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“Kate? Kate!” Bob had heard the scream as she fell and came racing the wrong way down the track towards her. “What’s happened? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine, just a bit battered and bruised. It was a rooky error and I should have known better. I wasn’t watching the track, and a stick got wedged in my wheel.”

“Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere.” Kate managed a little chuckle, and Bob looked relieved.

“Do you think anything’s broken?”

“No,” said Kate, unconsciously running her hands around her body to check for unexpected pain. “I think I’ve cut my leg, though.”

“Let me take a look at that.”

Kate winced as Bob rolled up her leggings, revealing a nasty graze on her right knee. “Ouch,” he said, “you’ve taken a fair bit of skin off. I don’t think there’s any dirt in it, but I’d better give it a rinse, just in case.” He pulled his water bottle from his bag and Kate winced again as the water hit, digging her fingers into his arm as the stinging intensified. “Well at least it’s clean. Let’s see what I’ve got in here.” Bob rifled through his bag and eventually pulled out a spray can of Savlon and a roll of fabric plasters.

“Were you a boy scout or something?”

Bob grinned. “How did you guess?” He sprayed Savlon onto the wound, causing Kate to yelp in pain, then pulled out a Swiss army knife from his pocket, cutting a large square of plaster and delicately covering Kate’s knee. “The best thing would be to let the air get to it, but you should keep it covered while we’re in the woods. Do you think you can walk?”

Kate stood and pain shot through her ankle. She fell back to the ground with a thud. Bob knelt beside her.

“Do you mind if I take a look?”

Kate shook her head and Bob began feeling around her ankle for any signs of a break. His fingers were soft, and he used the lightest of touches. Kate felt herself relaxing with every stroke of his thumb.

“Hmm, it doesn’t feel like anything is broken, but it’s probably best we get it checked out at minor injuries. Are your arms OK?”

“Yes, fine.”

“Good, put them round my neck and hold on tight.”

Kate giggled as she wrapped her arms around Bob’s neck and he got unsteadily back on his feet. “Please don’t drop me, I’ve got enough injuries already.”

“It would be a damn sight easier if you stopped giggling,” he laughed. “And can you stop hanging there like a sack of spuds? Put your legs around my waist if you’re able, it would make this much easier for me.”

Kate did as she was told and somehow, Bob managed to pick up a bike in each hand and push them, with Kate on his back, through the wood. Passers-by gave them strange looks, the big man giving the tiny blood covered woman a piggy back.

“Giddy up horsey,” said Kate, bursting into another fit of giggles.

“You owe me big time for this,” said Bob, trying to sound grumpy but failing to hide the smile in his voice.

Kate decided she should give walking a try, despite how comfortable she felt pressed into Bob’s warm back. He was surprisingly strong for someone she had assumed to be out of shape. “Hey, can you let me down for a minute? I think I should try putting some weight on the ankle and see how I get on.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.”

Bob bent his knees and Kate allowed her feet to hit the floor. The ankle hurt like crazy, but she found herself able to walk on it, using her bike as support. When they reached the car, Bob tried to insist on a visit to the hospital, but Kate matched him in stubbornness and persuaded him to drop her at home instead.

“Thanks for today. You’ve been my hero.”

“Ha, I’m pleased I could help. You’re just a bit rusty on the bike, that’s all.”

“Hey!” said Kate, ready to protest, but looking over at him, she saw his eyes creasing in a smile. “Bastard,” she said, smiling back. “I dread to think what you’ve got planned for me next weekend.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“YOU DID WHAT?” Maddie was hooting with laughter on the other end of the phone.

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