The Doctor's Baby Bombshell. Jennifer Taylor

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СКАЧАТЬ tiny smile twitched the corners of her beautiful mouth. ‘I’m glad to hear it. It would seem a little extreme.’

      Her eyes rose to his and his breath caught when he saw the warmth they held. It had been so long since Zoë had looked at him this way. In the last painful weeks of their relationship all they’d done was argue. There’d been no warmth then, no fun, no closeness, just a determination on both sides to get their own way. All of a sudden Ben regretted how he’d behaved, regretted pushing her to accept how he’d felt. No wonder she had run away when he’d put her under so much pressure. Maybe he had loved her desperately but he should have tried to win her round in a different way.

      Regrets tumbled around inside his head but it was too late for them now. At least he and Zoë were on speaking terms and that was something. ‘I ended up getting called out to an incident at the canal,’ he explained, hoping to solder their fragile truce. If there was one thing that Zoë truly cared about it was work— his job, her job, anything to do with medicine. ‘In fact, Ross went along as well, and the rest of the guys from the surgery. That accounts for my current less than sartorial look. It was extremely mucky down there.’

      ‘Good heavens!’ Zoë leant forward and he could see the interest in her eyes. ‘It must have been a major incident if Ambulance Control drafted in so many extra people.’

      ‘It was, although normally the rapid response unit would have had it covered,’ he explained, responding to her enthusiasm. One of the best things about their relationship had been the fact that they’d shared a love of emergency medicine. They’d spent a lot of their time discussing the cases they’d seen, although now that he thought about it, Ben wondered if it was normal for a couple to spend so much time talking about work. Had it been a way to paper over the cracks in their relationship, perhaps?

      ‘Why weren’t they able to deal with it today?’ Zoë asked curiously.

      Ben pushed the thought aside. In truth, it shouldn’t have bothered him and the fact that it did had him hurrying on. ‘Most of the emergency response vehicles are out of commission at the moment. There’s a problem with the fuel supply, apparently. That’s why the surgery was contacted, and how Ross and I ended up helping out. It certainly wasn’t what we had planned for today.’

      ‘No, of course not.’ Zoë sighed. ‘Poor Ross, he must be devastated. And Heather too. She couldn’t have taken such a decision lightly.’

      ‘I don’t imagine so,’ Ben concurred, wondering if he should explain that Ross hadn’t appeared to be that cut up about what had happened. In the end, he decided not to say anything. People responded differently and who was he to judge?

      ‘What’s happening about the guests?’ Zoë frowned as she looked around the foyer. ‘I expect a lot of them are staying here. Do they all know that the wedding has been called off?’

      ‘I did my best to let everyone know, but I wasn’t all that successful, unfortunately.’ He saw the question in her eyes and continued. ‘Ross gave me the guest list and asked if I’d do the honours. I got in touch with as many people as I could, but some had already left home by the time I phoned. Ross has arranged for the vicar to meet any who slipped through the net when they turn up at the church.’

      ‘What a mess!’ Zoë exclaimed. ‘It’s going to cause a real stir, isn’t it? I’d hate to be in Ross’s or Heather’s shoes for the next few weeks.’

      ‘It won’t hit Heather as hard. She’s gone to London— caught the train last night, I believe. At least she’ll be spared a lot of the flak.’

      ‘I see.’ Zoë gave a little sigh and then stood up. ‘Well, thanks for letting me know what’s happened, Ben. It’s a real shame, but if it wasn’t going to work, it’s probably best that Heather called things off.’

      ‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Ben agreed, feeling something akin to panic grip him. Was that it? Was Zoë going to bid him goodbye and leave? There was nothing to keep her here now, nothing and no one.

      That thought stung more than it should have done and it annoyed him too. He was over Zoë and he refused to let her influence his life in any way, shape or form. He stood up as well, a polite little smile curving his mouth, a smile that was guaranteed to convince her that he was well and truly over her. ‘When are you flying back to Paris?’

      ‘Tomorrow lunchtime.’ She glanced at her watch and grimaced. ‘I’ve got hours to kill now, unless I can re-book onto an earlier flight.’

      ‘Sounds like a lot of hassle to me,’ he said lightly. ‘Why don’t you stick to your original plan and enjoy a day here instead?’

      ‘Doing what?’ She glanced down at the elegant suit that clung to every delicious curve of her body. ‘I didn’t exactly come equipped for a weekend in the country.’

      ‘I could lend you some stuff.’ He managed a couldn’t-careless smile when she looked at him, although he was as surprised as she was that he’d made the suggestion. ‘All you need is a pair of jeans, a sweater and a jacket,’ he continued because there was no way he could stop now he’d begun. ‘And you’re ready for anything.’

      ‘Such as what?’ she demanded with a touch of challenge in her voice.

      ‘Oh, I don’t know…how about a hike up into the hills to get some fresh air?’

      He glanced out of the window, using the moment to gather his thoughts. He hadn’t planned on spending any time with Zoë while she was here, but wouldn’t it prove, once and for all, that he was over her? Ever since he’d seen her name on that guest list he’d felt uneasy and he hated feeling that he wasn’t in control. Zoë had hurt him badly, destroyed his faith in love and commitment, all the givens he’d once believed in. He may appear the same old Ben on the outside, always up for some fun and ready to enjoy a joke, but inside he was a completely different person.

      He no longer believed that love could conquer any obstacle. He no longer believed that two people were meant to be together. When Zoë had left him, turned her back on him and his love, she had destroyed all those certainties he had taken for granted. He would never love anyone the way he had loved Zoë. He would never allow himself to love that deeply again.

      ‘It is a gorgeous day,’ she said wistfully, and he glanced back at her.

      ‘Is that a yes, then?’

      ‘I don’t know.’ Her gaze lifted to his and he saw her mentally raise the barriers. ‘I didn’t plan on spending any time with you, Ben.’

      ‘I’m sure you didn’t.’ He ignored the jibe, didn’t even flinch when the arrow pierced his skin. He knew how she felt, that she didn’t want him and never would. Zoë didn’t do commitment. She didn’t do love and marriage and happy-ever-after, and he had accepted that. However, this time with her could be just what he needed to lay the past to rest.

      ‘I didn’t plan on spending time with you either, Zoë, but neither of us could have foretold what was going to happen. Why don’t we make the best of a bad job?’

      His tone was calm and it seemed to work. He saw her relax and carried on, inwardly smiling. He had women falling at his feet, women eager to spend days—and nights!—with him but he didn’t want any of them at the moment. He wanted these few hours with Zoë to prove he could cope without her.

      ‘We’re both at a loose end this afternoon СКАЧАТЬ