around who can offer support if he needs it.’
‘Exactly. Oh, I wasn’t sure if he should go when Simon first suggested it. His dad left soon after Peter was born. He couldn’t handle the thought of having a handicapped child, you see, so I’ve looked after Peter by myself. It’s always been just the two of us and I was worried in case it was too much for him, but he’s come on in leaps and bounds, as it turns out.’
‘You must be so relieved,’ Hannah agreed quietly. As the single mother of a child who needed extra care, she understood how difficult it must have been for Barbara. Maybe it was different when both parents were involved; at least they could discuss any issues and reach a decision together. However, it was much harder when you were solely responsible for your child’s welfare, as she’d discovered.
She knew how she’d agonised over Charlie’s treatment, spending many a sleepless night worrying about what it entailed. It would have helped enormously if she’d had someone to talk it over with but, like Barbara Granger, she’d been on her own. It must have taken a lot of courage to allow her son to leave home, Hannah thought admiringly as she smiled at her.
‘So why is Peter going into hospital?’
‘He needs an operation on one of the valves in his heart. As I’m sure you know, dear, a lot of people with Down’s have heart problems, so it isn’t the first time Peter has needed treatment. It was fine while he was a child—I was able to stay in the hospital with him. But now he’s nineteen and classed as an adult that isn’t possible. He’s getting very anxious about it, which is why I thought I’d have a word with you.’
Hannah frowned. ‘I understand your concerns, Mrs Granger, although I’m not sure what I can do to help. Can you leave it with me? I’ll speak to Simon and see what he suggests.’
‘Of course.’ Barbara stood up. ‘Just give me a call when you’ve worked something out or, better still, pop in for a coffee if you’re passing. I live right next door to the nursery and you can always call in after you’ve dropped off your little boy. Lovely little chap. Let’s hope they can sort out that problem with his feet, eh?’
Barbara bade her a cheery goodbye, obviously finding nothing unusual about the fact that she knew so much about Hannah’s private life. Hannah shook her head as she gathered up the notes she had used. She had been in the town for just two days and already it seemed that everyone knew all about her!
‘Was that Barbara Granger I saw leaving?’
Hannah jumped when a deep voice addressed her from the doorway. She looked up, trying to quell the racing of her heart when she saw Tom standing there. He had shed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his pale blue shirt so that his tanned forearms were bare. He looked so big and overwhelmingly male that her mouth went dry. She may not be in the market for another relationship but she would need to be dead from the neck up and down not to be aware of him! It was only when she saw one dark brow lift that she realised he was waiting for her to answer.
‘It was. Apparently, her son is going into hospital soon and he’s getting very stressed about it,’ she said, shuffling the notes into a pile.
‘Something to do with Peter’s heart, I take it?’ Tom came into the room and stopped beside the desk. Hannah continued her shuffling, although for some reason her normally deft fingers seemed to have all turned to thumbs.
‘Mmm. He needs an operation to repair one of the valves.’ The pile of notes suddenly disintegrated into an untidy heap and she clamped her lips together in annoyance. Picking up the top few folders, she tried again then jumped when a large hand appeared in front of her.
‘Here, give me half and I’ll help you carry them through to the office.’
Tom didn’t wait for her to comply with his offer as he scooped up half of the buff envelopes and Hannah had to bite down even harder to stem the retort that was trying to escape. She didn’t need his help, but short of making a scene there was little she could do.
She trailed after him, aware that she was in danger of making a mountain out of the proverbial molehill. Tom was just trying to be helpful and it was stupid to see it as a threat. She knew it was true yet it was difficult to accept it. She really didn’t want to be beholden to him for anything.
He plonked the notes into a tray then stood aside while she deposited hers on top. ‘Lizzie will sort them out when she gets back from lunch,’ he assured her, resting one lean hip against the edge of the desk.
‘It might help if I put them into some kind of order,’ Hannah murmured, taking a couple of folders off the pile.
‘There’s no need. Lizzie is a whiz with the filing. She’ll have them sorted in no time.’ He took the folders off her and dropped them back into the tray, leaving her gasping at his high-handedness. However, he seemed oblivious as he returned the conversation to what they had been discussing.
‘Peter is a lovely fellow. Although he has Down’s, he’s quite a high achiever. He works at The Ship Inn, collecting the empty glasses and, occasionally, waiting on in the dining room if it’s busy.’
‘Really!’ Hannah exclaimed in surprise.
‘Yes. That’s the joy of a place like Bride’s Bay. Folk look out for one another and do all they can to help. Mitch Johnson, who runs the pub, took Peter on last winter and it’s worked out really well for everyone.’
‘That’s wonderful. I had no idea people were so supportive. Where I worked before, there were plans to build a unit for people with disabilities like Peter’s but the local residents objected and it didn’t go ahead.’
‘Sadly, that happens all too often. I’d put it down to ignorance if I didn’t have a nasty suspicion that it was more a fear of it having an impact on property prices than anything else.’ Tom shrugged when she looked at him. ‘If you live next to one of those units, you could find that the value of your home drops.’
‘I’m sure you’re right.’ Hannah was surprised by how disgusted he sounded. She wouldn’t have summed him up as someone with strong altruistic leanings, although why she should have made that assumption it was impossible to say. She hurried on, not wanting to dwell on the thought that she might have been unfair to him. ‘Anyway, I was going to have a word with Simon to see what he could suggest. It sounds as though Peter needs some reassurance.’
‘The hospital has just instigated a scheme whereby vulnerable adults are given a tour of the areas they’ll be using during their stay.’ Tom straightened and went over to the filing cabinet. ‘They sent us a leaflet only last week if I can find it… Ah! Here it is.’
He handed her the leaflet and Hannah sucked in her breath when their hands brushed. She murmured her thanks as she took it over to the window to read, although for a few seconds the words seemed to dance before her eyes. She had to stop this nonsense, had to stop reacting whenever Tom touched her. It was ridiculous to be this responsive to a man she barely knew.
The thought steadied her. She skimmed through the leaflet and nodded. ‘This sounds ideal. I’m sure Peter will feel a lot happier if he knows exactly where he’s going.’
‘Precisely.’ Tom followed her across the room, bending so that he could point out a paragraph that was particularly relevant. ‘They will even introduce him to the members of staff who’ll be looking after him. That’s probably more important than anything else. If Peter knows the nurses and doctors, etcetera, he’ll be less likely to worry.’
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Hannah agreed tersely, anxious to put a little distance between them. She went to step back then realised that Tom had beaten her to it and already moved away. He smiled at her but she couldn’t fail to see the wariness in his eyes.
‘If I were you, I’d give them a call right away, Hannah. The sooner you get it organised the better.’
‘Of course,’ she murmured, wondering why he appeared so on edge. He’d probably realised that he’d been crowding her, she decided,