‘Thanks. I will.’ Lewis tucked the paper into his pocket then glanced at the desk. ‘Have you got much more to do?’
‘In theory, no.’ She frowned as she picked up one of the sheets. ‘All I need to do now is sort out the drugs bill. The problem is that the figures don’t make sense. The total is way higher than it should be.’
‘You must have made an error somewhere,’ he said lightly, and she grimaced.
‘I know! But it’s finding it that’s causing the problem.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘Not to worry. I’ll get there in the end.’
‘I’m sure you will.’ He summoned a smile because it was obvious that she wasn’t going to ask him for help. ‘We’d better leave you to it, then…’
‘Daddy said he was going to help you,’ Kristy suddenly announced. She beamed up at him. ‘That’s right, isn’t it, Daddy?’
‘I…um…Yes.’ Lewis knew he’d been caught red-handed and that there was no point lying. Anyway, it wouldn’t set a good example for Kristy if she heard him telling an untruth. He squared his shoulders and looked Helen in the eye. ‘I had this crazy idea that you might be glad of some help but I can see now that I was wrong so we’ll get out of your way.’
He took hold of Kristy’s hand and turned to leave, then paused when Helen said quickly, ‘Wait!’
He glanced round, feeling his senses swim when he saw the expression on her face. He couldn’t recall seeing such a mix of emotions on anyone’s face before. She was just as confused by her feelings as he was, he realised. And it was painful to know that he was causing her all this distress.
‘I’m sorry, Helen. I shouldn’t have come. It was a silly thing to do in the circumstances.’
‘It wasn’t silly. It was very…kind.’ She stumbled over the word and hurried on. ‘I hate doing paperwork, especially budgets. Maths was never my best subject.’
‘Or mine,’ he said, forcing a smile. The fact that she hadn’t questioned what he’d meant by ‘circumstances’ told him just how aware she was of the situation. It took a supreme effort to continue when he knew how dangerous it was. ‘However, on the principle of two heads being better than one, I’m willing to give it a shot if you are.’
‘It’s kind of you to offer, but what about Kristy?’ She smiled at the little girl. ‘We don’t want you getting bored while we’re doing all these horrible sums, do we?’
‘Maybe Kristy could draw while we’re working?’ He turned to his daughter, using the small breathing space to get himself back onto some sort of even emotional level. ‘You don’t mind drawing some pictures while Helen and I work, do you, darling?’
‘Drawing’s boss,’ the child replied authoritatively.
‘Boss?’ he repeated, his brows rising as he glanced at Helen.
‘It sounds to me as though someone’s been talking to Danny Appleton,’ she said with a smile, taking a wad of clean paper off the desk.
‘Danny’s my best friend at school,’ Kristy told them importantly.
‘I thought so.’ Helen gave her some coloured highlighter pens and got her settled on the couch then sat down at her desk. Lewis pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, intrigued to know how she’d worked out who his daughter had been talking to.
‘How did you know about Danny Appleton? Kristy’s never even mentioned him to me.’
‘Aha! That would be telling, wouldn’t it?’
‘Don’t be so mean!’ He laughed when she tapped the side of her nose. ‘I’m dying to know your secret. You don’t work for MI5, do you?’
‘No, I don’t. It was a simple deduction, actually. Danny Appleton’s parents are the only people I’ve heard use that expression. His family come from Liverpool and I believe it’s widely used there.’ She grinned at him. ‘Sometimes it helps to have a bit of inside knowledge.’
‘So I can see.’ He shook his head. ‘I’ll need to have my wits about me if I hope to keep up.’
‘I don’t know about that. I might know a lot about the people in this town but it doesn’t help when it comes to these figures. It’s going to take more than inside knowledge to get this little lot sorted out.’
She shrugged off the compliment and he sighed under his breath. Obviously, she had drawn a demarcation line and wouldn’t allow him to cross over it onto what she considered personal territory. He turned his attention to the figures, knowing it would be best to stick to her rules. Anyway, there was no point trying to foster a closer relationship when nothing could come of it.
