The Rebel of Penhally Bay. Caroline Anderson

but I’m more than happy to fit you in at lunchtime—or if Gabriel’s not working late so he can get home for the dog, I can do it then if you don’t mind giving me a lift home?’

      ‘Of course not—but lunchtime’s fine if it suits you best. It’s just my ankle.’

      ‘Not your hand and arm?’

      He hesitated, glancing down at it and wondering if it was so damned obvious to everyone.

      ‘I noticed you don’t use it,’ she said gently, ‘and you don’t use your shoulder much, either, but it’s not obvious, Sam. It’s myjob—I ought to be able to tell. But it doesn’t matter now. Just come and we’ll go through it all then, see what I need to do for you. Say—one tomorrow?’

      He gave her a fleeting smile. ‘That would be great.’

      ‘Can’t you keep away, Sam?’

      He straightened up and stepped back out of Lauren’s doorway, and met the older man’s eyes. ‘Hi, Nick.’

      ‘So, have you changed your mind? I sincerely hope so. We’re so damned busy it’s ridiculous. Dragan’s out today because the baby was ill and Melinda’s had a foul cold and he thinks he’s going down with it, too, just to add insult to injury, and everyone in Penhally seems to have realised it’s coming up to the spring bank holiday weekend so they’re trying to get in quick, and I’m desperately trying to find time to organise the lifeboat barbeque for Saturday. So if you want a job…?’

      ‘Organising the barbeque?’ he asked, surprised, but Nick gave a short laugh.

      ‘No, you don’t get off that lightly—the locum job.’

      He sighed and rammed a hand through his hair. ‘Nick, I—’

      ‘Please?’

      ‘I’m out of touch.’

      ‘Rubbish. What the hell do you think you’ve been doing in Africa?’

      He laughed. ‘Taking out an appendix under local? Trying to rehydrate a tiny child with boiled river water with some salt flung in it? Lancing an abscess the size of a football? Not juggling someone’s drugs to get the best result from their blood-pressure medication, or advising some spoilt middle-aged woman to drink more water, get off her backside and take some exercise if she wants to get rid of her constipation, that’s for sure! Hell, Nick, I can’t do this any more.’

      ‘Of course you can. Compared to Africa it’ll be a walk in the park.’

      He shook his head. ‘I don’t want this, Nick. Don’t ask me, please.’

      ‘Why not? It’s a great practice, and if you wanted to come back permanently, with Lucy gone I’m sure we can find a slot for you here.’ His voice changed, becoming deeper, huskier, and he looked exhausted. ‘We’re desperate, Sam. We’ve been struggling without Lucy for weeks, keeping the job open for her because we couldn’t get a locum, but now—well, we need to advertise the post and that takes time, and frankly we’re all at the end of our rope. We need you.’

      Them and everyone else, it seemed. He sighed again and turned away, but there was nowhere to go, because Jamie was running wild and his mother was in hospital and needed him for weeks, if not months, and he couldn’t just sit on his backside and watch the world go to hell while he twiddled his thumbs, it just wasn’t in his nature. But…

      ‘The people here don’t want me, Nick. I was a nightmare.’

      ‘You were a boy. You’re a man now. And people forget.’

      ‘Not in Penhally, they don’t. They’re all bloody elephants.’

      Nick chuckled, but his face was still hopeful and he could feel the staff behind the reception desk all holding their breath for his reply.

      He shook his head slowly, feeling the ground crumbling beneath his feet. ‘OK. I’ll help you out—but just the odd day here and there. Nothing drastic. And don’t go getting ideas about me coming back in a full-time, permanent post or anything like that, because it just won’t happen.’

      Nick smiled, slapped him on the shoulder and led him over to Reception. ‘Of course not. Hazel, sign him up for locum duty, please. And start booking him in for as much as you can talk him into. I haven’t had a day off in four weeks and I’m tired. He can cover Dragan’s surgeries tomorrow. Oh, and schedule a practice meeting for the morning—I’ll introduce you to everyone, Sam. I’m sure they’ll all be delighted you’ve agreed to join us.’