David and Nicola's relationship was frequently turbulent, due to Nicola's behaviour. After Donald regained consciousness and came home from hospital, Nicola, Donald and Miles tried living together as a family at Holdgate Farm. When Donald finds out Nicola is sleeping with David, he hires actress Cindy Burton (Tiffany Chapman), telling Nicola she was his nurse to make her jealous. This failed as Nicola schemed to kill him and frame Cindy for Donald's murder so she would inherit his money, and tried numerous methods from torn carpet on the stairs to faulty wiring on a train set, but none worked as David, disgusted with her plans - which he had refused to have any part of - sabotaged every attempt. Again, Donald found out what Nicola was planning, and persuades Nicola to go with him up on the moors. He challenged her to push him over, but she couldn't do it. On their return to Holdgate Farm, Donald throws Nicola out, leading to her going to David, but he sent her away, not wanting to be with a woman who was capable of murder. However, David didn't want to be alone, and tried flirting with Katie. Unfortunately for him, she was with Grayson Sinclair (Christopher Villiers), and also pregnant with his baby. Despite having had a fight with Grayson, she turned David down. David once again tried flirting with Jasmine, but she refuses to go any further than having a few drinks with him, and turned him down. Upset at being rejected, David got nasty but Miles, who Jasmine was now attached to, escorted him out of the pub, and made sure David realised it was best to stay away from her.