Which meant that he was in serious trouble because up until two weeks ago she’d been engaged to another man. Three weeks ago, he corrected himself quickly. A whole week had passed and during that time he’d become more and more convinced that David was totally the wrong guy for her.
Somehow he needed her to see that for herself.
He felt her hand tap him on the back and he stopped, turning immediately. ‘Are you all right?’
She was out of breath, her cheeks pink with exertion, and he thought he’d never seen a more gorgeous woman in his life. Her eyes sparkled and her soft lips were parted as she gasped for breath.
‘Next time I’m going walking with someone with shorter legs.’ She took a deep breath and grinned at him. ‘You are very fit.’
Oliver had a sudden urge to power her back against the nearest rock and show her just how fit he was.
Instead, he took a step backwards, just in case the temptation to touch her became too great. ‘Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.’
‘What were you thinking about?’
He shrugged. ‘Stuff…’ Her mostly. ‘I’ll slow down.’ He waved a hand at the scenery. ‘So, what do you think of our playground?’
She exhaled slowly, her eyes drifting over the hard lines of the mountains. ‘It’s really beautiful,’ she said quietly, and he felt a rush of relief.
He didn’t care that she was a townie. He didn’t care that she wasn’t fit enough to keep up with him.
But if she’d hated his mountains he would have cared.
‘So, do you want to play that game I told you about?’
She laughed and stamped her feet to keep warm. ‘What? Spot the boulder?’
He nodded and grasped her shoulders, turning her slightly. ‘We’re going to walk over there.’
‘Towards that ravine?’ She looked at him doubtfully and he smiled.
‘In the Lake District we call it a ghyll and, yes, we’re going to walk over there. But we’ll turn back before the path climbs upwards.’
‘Path?’ Helen squinted down at her feet. ‘What path?’
‘The one that’s under your feet. Come on.’ He turned and started to trudge up the mountain that was as familiar to him as his own kitchen. ‘Tell me what you see on the way. Landmarks.’
‘Lots of snow.’ She giggled and he turned and grabbed her hand, totally unable to resist at least a small degree of physical contact.
‘Noticing lots of snow is not going to help you find your way home if you get lost, city girl.’ He waited for her to remove her hand and when she didn’t, a warm feeling settled inside him. ‘How about this rock?’
She was still laughing. ‘OK, I’ve seen it. Hello, rock.’
Oliver was laughing, too, and his grip on her hand tightened. ‘Something makes me think you’re not taking this entirely seriously.’
‘I’m not going to get lost,’ she said simply. ‘I’m with you.’
Oliver caught his breath and wondered why it was that fate had chosen to present him with the right woman at the wrong time.
Not that it was the wrong time for him, of course. He was more than ready to settle down but Helen was so blinded by her recent trauma that there was no way she would be ready to consider a new relationship so soon.
Consoling himself with the thought that time was on his side, he kept hold of her hand and they walked steadily uphill. The more she told him about David, the more obvious it was to him that she hadn’t been in love with the guy. She’d drifte
d into the engagement because that had been what everyone had expected.
Given time and distance from her family, he was sure that she’d eventually come to realise that for herself.
It had finally stopped snowing and the sun was shining, and they didn’t pass another person.