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 in a single-file line and hadn’t spoken much. I’d stayed behind him, doing my best not to stare at his ass even though it was completely 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, stopped to tie her already tied boot and give 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 feigned surprise.
“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.
A flush crept into my cheeks.
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 roped 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 came 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.
“So 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.”
“How long have you been a cop?”
“Since I was eighteen. I hired on as a deputy for my predecessor. Then was elected sheriff two years ago.”
“Impressive.”
Duke shrugged. “At the time, there were some who thought I was too young for the job, but no one else would step up to take it. We’ll see if they re-elect me when my term is up. I’m only thirty-three and sheriffs in larger counties are generally older and have more experience. But I live in a small community.”
“Something tells me you prefer it that way.”
“You’d be right.”
“Do you want to be re-elected?”
“Yes and no,” he admitted. “Some days, I love my job. Others, it’s a pain in the ass. Guess you could say that about any job though, right?”
“Yes.” I’d had the job most girls could only dream of. But dreams weren’t always what you imagined them to be, and when there