Savanna's Gift

by Camille Eide

  Savanna smiled. “The germs or the guests?”

  “Both, I think.”

  “That sounds like Donna. She’s OK; she’s just a little claustrophobic. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

  Luke eyed her then looked away. “You always did have a certain gift with people.” Heaving a deep sigh, he rubbed his eyes.

  “You look tired, Luke. No offense.”

  He stared down at his clasped hands.

  A desire to help him challenged her better judgment and won. Savanna stepped behind his chair and started massaging his shoulders. Stiffening, he started to rise from his seat. With gentle pressure, she pushed him back into the chair. “You’ve got a knot the size of a volleyball in this shoulder. Let me work it out before you go back in there to face Donna and all those germs.”

  As she worked, Luke sat stiff, flinching slightly when her hands touched the bare skin of his neck.

  “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you.”

  His head turned to the side. “No. You’re right about that. Won't happen again.”

  The steely cold of his quiet words sliced clean through her, and she hesitated. Then she resumed kneading, warming the muscle, breaking up the spasm, loosening the knot. Praying silently for him.

  After a minute or two, she could feel the tension breaking, his shoulders relaxing. She worked her way up his neck again. Instead of flinching, he relaxed, his skin goose-bumping at her touch. She held her breath, remembering how many times he’d massaged her neck and shoulders after a long shift. She remembered the feel of his hands; strong and rough, slightly chapped from working in the cold. In the semi-dark, quiet except for Luke’s steady breathing, the air stilled.

  “I never saw it coming, Savanna.”

  It took her a second to register what he meant. She kept kneading the muscles between his shoulder blades, forming her words. But maybe she needed to be quiet, let him voice his hurt.

  “You seemed happy when we were together. Or at least I thought you were.” He let his head hang forward as she worked the base of his neck.

  Savanna swallowed the sudden knot in her throat. “I was happy,” she whispered. “I was crazy in love with you.”

  He sprang from his seat, went to the other side of the room and then turned to face her, keeping plenty of distance between them. “Really? Is this the new, enlightened Savanna talking, or the old one? The Savanna who was so hung up on titles? The one who would say whatever she thinks I want to hear now?”

  Through the sting of tears, she studied him. Not fair. Lord, help me make him understand. “I did love you. And I have changed. I hope you can see that.”

  In the thick silence, a question burned in his eyes.

  Her feet moved of their own volition, bringing her closer until half an inch separated them. “The Savanna you loved is still here, Luke. The Savanna who loved you and…still does.” She lifted her face, her lips inches from his. “Please believe me,” she whispered.

  The air between them pulsed with a magnetic current. His hesitant, breathless study of her mouth brought a tingle to her lips. A rush of adrenaline set her heart pounding.

  He gave a slow headshake. “I don’t know what I believe,” he said as he backed away, his eyes never leaving hers. Then he turned and left the room.

  Savanna released the breath she’d been holding.

  Oh Lord, I want to win him back. More than anything I’ve ever wanted.

  8

  More guests had gathered in the lobby. Even though fancy holiday appetizers had been set out on the sideboard, Savanna spotted a couple of the snowboarder guys flopped in the stuffed chairs munching on Doritos. She smiled as she headed into the Fireside Room. To each his own Christmas traditions.

  George Freeman waved to her from the couch, smiling. “Savanna. We wondered if you were still here. Thought maybe you’d snuck a ride out on Santa’s sleigh or something.”

  “No, but that’s not a bad idea.” She laughed.

  A commotion pulled Savanna’s attention to the snowboarders in the lobby chairs. One of the boarders stood clutching his throat, his face turning purple. Another pounded his back. Others stared at their friend in shock.

  Savanna sprang toward him.

  One of the man’s friends grasped him from behind and performed the Heimlich. She reached him and waited, holding her breath. The friend did the procedure correctly, but to no avail.

