speeding rocket. All the air flew out of his lungs and his chest constricted violently. The towels fell from his face and shoulders and slithered into his lap. This was not how he wanted her to see him. He cursed inwardly at his position several inches below her as he sat in the wheelchair and wished desperately that he’d stayed in the shower for just a few minutes longer. He took a deep breath. There was nothing for it. He had to face her like a man.
He gazed up into the most gorgeous pair of emerald green eyes he had ever seen and drank in her beauty as his heart staggered back to life in his chest.
“Hello Geraldine,” he eventually managed to speak while controlling his emotions. “How is your grandmother?”
She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he was in a wheelchair and smiled down at him as she fussed to gather the fallen towels.
“She didn’t need my ‘ elp at all. Can you imagine that? Only four days after ‘aving both ‘ips replaced. I was wasting my time. I ‘oped to get back ‘ere in time for lunch but I had a flat tyre. I had to wait for Jules to come and fix it for me. He left some friends early to ‘elp me. He is such a sweetheart.”
David frowned deeply.
Who the hell was Jules? He bit back that question and spoke airily.
“Oh, that was handy. Did he have to come far?”
Geraldine shook her head as she picked up the last towel from David’s lap and folded it back onto the pile.
“Oh no, only from town. He was seeing some friends after arriving from Paris. I was stuck out at Belle Isle en Terre but he came ‘ere for the weekend. He couldn’t leave before four though and I had to wait. I haven’t seen him for over a week so after he mended my car we decided to go and have dinner together. The restaurant was lovely and the dinner delicious. We stayed for coffee too so I didn’t arrive ‘ere until late. I would ‘ave loved for you to meet ‘im but ‘e ‘as to go back to Paris tonight. I won’t see ‘im for nearly another week.” She sighed deeply and then smiled at David again.
David’s heart had dropped to his stomach and he suddenly felt sick.
She was seeing someone else! It had never crossed his mind that she would find anyone else. My god! It was worse than discovering his legs were gone! Bitterness flooded his throat, a green haze clouded his vision. The world seemed to tip on its axis and his head began to spin.
He forced himself to remain upright in the wheelchair. He took control of himself and backed up further.
“I’m sorry Geraldine. I suddenly don’t feel quite the ticket. Nothing to worry about I’m sure. Just the after effects of travelling. Would you mind telling Ellen that I won’t be down to dinner after all. I’ll eat whatever she’s cooked tomorrow so it won’t go to waste.” He knew his voice sounded all wrong but he couldn’t do a thing about it. His whole world had suddenly crumbled to dust and he had no idea how he was ever going to put it back together.
He began wheeling himself back to his room but Geraldine called to him.
“Are you sure that there is nothing I can do? I’ll look in on you later if you like, just to check up on you.”
David stopped for a second, his heart pounding in his c hest as he felt it begin to rip down the middle.
“No, don’t bother. I’ll be fine,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “ Don’t let me hold you up. I’ll see you around sometime.”
Geraldine stared after him. Then she raised her eyebrows and covered her bewilderment as he disappeared back through his bedroom doorway and closed it behind him with more force than necessary.
Chapter Ten
“For goodness sake David! You are meant to be helping me.” Ellen was more than frustrated. There was clearly something bothering him but she didn’t have a clue what it was. She thought he’d be pleased that Geraldine had turned up unexpectedly early. She was obviously completely wrong about the situation.
Every morning for the last
He gazed up into the most gorgeous pair of emerald green eyes he had ever seen and drank in her beauty as his heart staggered back to life in his chest.
“Hello Geraldine,” he eventually managed to speak while controlling his emotions. “How is your grandmother?”
She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he was in a wheelchair and smiled down at him as she fussed to gather the fallen towels.
“She didn’t need my ‘ elp at all. Can you imagine that? Only four days after ‘aving both ‘ips replaced. I was wasting my time. I ‘oped to get back ‘ere in time for lunch but I had a flat tyre. I had to wait for Jules to come and fix it for me. He left some friends early to ‘elp me. He is such a sweetheart.”
David frowned deeply.
Who the hell was Jules? He bit back that question and spoke airily.
“Oh, that was handy. Did he have to come far?”
Geraldine shook her head as she picked up the last towel from David’s lap and folded it back onto the pile.
“Oh no, only from town. He was seeing some friends after arriving from Paris. I was stuck out at Belle Isle en Terre but he came ‘ere for the weekend. He couldn’t leave before four though and I had to wait. I haven’t seen him for over a week so after he mended my car we decided to go and have dinner together. The restaurant was lovely and the dinner delicious. We stayed for coffee too so I didn’t arrive ‘ere until late. I would ‘ave loved for you to meet ‘im but ‘e ‘as to go back to Paris tonight. I won’t see ‘im for nearly another week.” She sighed deeply and then smiled at David again.
David’s heart had dropped to his stomach and he suddenly felt sick.
She was seeing someone else! It had never crossed his mind that she would find anyone else. My god! It was worse than discovering his legs were gone! Bitterness flooded his throat, a green haze clouded his vision. The world seemed to tip on its axis and his head began to spin.
He forced himself to remain upright in the wheelchair. He took control of himself and backed up further.
“I’m sorry Geraldine. I suddenly don’t feel quite the ticket. Nothing to worry about I’m sure. Just the after effects of travelling. Would you mind telling Ellen that I won’t be down to dinner after all. I’ll eat whatever she’s cooked tomorrow so it won’t go to waste.” He knew his voice sounded all wrong but he couldn’t do a thing about it. His whole world had suddenly crumbled to dust and he had no idea how he was ever going to put it back together.
He began wheeling himself back to his room but Geraldine called to him.
“Are you sure that there is nothing I can do? I’ll look in on you later if you like, just to check up on you.”
David stopped for a second, his heart pounding in his c hest as he felt it begin to rip down the middle.
“No, don’t bother. I’ll be fine,” he bit out through gritted teeth. “ Don’t let me hold you up. I’ll see you around sometime.”
Geraldine stared after him. Then she raised her eyebrows and covered her bewilderment as he disappeared back through his bedroom doorway and closed it behind him with more force than necessary.
Chapter Ten
“For goodness sake David! You are meant to be helping me.” Ellen was more than frustrated. There was clearly something bothering him but she didn’t have a clue what it was. She thought he’d be pleased that Geraldine had turned up unexpectedly early. She was obviously completely wrong about the situation.
Every morning for the last
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