On a Snowy Christmas Night by Debbi Rawlins Page A

he’d been too hasty to dismiss the snowshoes, although they would’ve slowed him down. He kept pushing himself, his eyes trained on the top of the small hill she’d have to climb to get to him. He knew exactly what time he’d landed but he didn’t bother checking his watch now. The passage of time didn’t matter. Getting to her did.
    Moments later he saw her. God bless that pink jacket. He didn’t think she’d spotted him. Hard to tell with her arm hiding her face.
    “Shea,” he yelled, letting the wind carry his voice.
    When she showed no sign of having heard him, he cupped his gloved hands around his mouth and called again. After two more tries, she lowered her arm. Her shoulders suddenly went back and her mouth opened. He thought she might have said something but he couldn’t hear her.
    For a second he feared she might spook the mare, but she paused, adjusted her grip on the reins and nudged the horse toward him. His breathing labored from trudging through the thickening snow, he waited where he stood.
    “Jesse, are you okay?” she asked, then climbed off the mare before he could stop her. They needed to move quickly.
    “You all right?” He caught her by the shoulders, studying her flushed face. Icy snow clung to her hair and eyelashes.
    She nodded. “I was looking for Caleb. He got away. Did you see him from up there...?” She started to look over her shoulder but he gave her a gentle shake.
    “Listen, we have to find shelter. Now.”
    “The plane?” She blinked hard against the snow pelting her face.
    He hugged her against him, using his body to protect her. “A cabin not far from here. But we have to go now. Let’s get you back in the saddle.”
    “What about you?” She tilted her head back, her teeth chattering violently.
    “I’m fine walking.”
    “But—”
    He lowered his head and kissed her. Not the best way to shut her up but he’d acted on instinct. And it worked. He drew back. “Please don’t argue.”
    The wind howled around them. He doubted she’d heard him. She just stared at him with wide eyes. It would be easy to pick her up and put her back in the saddle. And all he wanted was to kiss her again.
    She leaned into him and lifted her mouth.
    Damn, they had to get out of here.
    He pulled her against his chest and kissed her hard, his tongue probing the seam of her lips. She let him inside and tentatively touched her tongue to his. Her shoulders shook beneath his hands.
    This was insane. He was insane. He broke away. “We have to go now,” he mouthed, unable to compete with the shrieking wind.
    She nodded, and he helped her into the saddle.
    Noticing the cinch was loose, he reached under the mare, and in spite of his bulky gloves, managed to tighten the strap. It pissed him off that he was somewhat disoriented. He’d been too focused on her instead of monitoring where they were in relation to the line shack that he knew straddled the border between Safe Haven and the Hebers’ land.
    Once he was confident they were headed in the right direction, he took the reins and motioned for Shea to keep her head down. She didn’t object but instantly dropped her chin to her chest. His sunglasses helped protect him somewhat but the way the snow slashed sideways, punishing their exposed skin, he knew it was going to be a long trek.
    He led the mare toward the plane, intent on stopping to pick up his emergency kit on the way to the shack. Though he’d flown over the place a few times, he hadn’t used it in years. He hoped like hell they weren’t in for a nasty surprise.
    * * *
    A T FIRST S HEA THOUGHT the small cabin was a hallucination. It didn’t seem possible there’d be a building, such as it was, in the middle of nowhere.
    It was also possible this whole thing was a dream. Jesse had kissed her. She’d kissed him back. How could that have been real? Could she have made it up in her head?
    Jesse led Candy Cane right up to the door and tethered her to a pole that had been stuck in