  “Make room, please!” she yelled as she reached for the choking man. She inspected his mouth for the obstruction, but it was too deep. His airway was totally blocked. She felt the crowd pushing in on her, then heard George telling people she was a nurse and to move back.

  The guy was blacking out.

  “You—help me get him on his back!” she said to the one who’d tried the Heimlich. As they laid him on the floor, she yelled for the EMT kit and knelt beside him.

  No one moved.

  “There should be one at the desk. I need it now!”

  James—as his friends were calling him—had lost consciousness. His lips had turned deathly blue. She needed to work quickly or James wouldn’t make it.

  “Here comes the kit!” The crowd parted and the box was placed beside her.

  “I need a rolled up a coat or something. And you—call 911!”

  She opened the kit and found a sterile scalpel, gauze sponges and a trach tube. She took the rolled up jacket and placed it under James’s neck to hyperextend the area. She opened her supplies, keeping them as sterile as possible, snapped on a pair of gloves, and took a deep breath.

  Heartbeat deafening in her ears, Savanna took another deep breath.

  Come on, Lord, save this guy’s life. Help me get this right.

  Adrenaline coursed through her, drowning out the sounds of people crying and the Christmas carols streaming through the lobby. Ignoring the pain in her knees from the cold floor, Savanna focused on the emergency training she’d received, and she asked again for the Lord to give her clarity and to guide her hand.

  Savanna located James’s Adam's apple with her right hand, then moved her fingers down to locate the cricoid cartilage and the soft membrane where the incision would be made.

  “What do you need?” Luke’s deep voice quivered in her ear.

  “Just keep everyone back.”

  She made an incision about a half-inch deep, through the fascia, membranes and muscle until she felt the scalpel reach the void of the trachea. There wasn’t much blood, but the acrid, metallic smell that wafted up to her nose threatened to make her dizzy, surprising her. Normally she’d be wearing a mask when exposed to blood.

  Lord, help me out here….

  Taking a deep breath through her mouth, she focused her thoughts again. She pushed the curved trach tube into the opening. With the tube in place, Savanna puffed two quick breaths into it to make sure her placement was correct. James’s chest rose with each breath. Savanna held her own breath, waiting. His chest moved in regular rhythm. James was breathing on his own.

  Savanna exhaled and closed her eyes, coming back from her tunneled focus to the sound of a cheering crowd. James moved slightly, his color and consciousness returning.

  Thank you, Lord. Not bad for our first unassisted emergency tracheotomy.

  Luke’s hand cupped her shoulder. “What do you need now?”

  Keeping her eyes on James, Savanna asked if there was a room nearby or a place they could get him comfortable. Luke barked orders for a room to be readied and a stretcher.

  Savanna cleaned the neck area, then changed her gloves. She found the medical tape and secured the trach tube to James’s neck.

  “Savanna? We have 911 on the phone.”

  Heaving a deep sigh of relief, she turned to Luke. “Tell them we need an ambulance to transport him as soon as the roads are clear. And he can’t swallow anything, so I might need a doctor’s permission to start an IV soon if he doesn’t get to a hospital in the next several hours or so. He’ll be OK for now.”

  Luke sucked in a huge
breath and blasted it out, meeting her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” Her smile felt shaky.

  James gave a wisp of sound. Savanna turned to find her patient wincing. She hunted through the EMT kit and found lidocaine jelly. She leaned down close to James’s ear.

  “James, can you hear me?”

  His eyelids fluttered.

  “You’re going to be OK. You have a trach tube to help you breathe. You might be in some pain from the obstruction and the incision, but you’re not going to be able to swallow anything for a little while, so we can’t give you anything for the pain right now. This should help a little.” She applied the jelly to the area around the tube.

  Luke directed a couple guys to transfer James to the stretcher and take him to a nearby room. Savanna rose and followed, legs threatening to buckle beneath her. Luke turned and came back to her.

  “You OK?”

  She nodded and followed the stretcher. She helped transfer the man to the bed, made sure he was comfortable, then checked his tube again.

