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

He gasped when he realised it was Alison Myers he was picturing. Why on earth had he conjured her up as his ideal woman? Because she was pretty and kind, and ticked all the other boxes on his list?
    He dragged a T-shirt over his head and grabbed his jacket. He must be in a worse state than he’d realised if he wasdredging up such rubbish. There was no chance of him and Alison becoming an item. No chance at all.
     
    Monday morning rolled around and Alison found herself rushing to get ready. Mornings were always hectic, what with Sam needing to be taken to nursery and her having to get to work on time. As soon as Sam had finished his breakfast, she popped on his coat and walked him to the nursery. There were a lot of parents there, most of them in cars, too, and she kept tight hold of Sam’s hand as they crossed the road. She had just reached the pavement when a car pulled up beside her and Jack got out.
    ‘Hi. It’s chaos, isn’t it? Is it always like this?’ he asked, opening the rear door.
    ‘Mornings are usually very busy,’ Alison agreed as she paused. She cleared her throat when she heard how husky her voice sounded, but the sight of Jack bundled up in a navy ski jacket with his dark hair all mussed seemed to have stolen her breath. ‘What time did you get back from the hospital on Saturday?’ she said, striving for normality.
    ‘Just after seven.’ He lifted Freddie out of the car and smiled at her. ‘How about you?’
    ‘Oh, I was back home by four.’ She started walking towards the nursery gates, unsure whether she should wait for Jack, but he solved the problem by catching up with her.
    ‘At least it wasn’t too late.’ He glanced at the other parents and grimaced. ‘What’s the routine? Do you take the kids straight into their class rooms?’
    ‘Yes. They have to be signed in first, though, so that the staff know they’re here.’ Alison led the way through the main door then glanced back. ‘Has Freddie been to nursery before?’
    ‘Yes. He was enrolled at a nursery school in London, so I’m hoping that will help him settle down here. If he getsback into some sort of familiar routine, it might make him feel more secure.’
    ‘Don’t be surprised if he’s upset when it’s time for you to leave him,’ Alison warned him. ‘Sam used to be really clingy—although he soon got over it,’ she added when she saw the worry on Jack’s face.
    ‘Freddie isn’t so much clingy as terrified.’ Jack sighed as he ran his hand over his son’s dark curls. ‘I don’t think he cares one way or the other if I’m around, to be honest, but he’s scared of being left in strange places.’
    ‘Have you spoken to the staff about his problems?’ Alison asked quietly so none of the other parents could overhear.
    ‘Yes. I’ve had several long conversations with Mrs Galloway, who owns the nursery. She promised to alert the staff to the problem and I’m hoping she’s done so.’
    ‘Christine won’t have for got ten,’ Alison assured him. ‘She’s completely devoted to the children. That’s why this school has such a wonderful reputation—and why there’s a waiting list for places, too.’
    ‘Really?’ Jack frowned. ‘I hadn’t realised that. I mean, I had no problems about getting Freddie a place here.’
    ‘I think your father had a word with Christine,’ Alison explained, then wondered if she should have mentioned it when Jack frowned.
    There was no time to say anything else. They had reached the head of the queue and she busied herself signing Sam in. She took him to the cloakroom and helped him hang his coat on his hook—the one with the bright green frog on it—then took him into the playroom.
    ‘I’ll see you at lunchtime, sweet heart,’ she said, giving him a hug.
    ‘Bye, Mummy,’ he replied dutifully, before he raced away to join his friends. Alison smiled as she headed to the door. There was no sign of clinginess now, thank heavens!
    Jack was talking to Trish Atkins, who