They worked for over an hour but they still couldn’t find the error. Each time they added up the figures, the total was several thousand pounds more than it should have been. Lewis groaned as he stared at the calculator.
‘I don’t know what’s going on. We should have saved almost four thousand pounds so why do we keep getting the same answer all the time?’
‘I don’t know.’ Helen looked dejected as she studied the columns of figures. ‘I think my brain has turned to mush after the number of times we’ve added this up.’
‘You need a breather,’ he said firmly, standing up. ‘How about a cup of coffee before we try again?’
‘I’d love one but what about Kristy? Isn’t it time she was in bed?’
Lewis grimaced as he checked his watch. ‘I didn’t realise it was so late.’
‘It must be past her bedtime by now and it isn’t fair to her to keep her here any longer.’ She winced as she stood up and flexed her shoulders. ‘Oh, I’m so stiff from poring over these rotten figures!’
‘Here, let me give your shoulders a rub.’ Lewis didn’t stop to think about the wisdom of what he was doing as he stepped behind her. He ran his hands over the base of her neck until he found the spot where there was the most tension and gently kneaded it.
Helen groaned as she let her head fall forward. ‘That feels so good.’
‘Does it?’ Using his thumbs, he worked the knot out of the muscles and heard her moan with pleasure. It was only a tiny sound yet it had a galvanising effect on him. All of a sudden he was overwhelmed by the feel of her skin under his fingertips. It felt so wonderfully soft and smooth that he couldn’t help wondering if the skin all over her body would feel the same. His body responded in time-honoured fashion to the thought and he shifted uncomfortably to ease the growing tightness in his groin, and heard her sigh.
‘Much as I’m enjoying this, you really must stop. Kristy needs to go home to bed and I need to get this wretched budget finished.’
Lewis hurriedly stepped back as she turned, willing his traitorous body to settle down. This was neither the time nor the place for such an exuberant response! ‘You’re right. She’s usually asleep by now so I’d better take her home. What about you, though? You’re not going to stay here much longer, are you?’
‘I’ll take the figures home and work on them there.’ She shrugged when he looked at her in concern. ‘I have to get it done tonight, Lewis. The trust is waiting for my report.’
‘Then come home with me and we’ll work on it together,’ he said impulsively, because he couldn’t bear to think of her burning the midnight oil on her own.
‘Oh, no. I couldn’t…’
‘Of course you could!’ he said with a firmness that seemed to stop her in her tracks.
‘Are you sure? I mean, there’s Kristy and…’
‘Yes, I’m sure. It will only take half an hour to get Kristy ready for bed then we can spend the rest of the evening sorting out the figures. It’s too much for you to do on your own, Helen, so I won’t take no for an answer.’
‘I would be glad of the help,’ she conceded.
‘Good.’
He had to stop himself punching the air in triumph. For Helen to admit that she needed help was the first step towards her admitting that she’d been working too hard. His heart soared at the thought, even though he wasn’t sure why it meant so much to him. He decided not to complicate the issue by thinking about it right then and smiled at her.
‘I’ll get Kristy
ready while you make sure that you have everything you need. One way or the other, that budget will be finished tonight!’
She laughed at that. ‘I might hold you to that promise! I just wish there was a budget fairy who would do it for me. I absolutely dread this time of the year because I know I’ll have to spend days wrestling with the figures.’
‘Have you never thought about hiring a practice manager?’ he suggested as he helped Kristy gather up all her drawings.
‘Not really. Ian preferred to do everything himself. He would never have thought of hiring someone to take care of the paperwork.’
‘I understand that, but you don’t have to do the same thing, do you, Helen?’ He chose his words with care. The last thing he wanted was to upset her by riding roughshod over her feelings for her late husband. The thought that she might still be in love with her husband sent a pang coursing through him and he hurried on. ‘You’re in charge of the practice now and you can make any changes you want to.’
‘I have thought about it,’ she admitted. ‘I just wasn’t sure if it would be…well, right.’
