He gave Libby another injection of adrenaline. ‘Come on, sweetheart,’ he said calmly, discarding the empty syringe and smoothing Libby’s blonde hair away from her forehead with a hand that wasn’t quite steady.

As if in response to his voice, Libby’s eyes flickered open and she started to retch.

Alex let out a breath and immediately turned her on her side. ‘Good girl. You’re going to be fine. I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.’

Hearing the shake in his usually confident voice, Jenny felt her eyes fill. If she’d ever doubted that Alex was capable of love, those doubts had now gone. His love for his sister was obvious to all watching.

He looked at the paramedics, his face white. ‘I’m coming with you and we need to be prepared to intubate her. Can you call ahead and warn the unit that we’re bringing in a severe case of anaphylactic shock caused by a bee sting?’

Alex turned his attention back to Libby who seemed to be improving by the minute.

The swelling around her mouth and tongue had reduced slightly and at last she appeared to be aware of what was going on.

‘Alex—’

‘You’re going to be OK, sweetheart,’ he said hoarsely, running a hand over his rough jaw. ‘You’re going to be fine. Which is more than can be said for the rest of us. You gave us the fright of our lives. Do that to me again and I’ll bloody well kill you myself.’

But he held onto his sister’s hand tightly and there was no missing the depth of love in his eyes as he watched her closely, checking that her condition continued to improve.

He looked totally wrung out and it was hardly surprising. Handling a medical emergency on a public beach was stressful enough, without the patient being an adored sister.

Libby didn’t respond for a moment and then she tried to speak again. ‘The girls—’

‘I’ll take them,’ Jenny said quickly, placing a hand on Alex’s shoulder in a gesture of sympathy. ‘I’ll stay with them for as long as you need me to.’

At the very least she could do that. She wished she could do more. Anything to ease the tension in Alex’s shoulders.

The paramedics were back with a stretcher and Jenny stood to one side while they prepared to lift Libby.

‘I’m going to need to stay with her,’ Alex said, his eyes still on his sister, and Jenny nodded.

‘Of course. Stay as long as you need to.’

‘I’ll call Andreas from the hospital.’ He turned to her with a harassed smile. ‘I’m landing you with three children, Red Riding Hood.’

She gave a calm smile. ‘I can cope with three children.’

‘Athena is a monkey.’

‘I can cope. You just worry about Libby.’

‘I am.’ He let out a breath and then shook his head slowly. ‘Thanks, Jenny.’

‘No thanks needed,’ she whispered, but he was back beside Libby, checking her airway, talking to her, reassuring her while they carried her across the sand to the waiting helicopter.