he going to explain his abrupt departure if she asked him outright where he had been? He may have resorted to a small white lie before but he couldn’t lie to her again. He would have to tell her the truth, yet the truth was so terrifying that he didn’t dare to imagine her reaction. Could he really see himself confessing that he was attracted to her and that was why he had made such a rapid exit?

‘If you have a few minutes to spare any time this afternoon, can we get together? There’s something I want to discuss with you.’

She hobbled unsteadily over to the desk and Matt immediately forgot about himself as he grasped hold of her arm. ‘You need to sit down and rest that leg. Come on, let’s get you back to your room before you do yourself any further damage.’

He held onto her arm as they made their way along the corridor. Rachel sank down onto her chair with a groan of relief that spoke volumes and he shook his head. ‘You need to slow down, Rachel, instead of rushing about the place.’

‘If only I could rush.’

She smiled up at him, her eyes filled with amusement and just the tiniest smidgen of concern. Matt knew without a word being exchanged that she had found out that he hadn’t been to see a patient, only she was too polite to say so. The thought made him feel guiltier than ever as he sat down on the edge of the desk.