Dear Reader

      I always knew that the third book in my Dalverston Weddings series would be the most difficult to write. Not only did I feel a very special bond with Ben and Zoë, so wanted to do them justice, but I was aware that I was going to give them an extremely tough time.

      When best man Ben Nicholls discovers that his ex- girlfriend Zoë Frost is to attend the wedding, he is stunned. He has spent the past two years trying to forget about her, yet as soon as he sees her again all the old feelings resurface. When Zoë agrees to spend one last night with him, Ben is certain that it will help him to draw a line under the past.

      When Zoë tells Ben a few months later that he is to be a father, he is both shocked and elated. However, it isn’t the only thing that Zoë needs to tell him. There is something else—something that rocks his world. All Ben knows is that he intends to be there for Zoë and their baby, no matter what happens.

      Helping Ben and Zoë deal with such life-changing issues was a challenge. I cried with them during the tough times and laughed with them during the good—it was a real emotional roller coaster. I hope you enjoy this book, and that you will feel at the end of it, as I did, that this couple truly deserve a lifetime of happiness together.

      Best wishes

       Jennifer

      THE DOCTOR’S BABY BOMBSHELL

      BY

      JENNIFER TAYLOR

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For The Wedding Party: Vicky and Jamie,

      Kathy, Carl, Pauline, John, Nigel, Neil, Mark, Mel.

      And last but never least, Bill.

      Thank you all for an unforgettable day.

      CHAPTER ONE

       December

      SHE shouldn’t have come. It was all very well thinking that she was ready to face Ben while there were hundreds of miles separating them, but now that she was here, she was no longer as confident. Could she really see Ben again, talk to him, and not allow her resolve to weaken?

      Zoë Frost could feel her stomach churning with nerves as the taxi drew up outside the hotel. When she had received the invitation to Ross and Heather’s wedding, she had dismissed the idea of attending. After all, when she had left Dalverston two years ago, she had sworn she would never go back. Nevertheless, as the weeks had passed, bringing the day ever closer, she had felt increasingly torn.

      There were very few people to whom she was close. It had been her decision not to form attachments, neither romantic ones nor those of friendship. In her experience people invariably let you down and it was easier to keep your distance. However, Ross and Heather had proved themselves to be true friends. They had always been there for her and had never taken offence when she had brushed them off, as she’d so frequently done in the past. How could she not attend their wedding given those facts? Maybe it would be hard to see Ben again, but she owed it to them to be there when they got married.

      ‘This is your hotel, miss.’

      Zoë jumped when the taxi driver reminded her that he was waiting for her to alight. Hunting in her black leather bag, she drew out her purse and paid him, fumbling a little as she added a generous tip to the fare. She’d been living in Paris for the past two years and her brain hadn’t caught up with the change of currency on the short flight back to England.

      A porter came out of the hotel to collect her luggage and she tipped him as well, smiling wryly as she realised how used she’d grown to dealing with such matters. The time she’d spent in Paris had changed her, smoothed away the rough edges. On the outside at least she was no longer the gauche, inexperienced girl from the care home, but a woman who had learned how to blend in with the highest levels of society. The thought was a welcome boost to her confidence.

      Zoë checked in and went upstairs to her room. It was a beautiful room but then she had made a point of booking one with a view over the countryside. Although she loved Paris, she had missed all this, missed the space, the light, the majesty of the hills that towered over the town. Opening the window, she breathed deeply, letting the cold December air flow into her lungs. Coming back to Dalverston was like coming home, she thought, then quickly dismissed the idea. It was too dangerous to think like that, too emotive, and if there was one thing she needed more than anything today it was to keep control of her emotions. She wouldn’t be able to cope when she saw Ben if she didn’t.

      Once again Zoë felt the stirring of doubt but she brushed it aside. Opening her case, she took out the chic honey-gold wool suit she had chosen to wear for the occasion. There was an ivory silk blouse to go with it plus a pair of wickedly high-heeled shoes that added several inches to her not-inconsiderable height. The outfit had cost a small fortune but it would be worth it if it helped her project the right image, that of a woman in control. How she felt inside was her business. She didn’t intend to let anyone know how nervous she felt. She shot a glance at the clock on the bedside table and felt her heart surge. In just under an hour’s time she would see Ben.

      Ben parked his car in the hotel’s car park. Opening the door of the sleek little convertible, he eased his legs out from under the wheel, sighing when he saw the mud that was caked on the knees of his jeans. He really should have changed before he’d come here. Normally, he would have done so, but he wasn’t firing on all cylinders today and was it any wonder?

      When he’d seen Zoë’s name on that guest list Ross had given him that morning, he’d had the devil of a job hiding his shock. He had never expected her to attend the wedding even though he knew that Heather and Ross were