Free Their Baby Surprise by Jennifer Taylor Page B

venture, making sure that it would be worth all the extra work involved. She had rather sprung it on him and maybe she should have given him more time to weigh it all up.
    ‘Look, Matt, if you have any reservations about this proposal of mine, please, say so. I know how stretched we are and offering a new service like this is bound to stretch us even more.’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t want to cause problems for everyone, believe me.’
    ‘You aren’t. As we agreed earlier it could end up saving us a lot of time. Add in the very real benefits to both the mums and their babies and it has to be a good idea. No, I can honestly say that I don’t have any reservations at all. It’s an excellent idea.’
    ‘Oh, right. Good. I’m glad you feel like that.’
    There was no doubt in her mind that he meant what he said and Rachel let the subject drop. They passed through the town centre and headed towards the outskirts of the town. Matt drew up at the side of the road when they reached the lane where she lived and turned to her.
    ‘I know you’ll think I’m fussing, Rachel, but are you sure you can manage tonight with that knee? I’d hate to think of you taking a tumble down those stairs of yours.’
    ‘I won’t,’ Rachel replied, swivelling sideways so she could look at him. Her breath caught when she saw the concern in his eyes but she refused to allow herself to get carried away. Matt was just being his usual kind and thoughtful self. She held up her hand as though swearing an oath. ‘I promise on my honour that I shall be extra careful what I do. Does that set your mind at rest?’
    ‘A bit, but I’d feel better if you would stay at my house tonight.’ He hurried on, obviously keen to forestall any objections she might make. ‘And before you say anything, you won’t be putting me out. Just the opposite, in fact. You’ll be doing me a favour.’
    ‘A favour?’ she repeated numbly, struggling to get her head round the idea.
    ‘Mmm. I won’t get a wink of sleep if I’m worrying about you falling down those wretched stairs.’ He smiled at her, a smile of such tenderness that her heart immediately melted. Could he have looked at her that way if he didn’t genuinely care? she wondered giddily. The thought was so mind-blowing that it was hard to concentrate when he continued.
    ‘You can have the bedroom in the annexe. It’s en suite so there’s no stairs to negotiate if you need to use the loo during the night. There’s even a little fold-down seat in the shower which should make life easier for you, shouldn’t it?’
    ‘I…er…I suppose so,’ Rachel murmured, hoping to gain herself a little time. She groaned because even if she’d had a couple of hours to decide, it wouldn’t have made the decision any easier. It wasn’t the safety factor she was worried about, or at least not where it concerned her knee. It was the thought of spending the night under Matt’s roof that was giving her hot and cold chills. That was far more dangerous.
    ‘It’s the ideal place for you to stay while your knee heals. You’ll be able to potter about and not do yourself any more damage.’ He leant over and squeezed her hand. ‘Say you’ll stay, Rachel, even if it’s only for tonight. Please. Just for me.’

    ‘There’s clean sheets on the bed and fresh towels in the bathroom. Heather often invited one of her friends to stay over so the place is always ready for guests.’
    Matt stepped aside so that Rachel could see into the small but functional bathroom. Everywhere gleamed brightly, the black and white tiles sparkling in the light, and she nodded, battening down the urge to laugh. Matt was acting like a hotelier, pointing out the room’s good points, and she was acting like a guest. How ridiculous was that?
    She went back into the bedroom, taking stock of the quilted throw on the king-sized bed, the comfy chair positioned next to the dressing table. It was an attractive room and she knew she would be