Helen waited until Anna had left the room and then went to find Oliver.
‘She basically doesn’t seem to use her inhalers at all,’ she told him, ‘because she’s so busy hiding them.’
‘So how do we get around that?’
Helen smiled. ‘We show her she’s going to have a much better life if she isn’t breathless.’
Oliver’s eyes narrowed. ‘You think that will work?’
‘It’s worth a try. Oh, and, Dr Hunter—’ Helen turned with her hand on his door, her eyes twinkling ‘—you probably ought to know that Anna thinks you’re seriously cool.’
Oliver grinned and folded his arms across his chest. ‘I am seriously cool, Nurse Forrester. Have you only just discovered that?’
Helen laughed and went back to her own consulting room, suddenly glad that she’d agreed to take the job.
She hadn’t had time to think about David all morning.
By the end of the week Helen had decided that it was more a question of finding time to eat than remembering.
She was extremely busy, and with such a range of problems that she was constantly challenged.
But, as good as his word, Oliver had given her the four-wheel drive, together with a quick driving lesson, and in her lunch breaks she explored the local area, by car and on foot.
And by the end of the week she’d found a wonderful block of flats which she thought might appeal to Hilda.
‘There’s a warden,’ she told Oliver that night over dinner, ‘but she’d be as independent as she wanted to be. And although the view over the lake is amazing, she’s still only two minutes’ walk from town.’
‘I’m not sure if she’d want to live in a flat,’ Oliver mused. ‘She lives in a house at the moment.’
‘And she’s really struggling with the stairs,’ Helen told him, recalling the conversation she’d had with Hilda earlier that week when she’d come in to have her peak flow and blood pressure checked. ‘The house has been her home all her married life and it would be easy to assume that she doesn’t want to leave it, but I think she does want to leave it.’
Oliver put down his fork and looked at her. ‘Go on.’
‘Well, she misses Barry dreadfully.’ Helen shrugged helplessly. ‘And everything about that house reminds her of him. Obviously, for some people that’s a good thing, but for Hilda I don’t think that’s the case. She doesn’t want the constant reminders. She wants to move on.’
‘You sound as though you’ve had quite a chat with her.’
Helen flushed. ‘She came in to have her blood pressure checked earlier in the week. She was the last appointment before lunch so I gave her a lift home instead of calling a taxi. She gave me lunch.’
Oliver smiled. ‘I’m glad someone is feeding you.’ He stifled a yawn. ‘I wanted to feed you myself, but it’s been a bit of a hairy week. Michelle has been discharged, by the way, and she’s doing fine. I popped in to
see her at home today. She said to say thank you and she’d love to see your strappy shoes sometime.’
Helen laughed. ‘I’ll remember to keep them in my boot so that I can show her the next time I’m passing. And, Oliver…’ Her smile faded. ‘You don’t have to feed me. I’m fine.’
He leaned back in his chair, his blue eyes narrowed as they searched her face. ‘You’re still looking tired and peaky. What you need is fresh air. This weekend I’m taking you into the mountains.’
Helen looked at him with no small degree of consternation. ‘Oliver, I’m a town person, remember?’
‘But you’ll be walking with your own personal guide,’ he reminded her, a smug expression on his handsome face. ‘I will be responsible for every step you take.’
She bit her lip, wondering if she should admit the truth to him. ‘Oliver…’
‘What?’
‘I’m afraid of heights. I mean, seriously afraid of heights.’ She broke off and braced herself for his laughter, but instead he reached across the table and slid his hand over hers. It felt warm, strong and very comforting.
‘Will you trust me to take you somewhere you won’t feel scared?’ His gaze warmed her. ‘I promise not to leave you stranded on a ledge or make you walk over anything remotely scary.’