glanced down at the watch on her wrist. ‘I shall have to get a move on. Will you be here when I get back? Can I rely on you?’
He gave her a narrowed stare and she had the impression that he didn’t like being questioned that way. He made as if to say something, but then he must have thought better of it because he simply waved a hand in a gesture of acceptance, urging her to go ahead.
‘I’ll be here,’ he said.
Louise set off at a brisk pace and within a few short minutes she was back at the hospital. ‘Is it all right if I take one of these wheelchairs?’ she asked the senior registrar in charge of the adult A&E unit. ‘I’ll bring it back in less than half an hour.’
‘Go ahead,’ the registrar told her. ‘Are you okay? Is there a problem?’
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ she told him. ‘Thanks, Taylor.’
When she arrived back at the park, James was pacing across the grass in front of the oak tree. Joseph was sitting where she had left him, and he looked more weary than ever, as though his fighting spirit had gone. She wondered if he was even aware of them being around.
‘Has something happened?’ she asked.
Perhaps itwas more of an accusing stare than a questioning glance that she directed towards James, because he stopped pacing long enough to give her a startled look.
‘No, nothing. What did you think might have gone on? I’m not exactly sure what opinion you have of me, but I do care for my grandfather, very much so.’
She didn’t respond, and he tacked on, ‘I think he must have some kind of chest infection, and I’ll probably have to call the doctor out to him once we get home. The trouble is, he can be quite determined once he’s made up his mind about something, and I don’t think it would have been worth the stress that would have followed if I had tried to take him to the hospital.’
‘Well, I have the wheelchair and a blanket, so we should be able to get him back to your car easily enough now.’ She started to walk towards Joseph, adding, ‘As to the rest of what you said, I just have a problem with somebody who lets his work take priority over family responsibilities. I can’t fathom what could be so important that it can’t wait until you’re back in the office. No matter what you said, I was actually relieved to come back and find that you were still here.’
James was already starting to help his grandfather into the wheelchair. He settled the blanket around him, his movements gentle and solicitous, but there was a hint of tension in the fixed shape of his mouth.
‘Some calls can’t be ignored,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Perhaps you don’t have anything of importance going on in your life, or you would have some understanding of that.’
Her green eyes flashed a warning. ‘I wouldn’t go there if I were you,’ she said, her voice ominously quiet.
Joseph stirred and looked from one to the other. ‘Have I missed something?’ he asked. ‘You two are not arguing, are you?’
James laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘No, Grandad. Everything’s fine.’
‘Good, good,’ Joseph managed. ‘I’m sorry to be so much trouble to everyone.’
‘You mustn’t think that way,’ James said. ‘Hold tight, now. I’m just going to wheel you over to the car and we’ll get you home where you’ll be more comfortable.’
Joseph nodded, and looked up at Louise as she walked beside the chair. ‘I’ve so enjoyed coming out to the park.’
She gave him a smile. ‘And you should do it more often when you’re feeling better,’ she said.
She directed her attention towards James. ‘You should remember that people like to get out into the fresh air from time to time, especially the elderly, who might be fed up of being cooped up in their little bungalows, or staring at the walls of their tiny flats day after day.’
She might have expected that James would throw her a terse reply. After all, she was having a quiet dig at him, ramming home the impact of his neglect of his grandfather, but she was surprised to see a faintly amused smile playing over his lips.
She was also startled by how just the hint of a curve to his mouth could affect the way he looked. It dawned on her that he was simply breathtaking, totally masculine in a way that would make any girl’s heart begin to flutter. She braced herself, shoring up her defences.
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ he said, his grey glance moving over her in an appraising fashion.
She thought he might enlarge on that statement, but he remained silent after that and it was her turn to be puzzled.
By now, they had reached James’s car. It was a sleek silver Mercedes, gleaming in the light of the sun, and she guessed that the inside was every bit as opulent as it appeared on the outside. His dedication to his work had obviously paid off.
What he lacked in family feeling, he obviously made up for in his business acumen.
James helped his grandfather into the car and settled him in his seat. Then he turned to Louise and asked, ‘Might I give you a lift anywhere? I could always fold up the wheelchair and put it in the boot.’
She shook her head. ‘No, thank you. I have to be getting back to work and it’s only five minutes walk away from here.’
She leaned down to take a last look at Joseph. ‘You take care,’ she told him. ‘And make sure that your grandson looks after you properly.’
‘I will. Thank you for everything, Louise.’
She stepped away from the car, allowing James to close the passenger door.
‘I should add my thanks too,’ he said. ‘It was good of you to stay with my grandfather and take care of him. We’re in your debt.’
‘I was glad to help.’
He inclined his head a fraction towards her and then moved around to the driver’s side and slid in behind the wheel. He raised a hand in acknowledgement before starting the engine.
Louise watched as he drove smoothly away out through the park gates, and it was only when she had lost sight of them that she let out a faint sigh. She hoped that Joseph would be all right.
Then she glanced once more at her watch and realised that her lunch break was over. Her shoulders slumped. She hadn’t even got around to eating her sandwiches.
CHAPTER TWO
‘I WASN’T expecting to find you still here, Louise,’ Alice said, coming over to the central desk and putting packages in the box that was to go to the laboratory for testing. ‘Don’t you have somewhere else to be?’
‘Yes, a management meeting.’ Louise grimaced before adding her signature to her own set of laboratory forms. ‘I just wanted to finish off a few things before I go—tidy up the loose ends, so to speak.’
Alice laughed. ‘I’ll translate that to mean that you’re playing for time and trying to avoid the issue.’
Louise
