Savanna's Gift

by Camille Eide

  “Luke?” Brandon stood inside the office doorway. “Are you getting this?” He lifted his iPhone and pointed at the screen.

  “The blizzard warning? Yeah. You got staff calling in already?”

  Brandon shook his head. “You didn’t hear? Oregon Department of Transportation is reporting a massive snowslide in the area. Details are still sketchy. I’ve been on hold with the highway department trying to nail down what roads are affected. Might interfere with staffing and deliveries.”

  Luke leaned back in his chair, letting his tense shoulders sink into the leather. “We should be fine on supplies. Got the last of the Christmas dinner supplies this morning. Bumped up all the food service deliveries since tomorrow’s a holiday.”

  Brandon nodded. “One less headache. Want me to keep you updated on ODOT, or are you going to monitor that?”

  Luke took a closer look at the warning. Blizzard conditions increasing through the night and possibly into tomorrow. The day’s precipitation had taken an unexpected turn, dumping snow so hard and fast all the lifts had shut down early and brought a crowd of snowboarders and skiers into the resort to hang out in the lobby until the storm passed.

  “I’ll keep an eye on the road conditions. If Santa’s helpers can’t get here, we won’t be having much of a Christmas.”

  “Got it. I’m heading up to check how Curt’s holding up before I clock off. Anything you want me to tell him?”

  “Yeah. Tell him—you know what, I’ll do it myself. I need a stretch. Go hit the sack. Got a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

  Brandon ducked out. Luke grabbed his pager and headed up the service stairs to the second-floor lounge. He could probably sprint up and down all four flights of stairs a dozen times and still not burn off the tension brewing in him from the unexpected storm. Not the storm raging outside, but the one that had landed inside the lobby earlier looking even more gorgeous than he remembered with a curly-headed little girl in tow.

  Luke strode along the landing toward the lounge, reminding himself he’d thoroughly put her out of his mind and moved on. Just because she was under the same roof was no reason to dredge up the past. But though he’d done his best to put her face out of his mind, the letter accompanying her engagement ring had left a scorch mark he’d never been able to fully erase.

  I have a career plan...afraid we have different futures in mind...just not a good fit...I’m sorry...

  Not a good fit? Major understatement. The tender bond they’d shared turned out to be one-sided. He’d been charmed by a title-hungry ladder climber. How could he have been so blind?

  Because you were too laid back. Too trusting.

  That was then. Now, thanks to a gorgeous, two-faced player, being too trusting was no longer an issue for him.

  His pager beeped, and he checked the screen. A 9-1-1 from both Brandon and the front desk.

  ****

  Shivering, she woke a little after midnight on top of the covers, hunger gnawing at her insides. She didn’t hold out much hope that the dining room was still serving, but maybe she could catch someone working who could find her a snack. She brushed her smashed hair and then headed downstairs. Slipping late-night snacks to guests had always been a pet hobby of hers when she used to work here. When she reached the dining room, not only was it closed, but the place was also deserted. The Timber Lounge on the second floor was probably still open and might be serving appetizers. Peanuts. Breath mints. Anything edible would work at this point.

  She headed up the east stairway. As she neared the top, Luke was coming toward the stairs. When he saw her, he started to turn back, but then he stopped and waited at the top for her.

  Arms crossed and fully braced.

  3

  Savanna swallowed hard and continued up the stairs. Every step that brought her closer to those piercing green eyes also brought a little burst of adrenaline. Nothing had changed—he still stole her breath.

  She reached the landing where he waited and stopped, her eyes steady on his. Without warning, sensations of his heart-stopping good-bye kiss flooded through her.

  No. Don’t look at his mouth.

  His gaze fell to her lips and lingered there for whole seconds. “I, uh…” He studied the carpet between them, his brow pinched in a deep V. “I got a ring by express mail. And a letter.” When he raised his head and met her eyes, his face was stone. “One letter. That was it. Not much of a warning, Savanna.”

  Heart racing, her thoughts whirled. “No, you’re right, Luke. I’m sorry for the way I handled that and…for a lot of things.” For letting the wrong things drive me. For not voicing my true fears. For hurting you.

  His gaze swept over her face and hair, then cut away from her to the lobby below where little groups of night-owls lingered.

  It wasn’t fair. She couldn’t undo what she’d done, and yet she wasn’t the same girl any more. She was no longer driven by the taunting demons she’d grown up running from. But telling him that was pointless. Delving into the past would only make him more uncomfortable than he clearly was. Her stomach churned, wary of whatever else he had to say.

  He said nothing but made no move to leave. She could at least try to explain, if he would listen. “A lot has changed, Luke.”

  He hacked out a bitter laugh. “So you noticed.”

  Thrown off by his response, she studied him, scrambling to understand his meaning. “Luke, I just want to—”

  Palm raised, he shook his head. “That’s OK. You know what? Doesn’t matter. You had me fooled, Savanna. I always thought you were a go-getter, but I had no idea you were so into titles and getting ahead.”

