The Nurse's Wedding Rescue (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 2)

‘So what happened?’

Bryony bit her lip. ‘I can’t tell you.’

Oliver’s jaw tightened. ‘For crying out loud, Bry!’

Bryony sighed, obviously battling with her conscience. ‘Well, I don’t think she wants people to know. It was one of the reasons she came up here—to get away from the gossip and speculation. I can’t tell you details but she’s had a bad time. She’s wounded—and you’re good with everything wounded. When we were children you were always the one who dragged injured animals home. And you usually managed to heal them. You lost your two front teeth fighting with that boy who bullied me at school. Keep an eye on her, Oliver. I don’t like the idea of her being on her own.’

‘Neither do I.’ Oliver’s blue eyes glittered slightly. ‘And you’ve let her have your damn cottage, which is in the middle of nowhere.’

‘Well, what could I do?’ Bryony looked at him helplessly, torn between worry and the desire to defend her decision. ‘She had nowhere else to go, Olly.’

Why? Oliver wondered grimly. Why didn’t she have anywhere else to go?

‘I’ll keep an eye on her,’ he said finally, leaning forward to kiss his sister’s cheek. ‘You enjoy your honeymoon.’

Bryony chewed her lip. ‘She’s lovely, Oliver. Really gentle and kind. She didn’t deserve—’ She broke off and Oliver gritted his teeth.

‘Didn’t deserve what? Honestly, Bry, I could strangle you sometimes.’

‘Keep your hands off my wife,’ Jack said mildly, strolling up and sliding an arm around Bryony’s shoulders. ‘Is he bullying you?’

‘No,’ Bryony said softly, ignoring her husband, ‘we’re talking about Helen. Oliver’s going to keep an eye on her.’

‘Well, the sooner he starts, the better,’ Jack said. ‘I saw her vanishing to the ladies’ hours ago. Just before your speech. Nearly dived for the toilet myself, in fact—didn’t know what you might say.’

‘The thing about living in a small community is that everyone already knows all your secrets. It ruins all the surprises.’ Oliver grinned and strolled off, leaving the two of them together. There was no sign of Helen anywhere and in the end he gave a little shrug and pushed open the door of the ladies’ cloakroom with his usual casual self-assurance.

Perhaps she was still in there.

Helen heard the door to the ladies’ open and froze. Then she reminded herself that whoever it was just wanted to renew her make-up and return to the reception as soon as possible.

She sat silent, locked in the privacy of one of the cubicles, waiting to hear the door close again, leaving her in peace.

‘Helen?’

The distinctly masculine voice startled her and she stared at the door in horror.

Oh, God, someone had come looking for her!

That was the last thing she wanted. She didn’t want to have to face anyone or make small talk.

She didn’t want to have to pretend that everything in her life was OK.

‘Helen, I know you’re in there and if you don’t open this door in the next ten seconds I’m going to bust it open so you’d better stand back.’

Helen closed her eyes.

It was the best man. She recognised his voice. The one with the laughing blue eyes and the broad shoulders. The one who’d told a series of anecdotes that had had the entire room in fits of laughter.

‘Helen? Please—I know you’re hurting but I want you to open this door and talk to me.’

The gentleness in his voice was too much and she felt tears threaten.

No! She wasn’t going to cry!

And she certainly didn’t want sympathy. Sympathy would be the final straw.

‘Please, go away.’ Her voice sounded stiff and frozen and for a moment she thought he probably hadn’t heard her, then she heard a soft masculine curse.