Read Online Valentine from a Soldier by Makenna Jameison - Free Book Online Page B

jaw, and eventually met his gaze.  Although his eyes seemed to soften slightly as he took in my expression, I started to feel slightly concerned.  Although this road led back to town, there were no other cars in sight.  Of course, no one could come from the opposite direction, leaving town, with the tree blocking the bridge.  There could be a whole traffic jam on the other side of it for all I knew.  I was stranded out here with a complete stranger, one who seemed to be a bit of a jerk at that—a handsome jerk, but not that it mattered.  I needed to get going and didn’t want to waste another minute figuring out what his problem was.
    “Here,” I said, thrusting the paper at him without even glancing at it.  “Have a nice life.”  I turned and walked back to my car, angrily climbing inside the driver’s seat.  I watched as he shoved the paper in his pocket and walked away.  “What a jerk,” I muttered to myself.  I grabbed my cell phone from the dashboard and realized that I didn’t have any reception.  Great, just great, I thought.  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 latter 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 way 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