Savanna's Gift by Camille Eide

Author:Camille Eide
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian fiction
Publisher: Pelican Ventures Book Group
Published: 2011-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

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Savanna started toward the door that led into the Fireside Room, but Luke wanted to avoid the crowd. The less distractions, the sooner they could get this over with.

“This way.”

He went down a few steps to the service entrance the lift workers used, making sure she followed. He opened the door and waited for her to go inside, then led her down the corridor to the equipment storage area. The place was empty, quieter than an alpine meadow after a heavy snow. He hadn’t spent much time here lately, not since the days of hanging out at the end of his shift with the other instructors, swapping stories from a day on the slopes. The days when Savanna worked as a server and made up the goofiest excuses to come down here and steal a kiss when no one was looking.

Without thinking, he turned and studied her face. Her lashes rested against her pink cheeks, her lips were reddened from the cold. Red and kissable.

Soft, yielding, murmuring your name…

He spun around and took off his parka, giving it a violent shake.

Great idea, meeting her down here. Idiot.

Luke hung the coat on a peg and faced her. He was ready to be done with it and hoped his rigid stance and expression said as much.

Savanna pushed back her hood, then pulled off her gloves and wiped her wet, glowing cheeks. “Luke, I feel I owe you an explanation. No excuses, just the truth.”

He lifted his chin and waited, arms crossed.

“My breaking up with you was…never about you. I was screwed up. I didn’t know how much until recently.”

Great. The old “It’s not you, it’s me” line. Jaw tensing, he resisted the urge to check his watch. Did she really think he wanted to hear all this again?

She took a breath and closed her eyes for several seconds. He waited, not sure if she was gathering lies or nerve.

Actually, she seemed to be praying.

“Do you remember how I never talked about my family?” Her earnest eyes met his. “At the time, that seemed the easiest way to deal with them. With my mom, mostly. She lived off the system all her life. I know a lot of people find themselves in need of help, but she was a con disguised as a charity case. She looked at everyone as a potential hand-out. She always had a sob-story lined up at a moment’s notice.”

The soft curve of her cheek and her full lips captivated his thoughts for a few moments longer than they should have. She was waiting for a response. He tried to remember what he actually knew about her family. She’d somehow joked and skirted her way around telling him anything. But then, what else could he expect from someone so duplicitous?

“I watched her scam county agencies, churches, neighbors, anyone she could appeal to with lies and a lot of really good acting,” she said, her voice low, as if the shame would find her even down here. “I was desperate to be nothing like that.

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