‘I don’t know.’ She stared at her hands as if she hadn’t actually given the subject any thought until that moment. ‘I thought I might read a few books, go for walks…’
Oliver remembered her footwear and resolved to check the way she was dressed before she went for a walk. The mountain rescue team spent an inordinate amount of time rescuing people who’d ventured into the hills in unsuitable foot gear.
‘I’ll take you for walks,’ he promised. ‘I’ll show you the area. When we’re not working.’
She coloured slightly. ‘But—’
‘I’ll do you a deal.’ His gaze was steady on hers. ‘You help me out of my crisis and work in my practice and I’ll show you the Lake District. I guarantee that by the time I finish you won’t want to set foot in grimy, traffic-clogged London again.’
She smiled and he could tell she was wavering. ‘I don’t know anything about working in a rural practice.’
Oliver shrugged. ‘It’s exactly the same as working in any other practice. People still get sick with the same things and have the same problems as they do in London. Our practice nurse runs an asthma clinic once a week and does the immunisations with the health visitors. All the usual sorts of things. And if you have any worries you can always come to me.’
‘What about your partners?’ She bit her lip. ‘Wouldn’t they want to interview me or something?’
Oliver shook his head. ‘I have two partners—Ally Nicholson, she’s the wife of Sean, one of the A and E consultants. They were both at the wedding. And then there’s Hugh Bannister. He’s great, too. Once I tell them how brilliant you are, Ally and Hugh would just be grateful to you for helping out.’
She sat silent for a moment and he could see that she was weighing up the pros and cons.
‘I haven’t brought a uniform with me.’
‘I’ll call Ellie,’ Oliver said immediately. ‘You two must be about the same size and
she won’t be using hers for a few months. It will be fine.’
Helen looked at him, clearly unsure what to say now that final excuse had been dealt with.
‘All right,’ she said finally, ‘if you’re sure you want me.’
Oh, he definitely wanted her. In his practice and in his bed, preferably every day for the rest of his life.
Reminding himself that he had to take it one step at a time, Oliver pushed her sandwich towards her.
‘Great. When you’ve finished breakfast, get some warm clothes on. There are some patients I want to see.’
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE still couldn’t quite believe that she’d agreed to this.
She’d fled to the Lake District expecting to spend a month licking her wounds alone in Bryony’s little cottage.
But so far, apart from her long sleep, she hadn’t had five minutes alone.
And now she was going to be working in a full-time job and Oliver was living in the cottage with her so there was absolutely no way she was going to be able to find the privacy to brood.
Oh, well, maybe that was a good thing, Helen thought as she climbed into the four-wheel drive next to Oliver. After all, brooding wasn’t going to change anything. Brooding wasn’t going to bring David back.
She glanced across at Oliver, suddenly very conscious of his hard, powerful brand of masculinity. If she had to find one word to describe him, it would be ‘strong.’ Everything about Oliver was strong. He was the sort of man who could handle anything. The sort of man that everyone would turn to in a crisis.
Including her.
And if he’d been eye-catching in the formality of a dinner jacket, he was even more handsome in casual clothes.
A pair of ancient jeans clung to the solid muscle of his thighs and a thick jacket emphasised the breadth of his shoulders.
Suddenly wondering why she was noticing the way Oliver looked, Helen fumbled with her seat-belt. It was just because he was such a dependable person, she told herself. And she was feeling vulnerable.
‘Are you OK?’ He smiled at her. ‘Boots OK?”