  “No. I mean, yes, I was—”

  “What? Now you’re going to tell me what you should’ve said before you agreed to marry me?” He glanced over his shoulder and pressed his lips tight until a couple passed by on the landing. “A guy whose only goal in life is to play in the snow and isn’t trying to make something of himself isn’t a ‘good fit’ with your medical career. I read the letter. I get it.”

  An ache burned in her throat, and she fought the sting of tears. Sarcasm wasn’t like Luke—not at all. This was hurt talking. And she didn’t blame him. He was absolutely right.

  But he doesn’t know the whole story—I didn’t even know it myself until last year.

  It didn’t matter. His wound ran too deep.

  “Luke, I’m so sorry. If it makes any difference—”

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I was blind. But I finally figured it out.”

  Bands of steel squeezed the air from her chest. “What?”

  “When I was with you, I only saw what I wanted to see: a beautiful, wacky, kindhearted girl who I’d love like crazy for the rest of my life. But I was wrong.” With a terse headshake, his eyes darkened. “Turns out I didn’t know you at all.”

  Without another word, Luke thundered down the stairs and disappeared.

  In the void left by his sudden withdrawal, Savanna stood there, unable to think. A cold cloud pressed down, numbing her. One thing she did know: she wouldn’t be bumping into Luke Nelson again. She’d make absolutely sure of that.

  Right now.

  Savanna stumbled down to the lobby, doing a visual sweep to see if he was around before she approached the desk. When the night attendant came, Savanna took a deep breath. “I’m checking out.”

  The girl frowned. “Now?”

  “Yes.” Sometimes people check out in the middle of the night. Especially when their presence is painfully unwelcome.

  “I’m sorry, but we’ve begun alerting some of the guests—the snowstorm turned to a blizzard and caused a major slide between here and Highway 26. The road is completely closed until the department of transportation can get it cleared.”

  “You’re kidding. How long do they think it will take?”

  “I don’t know. It’s coming down so fast the plows can’t even get out yet. I can check you out, but you’re not going anywhere.”

  **** />
  Numb, Savanna returned to her room, trying to grasp how she could be trapped here. She sat on the end of the bed and stared at four walls and a dead TV. The storm must have glitched the satellite. Suddenly drained, she crawled into bed. But sleep wouldn’t come.

  …who I’d love like crazy for the rest of my life.

  The look on Luke’s face and the coldness in his voice seeped through her like an icy mist.

  But I was wrong…

  The darkness in those green eyes still pierced her. Her previous regrets had never felt this cold. She’d long regretted her stupidity, and most of all, her loss. But while she knew she must have hurt him, she’d never seen in person what her actions had done. She’d made Luke question himself and the love they’d had. He was no longer the laid back, strong, quiet guy who adored her feisty spirit and laughed at all her jokes. She’d turned him into a bitter man.

  Lord, please do something. I can’t sit around waiting for the roads to clear and watch him stiffen like a guard dog every time he sees me.

  As sleep came in fitful bursts, one memory after another filled her half-awake thoughts, the pieces of her life she hadn’t remembered in ages. The night before she left for school, when they’d said goodbye…

  She was to leave before dawn for Boston, so the day before, he’d traded shifts with another guy and arranged for dinner at a corner table in the dining room. They shared an amazing fresh salmon dinner and her favorite dessert of strawberries and whipped cream. They talked long into the evening about his family, her scholarship and acceptance into Boston School of Medicine, what kind of a wedding they would have. He asked about her family, again. And she’d been vague. Again.

  Luke studied his plate and spoke slowly. “You don’t talk about your family much.”

  Smiling, she bit the tip of a perfectly ripe, cream-coated strawberry. “Because I was raised by wolves and they’re very shy. They never call, they never write…”

  He smiled. “Is your mom OK with you finishing your nursing degree in Boston?”

  “Mm hmm.” Savanna nodded, swirling the berry in the cream for another thick coating, avoiding his eyes. Yeah, her mom was good with it. She didn’t care where Savanna went to school as long as she came back home and worked at the county clinic where she could earn just enough to pay the bills and keep the liquor cabinet stocked.

  She didn’t tell Luke that the miles between Oregon and Boston weren’t nearly enough, or that if the saying about the nut not falling far from the tree was true, she wasn’t taking any chances. Living on the other side of the country meant never having to watch her mom lie and scam emergency assistance from the county because she’d blown her SSI check on Powerball and cheap gin. It also meant Savanna’s new colleagues would never see how she’d grown up. In Boston, she had a shot at proving to herself and to the world that she could succeed. That she wasn’t like her family. She didn’t sit around in heaps of filth watching TV all day and thinking up new ways to finagle hand-outs because the world owed her and she didn’t care who paid.

  Savanna smiled and slipped fingers into Luke’s rough, wind-chapped hand. “When I land my prestigious charge nurse position and you have your shiny new MBA, we’ll be able to have everything we want.”

  In the dimly lit corner, Luke’s eyes met hers. He shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Baby, I’ve already got it.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Everything I want is right here.”

  Savanna’s breath had caught at that moment, her entire body quivering at the look on his face. Yet even now, as her fitful dreams crossed into her conscious mind, she could still remember what her heart had whispered, even after he’d said those words, the love still burning in his eyes: But you do want more, don’t you? You want it all, like I do, right?

