Read Online Their Baby Surprise by Jennifer Taylor - Free Book Online

their patients. It was one of the things she had always admired about him, his willingness to listen and learn, but there again there were so many other things to admire that it was hard to select just one from the whole delicious package.
    She cleared her throat, aware how easily her mind could run off at a tangent if she let it. ‘There may be funding available too. I’ll need to check on that. But if we could get some sort of a grant, we could buy in extra help as and when it’s needed—a midwife to speak to the mums before they give birth, maybe a health visitor or even one of the more experienced mothers to offer practical day-to-day advice—that type of thing. I know some of those services are available already but I get the impression that the younger mums in particular don’t feel there is enough help on offer to them.’
    ‘I get the same impression. In fact, one of my patients mentioned only the other day that all the new mums get nowadays by way of guidance are three one-hour sessions before their babies are born. They’re supposed to cover everything during that time from the birth right through to the end of the baby’s first year.’
    ‘Is that all?’ Rachel exclaimed. ‘It definitely isn’t enough, especially not for the very young mums like Melanie. They need a lot more support than that to prepare them for motherhood.’
    ‘They do. I imagine you’re particularly keen to help them because of your own experiences,’ Matt suggested quietly.
    ‘You’re right, I am. I know what it’s like to feel out of your depth, even though I was one of the lucky ones and had my parents to help me.’
    ‘Then if you feel so strongly about it, Rachel, we’ll see about setting it up as soon as possible.’ He glanced at his watch and grimaced. ‘Now I’m afraid I’ll have to cut and run. It’s my turn for the antenatal clinic so maybe we can continue this discussion later. There’s still a lot of ground we need to cover.’
    Rachel checked her desk diary and shook her head. ‘I won’t be able to fit it in today, I’m afraid. I’ve got the anti-smoking clinic this afternoon so I’ll be tied up until evening surgery begins. That clinic always seems to run over time for some reason.’
    ‘How about tonight, then?’ Matt stood up to leave. ‘If we hope to secure sufficient funding for this scheme to go ahead, we need to work the costs into next year’s budget. The figures are due in at the end of January so we’ll have to get a move on.’
    ‘If you’re sure you don’t mind,’ she began hesitantly, not wanting him to suspect how much the idea appealed to her. Spending another evening with him was something she hadn’t anticipated and her heart was kicking up a storm at the prospect.
    ‘Of course I don’t mind.’ He gave her a quick grin. ‘Let’s do it the civilised way and talk it all through over dinner.’
    ‘That would be lovely,’ she agreed, and he nodded.
    ‘Good. It’s a date.’
    He straight left after that but it was a couple of minutes before Rachel followed him from the room. It had been a turn of phrase, that was all, she told herself firmly as she made her way to the meeting room where the anti-smoking clinic was being held. It certainly wasn’t a date and she had to get that idea right out of her head. They were just two colleagues who planned on having dinner together while they discussed work-related issues. Yet even though she understood that she couldn’t help wishing that he had invited her out for a very different reason. To know that Matt wanted to spend some time with her would have meant a great deal.

    The afternoon flew past and before Matt knew it, it was time for evening surgery. He saw his first half dozen patients without encountering any major problems. Most people had come with the usual complaints that were the mainstay of any busy general practice—coughs and colds, ear infections and aching joints. He treated everyone the same, taking the time to