  “Still with me, James?”

  The patient opened his eyes. His gaze drifted around until he focused on her. Savanna offered a reassuring smile. His lips moved. Savanna leaned closer, knowing no air would pass his lips, but hoping nevertheless to understand him. No luck.

  Frustrated, she turned to Luke. “I’m terrible at lip reading. What’s he saying?”

  Luke watched James for a moment and then turned to her with a slight grimace. “He says…you’re hot and he’s in love with you.”

  “Oh, good.” Cheeks blazing, Savanna smiled down at James. “Sounds like you’re going to be fine. I need you to rest now. Can you do that for me?”

  James smiled weakly.

  “Great. I’ll check on you in a while, OK? And maybe rethink the Doritos from now on.”

  He smiled again, winking this time.

  Savanna grinned and rose from the edge of the bed. Luke followed her out, but stopped her outside the door.

  “That was amazing, Savanna.” Sincerity deepened his voice to a rumble. “You saved that guy’s life. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  She sighed, smiling. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad I was here and could help.”

  Luke studied her face for long seconds. “Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “So am I.”

  9

  Christmas Eve dinner was always a special event at Evergreen Ridge. But this year, the closed roads had clearly messed up the lodge’s holiday plans. The staff had been hustling all day to make last-minute changes. Savanna hadn’t seen Luke since they left James’s room.

  The Freemans invited her to sit at their table for dinner. Mylie’s eyes glowed with excitement at her Papa’s talk of the special surprise to come after dinner, when all the guests and staff would gather around the Christmas tree.

  Savanna had almost forgotten about the reading from Luke chapter two and the gift exchange, a longtime tradition at Evergreen Ridge. The resort owner always shared something meaningful about Christ’s birth, and then he and his family did the honors of presenting a small gift to each of the guests. But with the roads closed, the owner probably wouldn’t be there. Unless he and his family came by snowmobile or sleigh, she doubted the tradition would be carried out this year.

  The fire in the lobby roared and crackled, radiating warmth and a smoky aroma. As evening fell, the twinkling lights, the scent of fir and ham and spices, and the glow of the giant Christmas tree filled the lodge, drawing more guests to the lobby. Savanna had intended to spend some time with Mylie, but a crowd of fans had cornered Savanna in the Fireside Room and wanted to know what it was like to do an emergency tracheotomy. She did her best to explain, but some of the girls were too grossed out to stay and hear it all. The guys were fascinated, hanging on her every word. As soon as she was able, she slipped out and checked on James. He seemed to be resting comfortably. She prayed for his recovery and that he could be transported soon.

  She also hoped to see Luke, either checking on their patient or mingling with guests, but she wasn’t surprised by his absence. He’d had a lot of extra pressure added to his job this holiday.

  Plus, bumping into me every time he turns around probably doesn’t help.

  By now, Savanna knew her extended layover here wasn’t just some glitch in Luke’s or her holiday plans. As she’d asked for God’s help throughout the day, she’d become more and more convinced that her delay here was a God-thing. A gift. A chance to regain what she’d lost.

  How am I supposed to use that gift when the man is running in circles?

  ****

  Paged to take a call from the owner, Luke slipped into his office and punched the blinking line button. Mr. Hollemann confirmed what Luke already knew—the resort owner and his family couldn’t get here for Christmas Eve.

  “That’s too bad,” Luke said. “But it’s understandable, given the circumstances. We’ll have to skip the annual gift exchange.” He hated to cancel. It was one of the reasons many of the guests returned each holiday season to Evergreen Ridge. That combined with the homey atmosphere, caroling by the fire, the family feel.

  “No,” Mr. Hollemann insisted. “I want you to carry on. It’s tradition.”

  “Sir, I couldn’t do that. It’s your tradition.”

  “Nonsense,” the older man’s voice rumbled. “What good is a tradition if it can’t be shared? And if there was ever a tradition to share, it’s this one. Go for it, Luke.”

