Snowed In For Christmas: A Fun Feel-Good Holiday Romance Novel - Kimberly Krey Page 0,17
of addictions or issues, while teaching physical life survival skills along the way.”
“So you’re talking about nights spent in tents and under the stars,” she urged.
He nodded. “And days spent out in the elements too, no matter how hot or cold it might get. We make our own fire, catch our own food, and build our own shelter most months too.
“Adding that component—it takes the focus off their own personal weakness, whatever it might be, and demonstrates how common our human weakness is when faced with the elements. Learning to overcome those challenges, gaining those essential survival skillsets, it gives the kids a real boost.” He willed himself to stop there; he could ramble about that topic all day long.
“That’s…” She cleared her throat and sniffed. “That’s incredible. What gave you a heart for it?”
Easton gave her a subtle look of reprove. He’d let her first follow-up question slip, about the vegan chick, but this was hitting too close to home.
“My own traumatic childhood,” he said, a ring of finality coating his words.
Ivy blanched from the comment, her expression shifting from intrigue to regret. Maybe that would keep her from prying too much. The last thing he wanted to do was get caught in his emotions on camera.
She gave him a slight nod, seeming to acknowledge his intent, then lifted her chin once more. “So your job is to teach them the survival aspect,” she said.
He nodded. “Right. We have skilled therapists from diverse fields to address mental illness, addiction, depression, you name it. But my job goes back to the basics. I get people in touch with their caveman side. You never know when it
might come in handy.”
He glanced up at her pointedly across the barstool. “Heck, you could be all warm and cozy in your big SUV and suddenly get stuck in a blizzard with no means to save your own hide. If you don’t know how to fend and hunt for yourself, you could wind up at the mercy of some heathen.” He shot her a wink.
A giggle seemed to get caught in her throat. “Indeed.” She rubbed at her arms then, and Easton noticed goosebumps had formed over her skin.
“Are you cold?” he asked, wondering if that were even possible. It was quite warm if you asked him. But Ivy only shook her head.
“No. Thank you.” She bit at her lip and glanced down at the phone before lifting those blue eyes back on him. “Tell us about your best relationship experience.”
Easton couldn’t hide the glare that formed across his brow. Not only did he dislike the question in general, he really disliked the us part. It reminded him that this was, in fact, not just a conversation between the two of them. This was still an audition. An audition he very much needed to botch.
“I can’t say I’ve ever had a great,” he put up finger quotes “relationship experience. A few are less horrible than the others, if that works.”
“In what way?” she pried.
He huffed out a sigh, forcing himself to recall what he liked about his relationship with Luna, one of the counselors who’d spent time at the center. He knew just what set her apart from some of the women he dated. “In the way that she didn’t try to change who I am. And I didn’t try to change her either. We weren’t the same by any means, but we respected what was different about one another, if that makes sense.”
A grin pulled at one corner of her mouth. “That does make sense. Thank you.”
Easton shifted in his seat, anxious for this to be over. And once it was, would it be very wrong of him to accidentally drop her phone into the washing bin? Or fling it into the fire?
“Two final questions, starting with this. They say we often learn about love by the examples set in our youth. In just two sentences, tell us what couple influenced you most, and how you would describe their relationship.”
Wow, they were really asking for it, weren’t they? But maybe this would work in his favor. Perhaps it was answers like this that would keep him from moving into that final contestant slot.
“My parents,” he said holding up a finger for the first sentence. “And to describe their relationship…I can do it in one word.” He squared a good hard look at her then, and spit out the only definition that would do it justice. “Toxic.”