  ****

  All Luke wanted was to get some sleep, but with the time nearing 5:00 a.m., that clearly wasn’t happening.

  He got up from the office couch, went to his desk, and switched on the desk lamp. He took his old study Bible from the bottom drawer and flipped it open. His eyes skimmed along familiar passages and stopped at places he’d highlighted. His attention landed on one section in 1 Corinthians he’d both highlighted and underlined:

  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

  Maybe love—the real kind—didn’t fail, but people did. Savanna certainly had. Luke had to be honest and admit he’d also failed—in his own way. Harboring bitterness was no good, and he’d sought the Lord’s help more than once to be rid of it. And he thought he’d succeeded—until last night. Until he saw her face, heard the warmth in her voice. Smelled her light, sweet scent, saw the regret in her eyes.

  He gave his head a vicious shake. Any regret he saw in her was probably over missing her shot at marrying someone with a prestigious-sounding title.

  “Guess I still have some bitterness to work out, Lord. At least seeing her brought up the need for that.”

  Yeah. Seeing her and being near her brought up a few other needs too…

  No. He didn’t need anyone who only saw him as a rung, a position.

  “Lord, help me forget and get past it,” he whispered. “Once and for all.”

  As he showered, his pager chirped at least a dozen times. Guests were discovering they were essentially trapped at Evergreen Ridge on Christmas Eve. Though many of the guests were here for the holiday, others had planned to check out today. The skiers and snowboarders who’d hung around late had to be put up for the night as well. Now with the road closed, he not only had to make some decisions and scramble to change Christmas Eve plans, but also had plenty of uptight people to deal with. The staff would be looking to him to help keep people calm and at ease.

  He slipped on his shoes and phoned the desk. As he listened to the clerk, his pager went off again, reminding him the frenzy had already begun. He would probably spend the entire day running.

  Which was fine with Luke. Because the less opportunities he had to see Savanna Holt, the better.

  4

  Muted light from the window pulled her awake. An oddly dull color, not like sunshine. Shivering, Savanna pushed the curtains aside and tried to make out the landscape, but couldn’t see a thing. The storm continued to blow, fusing the ground and sky together into an opaque mass of grayish-white.

  Shelving away lingering images of Luke, she showered, did a quick job of her makeup, and pulled back a little hair on each side, letting the rest of her dark auburn tresses fall shiny and straight. Why she bothered, she didn’t know. Aside from checking on the road conditions at the desk and grabbing something to eat, she planned to stay in her room until the roads opened. She might drop in for a minute and visit Mylie and the Freemans, but she didn’t want to crowd their time with her. She would venture out of the safety of her room no longer than necessary.

  Her soft, ivory turtleneck contrasted well with her hair. She stuffed the bottom of her jeans into her sheepskin boots and then headed down to the front desk, looking over the lobby and staff as she approached. A good-sized crowd had gathered at the desk, probably wanting the same news she did. Savanna looked for the end of the line that was more of a mob. A woman behind the desk spoke up, addressing the crowd. Savanna pressed in closer to hear.

  “…and the blizzard is expected to continue for the next several hours. Due to the snow slides, the road to the lodge and parts of Highway 26 are still closed. ODOT says travel is at a standstill until plows can get up here and get it cleared. Guest safety is our number one concern. We’re doing everything we can to keep our guests comfortable and safe. We will keep you posted with updates and announcements. Thanks for your patience.”

  A number of the people groaned and murmured, others rushed the desk with que
stions. A big guy in fatigues looked like he was about to flip out. Savanna turned to leave, but overheard one woman’s conversation with another guest, the worry rising sharply in her tone. The other guest shook her head and left. Savanna moved closer to the nervous woman.

  “Is something wrong? Are you OK?”

  Worry pleated the older woman’s brow. “I just overheard that girl behind the desk say they’re short on staff, and they hope no one does anything stupid because they don’t have an EMT and emergency vehicles can’t get up here. What if something terrible happens? We’re all trapped!”

  Savanna touched her shoulder. “I’m sure the staff is trained to handle all kinds of emergencies. We might as well relax while we wait. I’m sure it won’t be too long.”

  The woman shook her head. “I don’t know if I can handle this. I’m very claustrophobic.”

  A serious diversion was in order. “What’s your name?”

  “Donna. And I’m not one to dwell on the negative, but it’s hard to relax knowing I’m practically buried in the snow with all these people.” Donna stole a nervous glance around her. “I think some of them are sick. I’ve heard several people coughing and now my throat feels funny. I think I might be coming down with something.”

  Savanna nodded sympathetically and decided against touching the woman’s shoulder again. “Maybe you could order a couple of movies and relax in your room. Take a nice warm bubble bath and a nap. I mean, who gets a chance to spend a whole day relaxing these days?”

  Donna’s lips tightened. “I don’t like baths. And I’m sure the tubs here don’t get a very thorough cleaning.” She shot a frown at the cluster of people waiting to be helped at the desk. “I just know I’m going to be sick.”

  Giving her best reassuring smile, Savanna offered Donna her room number. “I’m a nurse, so if you start feeling sick, you can call me. I’ll be in my room until we’re able to leave. OK?”