Page 82 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
She ignored him. Humiliation was rapidly rising up alongside her anger and this idiotic sense of betrayal. She should go back in before they both froze out here.
“You’re going to get yourself killed!” He was shouting, his expression darker than the clouds above.
A stubborn streak flashed through her, and she nearly told him to leave her alone. She was on the cusp of shouting, “Just go back inside!”
It was silly. Impractical.
But how could she return to the cabin now? He’d want an explanation for her senseless behavior, and she had no idea what to tell him.
Maybe it would be better just to freeze out here in the snow.
A heavy sigh rose within her as her logical brain told her all the reasons why she wasn’t allowed to die.
So, as much as she didn’t want to, she picked up her numb foot and went to take a step toward him, toward the cabin—but she stopped when the tree’s groaning grew as loud as thunder.
With a frown, she glanced up, her eyes bulging in horror as the limb above her gave a final crack and started to fall.
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“Lia!” Panic surged through JJ, making him colder than the winter wind. His heart stopped beating, and for a moment, he froze, the sound of her scream still splitting the air.
But then adrenaline surged, and JJ was racing across the snowy drifts to get to her.
“Lia!” he shouted again. The wind blew his voice back at him, and his feet couldn’t move fast enough to cut through this snow. “Lia!”
If she heard him, she wasn’t shouting back, and his heart tripped and turned, making it hard to breathe. His mind was rushing ahead of him, trying to figure out what he’d do if she was seriously injured. He’d need to get her off this mountain and to a hospital…
Without a truck.
He alternated between cursing and praying as he fought the wind to reach her. When he did, his insides sank with relief when he saw her lying there in an embankment, her skin pale but her eyes open and looking right at him.
“I’m here,” she was saying, like she’d been saying that all along, but he hadn’t heard her. Her voice was more of a croak than a shout.
“Are you hurt?” He reached her side, bending over to check on her.
The answer was obvious when she winced. He glanced down to see that the tree limb was on her leg, trapping her.
“My ankle,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think it’s broken, but I can’t get my foot out from under this thing.”
Her voice was clipped but calm. Of course it was.
His Dahlia wouldn’t panic or whimper in the face of pain.
He dropped his chin to his chest as relief made his muscles temporarily go limp.
She was alive and well.
Thank you, God.
For a second he wanted to take her face between his palms and kiss her senseless while another part of him wanted to shout at her for running out like that.
But then she shivered, her lips trembling before she pinched them tight.
A surge of protectiveness overrode all other urges.
“Here.” He shed himself of the overcoat he’d thrown on and secured it around her. “Let’s get you out of here.”
“But you’ll freeze,” she started.
