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      Ross felt his heart surge into his throat when he saw the figure lying on the ground. Gemma looked so still, so lifeless, that he was afraid to move.

      Then all of a sudden he was running towards her, slipping and sliding in his haste to reach her. He felt her breath on his skin. She was alive, and that was a miracle in itself.

      ‘Gemma, can you hear me? Sweetheart, it’s Ross. Can you open your eyes?’

      There was no response at first, and then her lids slowly rose a fraction. ‘Ross? How did you find me?’ she whispered. She bit her lip and he saw her eyes fill with tears. ‘I didn’t think anyone would even notice I was missing, let alone come and look for me.’

      ‘I noticed you were missing.’ He smiled at her, uncaring what she might see in his eyes at that moment. He’d been through hell, and just to have her here, safe and sound, was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

      He kissed her lightly on the forehead, hoping she understood what he was trying to say. Maybe it was too soon to tell her how he felt, but there was no point denying it. The thought that he might have lost her today was more than he could bear. Now all he had to do was convince her that it was her he loved…

      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 M&B 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 heart-warming 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:

      MARRYING THE RUNAWAY BRIDE*

      THE SURGEON’S FATHERHOOD SURPRISE†

      THEIR LITTLE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

      *Dalverston Weddings

      †Brides of Penhally Bay

       Dear Reader

      This is the second book in my Dalverston Weddings series, and it tells the bridegroom’s story. The book begins the morning after Ross has learned that his wedding will no longer be taking place. Naturally, Ross is stunned by what has happened but, if he is honest, he is also relieved. Deep down he knows that he was getting married for the wrong reasons—although convincing his friends and family that he isn’t about to fall apart seems like an impossible task! The only person he can talk to is bridesmaid and practice nurse Gemma Craven. As the days pass Ross finds himself increasingly drawn to Gemma, but is he in danger of making another mistake? Can he really be falling in love with Gemma so soon?

      Both Ross and Gemma have a lot of issues to work through before they can find true happiness, and it was a fascinating process bringing them together. I really enjoyed their story and hope you do too. The next book in the series features the best man, Ben Nicholls, who makes a brief appearance in this book, too. It’s one of the joys of writing a series like this—you really get to know your characters. I shall miss them all when the last book has been written.

      If you would like to learn more about the background to this series then do visit my website: www.jennifer-taylor.com

      Happy reading!

      Love

       Jennifer

      THE GP’s MEANT-TO-BE BRIDE

      BY

      JENNIFER TAYLOR

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      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

      TODAY should have been his wedding day.

      Ross Mackenzie sighed as he stared out of the bedroom window. Dawn was starting to break now, the first pale streaks of wintry light sliding over the top of the surrounding hills. He hadn’t slept. He’d lain awake all night long, working out the best way to proceed. There were a lot of things he needed to do that morning. First and foremost on the list he would have to tell his mother that the wedding wouldn’t be taking place. He wasn’t looking forward to breaking the news to her because she was bound to be upset, but he would try to do it as gently as possible.

      Next he would have to inform all the guests that the wedding had been called off. Some were travelling quite a distance so he would have to phone them as early as possible. Then there was the vicar—he would need to be informed, and the cars and the flowers would have to be cancelled, as well as the reception. The list seemed endless but Ross knew that he would work his way through it in his usual meticulous fashion. If he was honest, it wasn’t the practicalities that worried him, but how he felt. Surely he should feel more than this sense of relief that Heather had decided not to marry him?

      He swung round, impatient with himself. He should be glad that he wasn’t standing here, feeling as though the world had caved in around him! Walking through to the en suite bathroom, he turned on the shower. Once he was dressed, he would set everything in motion. Granted, it would cause a stir once word got out and he wasn’t looking forward to being the focus of so much gossip. However, he wasn’t going to let it deter him. He would deal with what had happened the same way he dealt with everything else—calmly and rationally.

      He grimaced as he stepped under the hot water because he knew that his reaction wasn’t normal. He was merely burying his feelings so he didn’t have to face up to them. Losing Heather should have been the worst thing that had ever happened to him, but he couldn’t pretend that he felt devastated by her decision. Thinking back, perhaps he’d sensed for a while that there’d been something missing from their relationship, but he had dismissed his fears as a last-minute attack of nerves. Now he was glad that Heather had saved them both from making a terrible mistake, although it was going to be difficult to convince everyone else that was how he felt.

      His friends and family would think he was putting on a brave face if he told them the truth and that would make the situation worse. He was already in line for a lot of well-meaning sympathy and he didn’t intend to portray himself as the victim when he was sure that Heather had done the right thing. It might be easier if he didn’t say too much and simply let people believe what they liked.

      Ross felt a little easier once he had decided how to proceed. As soon as he was dressed, he went downstairs and made himself a pot of coffee. He telephoned his mother while it was brewing, but there was no reply. She’d told him that she was going to have her hair done that morning and he

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