  Luke agreed to follow through with the original plan, hoping he sounded more willing than he felt. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the significance of the story and the symbolism of the gift exchange. He’d just never been a man with a lot to say, especially in front of a crowd.

  After checking on James, Luke headed for the kitchen, stopping for a moment to see how things were going in the banquet room. The aroma of slow-roasted hickory-smoked ham and fresh bread blasted him from the banquet room doorway.

  The dining area was packed. As he was about to leave, he spotted Savanna sitting at a nearby table with the Freemans, the little girl, and two other couples. Savanna raised her goblet, pinky poking out at an odd angle, and smiled at the girl.

  Of all the times for a road-blocking snowslide.

  Luke shifted a little to his right, obscured from the diners’ views, and watched. He couldn’t help it. Savanna looked more radiant than ever. Even more beautiful. She had changed. And yet, she was in some ways so much the same.

  The little girl lifted her glass and worked her pinky out in miniature imitation. They touched their cups in a toast, then the girl dissolved into bubbling giggles. It wasn’t hard to see why—Savanna made a cross-eyed pucker face as she raised her glass and sipped, pinky pointing skyward like an antenna.

  Luke shook his head, a half smile tugging at his mouth. Some things hadn’t changed at all.

  The girl gave the cross-eyed pucker thing a try but couldn’t get the cup and pinky coordinated. Savanna tipped her head back and laughed.

  His breath caught.

  You’re pathetic. Hiding in the shadows spying on guests.

  Luke glanced around the lobby, suddenly feeling like he was back in junior high.

  Savanna turned and laughed at something Mr. Freeman said, the melodic sound of her laughter carrying above the dining clatter.

  Vulnerable still, yet stronger—heroic. And just as witty, warm and tender.

  The little girl tapped Savanna to get her attention. She turned and smiled down at the girl, her expression a loving, sweet caress.

  His heart tightened, sending an ache through him.

  God help me, I want that. Her devotion, her heart. More than ever.

  ****

  After dinner, most of the guests dispersed to the Fireside Room where cider and cocoa were being served on a sideboard along with iced cookies and glittering sweets. Lori, the woman Savanna had helped in the dining room, was in charge of setting up games. When Savanna offered to help, Lori sent her to
get pens from the front desk.

  Halfway through the lobby, she saw Luke. He’d already seen her and was walking straight at her in brisk strides. Savanna froze, unable to move. When he reached her, his eyes burned through her.

  “Come with me.”

  He grasped her hand and pulled her to the hallway leading to James’s room.

  Oh Lord, I did the procedure wrong…

  Panic washed over her as they neared his door. Luke stopped and turned to her. In the low hall light, his face was hard to read, visible only by the glow of the lobby fire.

  “Luke, what’s—”

  He took her face in both hands and pulled her to him. His lips captured hers.

  Stunned by the sudden move, she wobbled, knees nearly buckling.

  Luke deepened the kiss, long and slow and insisting. Asking without words, needing her in a way that melted her heart. Waves of joy raced through her, filling her to overflowing, numbing her with an intensity that sent her back to the last time she was with him, to their last kiss.

  No. That kiss was nothing like this.

  His hands were in her hair, gently caressing her neck. He was letting her into his heart again, answering her silent cry. When they parted, Savanna stared at him, drinking in his ardent expression, still too stunned to speak. His chest heaved with ragged breaths.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, and she met his smoldering gaze. “Luke—”

  He bent close and kissed her again, cutting her off. Moving with gentleness this time, his lips caressed hers slowly, tasting, savoring the feel of her.

  Her heart thumped in a wild staccato, dizzying her. She could barely breathe.

  Luke broke the kiss slowly but didn't let go. He cradled her to his chest in a way that felt so right, reminding her of how much she missed him.

  “Savanna,” he murmured against her cheek. His breath bathed her skin, shooting tingles through her like tiny dancing feet. “I tried so hard to forget you.”