“No need to act tough, Sophia.” I crouch beside her and set my hand lightly on her shoulder. “Let me see.”
Up close I can see the strain in her expression. Dirt streaks her cheek and her braid has come half undone.Still the prettiest woman in the county.Not that I have spent months noticing that or anything.
The corners of her mouth twitch into a tiny smile. “So, you do know my name.”
My cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I’m grateful that it’s dark out. Ignoring her, I shift the beam of the flashlight to her leg. I lift the hem of her pants to inspect her ankle. It’s swollen over the top of her boot.
“Looks like more than a twist. Can you tell me what happened?”
She sighs. “I slid down the slope trying to get back to the trail. It’s just a sprain, but I think I’ll need help getting back to my truck.”
Raider nudges her hand with his nose. She scratches his head.
“I’ll get you back safely,” I promise her.
She sighs, and the tension seems to leave her face. “Thank you. I’m so glad you and Raider found me so quickly. I was afraid it could be a day or more before anyone even noticed I was missing.”
“Someone saw your truck at the trailhead and called in for a welfare check.” It’s a white lie.I’mthe one who saw her truck.
Her eyebrows lift. “Already? It’s only been parked at the trailhead for a few hours.”
Raider shifts closer and rests his chin on her knee. The sight of my dog guarding her like that makes my chest tight.
“Can you stand?” I ask.
She tries to move her leg and winces. “Probably not.”
That settles it.
I switch off the flashlight and hook it back onto my vest. “Okay.”
Her brow furrows. “Okay what?”
I slide one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees.
“Okay, I’m carrying you out of here.”
Her eyes widen. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s my job, ma’am.”
Before she can argue I lift. Sophia gasps as her weight settles against my chest. Her hands catch the front of my uniform, fingers curling into the fabric.
Raider hops up the slope and waits, ears forward.
Sophia looks down at my arms around her. “Officer Holt?”
“Yeah?” I climb the slope carefully, trying not to be distracted by the feel of her warm body pressed against mine.
“You really don’t have to call me ma’am. You’re carrying me in your arms. I think that puts us on a first name basis?”
I nod. “My name’s Gavin.”
She laughs. “I know that.”
“You do?”
“Of course. Mercury Ridge is a small town, and I can’t help but notice the handsome cop who buys eggs from me every weekend.”
