‘Yes but I’d like to think they investigate the complaints and, if they do, he’ll know it’s me.’

‘Maybe that’s why he’s called you in today, then, to tell you what he thinks of you.’

Mum laughed at my shocked expression. ‘I’m joking. I expect that, in the absence of a spouse, he just wants to find out how you think I’m coping with things.’

‘Julie Browne?’ the receptionist called. ‘You can go through.’

Mum stood up and shuffled down the corridor. She was having what she now called a ‘slow day’ rather than a ‘bad day’. She knocked on a door and pushed it open. I followed her in, closing the door behind me as she sat down, already feeling prickly about facing that idiot, Dr Steadman.

‘Morning,’ he said. I turned round with a fake smile plastered on my face. But it wasn’t him. It was…

‘Sam!’ I looked from him to Mum and back to him again. ‘What are you doing here?’ My heart raced as I stared at him. He looked amazing. He’d had his hair cut and there was colour in his usually pale cheeks. And, of course, he was wearing a delectable suit.

He smiled and those gorgeous blue eyes twinkled. ‘It turns out that there’ve been several complaints about Dr Steadman and, when my brother, Jack, mentioned to the Head of Department that I might be interested in having my old job back, he was straight on the phone to me, asking how quickly I could return.’

‘Did my complaints get Dr Steadman sacked?’ I hadn’t liked him, but I didn’t like the idea of being responsible for someone losing their job.

‘Don’t worry. You were one of many.’

‘So you’re back in Whitsborough Bay? For good?’

His smile widened. ‘For good. London wasn’t for me. I guess old habits die hard because I ran away. Again. But for the last time.’ He held my gaze while fireworks exploded in my tummy, then he turned to Mum. ‘So, Julie, how’s it going? I’ve been looking through your notes and I see that Dr Steadman did sort out that MRI scan but nothing came up on it so…’

I couldn’t focus on what he was saying to Mum. I just sat and stared at him with what I’m sure was a stupid grin on my face. He’d come back. For me? I hoped so. He asked Mum lots of questions, and she told him lots of things, but I have no idea what either of them said. My mind was in a whirl. Sam was here. In Whitsborough Bay. For good.

The consultation had obviously finished because Mum had stood up and was pulling her coat on and thanking Sam for his time. It was over?