Scarred: A Mountain Man Romance

by J. R. Ryder

  It was him.

  Jasper.

  My heart quickened, flaring with the small hope that he would find me. I prayed a silent prayer, waiting for a miracle. To my surprise, it was answered. Jasper was by my side, scraping the snow away from my body as fast as he could.

  When I was finally uncovered, he slipped his arms around me and cradled me to my chest. An instant later, he was running as fast as he could.

  I tried to hold onto my sense of consciousness, but I could feel it quickly ebbing away. I held onto his arm, trying to tell him to hurry. Everything was numb. I didn’t have much longer…

  “It’ll be okay. You’ll be okay.”

  Besides us, Wolf wouldn’t stop barking.

  “I’m going to get you warm.” He said, pulling his jacket tight around my body. “You just have to stay with me, Mandy.” He looked down at me.

  I struggled to focus on his face. Everything was starting to become blurry. “J-J-J…” My voice was barely coming out as a whisper and I was shivering so much that I couldn’t get past the first syllable of his name. My teeth chattered so hard I thought they would shatter.

  “Alright, just keep looking at me. You have to stay with me. We just have a little bit longer to go. I promise. You can make it through this.” As he spoke, he held me even tighter.

  I tried to do what he said but it was getting harder and harder. My strength was fading away. “J-J-J…” I tried once more to tell him that I was on the cusp of life and death, but my voice no longer worked.

  Growing tired, I rested my head on his chest, slowly closing my eyes.

  “Mandy!” He patted my cheek.

  My eyes shot open, head rolling on my neck. I groaned in pain.

  “You’re hurt too…” He whispered, brushing away my hair and exposing my wound. As soon as the cold air touched the pierced skin, a stab of pain radiated through my temples, making me cry out.

  “Shh, Shh… it’s going to be okay. I’m sorry.” Every so gently, he cradled my head against his chest. “You just have to stay strong for me and everything is going to be okay.” He kept repeating these words like he was trying to convince himself. “I can’t bear to lose you…”

  Ha.

  What did I mean to this random stranger?

  Nothing.

  What did I mean to anyone?

  Nothing.

  Maybe I’d be better off dead.

  But… there were so many things I still wanted to do.

  All my hopes and aspirations flashed before my eyes. I imagined myself as a lieutenant, managing an expert squad of detectives that would keep my town safe from any crime. I’d be married with kids. I’d be happy.

  None of that was possible now. None of that even mattered now.

  This was the end.

  Chapter 6 (Jasper)

  “Mandy!” I shook her, but this time she did not respond.

  Fuck.

  I tried again but still, she was unresponsive.

  This was bad – very bad.

  I had no idea how long she had been buried underneath all that snow. She was probably in the late stages of hyperthermia. Looking down at her, all I saw were her blue lips and the paleness of her skin.

  She didn’t have long. That much I was sure of.

  With little time to spare, I ran as fast as I could. Wolf was on my heels, barking the entire time.

  He could tell that something was very wrong.

  I just prayed that I had reached her in time.

  My heart ached just thinking about the pain she must be going through right now.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached my cabin. I rushed inside, gently placing her on the couch before I piled on every blanket I owned on top of her. Once I was done, Wolf jumped on top of the mountain of blankets, which added his own body heat to the mix.

  He looked at me and whimpered.

  “I know boy… I’m worried too… but she’s going to be okay.” I said, trying to stay hopeful. Things weren’t looking good – they weren’t looking good at all. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. Her frozen fingers terrified me. She wasn’t warming up.

  Desperate, I added yet another piece of wood into the fire. The flames blazed, dancing against the safety guard, like an angry monster raging inside his cell. The heat was stifling, causing droplets of sweat to form on the back of my neck. Still, it didn’t seem like enough.

  Wolf whimpered, nudging Mandy’s face with his wet nose.

  “Down,” I commanded.

  He cocked his head in confusion before planting his large paws on her chest, refusing to move.

  “Wolf, down.” This time, I pointed to the ground.

  He looked at me with his big chocolate eyes before finally obeying my command. He jumped down but remained as close as possible, his head rubbing against the hand that hung off the side of the couch. His ears were slicked back with worry.

  With the dog out of the way, I quickly pulled back the blankets. She looked so helpless and fragile. Her lips were still worryingly blue. What if it was already too late to save her? She needed medical attention but that was impossible. We’d never make it on time. Not in this weather. This was the best I could do.

  I leaned in close to her face. “Forgive me…” I whispered, gently peeling off her clothing until she wore nothing but her underwear. I did my best to avoid looking at her. But, in the end, my curiosity won out. Hungrily, my eyes swept over her body, taking in every delicious curve of her womanly form. God, she was perfect.

