Free Christmas with a Soldier (Soldier Series Romance Novellas) by Makenna Jameison Page B

The sensible thing to do would be to turn around and drive to the highway.  I’d certainly get reception from there, and I could call my parents and tell them I’d be there to pick up Hannah in a couple of hours.  I hated the idea of disappointing Hannah, though.  She’d so been looking forward to our evening together.  I could just pull off the road and leave my car here, take a quick twenty-minute hike through the woods, then call someone to pick me up when I reached the road from the other side of the creek.  Hannah and I could still have our mother/daughter evening together, and I could come back to retrieve my car tomorrow.
    Deciding the lat ter would be my plan, I quickly gathered a few of my things and stuffed them into my backpack.  I’d leave the Christmas presents that I’d purchased in my trunk, but some of the things I’d picked up for Hannah and me to use tonight made it into my pile of what to bring with me: sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles for our cookie decorating; a tin of chocolate shavings for making our special homemade hot cocoa, and candy canes that we’d use when decorating our tree.  I tossed in a bottle of water and finally added my small purse, containing my wallet and cell phone.
    Opening my door to get out, I noticed that the mysterious solider still hadn’t left either.  He’d pulled up a few feet though, probably as eager to get out of here as I was.  I decided it wasn’t really my problem what he did, and I quickly walked around my car to head into the woods.  With any luck, in twenty minutes I’d be in my parents’ warm car, riding home to Hannah.
    “What are you doing?” the soldier’s angry voice called out.  I heard him slam his door and come stomping toward me.
    I wheeled around to face him, annoyed that he was still even here.  His dark eyes blazed as he looked at me, and I wondered why on earth he cared where I was going.  “Cutting through the woods,” I said shortly.  “So like I said earlier, have a nice life.  Goodbye.”
    “You can’t cut through there,” he said in disbelief.
    “Uh, sure I can.  And what’s it to you anyway?  You told me you have enough problems to deal with.”
    “I’m not letting you run off and get lost in the woods.”
    I laughed, thinking this guy really was crazy.  A few minutes ago he’d wanted nothing to do with me, and now he was suddenly concerned about my wandering off alone.
    “I’ll be fine,” I said, rolling my eyes as I turned away.
    “Then I’m coming with you.”
    “You are not coming with me,” I said, glaring at him.
    It was his turn to look slightly confused.   “Look, I figure you’ll need help finding your way through the forest.  I need to get into town tonight also.  We’ll make our back to the road, then each be on our way.  You’ll never have to see me again.”
    I sighed, exasperated.  “ Look, I’m not letting some strange man come traipsing through the woods with me.  You could be some serial killer for all I know.  Or maybe just a complete lunatic.  I’m in a kind of a hurry here, so for the last time, goodbye.”
    A slight smile tugged at his lips, and I could tell that he was trying not to laugh at me.  Annoying, cocky, and handsome, I thought to myself.  Perfect.  “Well I’m glad you find it so funny,” I said, sulking.
    “Wait here,” he said, starting to turn away.  “I want to show you something.”  He jogged back to his Jeep and pulled out his gear.  It certainly looked like he had every intention of following me.  Both our cars were here, so they could probably trace his plates if something did happen.  But really, I knew better than to wander off with some random stranger.  It looked like I was going to have to make the long drive after all.
    He grabbed a newspaper from his front seat before slamming the door shut and walking back to me.  With his long stride, he quickly made it back to my side.  “Here you go,” he said, tossing the