The Son that Changed his Life

The Son that Changed his Life
Jennifer Taylor

So unexpected…and so precious… When GP Benedict Legrange’s struggle with cancer reaffirmed that nothing was permanent, he felt he had no choice but to leave pregnant Emily Jackson: how could Ben offer security as a partner and father when his own fragile life was hanging in the balance?But returning to Bride’s Bay, and meeting Emily again and his adorable little son for the very first time, makes Ben realise how much he has to live for…Bride’s Bay Surgery Juggling medicine with motherhood leaves little time for romance. But for three single mums Bride’s Bay has a magic that lives up to its name.

‘Theo, this is Ben. Come and say hello, darling.’

Emily urged the little boy to his feet, holding his hand as she led him across the room. Ben crouched down, guessing it would be less intimidating for Theo if they were on eye level.

‘Hello, Theo. It’s nice to meet you,’ he said softly. He held out the package he’d brought. ‘This is for you.’

Theo stared at the parcel for a moment, then slowly reached out and took it from him. Kneeling down, he stripped off the paper, exclaiming in delight when he saw the bright red car that Ben had bought for him. Within moments he had the box open and was busily running it across the floor.

Emily laughed. ‘You couldn’t have bought him anything better. He adores cars.’

‘Good. I’ll make a note of that,’ Ben said lightly, trying not to let her see how moved he was by his first proper encounter with his son.

‘I’ll carry on getting the supper,’ Emily told him gently, and he could tell that she understood how he felt. He sighed. Nobody had ever been able to read him as well as Emily could.

It was something Ben knew he needed to bear in mind. He couldn’t afford to do anything that might upset her. He had to concentrate on being a good father to Theo because that was all Emily wanted him to be: her son’s father, not her lover. Would he be able to handle the change in their relationship? he wondered. In the past three years he had convinced himself that he was over her, that any feelings he’d had for her were dead. It had been easier that way, less painful. However, as he watched her leave the room, he felt his heart lurch.

Dear Reader,

I realised when I was planning this series that I was going to give Ben and Emily a really hard time, but I was confident that they were strong enough to overcome even the biggest obstacle a couple can face.

Discovering that Ben had cancer when he was younger comes as a huge shock to Emily. For the past three years she has tried to come to terms with the way he treated her, and now she has to revise her opinion of him. She realises that she still loves him and is thrilled when Ben admits that he loves her too, but having cancer has made Ben afraid to make a commitment. Although he longs to be with Emily and their son, he refuses to take the risk of hurting them.

Helping Ben and Emily overcome their fears and find a happy ending was a joy. Although their lives have been affected by cancer, it isn’t a dark or depressing story—far from it. Their love for one another shines through and you just know that no matter what the future holds, they will face it together. I just hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Best wishes,

Jennifer

About the Author

JENNIFER TAYLOR lives in the north-west of England, in a small village surrounded by some really beautiful countryside. She has written for several different Mills & Boon

series in the past, but it wasn’t until she read her first Medical Romance™ that she truly found her niche. She was so captivated by these heartwarming stories that she set out to write them herself! When she’s not writing, or doing research for her latest book, Jennifer’s hobbies include reading, gardening, travel, and chatting to friends both on and off-line. She is always delighted to hear from readers, so do visit her website at www.jennifer-taylor.com

Recent titles by the same author:

THE FAMILY WHO MADE HIM WHOLE† (#ulink_4d0c8054-8e38-5589-8fce-af8254e77fcf) GINA’S LITTLE SECRET SMALL TOWN MARRIAGE MIRACLE THE MIDWIFE’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE THE DOCTOR’S BABY BOMBSHELL* (#ulink_4d0c8054-8e38-5589-8fce-af8254e77fcf) THE GP’S MEANT-TO-BE BRIDE* (#ulink_4d0c8054-8e38-5589-8fce-af8254e77fcf) MARRYING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE* (#ulink_4d0c8054-8e38-5589-8fce-af8254e77fcf) THE SURGEON’S FATHERHOOD SURPRISE** (#ulink_4d0c8054-8e38-5589-8fce-af8254e77fcf)

† (#ulink_4471e557-f644-5d8c-87e9-8fce36a313a0)Bride’s Bay Surgery* (#ulink_4471e557-f644-5d8c-87e9-8fce36a313a0)Dalverston Weddings** (#ulink_4471e557-f644-5d8c-87e9-8fce36a313a0)Brides of Penhally Bay

These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Son

that Changed

his Life

Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

CHAPTER ONE

HE HAD driven all night, wanting to avoid the worst of the bank holiday traffic. Now as he pulled up at the side of the road to watch the sun rise over the headland, Benedict Legrange could feel his doubts surfacing again. What did he hope to achieve by coming here? He knew the truth better than anyone did, so why waste his time? He wasn’t the child’s father. He couldn’t be. The drugs he’d been given may have saved his life but they had left him infertile. He could never father a child and he hadn’t fathered Emily’s child, despite her claims to the contrary. So why put himself through all the heartache of seeing her again?