  I shook my head. What was I doing? What was I thinking? This was no time to be checking her out.

  Quickly, I stripped off my own clothes and slipped onto the couch beside her.

  Wolf seemed to understand what was happening because he jumped back up, blanket in his mouth. I grabbed it with a slight smile, draping it over all three of us. Once we were underneath it, I started to rub her body to warm her.

  She was frozen.

  I rubbed her a little harder, cocooning her with my body, unsure of what else I could do to help. “Please… Mandy…” I whispered, gently running my fingers through her hair, laced with frozen crystals. “You have to make it through this.” I kept talking to her as if that would rouse her from unconsciousness.

  It didn’t.

  Outside, the wind continued to howl, whipping against the windows, making them rattle.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I told her, letting my thumb rub circles on her arm. “I’m going to keep you warm.”

  ***

  It ended up being a long, nerve-wracking night. After a while, Mandy’s body finally responded to the heat. The blueness of her skin disappeared, replaced with a healthy shade of red that basked underneath her cheeks. I watched her all night, memorizing her features, wanting to kiss those pink lips of hers, but somehow, I managed to control myself.

  What I wanted didn’t matter. The only thing that did matter was keeping her safe.

  Eventually, the sun rose once more. Bright beams of light filtered through the sun-covered window panes, dancing on the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace.

  “Mandy…” I spoke her name, my lips nearly touching her earlobe, but she did not stir.

  I ran my hand slowly down the side of her body, pleased that she now radiated with heat. I pulled her a little closer, pinning her to my chest, letting her sweet scent intoxicate my being. I knew this wouldn’t last – this intimacy between us. As soon as she woke up, she’d push me away, just like she had before.

  I savored each second, knowing that as soon as she was gone I’d be alone again.

  It’s funny. I came out to the mountains for solitude but now all I wanted was companionship. And this girl would fit the bill perfectly.

  Sure, she was a godsend. But I would be foolish to believe that my dreamed up scenario of her staying here permanently would ever unfold.

  She still slept deeply. I was sure she would not yet wake up and carefully got off the couch, adjusting her head on the pil
low so she was as comfortable as possible. “Stay with her. Let me know if anything funny happens.” I told Wolf who just laid his massive head on her chest as a response.

  I smiled, leaving her in the dog’s care as I moved into the kitchen. There, I turned on the woodstove, listening to the crackling sound of the burning logs. It was one of my favorite sounds.

  I cracked some eggs over a frying pan, watching them sizzle. While they cooked, I chopped up some fresh apples into thin slices and divided them evenly among two plates. I thought about adding a scoop of peanut butter to the mix but what if she was allergic? I could keep her warm, but I would be utterly useless if she went into anaphylactic shock. I put the jar of peanut butter back in the cupboard.

  Just as I was about to set the table, Wolf came charging into the kitchen, ramming into my legs, unable to stop in time. He fell, legs sprawled out in all directions, looking confused.

  I chuckled. “You’re quite the clumsy dog.”

  He got to his feet and whimpered, glancing at the living room.

  My eyes widened. “Is she awake?” I rushed out toward the living room. There, I leaned down beside her, studying her face for any signs of movement.

  Ever so slightly, her eyelids began to twitch, followed by the fluttering of her eyelashes. I held my breath.

  Wolf sat down beside me, just as anxious as I was.

  And, then, finally, her eyes opened.

  I exhaled deeply; I could breathe again.

  She was okay!

  Without thinking about it, I lunged forward, taking her into my arms, folding her into my chest, fingers running through her sandy hair. “You’re okay…” I murmured, feeling like I’d never let her go again.

  Chapter 7 (Mandy)

  What am I doing here?

  Hold on, where was ‘here’?

  A pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around me and held me in tight. I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on, but it was like a fog had rolled into my skull making it hard to think.

  What had happened? Who was this person?

  These questions swarmed around my head like an angry swarm of bees.

  I tried to lift my arms and pry this unknown person from me, but my limbs felt like they were made of lead. They hung loosely at my side, refusing to obey my commands to move.

  Finally, the stranger pulled away. Only, it wasn’t a stranger at all. It was the man I kept bumping into. Jasper. Yes, that’s his name.

  Beside him was that crazy dog of his.

  What was going on?

  I furrowed my brows together in confusion when I realized we were inside some sort of log cabin. This was the place he had wanted to bring me back to before, back when I turned him away. What had this guy done to me?

  “Shh, don’t strain yourself. Just take it easy and relax, alright?” He pressed down on my shoulder, guiding me back down onto the couch.

