that instant, she realized a stranger faced her. What could have changed him so drastically? She bit back the question. None of her business, she reminded herself.
Dredging up these old memories stung worse than pouring rubbing alcohol over a festering wound. Her judgment concerning men seemed to be made up of one painful mistake after another.
“I’ll get us something warm to drink,” he said, ending the conversation. “You can get out of those wet clothes in there.” He pointed to a door on the opposite end of the great room.
“I don’t have anything to change into. Besides, I need to call my family.”
“You need to get warmed up before you come down with pneumonia. Then you can phone home. It’s not late, so they shouldn’t be too worried yet.”
She hoped he was right.
When Jason bent over to untie his boots, he groaned in pain. She grabbed his arm, tugging him upright. He started to pull away, but she tightened her grip, noticing how his muscles rippled beneath her fingertips. In spite of her awareness of his very muscular build, she dragged him over to a wooden chair beneath the picture window.
“Sit,” she commanded, in the same tone she used when Samantha was being uncooperative. “You don’t need to put any more pressure on your sore leg.”
His startled gaze met hers. Then, ignoring her words, he once again attempted to loosen his laces. She swiped his hand away.
“I’ll do it,” she insisted, kneeling before him.
Her cold fingers ached as she dug her short nails through the chunks of ice, trying to loosen the laces.
“So this take-charge woman you’ve become, is it part of being a mother?” he asked, startling her with the intimate question.
“I suppose so.” The mention of her daughter, combined with his nearness, flustered her. Her fingers refused to cooperate. “I almost have your boots untied. There’s just this one knot...”
She bit down on her lip, forcing her attention to remain on the frozen tangle and to ignore how easy it’d be to end up in his capable arms. With one last pull, followed by a solid yank, she loosened the laces. And none too soon. This proximity was short-circuiting her thought processes.
She jumped to her feet and strode over to the fireplace. Why did this log home have to be so small? She supposed small wasn’t a fair description, as this all-purpose room was quite spacious. But it didn’t allow for any privacy, any breathing space away from Jason.
Her gaze shot to the two doorways off to the side, below the loft. Maybe she could wait out the storm in one of those rooms.
“I’ll find you something to wear.” Jason got to his feet. “Come on.”
He led her to the nearest bedroom. Before he even opened the door, she guessed it was his. Definitely not her first choice for accommodations. She couldn’t imagine sleeping in his bed, surrounded by his things.
“What’s in the other room?”
“Wall-to-wall furniture. My grandmother had the great room loaded with so much stuff you could hardly get around.”
So much for that great idea.
She stepped into his room. It wasn’t spacious, but roomy enough for a dresser and a double bed. Her gaze lingered on the bright colored scrap quilt covering the mattress. The thought of being here alone with Jason had her lingering at the doorway.
Her mind reeled back to the summer of her sophomore year in college. Jason had told her that he wanted to leave Pleasant Valley, that he was joining the army. In the very next breath, he’d proposed to her. He wanted to elope with her after she earned her journalism degree. The answer had been a no-brainer—a very definite “Yes!” But she hadn’t wanted to wait. She’d planned to drop out of college and earn her degree via the internet while following Jason around the world. She’d been so certain she could make it work.
She recalled how they’d made love over and over, celebrating their impending nuptials. At the time, she’d thought her heart would burst from the abundance of love. Never once had they been bold enough to come together in the luxury of a bed. Their special spot had been a remote pasture near a creek at the back of the resort, where the warm rays of the sun had kissed their bodies. The place hadn’t been important, only that they were alone to talk, laugh and love each other.
When Jason abruptly left Pleasant Valley—left her—seeing the world was no longer an option. As the only child of two loving parents who worked manual labor jobs to get by, Kara realized as soon as she learned she was pregnant that she couldn’t burden them with another mouth to feed. The day after she’d finished her junior year of college, her job at the Greene Summit Resort went from part-time to full-time.
Youthful endeavors and girlish dreams were lost to her. With the most sweet, well-behaved baby counting on her, Kara grew up overnight. Her parents were supportive, but the bulk of the responsibility for child care fell to her, whether she’d been up half the night for feedings or exhausted from a strenuous day at work. It was a lot to adjust to, but she would do anything for her daughter—then and now.
The dresser drawer banged closed, jarring her back to the here and now. When Jason handed over a pair of gray sweatpants and a flannel shirt, their fingers briefly touched, causing her heart to skip a beat.
“Thank you.” She jerked her hand away.
“The bathroom is just through that door.” He pointed over his shoulder. “I’ll go get you something warm to drink.”
“You should rest your leg,” she protested.
“I’m fine. But you won’t be if you don’t get out of those wet things.”
Before she could utter a rebuttal, the door thudded shut. Irritation niggled at her. Did that man always have to have the last word?
She rushed over to the door, only to find it lacked a lock. Nothing like feeling utterly vulnerable. With a sigh, she turned and leaned back against the door. She stood there for countless minutes with his clothes clutched to her pounding chest. She inhaled deeply and Jason’s manly scent assailed her senses. She couldn’t resist burying her face in the soft flannel. Even though it had obviously been laundered, spicy aftershave clung to the material. He wore the same brand as he had years ago. Okay, so maybe not everything about him had changed. She smothered a groan of desire.
After everything that had happened, why did she still have a weakness for him? But no matter how many memories bombarded her, they couldn’t go backward. What was broken between them couldn’t be undone. The only thing for them to do now was to take a step forward—in opposite directions.
Determined to stave off her lingering attraction to him, she rushed off to the bathroom. The pulsating water eased her achy muscles and the billowing steam soothed her anxiety. She refused to let the crush of memories overwhelm her. She just had to treat Jason in the same gracious manner she would anyone else who rescued her.
Minutes later, dressed in the warm clothing, she glanced in the oval mirror mounted above the chest of drawers. Kara didn’t need to inspect her reflection to know she looked ridiculous, as though she’d just fallen out of a Salvation Army donation bin. She cinched the baggy sweats around her waist so they didn’t slip down over