Lewis knew that he mustn’t push her. The fact that she’d admitted things might have to change was a step in the right direction and he must be satisfied with that. ‘Only you can decide that, of course. However, a lot of practices employ a manager these days. The patients benefit as well as the staff because it frees up so much time that would have to be spent less productively otherwise.’
‘It would be marvellous to have a bit more time each week,’ she said wistfully.
‘Then it might be worth considering.’
He didn’t say anything else. There was always the danger that she might decide against the idea if he pushed her, and that was the last thing he wanted. Helen collected all her paperwork then they left the surgery together. He helped Kristy into his car while Helen set the alarm. The little girl was obviously tired because she started yawning while he was fastening her seat belt.
‘We’ll be home very soon, sweetheart,’ he told her.
‘Can Helen read me a story when I’m in bed?’
‘We’ll see.’ He smiled at her then glanced round when he heard footsteps. ‘Is that it, then?’ he asked as Helen joined them. ‘You’ve got everything you need?’
‘I hope so. I certainly don’t feel like coming back here again tonight.’
Lewis managed to hide his surprise, although it was the first time he’d ever heard her admit that she was tired of being in the surgery. ‘Amen to that,’ he replied lightly, not wanting to make an issue of it. ‘I’ll see you back at the house.’
‘If you’re sure you don’t mind…?’
‘I don’t.’
He didn’t give her time to change her mind as he got into the car. He stopped at the end of the drive to check the road was clear then pulled out. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, he saw Helen stop and held his breath. It still wasn’t too late for her to reconsider…
She pulled out of the drive and followed him along the road, and he breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good! Now all he could hope was that the rest of the evening would go as smoothly. If he could help her work out those figures then he’d not only be doing her a favour but it would make him feel better, too. He couldn’t bear to think of her working so hard all the time. She deserved so much more out of life. She deserved all the things a woman should have—a home and family, a man to love her…
He gripped the steering-wheel when he realised where the thought was leading, but there was no point lying to himself. If circumstances had been different, he would have applied for the role of Helen’s partner in life as well as in work.
‘Where’s the best place to work?’
Helen took off her coat and draped it over the back of a kitchen chair. Now that they’d arrived at Lewis’s home, she was starting to wonder if it had been a good idea. Admittedly, she would welcome his help with sorting out the budget, but was it really wise to do so in the intimacy of his home?
‘How about if we stay in here?’ He helped Kristy out of her coat and hung it on a peg. ‘We need a table big enough to spread out all those papers and this is the biggest one in the house.’
‘Fine by me,’ she agreed, feeling a little easier at the thought of them working in the kitchen. There was something soothing about the idea of them sitting at the scrubbed-pine table that made her fears seem rather foolish. Opening her briefcase, she arranged the papers on the table then glanced up when Kristy came over to her.
‘Will you read me a bedtime story, please?’ the little girl asked shyly.
‘Of course, I will, darling. So long as it’s all right with your daddy, of course.’ She glanced at Lewis for confirmation and he grinned at her.
‘Of course it’s all right with me! You don’t need to ask. I’ll get her ready then give you a shout when she’s in bed, shall I?’
‘Fine,’ she agreed, trying not to let him see the effect that grin had had on her. She huffed out a sigh as he escorted Kristy from the room. She had to get a grip on herself otherwise she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the wretched figures. Acting like a love-struck teenager just because Lewis had smiled at her was absolutely ridiculous!
She found the calculator and tried adding the numbers up again but the answer was still more than it should have been. She had no idea where she’d gone wrong and only hoped that Lewis would be able to find the error. Two heads might be better than one but not if they both ended up with a headache!
‘She’s all ready so go on up. It’s the room at the back—the one overlooking the garden.’
Helen stood up when Lewis came back into the kitchen. ‘I’ll go straight up. I’ve tried adding everything up again but I’m still getting the wrong answer.’
‘I’ll check it over while you’re reading Kristy a story,’ he assured her as he plugged in the kettle. ‘I’ll put a pot of coffee on first, though, shall I?’
‘Please. I’m dying for a drink,’ she admitted.