  My body feeling numb and fatigued, I reluctantly obeyed. “What happened?” My voice was nothing more than a cracked whisper.

  He shook his head and held up his hand, signaling that I should wait.

  He got up left the room, headed for what looked like a kitchen. As soon as he was gone the dog moved in, getting closer to the couch and daring to put his large head beside my hand. When I didn’t acknowledge him, he nudged my fingers, looking up at me with his large doe-eyes.

  I was never much of a dog person, but I couldn’t resist that stare. I gently placed my hand on his head. To my surprise, it was incredibly warm and soft. I ran my fingertips through his fur. Suddenly, his hind leg started to shake. He tilted his head back and howled in delight. I yanked my hand back.

  “He seems to really like you.” Jasper’s deep voice echoed through the living room as he returned with a glass of water. “He hasn’t left your side since I found you in the snow. In fact, he’s the reason you’re still alive.”

  “Wait…” I started but my lips were so dry that they felt like they would crumble to dust at any moment.

  “Here.” He held out the glass of water.

  I held out my hands to grab it, but my finger shook.

  Embarrassed, I looked up, hoping for a bit of help.

  Jasper smiled warmly down at me, placing the glass to my lips, being as gentle as possible. “Drink slow.” He said, holding the back of my head at the right angle.

  Eagerly, I drank every drop, savoring the fresh, crisp taste.

  When I was done, I managed enough strength to wipe my mouth. “Thank you.”

  “Of course.” He responded with a nod before sitting down on the coffee table in front of me. “Oh, and you might want to put these on.” He reached underneath the table and pulled out some folded-up clothing.

  My clothing!

  My eyes widened when I became aware that I was naked underneath the blanket. “W-Why am I naked?” I asked, voice shaking. “You didn’t…”

  “N-No!” He answered quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I would never do that… I was just trying to keep you warm… body heat and all.”

  “Body heat…” I whispered, still trying to understand the information I had been given. “You took off my clothes so you could keep me warm with body heat?”

  He nodded.

  “You were naked too.”

  He nodded again.

  My cheeks instantly grew hot with a blush. This handsome man had laid naked beside me. “Why…?”

  “You were caught in the snow storm.” He explained. “When Wolf found you, you were already unconscious and very, very cold. The nearest hospital is too far away so I had no choice but to bring you back here.”

  “I see.”

  “I hope you aren’t mad. I only wanted what was best for you.”

  I was silent for a moment, letting my thoughts settle down. One part of my brain was screaming in protest, unable to accept that this man had laid naked beside me without doing something naughty. Surely, he had other intentions in mind. Or, maybe, he was just a good guy trying to save someone’s life.

  “Do you mind giving me a minute?” I said, taking my clothes.

  “Of course.” Without hesitating, he got up and left the room.

  Wolf remained, looking at me with big, curious eyes.

  “Um… shoo?”

  He didn’t move.

  Snap.

  With a cue from his owner, he got up and high-tailed it out of the room.

  Now alone, I breathed a sigh of relief. Ever so slowly I got to my feet, rolling back my shoulders, and straightening out my posture. The room spun before my eyes but I managed to steady myself, taking deep breathes to push aside the dizziness.

  It took much longer to get dressed. My body still felt numb, as though certain parts of it were still frozen and needed to be thawed back into working order. Eventually, I managed to get myself decent once more. I looked around for a mirror, but the living room’s interior was rather bare. A few pieces of furniture. The roaring fireplace. That was about it. Oh, and a small bookcase tucked away in the corner. There wasn’t even a TV. Hell, I didn’t even see any outlets.

  I walked toward the kitchen, following the scent of food.

  There, I was surprised to find Jasper sitting at a wood-carved table. It was set for two.

  He looked up with a smile on his face. “I hope you’re hungry. I’m not the best cook in the world but hopefully, it’s decent.” He chuckled. “Wolf never complains, in any case. then again, he’s a dog.”

  “You cooked for me?” I asked, standing there.

  He nodded. “I thought that if you woke up, you’d want something warm to eat. I cooked it all a while ago, but I popped it into the microwave just now, so it should be okay. Please be honest and tell me if it’s not.”

  “Why are you doing all this?” I asked.

  He looked me with his bright green eyes and smiled. “Because what kind of person would I be if I didn’t?”

  Chapter 8 (Jasper)

  Eventually, Mandy sat down. Her movements were slow and almost tim
id in a way like she didn’t quite know what to make of this situation. I didn’t blame her. After nearly freezing to death and falling into unconsciousness, all of this had to be a bit overwhelming.

  She took a bite of her food, chewing slowly.

  I watched her intently, trying to figure out if she liked it or not.