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 fine.”
After placing her belongings on the backseat, he closed the door with a loud thud and climbed in beside her. It’d been a long time since they’d been together, but as close as they were physically, they’d never been so far apart in every other way. And it would remain that way. It was for the best.
But that didn’t mean she could ignore his physical pain. “You aren’t fine. You were limping.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine after I rest my leg for a bit.”
The lines etched around his eyes and mouth said the pain was more severe than he’d admitted. Once again he was holding back the truth.
“Can I do anything—for your leg?”
He shook his head. “The, uh, weather—it’s getting worse. We better get moving. Are you ready?”
“Definitely. I’m anxious to get home. I don’t want my family to worry.”
He yanked off his snow-covered hat and tossed it in the backseat. When he unbuttoned his coat, a fluff of pink fur poked out. Kara gaped at him. Nothing about him either in the past or now screamed pink fuzzy anything.
He withdrew the object. “I found this on the floor in back when I was searching for your purse.”
“Bubbles.” Her daughter must have forgotten the stuffed animal that morning, when Kara had dropped Samantha off at her grandparents’ house before school.
“Huh?” Jason’s gaze darted from the teddy bear with Baby Girl embroidered on its belly to her. “Bubbles? Really?”
Kara reached for the stuffed animal. “Something wrong with the name?”
“Uh...no.” He tossed her the ball of fluff. “Not at all.”
“Hey, it’s the color of bubble gum—hence the name Bubbles.”
“Logical. I guess.”
She glanced at him, expecting to find humor easing the tense lines marring his face, but his expression hadn’t changed. What had happened to the old Jason, the one with a thousand and one fast comebacks and an easy grin? Sadness burrowed into her chest. She mourned the boy who had always made a point of making her smile, even during the worst teenage crisis.
She hugged Bubbles to her chest. “Thanks for rescuing him.”
“The bear is really yours?” Suspicion laced every syllable. “You carry a baby’s toy around in your car?”
She stared down at the bear. It had been her daughter’s very first stuffed animal. Even though Samantha had accumulated an army of plush toys over the years, she still reached for Bubbles when she was tired or upset.
Kara considered pretending she hadn’t heard the question. However, she recalled how Jason had been worse than a hound dog rooting around for a bone when he wanted information. He would continue to hunt and dig until he found exactly what he was after.
Maybe a glib answer would suffice. She did know one thing: she certainly wasn’t prepared to blurt out the entire truth about her daughter. So she’d give him the basics, and hopefully, he wouldn’t ask any more questions.
“The bear belongs to my daughter.”
CHAPTER THREE
SERIOUSLY, COULD THIS night get any worse?
Kara didn’t say anything more, hoping he’d get the hint that she didn’t want to talk. Her daughter was off-limits to him. She turned her head and stared out at the starless night, which mirrored her dismal mood.
“So you’re a mother?”
The astonishment in his voice set her on edge. This was the very last topic she wanted to discuss with him. After all, she didn’t owe him any explanations. She didn’t owe him a single thing. Her daughter was no secret, but that didn’t mean she had to share the circumstances of her birth with him.
“A lot changed after you left.”
“Obviously. So who’s the lucky man in your life?”
Kara suddenly hated her single status. The thought of lying tiptoed across her mind, but she’d never been any good at it, even as a kid. Best to stick with the truth. “There is no man.”
“Thought you’d have guys lined up, waiting to take you out.”
“And you’d be wrong.”
She smothered a sigh. After he’d dumped her and she’d found out she was pregnant, it was a very long time until she was willing to trust any man. When she finally did dip her toe in the dating pool, finding a man with the right personality, who was ready to take on a young mother, was a challenge. Most of the guys she met simply didn’t want the hassle of a ready-made family. And they certainly weren’t thrilled about having their social calendars dictated by whether or not Kara could secure a babysitter.
Not that she’d become a nun or anything. She’d dated here and there. The evenings out were nice, but that’s all they were—nice. She shielded her daughter from her dating life. She didn’t want Samantha getting attached to someone, only to lose him when things didn’t work out.
Sensing Jason giving her periodic glances, Kara refused to meet his gaze. Instead, she continued to stare into the night. The thickening snow kept her from spotting the pond where they used to skate as kids. In those days, they’d been practically inseparable. Did Jason ever think about the good old days? Did he even regret his abrupt departure from her life and this community? Was that why he’d finally come home? To make amends?
She sneaked a glance at him. His long fingers clenched the steering wheel, fighting to keep the vehicle on the road. When he turned his head to glance at her, she jerked her gaze away, focusing on the hypnotic swish, swish of the windshield wipers.
A loud crack echoed through the night as a tree limb fell onto the road. “Watch out!”
He cut the wheel to the left. The driver’s side tires dropped off the snow-covered pavement. Kara’s upper body jerked to the left, where firm muscles pillowed her and held her steady. Jason’s body was rock hard. The kid she’d planned to explore the world with was long gone, and in his place was this man she barely recognized. The army life had transformed him into a human tank. And in that moment, she knew he’d protect her.
Thankfully, the vehicle slowed to a stop. With some effort, Jason eased it back on the road. “Sorry about that. You okay?”
Realizing she was still leaning against his arm, she pulled herself upright. “I’m fine.”
But was she? Her heart continued to palpitate faster than a jackhammer. The blood pounded in her ears. It was the near miss with the tree limb that had her all riled up. She was certain of it. She settled back in her seat and took a calming breath.
“Hang on tight.” Jason released the brake and the vehicle crawled forward. “The weather’s getting worse. I can barely make out the road.”
The tires crunched over the