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“He did what?”Shelby shook her head.
“He grabbed my hips and slipped his hands into my pockets.I was too shocked to say anything.And then he was shoving me forward.”
Shelby lifted her cell phone to her ear and turned away to report the incident to the sheriff’s department.
Lucas inspected her hands.“I think the bleeding has stopped.Do you want me to put bandages on the cuts?”
Shelby shook her head.
“Now, let me look at your knees.”He led her around to one of the barstools, grabbed her around the waist and lifted her onto the seat.
“I could have done that myself,” she murmured.
“And put your clean hands with open wounds on a bar stool that who knows how many people have touched?”Lucas pressed his lips together.“Stay.”
He went back to the bar sink, rinsed the clean towel beneath the faucet and squeezed out the excess water.When he returned to Felina, he dropped to a squat and examined her torn jeans.“Hold this,” he said and handed her the damp towel.“It would be better if you could take off the jeans.”
“Not an option,” Felina said, her mouth crimping.
“I figured you’d say that.”Lucas grinned and carefully rolled up her pants legs so that he could get to her scuffed knees.With care, he wiped away the blood and dirt.“Can someone hand me a large bandage?”He held out his hand.
Danny dug through the kit, unearthed a large adhesive bandage and handed it to him.“Need another?”
“A smaller one.”He peeled the backing off the bandage and applied it to her left knee.“The abrasion isn’t too bad, but I didn’t want to roll the dirty jeans back over an open wound.”He applied a smaller bandage to the opposite knee and rolled the pants legs down.He pushed to his feet.“I think you’ll live.”
Gerard stood beside his woman, Bernie.“Just like old times, performing self-care in the field.”
Bernie grinned and turned to Shelby.“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Shelby nodded.“I am.”
“Me, too,” Danny said, crossing her arms over her chest.“I think you have a winner.”
Lucas looked from Danny to Felina.“What are they talking about?”
Felina’s cheeks had flushed a rosy pink.“Nothing,” she answered quickly.“You said you’d buy me a drink.I could use one about now.”
“But Felina, you know he’s perfect,” the petite woman with the curly black hair said.
“Shhh.”Felina gave a quick jerk of her head toward her friend.She smiled tightly at Lucas.“Maybe we could get a table where we could be alone.”
“Felina—” Bernie started.
Danny reached out and grabbed the woman’s arm.“Leave her alone.She’s got this.”
The four women exchanged a glance and nodded as one.
Danny pointed to an empty table in a dark corner of the bar, scattered with empty mugs and beer bottles.“Come one.I’ll clear that table and get you two a drink.”
Lucas wasn’t sure what was going on.His gut told him he was the object of some conspiracy.But he was too thrilled to get Felina relatively alone to care.
As they waded through the tables, a woman burst through the entrance of the bar and called out, “Oh, Felina!”
Felina stiffened and turned toward the blonde, who quickly crossed the floor to stand in front of her.“Trish,” Felina said with a curt nod.
“I’m so glad I ran into you.”She glanced around the barroom, her gaze panning the patrons.
“Were you looking for me?”Felina asked.
