Page 13 of Saved By the Mountain Man

Then I hear the screaming. The enemy is all around us, we’re swarmed. A blast shatters my ears and I duck for cover, my arms gripping my head. Bullets rain down on me, whistling past my head as I hold my helmet firmly in place, praying to God that I’ll survive.

Another blast heats my entire body, a roasting warmth engulfing me. My skin singes as I crawl away from the fireball behind me. My gun is somewhere, where is it? Where is it?!

I feel around for it, but the screams are getting louder.

“Ryan!”

I look around for my comrade. The flames are growing bigger. Then I see him, standing in the flames, his body completely black, all except the whites of his eyes which are staring right at me. He falls to the ground, a heavy lifeless lump collapsing before my eyes.

“RYAN!”

I jump to my feet and toss my pack behind me. Staring into the fire, tears fizzle on my face, the heat too much to bear. Bullets ricochet on the surrounding trees, barely missing me as I try to fight against the growing flames.

“Jack! Wake up!”

No. NO. My friend is in there. My best friend. I need to get to him. He can’t die.

“Jack! Jack, wake up, Jack!”

I clutch my chest, my heart painfully constricted as I gasp for air. Stunning blue eyes meet mine, two hands holding my head steady as I gaze into Emma’s eyes.

“Jack, it’s ok… I’m here.” She holds my head to her chest. “You’re ok. You’re safe.”

My body is shaking, sweat streaming out of every pore.

Emma pulls my face to hers and kisses my forehead. I feel my blood begin to settle as she holds me, nursing me back until I feel my soul settle back on the floor of my cabin.

“Safe… You’re safe, Jack.”

Chapter Five

Emma

I hold Jack in the middle of his cabin for over an hour. He doesn’t stop panting, his body shaking with fear the entire time.

I’ve never heard screams like it.

As I cradle him, my heart breaks for this man. He’s been through so much, and I can’t help but wonder how long he’s been like this. All the way up in the mountains, caught in the grips of a past that haunts him, a hero so vulnerable and alone.

It makes my chest ache with sadness.

I gently stroke his hair and help him come back to it slowly. I can feel his heartbeat calming beneath my touch, the tremors in his body gradually subsiding. I whisper soothing words in his ear, watching the way his hand is gripping my hip so tight, like he never wants me to leave.

I want so much for that to be the case. After our moment up at his old cabin, I feel like I have ruined everything. We’ve been growing closer and closer, I was sure he felt the same connection that I have been.

“Jack,” I murmur softly, pressing my lips to his forehead. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m still here.”

Eventually, Jack’s breathing steadies and he looks up at me with weary eyes. The pain and fear etched on his face are a stark contrast to the stoic man I’ve spent the last two days with.

“I’m taking you to bed,” I tell him.

I rise to my feet and guide him with me. He stumbles to his feet and his vulnerability stirs something inside of me. I came to this mountain seeking the safety of an old family friend, but with it, I’ve found so much more.

The man who started out as my protector now needs me, and just as Dad would have wished, I’m as determined to be there for him as he is me.

We make our way through the dimly lit cabin, Jack’s heavy steps unsteady as they make the floorboards creak. I pull back the blankets and help him lie down, then slip beneath the sheets on the other side of the bed.

“I’ve got you, Jack. I’m not going anywhere.”

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