She knew she had to get away from him before she started crying on his very broad shoulders.
As it was, she was going to have to drive like the devil to make it on time.
And she had to be on time.
Being late just wasn’t an option.
She slipped past him and sprinted towards the car park, her breath coming in jerks as panic started to swamp her.
Dear God, she was going to be late. She should never have seen that extra patient for Ros. But even as she thought it she knew that she’d have done the same thing again—how could she have left someone as upset as Penny? And if she had turned her away, would Penny have gone elsewhere for her contraception or would she just have left it? Shuddering at what that might have meant, Lucy fumbled with her keys, dropping them in her haste to open the car.
She should have kept a closer watch on the time. She should have asked someone else to chaperone Joel while he examined Penny.
But she’d built up a relationship with the girl.
Frustrated by the choices she was forced to make, she dragged the car door open, slid into the driver’s seat and jammed the key into the ignition.
Nothing happened.
Nothing at all.
The engine was dead.
‘No!’ She sobbed with frustration and panic flooded over her as she turned the key again.
The car was totally dead.
‘No, don’t do this to me! Not now.’
Her door was suddenly jerked open and Joel stuck his head in. ‘What’s up?’
‘My car’s dead.’ she turned the key again, her fingers shaking and her heart pounding frantically. ‘What am I going to do? I can’t be late. I just can’t. I need to get a taxi.’ She scrambled out of the car and tried to push Joel out of the way, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. He was six feet two of solid muscle.
‘Open the bonnet and I’ll take a look at it for you,’ he suggested calmly, and she thumped a fist against his chest to try and move him.
‘You just don’t get it, do you?’ Her eyes blazed into his, panic making her uncharacteristically impatient. ‘You have no idea what happens if I’m late.’ She gulped and tried to calm herself down. ‘I?
?ve tried so hard not to let this happen.’
‘Late where? Let what happen?’ Joel caught her shoulders in his strong hands and forced her to look at him. ‘Where are you going? Lucy—tell me what’s wrong and I’ll help you.’
He didn’t know where she was going?
Hadn’t anyone told him?
‘You want to help me?’ Her breath was coming in jerks. ‘If you really want to help, Dr Whittaker, you can call me a taxi. I need to get to the school to pick up my son.’
CHAPTER FOUR
HER son?
Joel steered Michael’s car skillfully down the side roads, taking advantage of his local knowledge to get to Harbour First School as fast as possible.
He should have guessed.
What with his whole family being so protective.
He should have guessed Lucy had a child. That was obviously what Michael had been about to tell him when Ros had disturbed them.