Their Baby Surprise by Jennifer Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

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