Roped In (Armed & Dangerous #2)(20)

Hadley

“Hey, princess, you ready to go?” Blake called.

I finished tying my shoes and grabbed the new jacket I had bought. It was early May, but had snowed that morning. Never in my life had I seen snow in May. I rushed downstairs and Blake was in the kitchen, packing our hiking gear. Instead of his usual ripped and worn jeans, he had on a pair of black track pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt. Also, the cowboy hat he never went without, sat on the counter, replaced by an old baseball cap.

“Wow, you look different today,” I teased.

Grinning, he gazed over at me with those stormy gray eyes of his. “Is that a good or bad thing?”

I sat down at the bar and laughed. “It’s a good thing, but the dirty cowboy look agrees with you. It’s hard to imagine you as a city boy. Where in North Carolina are you from, anyway?”

He packed waters and snacks into his backpack and zipped it up. “Born and raised in Charlotte. My parents used to bring me out here to visit my grandfather every holiday and summer.”

“Was he your mother’s father or your dad’s?”

“My dad’s. He moved to North Carolina to attend Duke. That’s where he met my mother. After that, he never came back, except to visit.”

Glancing around the house, it had to be heaven growing up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It was a dream come true. “I bet it would’ve been nice to grow up here. I’m from Lower Manhattan. My parents didn’t exactly take me to places like this. All of our vacations were to beaches and resorts.” Sighing, I gazed out the window. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m not. It’s just . . . it’s so peaceful out here.”

His thigh brushed mine when he sat down beside me. I tried to hide my smile, especially when he made no effort to move.

“I guess you don’t know what that’s like, do you?”

I shook my head. “And I probably never will.”

The room fell silent. I finally had some peace, but it wasn’t enjoyable. How could I when Scott was dead, Nick was fighting for his life, and my stalker was still out there hunting me? Blake bumped me with his shoulder. “You ready to go? We have a full day ahead of us.”

Taking a deep breath, I slid out of my chair. “And when we get back, I’m going to order you some glittery pink Mexican boots for our next trip into town.”

He shook his head. “Keep dreaming, princess. Remember, you lose when the first complaint comes out of your mouth.”

I stalked past him to the door. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t plan on complaining. Let’s go.”





The entrance to Grand Teton National Forest wasn’t far from Blake’s ranch. We stopped at one of the visitor centers and I grabbed a few pamphlets on the various trails. One went over specifics of what you should do if you came upon a bear. The thought scared the shit out of me, but I kept quiet. The bet was, I wouldn’t complain and I could keep up. I wasn’t about to fail.

“There are so many trails. How are we going to pick one?” I said, gazing at the map in awe.

“I think you’d like Taggart Lake. It’s surrounded by mountains and the water is as clear as glass. It was one of the first trails I did as a kid, except that was during the summer. We’re probably going to be trekking through four and five feet of snow today.”

I waved him off. “That’s easy for me. We get plenty of snow up north.”

“Okay, Ranger Rivers. Sounds like you got this under control. Let’s get our trail on!” He tapped me on the ass and led me out of the center.

When we reached the trailhead, there were only three cars in the parking lot. “I guess it’s a good thing it’s off season. I bet this place is packed in the summer.”

He snorted. “You have no idea. I stay away from all of these places during that time. Too many rude f*cking tourists. It amazes me how some have absolutely no respect for nature.”

We got out of the car and he hauled the backpack over his shoulders. “How much did you pack?” I asked, gawking at the heavy bag.

“You have to be prepared out here. These trails aren’t exactly a walk in the park.” Grinning wide, he strapped the bag to his back, and a holstered gun around his hips. “Let’s see what you’re made of, Hollywood.”

I waved toward the trail. “After you, city.”

Chuckling, he started off on the path and I had no problem keeping up. So far so good.

“Do you have a camera?” Everything was so beautiful, I hated not being able to capture it. Once I left, I was probably never going to see it again.

Blake stopped and opened a side zipper on the bag. “As a matter of fact, I do. Have at it.”

He handed me the camera and I squealed. “Will you be able to email me the pictures? I want to remember this place. Plus, it’s the perfect inspiration for my new song.”

“I can do that, sure. But if we run out of time, you can just take the camera with you. I’ll get it back somehow.”

And just like that, I realized I’d never see him again once I left. Lifting the camera, I snapped pictures of the mountains, and a few of him. Before going home, I’d have to sneak pictures of him working out in his barn, wearing his cowboy hat and no shirt. I wanted to remember him.