‘Me, too. There’s nothing like paperwork to give you a thirst…’ He stopped and frowned. ‘Have you had anything to eat yet tonight?’
‘No. I was going to go out and buy myself a sandwich but I didn’t bother in the end. I was more concerned about getting this paperwork finished.’
‘You can’t work on an empty stomach! I’ll make you some supper. How about an omelette—would that do?’
‘Oh, no, really, you mustn’t go to any trouble…’
‘It’s no trouble at all.’ He treated her to another of those engaging smiles. ‘I make a really mean omelette, even if I say so myself. You’ll be missing a treat if you refuse.’
‘In that case, that would be great. Thank you,’ she murmured, hurrying out of the door. She paused in the hall while she tried to calm herself down but her heart was racing out of control again and she couldn’t understand how a smile could have this much of an effect on her. People smiled at her every day of the week but her heart didn’t normally start pounding. However, the minute Lewis smiled at her, it felt as though her entire coronary system had gone into overdrive! It was all very puzzling so she tried not to dwell on it as she made her way upstairs.
Kristy greeted her with delight when she went into her bedroom. ‘Will you read me the story about the horse?’
‘Of course I will.’ Helen went to the bookcase. ‘Which one is it?’
‘There…on the top shelf.’ Kristy pointed to the book she wanted and Helen took it off the shelf.
‘Do you want me to start from the beginning?’ she asked as she sat down on the bed.
‘Yes, please.’
Kristy snuggled up against her and Helen put her arm around her as she started to read. ‘Once upon a time there was a beautiful grey mare called Snowflake…’
She read to the end of the first chapter then smiled at the little girl as she closed the book. ‘I think that’s enough for tonight. It’s getting late and you need to go to sleep.’
‘All right.’ Kristy did
n’t argue as she lay down. ‘Will you read me some more tomorrow night, Helen?’
‘I won’t be here tomorrow night,’ she explained gently, tucking the quilt around her. ‘But I’m sure your daddy will read it to you.’
She kissed Kristy on the cheek then switched off the lamp and went downstairs. There was the most delicious smell issuing from the kitchen and she sniffed appreciatively as she went into the room. ‘Something smells good.’
‘My speciality—cheese and ham omelette.’ Lewis lifted a fluffy golden omelette out of the pan and placed it on a plate. He carried it over to the table, bowing as he pulled out a chair for her. ‘Voilà! Supper is served, madame.’
‘Thank you, Chef.’ Helen laughed as she sat down. Picking up the knife and fork he’d laid out for her, she cut off a piece of the omelette and popped it into her mouth. ‘Oh, this is delicious! How on earth did you get it so light? Whenever I make an omelette, it’s really stodgy.’
‘Ah, that’s a trade secret.’ He winked at her as he sat down. And I promised on my honour that I would never divulge it to anyone.’
‘Far be if from me to make you break your promise,’ she said lightly, determinedly battening down her heart when it immediately responded to the gentle teasing. She concentrated instead on the food, sighing with pleasure when she put down her knife and fork after she’d finished. ‘Well, trade secret or not, that has to be the best omelette I’ve ever eaten.’
‘And so it should be. The guy who told me how to make the perfect omelette was a chef at the Savoy so he knew what he was talking about.’
‘Oh, I see. I am impressed. But how come he told you the secret?’ she asked curiously as he cleared away her plate.
‘Because I operated on him when he had cancer of the colon.’ He picked up the coffee-pot and brought it over to the table. ‘Fortunately, the operation was a complete success so he thanked me the best way he knew—by explaining how to make the perfect omelette.’
‘What a lovely gesture!’ she exclaimed, then sighed. ‘It must have been very difficult for you to have to give up such a successful career.’
‘I expected it to be harder than it actually was.’ He shrugged when she looked at him in surprise. ‘I miss the actual surgery part because you get a real buzz after you’ve operated and saved someone’s life. However, I don’t miss the rest. There was an awful lot of time wasted on hospital politics and it used to annoy me.’
In His Loving Care Page 10