Hang on now.
Hands that I’m now realizing were gently holding my arms.
Dangit, Willow. We should have prolonged that.
Okay, and I actually kind of like that he called mema’am. I swear if he tips his hat next, I’m blacking out. My gaze runs over his frowny face again, and it feels like a challenge, an invitation to add a little fun and maybe even a bit of sass to his life. Normally, I’d be only too happy to oblige. But right now, his deep grey eyes are doing a number on me.
My throat works with a gulp. Why do I feel like Kuroki sprouting a flower?
The stranger inches his chin back, his eyes still hooded with a trace of suspicion as Bonnie’s printer continues to moan in the background.
“Jack,” Bonnie calls out with a scowl. “Quit interrogating my patrons. You’re gonna make the girl nervous.”
“Maybe she’s nervous for a reason,” Jack drawls.
Oh, there’s a good reason, all right.
That reason being Jack’s wide shoulders and intense gaze that definitely do it for me. This is a new feeling.
Bonnie rolls her eyes. “This one ain’t involved in any o’ that. Trust me.”
It’s probably my cue to leave, but a part of me wonders if I should hang around. Maybe this is something Iwantto be involved in.
See, I can be adventurous.
Bonnie and Jack have a silent conversation where they trade sullen looks, leaving me to chew on my lip as I imagine what he’d look like sitting on a horse and riding to my rescue.
By the looks of his uniform and his familiarity with Bonnie, I’m guessing Jack is a Park Ranger.
Hayley would freak out.
And while I’m confident I could have a lot of fun flirting with him, this is a man of the law, and he looks frustrated enough to throw a wrench in my plans for the next week.
I came here on a mission, I remind myself.
“I’ll, uh, I’ll just be going then,” I say, clearing my throat awkwardly. My hand lifts in a weird wave as I attempt to maneuver myself around Jack toward the door. “Sorry about the whole walking-into-you thing. We’ll blame it on ugly footwear. Could be deemed a hazard. Something to think about,” I salute, slipping out.
I glance back at Jack through the window, watching his biceps bulge when he crosses his arms over his chest and continues talking to Bonnie. A cheeky smile curls my lips as I turn to lug my backpack down the steps. I know I told Hayley that I didn’t have room for any romantic distractions, but everything about Jack reminds me of a big, grumpy bear—one I just want to walk up to and poke.
CHAPTER FIVE
Should I consider it a bad sign that only ten minutes of walking with this backpack has left me panting like I just wrestled an alligator?
Probably. But what’s done is done.
It’ll be fine.
Sweat gathers at my hairline as I stop outside a row of stone and wood lodges and restaurants, the sticky heat pressing forbodingly on my shoulders. The sun is at its highest, inflicting its harshest torture on my already burning neck.
I let go of the shiny lilac rolling suitcase that looks out of place in the rustic setting. High wooden beams and canopied porches frame the buildings, each of them showing some wear. It’s as if Mother Nature fought back after being intruded upon.
Geckos and spiders have made every available crevice a home amongst the stones tinted with dust and weathered by the wind.
It takes an embarrassing amount of effort to heave myself onto a rock ledge outside my hotel, especially with the weight of Big Bertha on my back.
Fatigue stops me from wrestling my hiking backpackoff and back on again, so we wait, strapped together, until it’s time to check into the lodge. The wispy clouds stretch across the sky overhead, providing no relief from the sun’s harsh rays. They look too tired to lend any significant form of shade. I avoid glancing over at the actual canyon, the romantic in me wanting the first time to be magical. Sunrise feels like a good meet-cute for the ol’ canyon and me, before it possibly kills me.
This heat is too much. I’ll take my chances and see if my room is available.
