Snowbound with the Soldier

Jason’s rigid tone told her she was pushing her luck, but she couldn’t help herself. “But he’s changed. He’s sober—”

“No more.” Jason’s hand slashed through the air, as though drawing an imaginary line she shouldn’t cross. “I can’t argue with you. I need to focus on the road.”

She sagged back against the seat with a heavy sigh. He was right. Now wasn’t the time to delve into the situation with his father. At best, Jason would be only partially listening to her while he worked to keep them out of a ditch. At least she’d had a chance to make her point about his father’s condition. There wasn’t much more she could do now. She just hoped Jason would come to his senses and make peace with his dad before it was too late. Regrets were tough to live with. She should know.

She reached for the radio, then paused. “Do you mind if I turn on some music?”

“Go ahead.”

At the press of a button, an ad for a local grocery store resonated from the SUV’s speakers. Kara turned the dial, searching for her favorite country station. The headline news greeted her. She glanced at the clock on the dash. With it being the top of the hour, news would be on most every station.

“This bulletin is just in from the National Weather Service,” the radio announcer said in a somber tone, garnering Kara’s full attention. “The arctic express is supposed to dump twenty-four inches of snow in the higher elevations by tomorrow.”

“Two feet,” she said in horror.

“We’ll be okay.” Jason reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. An army of goose bumps marched up her limbs. She assured herself it was just a reaction to the dire forecast and had nothing to do with his touch.

The radio crackled as the announcer’s voice continued to ring out. “That isn’t even the worst of the storm. Sometime this evening, a blast from the south will raise the temperature, only to have the thermometer quickly sink back below freezing. I know you’re thinking this is a good thing, but let me tell you, folks, those pretty little flakes are going to change into an ice shower, and with a wind advisory due to kick in at midnight, it’s going to get dicey, resulting in downed trees and power lines....”

After another advertisement, strains of “Let It Snow” began to play. Someone at the radio station had a sick sense of humor. Outside, the flakes were continuing to come down hard and fast. A glance at Jason’s squinted eyes and the determined set of his jaw told Kara the conditions were already beyond dicey.

Minutes later, when the vehicle skidded to a stop next to an old elm tree, outside a modest log home, she turned to him. “What are we doing here?”

“The roads are too dangerous. We’ll hunker down here until the storm passes.”

“Here?” A half-dozen snow-covered trees surrounded them. “In the middle of nowhere?”

“This isn’t the boonies. There’s heat and shelter. You’ll be fine. Trust me.”

There he went again with that line about trust. The words grated across her thinly stretched nerves. What in the world had she done for Fate to conspire against her?

“I can’t spend the night with you,” she protested, even though she knew her daughter would be safe with her parents.

Jason leveled a frown at her, as though he wasn’t any more pleased than she was about the situation. “You aren’t scared of being alone with me, are you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said a little too quickly, refusing to meet his intense stare. “I grew up a long time ago.”

Her lips pressed into a firm line as she surveyed the sprawling log structure. Being snowed in with Jason, of all people, would be more stressful than sliding down the slick mountain road. Her hands clenched. She and Jason had too much history, and she hated how he still got under her skin, evoking a physical awareness she hadn’t experienced in ages.

“Do you even know who lives here? Or are we about to commit an act of breaking and entering?”

“This is now my home. Don’t you remember it? I brought you here a couple of times to visit my grandmother.”

Her gaze moved past him to the covered porch, with its two wooden rocking chairs. She searched her memory. At last she grasped on to a vague recollection that brought a smile to her lips. “I remember now. She fed us chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. I liked her a lot.”

“She liked you, too.” His lips quirked as though he’d been transported back in time—back to a life that wasn’t so complicated. “I inherited this place from my grandparents, along with a trust fund my father couldn’t squander.”

Glowing light from the dashboard illuminated Jason’s face, highlighting the discomfort he felt when mentioning his dad, as he opened the door, letting the frigid air rush in. “Wait here. I’ll leave the heat on while I shovel a path to the porch.”

She refused to let him overexert his injured leg again on her behalf. With a twist of the key, she turned off the engine and vaulted out of the SUV. She sidled up next to him as he limped along.

He frowned down at her. “Don’t you ever listen?”

“Only when I want to. Now, lean on me and take some pressure off your leg.”

He breathed out an exasperated sigh before draping his arm over her shoulder. She started to lean in closer, but then pulled back, keeping a respectable distance while still assisting him. She refused to give in to her body’s desire to once again feel his heat, his strength. She had to keep herself in check. This was simply a matter of he’d helped her and now she was returning the favor—that was all.

On the top step, they paused. Her eyes scanned the lengthy porch. Her gaze stopped when she noticed a freshly cut pine tree, all ready to be decked out in colorful ornaments and tinsel. She remembered as a child accompanying her father and grandfather to the local Christmas-tree farm to cut down their own tree. The fond memory left her smiling.

“I’m so jealous,” she said as Jason pulled away to stand on his own. “You have a real Christmas tree. All I ever have time for is the artificial kind. I remember how the live trees would bring such a wonderful scent to the whole house.”

“A neighbor asked to cut down a tree on my property, and thanked me by chopping one for me, too. The thing is, I don’t do Christmas.”

“What do you mean, you don’t do Christmas?” Her eyes opened wide. “How do you not do Christmas? It’s the best time of the year.”

“Not for me.” His definite tone left no doubt that he wanted nothing to do with the holiday.

Her thoughts strayed to her daughter and how her eyes lit up when they put up the Christmas tree. Even in the lean years before her promotion to office manager, Kara had managed to collect dollar-store ornaments and strings of lights. With carols playing in the background, they would sing as they hooked the decorations over the branches.

The holiday was a time for family, for togetherness. A time to be grateful for life’s many blessings. Not a time to be alone with nothing but your memories for company. The thought of Jason detached from his family and friends during such a festive time filled her with such sorrow.

“I haven’t celebrated it since...my mother was alive.” His last words were barely audible.

Kara recalled when they were dating how he’d always have a small gift for her, including the silver locket at home in her jewelry box. But he’d always made one excuse after another to avoid the Christmas festivities.

“Surely after all these years you’ve enjoyed Christmas carols around a bonfire, driven around to check out the houses all decked out in lights or exchanged presents with various girlfriends?” Kara didn’t want to dwell on that last uneasy thought.

He shook his head.

“What about the military? Didn’t they do anything for the holidays?”

He paused by the front door. His back went ramrod straight.

“I always opted to be on duty,” he said, his tone clipped. “I’ll get rid of the tree the first chance I get.”

“How could you possibly throw away such a perfect tree? You’re home now. Time to start over. A chance for new beginnings...” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t want him to misconstrue her words—to think she wanted them to have a new beginning. Not giving him time to ponder her statement, she continued, “You should try joining in the fun. After all, it’s the most joyous time of the year.”

Kara forced a smile. She couldn’t believe she was trying to talk him into celebrating the exact same holiday during which he’d broken her heart. If he wanted to be an old, cranky Scrooge, why should she care?

Jason didn’t say anything as he opened the door and stepped aside, allowing her to enter. In the narrow opening, her arm brushed against him, and even through the layers of clothing an electrical current zinged up her arm, warming a spot in her chest.

Staying here wasn’t a good idea.

Being alone with her new boss was an even poorer idea.

This whole situation constituted the worst idea ever.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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