Ben sighed as he rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes. It was one thing to know he was behaving foolishly but something entirely different to stop himself doing so. Ever since his good friend Tom Bradbury had mentioned Emily, he had felt all churned up inside. It was almost three years since they’d had that brief affair, yet the memory of what had happened was as sharp as ever. Emily had touched him in ways no woman had ever done, affected him more deeply than he had believed possible. That was why he’d been so angry when she had told him she was expecting his child. He had known it was a lie and it had hurt—a lot!—to realise that she would try to deceive him.

A ray of golden light touched his lids and Ben opened his eyes. He breathed in deeply as he watched the sun climb above the headland. Bride’s Bay in the summer was a beautiful place to be and he was determined to enjoy his visit. He was looking forward to seeing Tom again and to meeting Hannah and her son, Charlie. He smiled. Hannah had to be really special if she’d managed to make commitment-phobic Tom turn into a family man! Obviously the love of the right woman could have far-reaching consequences.

His smile faded abruptly. That wasn’t something he had ever experienced. Emily hadn’t loved him as her subsequent actions had proved. He had been merely a convenience, the man she’d hoped to con into accepting responsibility for the child she was carrying. It might have worked too if the circumstances had been different. He wouldn’t have questioned her claims that he was the father if he hadn’t known it was impossible. What had the consultant told him after he’d had that fertility test following his treatment, that the odds on him fathering a child were several billion to one? It had been a bitter blow. He loved children and he would have loved a child of his own so very much…

He shut off the thought because it was pointless going down that route. Whoever the child’s father was, it wasn’t him!

‘Theo, no! Put that down right now… Oh!’

Emily Jackson made a grab for the carton of orange juice but she was a shade too slow. It landed on the kitchen floor, sending a wave of juice flowing across the tiles. Theo looked up at her with solemn dark brown eyes.

‘Fall, Mummy.’

‘So I can see, you little rip.’ Emily grabbed a wad of kitchen roll and wiped up the juice. ‘I know you were trying to help, darling, but you must wait for Mummy to pour your juice next time. Okay?’

‘Okay.’

Theo smiled beatifically at her as he started to eat his cereal, and Emily didn’t have the heart to berate him any further. After all what was a drop of spilled juice in the great scheme of things, she thought as she tossed the sodden paper into the bin. So long as Theo was happy and healthy she wasn’t going to make an issue of it.

She helped him finish his breakfast then took him upstairs to clean his teeth, ever conscious of the minutes ticking away. Mornings were always hectic and today she needed to be at the surgery early as she had two patients booked in for fasting cholesterol tests. As soon as Theo had finished, she hurried him out to the car, quickly strapping him into his seat before fetching his lunch bag from the kitchen. Fortunately the good weather had held and there was no need to worry about coats, which saved another precious few seconds. It was just gone seven-thirty when she backed off the path of the tiny cottage she rented on the outskirts of the town and she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d be well in time for her first appointment after she’d dropped Theo off at the nursery.

She headed into Bride’s Bay, taking the road that skirted the headland as it was the quickest route. There were already a number of cars about, no doubt tourists intent on making the most of the bank holiday weekend. She slowed down to let a top-of-the-range four-by-four turn into a narrow track leading to the cove. From the look of its paintwork the vehicle had never been off-road before and she smiled to herself as she pictured the state of the track’s rutted surface. It wouldn’t look quite so pristine after it had driven down there!

Emily rounded the bend then had to slow once again when she encountered a car parked on the grass verge. There were a couple of vehicles coming the other way so she waited for them to pass. She pulled out to overtake, automatically glancing at the car as she drew alongside. The driver had the window down and she had a clear view of him, so clear that for a moment she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Just for a second her brain seized up, the thoughts all jammed up like logs in a river: Ben. Here. Sitting in that car.

Her foot pressed down way too hard on the accelerator and she roared past, and the sound of the engine broke the spell. Emily bit her lip to stem the cry that threatened to emerge. She didn’t want to frighten Theo but she could feel it building inside her until it felt her head was ringing with it. What did Ben want? Why had he come here? Did it have anything to do with Theo and if it did, how did she feel about that?

She took a deep breath, forcing the panic to subside to a level she could deal with. She had no idea what the answers were to any of those questions but she intended to find out.

‘Have you got a minute, Tom?’

Emily summoned a smile as she popped her head round the consulting room door, but the tension that had been building inside her all morning was making her feel sick. It had been too busy to find out what Ben was doing in Bride’s Bay before now and the uncertainty had been very hard to deal with. She knew that she wouldn’t rest until she’d found out some answers.

‘Of course. I just need to type up these notes and I’ll be right with you.’

Tom Bradbury gave her a quick smile before he returned his attention to the computer screen and Emily did her best to curb her impatience. She went over to the window, concentrating on the view across the bay in the hope that it would calm her, but it didn’t work. What did Ben want? Why had he come to Bride’s Bay when it was the last place she would have expected to see him? He had made his position perfectly clear when she’d been to Paris to see him, so clear that she’d been left under no illusion that he didn’t want anything more to do with her. So why had he come here when he must have known their paths would cross?

‘Right, all done.’ Tom spun his chair round and grinned at her. ‘It’s been mad this morning, hasn’t it? I had hoped that folk would have better things to do than worry about their ailments with the bank holiday coming up, but no such luck.’