Everly clutched her can of spray in a fist as he lifted an arm to wave.
I fought to keep my mouth from falling open at this unexpected and devastatingly handsome surprise.
Everly jammed her elbow into my side, forcing me to close my gaping mouth. “You’re drooling. Potential murderer, remember?”
I blinked, dropping my eyes to my feet for a long moment as I composed myself. When I lifted my chin, the guy was standing before us.
“Ladies.” He kept his voice low as he looked over our heads. “Roadblock, huh?”
“Yep,” I said. “And they aren’t moving anytime soon. We were just going to hustle back to the trailhead.”
“Seventeen miles?” He shook his head. “No offense, but you’ll never make it before dark. And this is not the place you want to be after nightfall.”
Everly and I shared a look. She knew what I was going to say and gave me a silent no.
I said it anyway. “Any chance we can tag along with you until the end of the trail?”
“Not a problem.” He nodded, his gravelly voice sending a zing down my spine before he took a step into the tall grass.
“But the trail . . .” I pointed to the narrow dirt path.
“That’s not the trail. That’s a bison path. They knock down trail markers a lot.” He lifted a hand and pointed toward the mountains in the distance. “The trail is over there. But you two looked lost, so . . .”
He’d come to rescue us.
Which meant the reason we were standing in the middle of a bison herd was because they’d lured us to them.
Sadistic creatures, buffalo.
“Come on.” He jerked his chin and took another step. “I won’t get you lost. Promise.”
“Sir.” Everly held up a hand, stopping him. “I really hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but how do we know you’re not leading us to your serial-killer hideaway?”
A slow grin spread across his face, and he shrugged off his pack, setting it down and dropping to a knee as he unzipped the front pocket.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Everly aimed her bear spray at his face.
“Easy.” He held up his hands. “I’m a cop. I was going to show you my badge.”
“That’s what all serial killers say.” Everly’s gaze narrowed. We really needed to find her another show to binge on Netflix.
“She’s just a little on edge.” I placed my hand on her wrist, pushing her arm down as I gave her a scowl. “Nature stresses us out.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Yet you’re in the middle of Yellowstone National Park.”
“We all make mistakes, Officer.”
He chuckled, flashing me a smile of straight, white teeth before he rifled through his backpack.
I fanned my face.
“Seriously,” Everly mouthed.
“What?” I mouthed back, feigning innocence.
She rolled her eyes.
In a different setting, Everly would be shoving me into this guy’s arms. He was exactly my type, tall and built with an unpolished and rugged edge that had always been my weakness.
He stood and handed me a wallet, opening the front flap to reveal a gleaming silver and gold badge. “Sheriff Duke Evans.”
Sweet lord, I nearly swooned.
He had a great name.
I’d always been a sucker for a great name.
Everly hovered over my shoulder, studying the badge. When she deemed it real, she relaxed and holstered her spray.
“What’s your name?” Duke asked, taking the badge and putting it away.
“L— Jade.”
“Lajade?”
“No, sorry.” I blushed. One gorgeous man saving my life, and my tongue felt twelve sizes too big for my mouth. “Jade. My name is Jade Morgan. This is my best friend, Everly Sanchez.”
“Nice to meet you.” He rezipped his pack and shrugged it on. “Ready?”
“Definitely.” I nodded and stepped off the trail.
Then I blew a kiss goodbye to the bison as Everly gave them the finger.
“Are you guys camping out?” Duke asked as we walked.
We were on the real trail now, the bison encounter forgotten as we crossed an open meadow toward a cluster of trees in the distance. The only animals in sight were the birds soaring above in the big, blue sky.
“We’re staying at the Madison Campground. You?”
He shook his head. “I’m just here for the day. I had a buddy drop me off at the trailhead this morning. My rig is parked up ahead and waiting.”
“He didn’t hike with you?”
“I, uh . . . didn’t invite him. I like to hike alone.”
Which he had been until he’d rescued us. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad to help.”
I smiled at his profile, then turned my attention back to the trail so I didn’t trip over a rock.
Duke had navigated us through the grasses to the trail without any trouble. For the past mile, we’d had to walk single file and hadn’t spoken much. I’d stayed behind him, doing my best not to stare at his ass even though it was definitely stare worthy, while Everly followed behind me. When the trail had widened, Duke had hung back a step so I could move up to his side.
Everly, my beautiful friend, had stopped to tie her already tied boot and given us a little space.
“Where are you from, Jade?”
“Tennessee.”
“No accent.”
I shook my head. “I grew up in upstate New York. What about you?”
“Wyoming. I grew up in a little town about an hour from here.”
“Do you come here often?”
“Not as much as I’d like.” He pulled in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he drew in the clean air and held it in his lungs.
“This is my first trip.”
“No,” he deadpanned.
“Shocking, right?” I laughed, taking in the view. “We got in a little over our heads today, but this is truly a magnificent place.”
“Pure beauty.”
I looked up, expecting his eyes to be on the mountains, but his gaze was aimed at me.
My focus returned to the trail as I willed the flush out of my face.
I was the furthest thing from a beauty today. My black hair was a wreck because I hadn’t washed it in days, not since Everly had helped me dye it in our bathroom before we’d left Nashville. The thick locks were twisted in a sloppy braid that hung down the middle of my back and my red cap covered the greasy roots. The only makeup I’d put on my face this morning had been tinted sunscreen.
Maybe Duke was just flirting or being nice, but it was still the best compliment I’d had from a man in years because it had come honestly and without expectation.
We walked for a while without talking. Duke’s strides were longer than mine, but he held back, slowing so Everly and I could keep up.
I sneaked a glance at his profile every few steps, studying the color of his eyes and how perfectly it matched the blue, cloudless sky. His toffee-colored hair curled at the nape of his neck where it escaped the confines of his hat.
“You’re a sheriff,” I said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever met a sheriff before. Do you enjoy it?”
“For the most part. I’m not crazy about the politics but I’m lucky. Most people in my county think I’m doing a good job, which means I get to keep doing it.”