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 her hips, and rolled up the dangling sleeves.
That left dealing with her hair, which was an absolute mess. She attempted to finger-comb the waves, but it didn’t help. Surely there had to be a brush or comb around here. She scanned the dresser top, taking in the papers and envelopes haphazardly dropped in the middle. She noticed how there were no photos of people from his past or ones currently in his life. It was as if he was a clean slate just waiting to be written on, but she knew that was far from the truth.
A small, flat box sticking out from beneath the papers snagged her attention. Though she knew it was none of her business, a longing to learn more about this man from her past had her reaching for the box. It creaked open. Suspended from a red-white-and-blue ribbon was a gold five-point star with a laurel wreath surrounding a silver star in the center. Her heart swelled with pride for Jason. Her eyes grew moist as she realized he must have put his life on the line to receive such a great honor.
r /> With her thumb, she lifted the medal and read the engraving on the back: For Gallantry in Action. A tear dripped onto her cheek. Jason was a bona fide hero. Just not her hero.
A brief knock at the door drew her attention. “Uh...coming.”
She repositioned the medal and snapped the lid closed. Just as she was about to return the box to its original spot, the door squeaked open.
Heat swirled in her chest before rushing to her cheeks and ears. Nothing like getting caught red-handed, snooping. Still, part of her was glad she’d learned this important detail of Jason’s life. Knowing their country had taken time to recognize him for risking his life touched her deeply. Before her stood a rock-solid hero with broad shoulders, hefty biceps and a chest any woman would crave to be held against—except her.
Kara refused to let his gallant acts or obvious good looks change what she knew about him. When a relationship got too serious or hit a snag, he’d rather skip town than talk out their problems. She refused to get involved with someone she couldn’t trust.
His blank stare moved from the box in her hand to her eyes. “I have the water heated up. I just need to know if you want tea or coffee.”
“Tea.” Her mouth grew dry and she struggled to swallow. Giving herself a moment to suck down her embarrassment, she took her time returning the box to the dresser top. At last she turned. “I didn’t read about your heroism in the paper.”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. His eyes needled her. “Snooping, huh?”
She didn’t know if her face could get any hotter without catching fire. Unable to deny his accusation, she went with a different tack. “Such a great honor shouldn’t be kept a secret.”
“And that justifies you going through my things? Digging up unwanted memories?” The roughness of his voice spoke of a deep emotional attachment to the memories.
“Why were you honored?” she asked, needing to understand what had happened to him during those missing seven years.
“I did what had to be done. End of story.”
“Does everything have to be some sort of deep dark secret? Or is it just me that you refuse to be honest with?”
Pain reflected in his eyes, but in a blink, it was gone—hidden behind an impenetrable wall. Regret for snapping at him rolled over Kara. She hadn’t meant to make him defensive. She truly cared about what had happened to him.
“I’ll get you some tea.”
“You don’t need to bother.” She didn’t want to be even more of an imposition. “I can just wait in here, out of the way, until the snowplow digs us out.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s for the best. This way we don’t have to get in each other’s way. You can go about your business like I’m not even here.”
“This room isn’t very warm. You’ll be a lot more comfortable in front of the fireplace.”
“I could just bundle up in a blanket.”
Why was he being so difficult when she was trying to make this awkward arrangement as tolerable as possible for both of them? Surely he wasn’t any more interested in spending time with her than she was about spending it with him.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “But you should know that as soon as I get your tea, I’ll be in to get my shower. And with the bathroom being a bit cramped, I tend to strip down in the bedroom.”
Heat scorched her cheeks until she thought for sure her hair would go up in smoke. So much for her idea about keeping distance between them.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she said. “You wouldn’t have a comb handy, would you?”
He pulled one out of his rear pocket and tossed it to her before walking away.
She turned back to the dresser, catching sight of the box containing his medal. She hated that he refused to open up to her. But he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. She had things in her past that she preferred not to discuss—especially not with him. Maybe he was right. Nothing good would come of them opening up to each other.
After doing what she could with her hair, she walked into the living room to find the fireplace crackling with a decent-size blaze. The glow of the burgeoning flames filled the room with dancing shadows.