The Surgeon's Fatherhood Surprise by Jennifer Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

great working with you.’ He moved away from the table, then stopped when he heard everyone applauding. Glancing back, he shook his head. ‘What’s that for?’
    ‘Well, we definitely don’t want you getting too big for your boots,’ Mel informed him tartly, ‘but I think we all agree that was an excellent performance, don’t we, folks?’
    Jack chuckled when everyone chorused their agreement. ‘I don’t know what to say, guys.’
    ‘How about “the drinks are on me”?’ Dave, the theatre orderly, chirped up.
    Jack grimaced. ‘Nothing would give me greater pleasure,but I’ll have to take a rain-check for now. I’ve left my sister baby sit ting my little boy and I need to get back before chaos breaks out. Can we make it next week? I promise I’ll get myself organised by then,’ he said, crossing his fingers behind his back.
    He left Theatre and headed to the changing room, wondering if he would be able to keep his promise. He was loath to leave Freddie, apart from when he had to go to work, and he wasn’t sure if it would be right to take an hour or so off to get to know his new colleagues better.
    He sighed as he stepped into the shower. Adapting to life as a single father took some getting used to, but he would manage. He had to. He definitely wasn’t going to let Freddie down, no matter what sacrifices he had to make. If he had no social life, so what? He’d done more than his share of partying and he was happy to leave all that behind him now. Basically, there was nothing he needed apart from Freddie and his work.
    Scooping a handful of soap out of the dispenser, Jack lathered his chest, then paused. There was one issue he hadn’t considered—mainly because it had never been an issue before. He had never had a serious relationship with a woman. Even his relationship with India had been a casual affair. But what if he met someone and fell in love with her—how would he juggle that with being a dad? If it was hard to get away for a quick drink with his colleagues, how would he find the time to spend with her? And, on the flip side, how would she feel about the fact that he had a readymade family?
    Jack frowned as he rinsed off the lather. He couldn’t answer any of those questions. It was a case of having to wait and see what happened. He wasn’t even sure what had put the idea into his head in the first place. After all, it wasn’t as though he had spent much time thinking about the womanhe would eventually marry. He’d been far too busy working and enjoying himself. But now he found himself giving it serious thought.
    What would she be like, this woman who pressed all the right buttons? He had always fancied sultry, elegant brunettes in the past, but for some reason he found it difficult to summon up a picture of his ideal woman. Perhaps he should start with her character rather than her looks, he decided. He wanted someone who was intelligent and kind, someone who would share his interests but have interests of her own as well. He definitely didn’t want a woman who hung onto his every word—that would be too boring!
    He grabbed a towel off the rack, wrapped it around his waist and stepped out of the cubicle. So he wanted a woman with a mind of her own, who was independent enough to have her own opinions and yet not be at odds with him over really important issues. She would have to be understanding, too, because his job was so demanding that it took up a lot of his time and he would hate it if it caused friction between them. She would also have to like children, and he would need to be sure that she would accept Freddie as her own.
    That just about summed up her personality so maybe he would have better luck with the matter of her appearance?
    Jack tossed the wet towel into the hamper and started to get dressed. Underwear, jeans, T-shirt… He paused. A picture was forming in his mind’s eye and he frowned as he tried to bring it into focus—soft fair hair, hazel eyes, a curvy figure…