Read Online Deep Freeze Christmas by Marian P. Merritt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marian P. Merritt
Tags: Christian fiction
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evening.
****
Cameron rested his head on his hand while his elbow remained propped on the back of the loveseat. Leona's flattened helmet hair and the rosy highlight of her cheeks was a sight he could never tire of seeing. A tiny strand of her chestnut-colored hair curled near the corner of her left eye. He resisted the urge to push it away. Sitting close to her comforted him.
She'd handled tonight's situation like a pro.
He couldn't imagine what things would have been like had Marissa been the one he had to rely on.
Tonight's conversation with Marissa had gone better than he'd hoped. He knew the timing could have been better. No girl wants to hear, at any time, much less on Christmas Eve, that the guy she's got her sights on is not interested. But the last two times he'd told her, she hadn't seemed to get the message. This time he made sure she understood.
Her words came back to him. “You're a fool, Cameron Fleming. You know how many men would love to be in your shoes right now? Well, I'm not going to beg anyone to be with me. You're the one missing out.” After she spat the words at him, she'd stormed away and began flirting with Bryan.
He hated being so blunt but realized it was the only thing to do. The more subtle approach didn't work with Marissa. He looked at the bandage on his hand. It wasn't long after their conversation that Marissa had bumped into him and cast him into the fire. He smiled at the metaphoric irony.
"What's so funny?" Leona smiled.
He thought his chest would burst. This was the thing he loved about her. When she smiled tiny wrinkles fanned above her cheeks, and her brown eyes looked like amber with sparks of gold.
"Just thinking about the whole night."
"Won't Marissa be looking for you?"
"I doubt it. Women don't usually come looking for a guy who has just told them he's not interested in them for the third time."
Leona's eyes widened. Her mouth opened. She closed it, and then opened it again. "You…and Marissa are not…together anymore?"
He looked directly at her. He wanted to drive the point home—to make her understand that there had never been anything between him and Marissa. "We were never together."
"But…the kiss." Her brows creased and confusion seeped into her eyes.
"That was Marissa trying to get me to visit her bedroom that night. That was all. It ended right there in the hallway. That was the first time I told her I wasn't interested." He gave in and pushed the curl away from her eye and tucked it behind her ear. The rosy blush on her cheeks deepened to a darker shade of red.
"So you two," she shook her head, "were never together. But I thought she came here with you."
"I drove her to the airport in Los Angeles and from the airport in Hayden per Dad's request. She mistook that act of kindness as more."
Leona’s bright eyes reflected the roaring fire warming the small cabin. She turned to him. "I'm glad to hear that."
He laughed. "Really?"
"Really." She smiled.
He cupped her hand in his. "Can I tell you something? From the first day we met I have felt I've known you all my life."
She squeezed his hand while her eyebrows lifted. "Me, too! There's something familiar about you. Chef said you lived in Louisiana. Was it in New Orleans?"
"We lived in the Lakeshore neighborhood."
"You did, did you?" She grinned and examined his face. With a tender touch, she ran her finger along the scar near his right eyebrow. A look of wonder filled her comforting eyes. "You got this when you fell from an oak limb while trying to rescue Mrs. Moreau's white Persian cat."
His jaw dropped. How would she know?
"Georgie. Georgie Fleming. Why did I not see it before?"
"Only two people ever called me Georgie. My best buddy in sixth grade, Everett, and his sister, René." Recognition rushed and slapped him in the face. "René?"
She nodded.
He slapped his leg. "I can't believe it! René Buquet. I remember so vividly the last words you told me when we moved away. Do you
****
Cameron rested his head on his hand while his elbow remained propped on the back of the loveseat. Leona's flattened helmet hair and the rosy highlight of her cheeks was a sight he could never tire of seeing. A tiny strand of her chestnut-colored hair curled near the corner of her left eye. He resisted the urge to push it away. Sitting close to her comforted him.
She'd handled tonight's situation like a pro.
He couldn't imagine what things would have been like had Marissa been the one he had to rely on.
Tonight's conversation with Marissa had gone better than he'd hoped. He knew the timing could have been better. No girl wants to hear, at any time, much less on Christmas Eve, that the guy she's got her sights on is not interested. But the last two times he'd told her, she hadn't seemed to get the message. This time he made sure she understood.
Her words came back to him. “You're a fool, Cameron Fleming. You know how many men would love to be in your shoes right now? Well, I'm not going to beg anyone to be with me. You're the one missing out.” After she spat the words at him, she'd stormed away and began flirting with Bryan.
He hated being so blunt but realized it was the only thing to do. The more subtle approach didn't work with Marissa. He looked at the bandage on his hand. It wasn't long after their conversation that Marissa had bumped into him and cast him into the fire. He smiled at the metaphoric irony.
"What's so funny?" Leona smiled.
He thought his chest would burst. This was the thing he loved about her. When she smiled tiny wrinkles fanned above her cheeks, and her brown eyes looked like amber with sparks of gold.
"Just thinking about the whole night."
"Won't Marissa be looking for you?"
"I doubt it. Women don't usually come looking for a guy who has just told them he's not interested in them for the third time."
Leona's eyes widened. Her mouth opened. She closed it, and then opened it again. "You…and Marissa are not…together anymore?"
He looked directly at her. He wanted to drive the point home—to make her understand that there had never been anything between him and Marissa. "We were never together."
"But…the kiss." Her brows creased and confusion seeped into her eyes.
"That was Marissa trying to get me to visit her bedroom that night. That was all. It ended right there in the hallway. That was the first time I told her I wasn't interested." He gave in and pushed the curl away from her eye and tucked it behind her ear. The rosy blush on her cheeks deepened to a darker shade of red.
"So you two," she shook her head, "were never together. But I thought she came here with you."
"I drove her to the airport in Los Angeles and from the airport in Hayden per Dad's request. She mistook that act of kindness as more."
Leona’s bright eyes reflected the roaring fire warming the small cabin. She turned to him. "I'm glad to hear that."
He laughed. "Really?"
"Really." She smiled.
He cupped her hand in his. "Can I tell you something? From the first day we met I have felt I've known you all my life."
She squeezed his hand while her eyebrows lifted. "Me, too! There's something familiar about you. Chef said you lived in Louisiana. Was it in New Orleans?"
"We lived in the Lakeshore neighborhood."
"You did, did you?" She grinned and examined his face. With a tender touch, she ran her finger along the scar near his right eyebrow. A look of wonder filled her comforting eyes. "You got this when you fell from an oak limb while trying to rescue Mrs. Moreau's white Persian cat."
His jaw dropped. How would she know?
"Georgie. Georgie Fleming. Why did I not see it before?"
"Only two people ever called me Georgie. My best buddy in sixth grade, Everett, and his sister, René." Recognition rushed and slapped him in the face. "René?"
She nodded.
He slapped his leg. "I can't believe it! René Buquet. I remember so vividly the last words you told me when we moved away. Do you
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