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Oh, dear God, not that. Not now.
‘Try and calm down, Sam,’ she said, her voice shaking slightly as she soothed him. ‘I’m just going to give you your puffer.’
‘What’s the problem?’ Joel glanced into the rear-view mirror, his sharp eyes immediately taking in the situation as he looked at the boy. ‘He’s asthmatic?’
‘Yes.’ Lucy rummaged frantically in her bag for his inhaler, digging through loose pieces of paper, her purse, a hairbrush and assorted toys that had crept inside. ‘I can’t believe I’ve done this to him.’
‘I’ll pull over.’
Joel stopped the car, released his seat belt and twisted round so that he could take a look at the child.
Finally Lucy found the puffer buried deep in her bag and handed it to Sam with shaking hands.
‘I’m OK, Mum,’ the little boy mumbled, and Lucy was aware that Joel was watching the child carefully, counting his respirations and trying to judge just how serious it was.
‘We’ll get him back to the flat and check his peak flow,’ he said quietly, and she nodded, relieved that Joel was there.
It had only taken a short acquaintance for her to realise what an exceptionally talented doctor he was. If Sam needed help then she was confident that Joel could give it.
‘Is he coming, too?’ Sam looked at Joel suspiciously as he started the engine again.
‘Dr Whittaker is going to give us a lift home and then check your breathing,’ Lucy explained, leaning forward to give Joel directions to her flat.
‘I know where you live,’
he said quietly, and in no time at all they arrived at the new development that had been built near the harbour.
Lucy stepped out of the car and looked at him gratefully. ‘Thank you.’
She didn’t dare think about what would have happened if he hadn’t helped her.
‘Let’s get him upstairs.’
She bit her lip, knowing that she shouldn’t be leaning on this man.
She didn’t want to lean on anyone ever again.
‘I—’
He must have read her mind because suddenly his eyes were very gentle. ‘I’m a doctor, remember? I’ll check him over for you and then I’ll leave you in peace, OK?’
She nodded slowly, knowing that she couldn’t refuse. Knowing that she wouldn’t rest unless he’d taken a look at Sam for her. Since she’d arrived in Cornwall she hadn’t even had time to register with a GP. She’d thought Sam’s asthma was pretty much under control, but after today…
Joel locked the car and strode with her towards the entrance of the apartments.
‘I was forgetting that you know your way round here,’ she said, following him to the lift. ‘But your parents own it, so of course you do.’
‘And it so happens that I live on the top floor,’ he said quietly, reaching out a hand to press the button.
He lived here?
Just one floor above her?
She glanced at him, startled, but there was nothing threatening about his expression, just a kindness and a strength that unsettled her even more.
‘This is you, I believe.’ He held the lift door open and she dug in her coat pocket for the keys to her flat.
Every time she opened the door she counted her blessings.
