The late afternoon sun spilled gold over the dense woods along the winding backroad. Jeb Carter was driving his old Ford home after a long day fixing fences when he spotted something that made him slam on the brakes.

There, on the shoulder of the road, stood someone pointing a camera toward a small clearing. Jeb squinted. It wasn’t the scenery they were after—it was the bear. A massive black bear lumbered between the trees, her two cubs trailing close behind.

“Lord help me,” Jeb muttered, pulling his truck to the side and jumping out. He didn’t even bother closing the door.

The tourist, blissfully unaware of the danger, crouched slightly to get a better angle. They were grinning, adjusting their camera as if they’d just stumbled onto the shot of a lifetime.

“Hey!” Jeb hollered, his voice sharp enough to slice through the peaceful hum of the forest. He strode toward them, his boots crunching on the gravel shoulder. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doin’?”

Jeb closed the gap swiftly, grabbing the person’s arm and pulling them back. They flinched but didn’t resist as he guided them to the safety of his truck. A low rumble from the bear followed as she turned to lead her cubs deeper into the woods, thankfully uninterested in confrontation.