Page 2 of Found By the Surly Ranger

He nods. "Got it." There's a grinding sound in his throat that might be his attempt at a half chuckle. "I'm Jace. Jace Wolfe."

My mouth opens and closes again. I have to tell him something. "Kara."

"Okay, Kara-with-no-last-name. You're on the run, but I'm assuming you'd still rather not die tonight. Where can I take you?"

"Nowhere with Wi-Fi or cameras."

His stern eyes soften. "So it's like that." He reaches out to give me a gentle pat on the side of my shoulder. "It's okay. I've got you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I know somewhere safe where you can stay. I'll explain on the way. We need to get going before it's completely dark. You're already shivering."

There's no denying that I need help. And somehow he feels trustworthy. Which is a comforting if unexpected feeling, given that I've been dealing with such a deceitful person over the past few months.

Jace is so focused on his self-appointed mission to care for a girl he just met in the woods that it makes me relax a bit, even as I consider that I'm following a giant stranger into a darkening forest. It doesn't hurt that the more I see of his face, the more I realize he's beyond gorgeous. He's stunning.

"Okay. Thank you."

2

JACE

Kara is clearly in some sort of trouble, probably being stalked. It's none of my business, yet I'm beyond curious. However, answers are going to have to wait until I get her warm and safe.

We quickly pack up her things, as I try with little success not to stare at her too much. Even in the last few minutes of what passes for daylight deep in the forest on a cloudy day, I can tell that she's beautiful, and she moves gracefully as she tosses everything into a massive backpack.

I have the tent disassembled and down in seconds, stuffing it in its bag and shouldering it with the rest of her things. Then I take her duffel bag. It's heavier than I expected. "What's in this, pretty rocks that you picked up along the way?"

"Oh. Um. A couple of books?"

I realize I'm almost chuckling. I'd never be this way with any other hiker that I found off the trail. There's something about Kara that just makes me feel… I'm not even sure what to call it yet. But there's a lot of it.

As we hurry along the path, she asks, "What about you? Why were you out here? Were you really on the lookout for poachers?"

I can't stifle my snort. "There's a lot of people out here on Maple Trail. Some of them know what they're doing. Others don't. So a bunch of us take turns checking the trail before dark, to make sure nobody's gotten lost, or is lying there with a sprained ankle. I live the closest, so I'm here the most."

"Oh! So you're a forest ranger?"

My head tilts to look down at her, smiling up at me so brightly. "Unofficially, yeah, more or less."

We get to the trailhead, and I stash her things in the back of my pickup, then open the passenger side door for her. There's a street light in the parking lot, and as I stand in front of Kara, and finally get a better look at her, my breath stops.

It's like a halo of light encircling an angel. She's positively breathtaking.

Her long dark hair frames a beautiful, delicate face that seems to reflect the light. Her dreamy eyes are a lovely clear blue, lighter in the center, becoming darker around the edges. They're hypnotic.

Usually my energy is focused on avoiding outsiders as politely as I can. It's odd, but I want to wrap this girl in my arms, pull her against me, and discover precisely where and how her head would fit against my chest. Exhaling sharply to clear my mind, I help her up into the truck, getting a perfect view of…oh wow…her voluptuous ass.

Walking around to the driver's side is hugely uncomfortable. I haven't had a sudden erection like this just from glancing at a woman in years.

On the drive to my house, I realize just how protective of her I already feel. What the hell happened to her to make her hide in the woods, in the cold?

"So," she says softly, "your last name is Wolfe. I've seen that name on all sorts of signs around here. Like, for businesses. You have a big family?"

"Yeah." I'm not sure how much to tell her. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I also want her to feel safe. Glancing over, I notice her hands are twisting and turning over themselves.

"My family owns a huge chunk of this mountain," I explain. "Generations of passing down land, establishing various businesses. It's the kind of family that everybody knows, and nobody would mess with, you know? Which means you are totally safe on my property."

---