The Surgeon's Fatherhood Surprise by Jennifer Taylor Page A

kneeling on the floor, playing with the boys. She laughed when Sam crashed his toy car into a tower of plastic blocks and sent them skittering across the floor, but Jack didn’t join in. The blood was pounding inside his head again, and pounding through other parts of his body as well. Maybe the lack of sex was a contributing factor, but it was hard to believe it was the only reason he felt this way. What if it was Alison who was making him feel like this? What if he was falling in love with her?
    A couple of months ago Jack would have scoffed at the idea of him falling in love, but he would have scoffed at the idea of him being a father, too. As he had discovered to his cost, life didn’t follow a plan—it kept throwing up obstacles,and the trick was not to trip over them. He had avoided love in the past, but who said he could continue doing so?
    The only guaranteed way he could avoid falling in love with Alison was to move away, and he couldn’t do that because of Freddie. Freddie needed stability in his life; he needed people around him whom he could learn to trust. Jack couldn’t uproot the child again. He had to stay here, and if that meant dealing with his feelings, that was what he would do. Freddie’s needs would always come first.
     
    ‘That’s cheating!’
    Alison grabbed hold of Sam and tickled him until he squealed with laughter. Glancing up, she felt her heart lurch when she saw Jack watching them. She had no idea what he was thinking at that moment, but he looked desperately unhappy. She gave Sam a final hug and stood up.
    ‘How about you and Freddie doing some drawing for a change? If you clear away the cars, I’ll find you some paper.’ She headed to the door, nodding her thanks when Jack moved out of her way. ‘I’ll just get them settled down and then put some coffee on.’
    ‘That would be great. Thanks.’
    He gave her a quick smile, but she could see how strained he looked and it worried her. Jack was one of the most confident people she’d ever met, so why did he appear so ill at ease all of a sudden?
    Alison mulled it over as she went into the kitchen for some paper and the felt-tipped pens. She had no idea why Jack was so on edge. She certainly couldn’t think of anything she’d done to make him feel that way. In the end she decided that she was imagining things, so she got the boys settled and went to make the coffee.
    Jack was slumped on the sofa when she got back. Helooked so worn out that her heart ached for him. He glanced round when he heard her come into the room and smiled.
    ‘I was just about to nod off,’ he explained, sitting up. He moved the coffee-table closer to the sofa, then took the tray from her.
    ‘Power naps are the latest craze, I believe,’ Alison told him lightly, kneeling down on the rug so she could pour the coffee.
    ‘Power naps, eh? I must remember that if I’m caught on the hop in work,’ he said, his blue eyes filling with laughter. ‘It sounds much more professional than admitting that you’re having forty winks!’
    Alison chuckled. ‘It certainly does. I believe all the City bankers are using the phrase to explain why they’re asleep at their desks.’
    ‘I don’t blame them. If I had to spend my days poring over a lot of dusty old figures, I’d probably be taking power naps, too.’
    The muscles in his arm flexed as he reached for the sugar, and she felt her heart bounce up and down a couple of times. She hurriedly stood up, refusing to allow herself too much leeway where Jack was concerned. Picking up her cup, she took it over to the chair and sat down, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet beneath her. Jack murmured contentedly as he sipped some of his coffee, then leant back against the cushions.
    ‘I think I’m just about coming back down to earth. It was a really busy night.’
    ‘I believe Ryan Lovelace was one of the kids who were injured?’ Alison said, cradling her cup in her hands.
    ‘That’s right. Apparently he went