Longing For December - Shelia Burket (best short novels of all time .txt) 📗

she thought to herself. His eyes made her breathless and her knees grew weak as he moved his body up and down hers passionately. He kissed her so softly as if she were going to break. He made her crazy, she wanted to scream! He looks into her eyes and everything his words did not say her heart heard. She felt his warm breath against her neck he melted into her. This time his kiss was felt in her toes, different than the ones before, deeper, harder. Her fingers grasping his white t-shirt, she opens her eyes to the sound of a car in the driveway, “mom”, she gasps! “Stay here, she pointed him to the living room chair, she unlocks the door and runs to the bathroom to throw her ponytail back in order. A quick check in the mirror as she unsmudges a bit of mascara underneath her eye, she hears the door open. Calmly she walks down the hallway. Blake with his nose in his math book, he’s helping me with my pre-algebra, she smiles cheerfully. Their eyes lock as they are thinking what a close call they had. Savanna knew better to have a boy in the bedroom, and to even have one in the living room “to study” while no one was home was pushing it. She was relieved that she didn’t get into trouble. Mom even asked Blake to stay for dinner, and he did.
Friday night Blake sits in a well worn recliner, feet propped up remote in hand. He flips through the channels one by one. His heart pleads with him once again to go to her. What would he have to lose? If she didn’t feel the same could he bare it? He had to know. He lights a cigarette, and kicks in the foot stool, and leans forward. He sits with his face in his hand and finishes his cigarette. “I’ve got to do it!” He says out loud. He packs a small bag and heads for the door with a tiny black box inside the pocket of his black leather jacket. Blake decides to take a trip to West Virginia, Savanna’s home-town. He figures at least her parents might still live there. His heart is heavy…The road is long, the anticipation is great. She heard the bells of the front door ring and stopped breathing for a moment as a slight breeze sent a chill down her spine. It was her mother with doughnuts to go with the coffee, she sighed. She decided to work late that day; the kids had planned to go to a fall festival in town. It was 9pm she snacked on some pretzels she had left there earlier. She heard the bells jingle again as they had all day when the door opened. A gush of wind swept through the studio giving her a chill. “Mom”, she called out. “Is anyone there?” no one answered. She walked to the front desk. There were 2 dozen red roses sitting on the counter top. They were beautiful! She looked around, no one was there. She was surprised and a little spooked, no card. She opened the door and looked outside, no one. The streets were empty because of the fall festival. “OK’…. A secret admirer she wandered. She sat back down to paint… she paused… English leather… “Blake?” she called out. There was a tiny black velvet box on her desk top by her brushes she hadn’t noticed till now. She curiously opened it. “Oh my God!” “Do you like it?” Blake appears from nowhere. “I told you I’d come back for you”. She stomps his toe, “What took you so long?” They began to laugh. Blake placed the diamond ring on Savannah’s hand. “I’m going to do this right”, he smirked. Down on his knee he took her hand and asked Savanna Danielle Oliver to be his wife and she accepted with an apology for the stomp of his toes! “I love you Savanna, I always have”, he touched her face. “I have held a special place in my heart for you since the summer that you came into my life”. “I don’t want to wake up and find it was all a dream”, she looks at him with tears in her eyes. “How could I ever of let you go Savanna?” I’m so sorry, how can I…”Don’t”, she touches his lips. “It’s not your fault, it’s no ones fault.” “We were kids”, she smiles. “What about all those years we’ve wasted?” He looks at her tearfully. “What happened?” We’ve come full circle”, she whispers. “I love you”….”I never stopped loving you”…he holds her in his arms. “Things happen for a reason, look at our beautiful children, I don’t know that I would change things, maybe some things,” she lays her head upon his chest.” So many times I’ve thought of looking you up, maybe I was afraid you’d be in a relationship or what we had was just… well, what it was back then, a summer love…but it was so much more. It had to have been for all this time to pass and to feel it so strong inside after all these years.” The life I’ve had has been a good life,” Savanna holds his hands in hers. “But you always held a place in my heart.” It was God’s plan for us to find one another again after all these years.” With her emerald eyes full of tears she turns the “opened” sign in the window over. Wiping a tear she moves toward him. She stands before him.
A silent pause…No words could say what their hearts felt that moment. The reconnecting of their souls was overwhelming as the flood of emotions over took them. Savannah began to cry. They fell to their knees consoling one another, they both cried as they kissed each other softly. Blake closed his eyes as he kissed her neck and shoulders, he smelled her skin, so familiar’. Savanna moaned as she felt his breath on her bare skin, keeping her eyes open, not to miss a moment. He kissed her fingertips as worked his way down to her painted toes, sporting a silver toe ring. He smiles as he kisses the heart pierced by a rose tattooed on her right ankle. She giggles as he playfully bites her ankle, growling as he moves his way back up.” What did I do to deserve this?” Savanna laughs uncontrollably. I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for this night. The December wind blew in more than Savanna ever expected that night. The love that she had longed for so many years was found that December night.
One year later…..Savanna finally finishes her first book and starts on the next one. Blake transferred to W.V. where he works doing what he loves to do. Savanna still paints and writes as she sits in her antique rocker and dreams of the days gone by. She smiles, wandering what the future holds for them. They married that December. They were happier than they ever dreamed they could be. Sitting at a table in “Denise Ann’s country book store” at the town center mall in Charleston West Virginia sat “Savanna Oliver Daniel’s”, it was her first book signing. All the years of sitting on her front porch and in her “corner of the world” on one well worn end of her couch had finally paid off. It was a honor and a thrill to finally arrive in the world of writing as a published author. Her very first book “December Wind”, was the story of her life, her loves and losses and her ability to rise above it all. She was so proud as she signed the very first copy; “Savanna Oliver Daniels” she smiled as she handed it to a young girl who reminded her of herself so many years ago.
Later that evening… Savanna sits in her favorite rocker, grandma’s quilt wrapped around her, coffee in hand. The evening sky is soft pink with lilac clouds weaving in and out. Clyde jumps up and sits comfortably on her stomach and is startled by a “thump” “sorry Clyde”, must be the coffee, she laughs. Little Blake kicks again, her hand rubbing her now huge belly. Clyde “meows” and rubs against her feet. Blake calls from the kitchen, “Breakfast is ready!” Savanna smiles and looks up at the sky and to God, says “Thank You”.


The End

Imprint

Publication Date: 10-29-2010

All Rights Reserved