Snowbound with the Soldier - Jennifer Faye

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you tell her you bought this place?”

      He nodded.

      Robert shrugged on his coat. “How’d it go?”

      “The news took her by surprise.”

      “Seems like an understandable reaction. You’ve been gone for years.” His old friend paused and looked intently at him. “What else is bothering you? Did she quit on the spot?”

      “Not exactly.”

      “Then why do you look like you just chugged a carton of sour milk?”

      “Kara lit into me about ignoring my father. He must have fed her some kind of lies to gain her sympathy.” Jason didn’t bother to hide the loathing he felt.

      Robert let out a low whistle. “Boy, you didn’t exaggerate about the rift between you two.”

      If anything, he’d understated the distance between himself and his father. Every muscle in Jason’s body grew rigid at the thought of their insurmountable differences. He refused to dwell on something that could never be fixed.

      With the help of a couple of investors, he’d at last gained ownership of his heritage—the resort his grandfather had founded. His gaze moved around the lobby, taking in its splendor.

      “I’ve thought of nothing else for the past year but of making this place mine, of restoring the Greene Summit back to its former glory, like when my grandfather was alive. I’ll make him proud. No matter what it takes.”

      Robert patted him on the shoulder. “Then you might want to start by being honest with Kara. I’ve talked with her and she’s bright. When your father’s health started to decline, he leaned on her to keep this place running. By now, she must know where each and every skeleton is buried. You’re going to need her.”

      “I know. I’ll tell her everything Monday.” Well, not everything—just the parts pertaining to the Greene Summit.

      Robert’s brow furrowed and he began patting his pockets. “I must have left my phone in the office. I’ll run back and grab it.”

      “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

      “Get some sleep. We’ve got work to do.”

      Jason turned to the lobby doors and gazed out at the parking lot. He rubbed his thigh, trying to ease the persistent throbbing. He had a business to rebuild and no time to slow down.

      The grand reopening in three weeks had to go off without a hitch. All his investors would be on hand to take part in the festivities, and their approval was of the utmost importance, especially if he wanted more capital to undo the years of neglect.

      He knew he could never again be the man in Kara’s life. Still, he had to find a way to get her to stay on at the resort. He needed her knowledge to make this a smooth transition.

      But when she preferred braving a snowstorm to staying safe here with him, how in the world would they be able to work side by side?

      CHAPTER TWO

      THE HYPNOTIC SWIRL of flakes made it difficult for Kara to focus on the winding mountain road. The cascade of snow hit the windshield harder and faster with each passing minute. She flicked on the wipers. The built-up ice on the rubber blades made an awful ruckus. Swish. Thunk. Swish. Thunk.

      The knowledge that Jason was now her boss haunted her. She’d thought that, with the resort sold, any lingering ties to him would be severed. How could she have been so wrong?

      A bend in the road loomed ahead. Her foot tapped the brake a little too hard and the car lost traction. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she started to skid.

      Stay calm. You know how to drive in this weather.

      Thoughts of Jason vanished as she turned into the skid. Like a pinball shot into action, the vehicle slid forward. Trees and the guardrail whizzed by in a blur. In an attempt to straighten the car, she spun the wheel in the other direction. Her throat constricted. At last, she came to a stop in what she hoped was the middle of the road.

      That was way too close.

      The pent-up air whooshed from her burning lungs. She rested her forehead against the steering wheel, trying to calm the frantic thumping of her heart. She silently sent up a thankful prayer.

      On her way to work that morning, the radio announcer had mentioned the possibility of light snow flurries this evening but never alluded to a foot of snow. And it still continued to fall.

      She let off the brake and crept forward, anxious to put as much distance between herself and Jason as possible. Would she ever be able to sweep away the tangled web of attraction, woven tightly with strands of resentment? She sure hoped so, because as long as she lived around here, they were bound to run into each other. After all this time, she’d expected to feel absolutely nothing where he was concerned. So why did she let him get to her?

      She exhaled a frustrated groan and glanced down to crank up the heater. When she looked up again, a brief flash caught her attention. Her gaze focused off to the side of the road, where her headlights reflected off a pair of eyes staring back at her. A millisecond later, a deer darted into her path.

      A screech of terror tore from Kara’s throat as she tramped the brakes, braced for the inevitable collision. Like a skater on a sheet of ice, the car careened over the slick pavement. At the last second, the deer jumped over the hood, just as the front tires dropped off the pavement.

      Kara’s foothold on the brake slipped, sending the car off the road. She pitched forward, but the seat belt jerked her back, slamming her into the door. With a thud, her head careened into the driver’s side window. Pain splintered through her skull. The sound of ripping metal pierced the inky darkness.

      At last the car shuddered to a halt. The air bag thumped hard into her chest, sending the breath whooshing from her lungs. She clung to the memory of her daughter’s sweet smile.

      * * *

      With newly attached chains on the SUV’s tires, Jason drove cautiously down the curvy mountain road. Soon he’d be home, enjoying a piping-hot bowl of leftover stew. His stomach rumbled in anticipation.

      He stared out the windshield at the dark, desolate road. When he was a kid, there would have been a string of headlights passing him as anxious skiers flocked to the resort to try out the fresh snow. Tonight, the only evidence of another soul on this road was the faint outline of tire tracks.

      Was it possible they belonged to Kara?

      The thought of making peace with his childhood sweetheart weighed heavily on his mind. He didn’t blame her for still being angry with him. She had every right to be furious over the way he’d walked out on their engagement. He’d probably act the same way if their roles had been reversed. No, he’d have been worse—much worse.

      If only there was a way to make her understand that even though he’d handled it poorly, his leaving had been the only answer. But he had no idea how to convey that to her without going into the details of that fateful night, and that was not something he was willing to do. Not even to save the Summit, his birthright.

      The wipers were beginning to lose their battle with the thickening snow. He turned on the vehicle’s fog lamps, hoping they’d give him a better idea where he was on the road.

      The tire tracks he’d been following suddenly veered to the right. His stomach muscles tightened. Trying to get a rescue squad out for an accident during this storm would take hours. He’d best go investigate first. He gently applied pressure to the brakes. The tires fought for traction, sliding a few yards before the SUV stopped. He glanced around, not spotting anyone standing next to the road. Not a good sign. They could be injured or worse.

      He grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment and flicked the switch, sending a light beam out the window. He squinted, trying to see through the thickening snow. At last he spotted the tracks. They led off the road into a

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