Snowbound with the Soldier. Jennifer Faye

his face. If Kara was out here, he’d find her.

      With his hand shielding his eyes, he marched forward. Piercing pain shot down his thigh as he forced his way through a drift. He gritted his teeth and kept moving. From the edge of the road, he shone the light down at what appeared to be a ten-foot drop. At the bottom was a car with its front end smashed against a tree trunk. Whoever was in it was in need of help.

      He’d just started down the embankment when his foot slipped. Hot pain shot through his knee and up his thigh, and his eyes smarted as he choked back a string of curses. Beads of perspiration ran down the sides of his face. But he couldn’t stop now. He had a mission to complete.

      His fingers curled around a branch and, using his good leg, he regained his balance and sucked in an unsteady breath. He massaged his knee, hoping he hadn’t just undone the surgeon’s long hours of reconstructive surgery, and weeks of physical therapy. Cautiously Jason flexed the joint. A new wave of agony swept up his body and socked him in the gut. It might hurt like the dickens, but it still worked. That had to be a good sign.

      When he reached the two-door coupe, he tapped on a snow-covered window. “I’m here to help. Open up.”

      The window inched down, letting the buildup of flurries spill inside. Jason flashed his light into the dark interior. A hand immediately shot up, shielding the occupant’s eyes from the glare.

      “Jason?”

      “Kara?” He leaned down, trying to see her better. “Are you all right?”

      “I don’t know. I think so.” Her breathy voice held an eerie squeak. “There was a deer. Then the car skidded off the road. The door’s stuck and my phone won’t work.”

      “Okay, slow down. First thing we’ve got to do is get you out of there.”

      She started pushing on the door with her palms. He tried pulling on the handle. Without warning, she slammed her shoulder into the door. A grunt followed, but she pulled back, ready to repeat the process.

      “Stop!” He used his drill sergeant voice, hoping to gain her attention. “Sit still.”

      “But I smell gas.”

      The mention of a gas leak shot a dagger of fear through his chest. Jason surveyed the area with the help of the flashlight, soon spotting the reason the door was stuck. The bottom was jammed against the embankment. The passenger door was pressed against a tree trunk.

      “I need out!”

      “Wind down your window the whole way.”

      “It’s stuck.” Her eyes grew round as her palms pressed against the glass. Her fingertips slipped through the opening and curled over the edge. “Help me.”

      The frigid wind continued to throw snow through the opening. With these low temperatures, he needed to get her out—fast. He kicked the ground, hoping to find a rock beneath the white blanket of frozen moisture.

      At last, armed with a decent-size rock, he used his drill sergeant voice again. “I’ve got to break the window to get you out. Turn away. And cover your head with your coat.”

      She did as he instructed, and soon he was assisting her through the opening. When her foot sank down into the deep snow, she lost her balance and pitched to the side. He caught her, hugging her slight form to him. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer. When her head came to rest on his chest, he breathed in the faint scent of strawberries. The feel of her body next to his and the enchanting smell of her all came together, jumbling his senses.

      Unable to resist the temptation, he ran his fingers over her golden locks. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “You’re safe now.”

      Her weight shifted fully against him. Warmth filled his chest. After all those long, lonely nights in different towns and countries, Jason felt as if he’d finally found his way home. He never wanted to let her go.

      A gust of wind threw wet snow in his face, bringing him back to his senses. He shouldn’t be holding her. It was wrong to enjoy their closeness. He’d sacrificed that liberty years ago. And he was no longer the same man she’d once known.

      He held her at arm’s length. “You’re bleeding.”

      “I am? I don’t feel a thing.”

      He cupped her face in his hands. A crimson streak trailed from her forehead to her cheek. Please don’t let it be serious.

      “Are you sure? No headache? No double vision?”

      “Nothing.”

      Ever so gently he wiped away the blood with his thumb. When he found only a minor cut, he breathed a little easier. “Tell me if you start to feel bad.”

      She nodded.

      He pulled his phone from his pocket, punched in the numbers for help and held the device to his ear. After a few seconds, he moved, positioning the phone in front of him. “I can’t get a signal. Looks like we’re on our own.”

      She shivered, wrapping her arms around her midsection. “How will I get my car out of there?”

      He gave her a quick once-over. Aside from the small cut, he didn’t see any other signs of trauma. “The car’s not going anywhere tonight. And if you smelled gas, we aren’t taking any chances. The tow truck people can deal with it tomorrow.”

      Her body shook and her teeth chattered. “Now...what...am I going to do?”

      He worried about shock settling in. He was certain the accident had been horrific enough, but then to be trapped, even for a brief time, might have been too much for her.

      “My SUV’s up on the road. We need to get you warm.”

      He ushered her up the short embankment to his vehicle, which still had the engine running. After she climbed in, he reached behind the seat and pulled out a blanket. “This should warm you up.”

      He was about to close the door when she said, “Wait. I need my stuff from the car.”

      She started to climb back out, but he placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place. “I’ll get your stuff. You wait here and turn up the heater.”

      “My purse is there...in the backseat...and my cell phone.”

      Jason closed the door and yanked his gloves from his pocket. He hobbled along, doing his best not to stumble on the uneven ground. The coldness seemed to freeze all but one of his thoughts: Kara. He’d missed her much more than he’d been willing to admit to himself. Between her pouty lips and soulful eyes, it was tempting to forget the demons that lurked in his past.

      But that couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let himself go soft in the brain. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Soon they’d be off this mountain, he assured himself. Once he gathered her belongings from the car, his only agenda was to deliver her safely to her doorstep and leave.

      He limped to the wrecked vehicle and ran the flashlight’s beam from trunk to hood. A sour taste rose in the back of his throat. In the military he’d witnessed the tangled metal wrecks and human carnage caused by IEDs, so this accident scene shouldn’t evoke a reaction—certainly nothing like the wave of nausea washing over him. But he couldn’t escape the fact that Kara could have died here tonight.

      He blocked the awful thought from his mind. She was safe, he assured himself. All he had to do now was retrieve her belongings and drive her home.

      * * *

      Long minutes ticked by before Jason reappeared in the glow of the headlights. Thank goodness he’s back. Soon she’d be home, snug and warm, with her family. Still, something struck her as not quite right. She gazed through the window, giving him a second, more intense inspection. She noticed he moved with a limp. The knowledge that he’d been hurt while rescuing her gave her pause.

      When he yanked the back door open, she asked, “Are you all right?”

      “I’m