A December to Remember: a Holiday Romance Anthology

by Howe, Olivia

  The depression that had taken over Brant moments earlier had now gripped hold of his soul. Holly would not be able to have any more children. Brant whole-heartedly believed that he could have prevented this if he had payed more attention to his wife. She was so excited for another baby, too. The news broke his heart.

  “Do whatever you have to do to save her,” Brant told the doctor as tears began to pool in his eyes.

  “After the operation, I will keep her for a few days for observation.”

  Brant reached out for the doctor’s hand, and he shook it, barely able to hold his composure together. After the doctor left, Brant fell into the arm chair that sat beside Holly’s hospital bed until the orderlies wheeled her out to surgery. As his head fell into his hands, he could get no lower. He had reached the depths of his despair.

  Holly returned home seven days after she was initially rushed to the hospital when Marv found her unconscious and hemorrhaging. Brant hadn’t said much to her, and she was concerned. He had an unhealthy look about him. He wasn’t sleeping, barely eating, and he hadn’t been to work since returning home from Hong Kong. She was still weak, but she was not stupid. She saw him combing the wanted ads every day. She didn’t want to say anything, because she had a feeling that it would only add to his stress.

  Then one day, he just didn’t come home. Frantic with worry, Holly called his mother in Colorado. Doris explained to Holly how concerned she was over Brant. He was depressed and isolating himself. Holly became angry because Brant wasn’t the only one going through this crisis. Families are supposed to stick together. The final straw that broke the camel’s back occurred when Doris told Holly, “Please take care of my boy.”

  Holly simply replied, “Doris, I’ve had a miscarriage, emergency surgery, and I have children to look after. You don’t abandon your family.”

  Holly hung up and never looked back. When Brant tried to return the following week, he tried to explain that he had been looking for work. But without a phone call, a note, or any evidence that he was even alive for a week, Holly was not trying to hear any excuses. From that day on, she closed him out. From that day on, Brant has been trying to claw his way back in to her good graces.

  It was not a graceful dance for either of them. If only Holly knew just how distraught Brant was.

  Chapter Six

  Out of the Comfort Zone…

  December 23, 2013

  Rogue

  Sloane walked through the double doors of Rogue like she owned the joint. She waved to a group of women that were seated at a table by the door, and walked up to a pair of men who were standing casually by the bar. She kissed the one man on both cheeks and then the other. Holly immediately recognized them. It was none other than Luke Casile and Russell Weiss. Russell gave Holly a polite wave, but Luke leaned in and gave Holly a friendly hug. Luke was one of Brant’s oldest friends, and he just so happened to be Sloane’s oh, so casual boyfriend. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another man approaching them.

  “Oh, Jesus. Not him,” said Luke as he cast a dirty look in the man’s direction. Chris Beckman was walking right towards them.

  Chris stood at six feet tall with blond sandy hair and dark brown eyes, and he had a mischevious quality to his smile. Chris looked thrilled to see Holly and leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek that lingered a second too long. Holly pulled back as her cheeks began to blush.

  “Holly! Long time no see…”

  “Hi Chris, how are you?”

  “What can I get you to drink?” asked Chris, expecting Holly to ramble off a girly drink.

  “How about a Lawson’s on the rocks?” asked Holly nonchalantly. It was Brant’s favorite brand of scotch.

  Chris was taken aback by Holly’s drink request and had to catch his breath. “Uh, sure… Hey Roz! William Lawson scotch on the rocks for the lady!”

  Roz the bartender started making Holly’s drink while Sloane stood there drinkless and feeling left out. She eyed Holly’s drink and rolled her eyes. A bad habit Holly caught from Brant was drinking scotch straight. The thought made the hair on her arm stand on end.

  “What the hell, Beckman! Weiss! Casile! Gimme a drink!”

  Chris and Russell raised their eyebrows at their testy friend, while Luke gave Sloane a sly smile.

  “Err… Order the woman a bay breeze.”

  Holly laughed at Sloane’s drink of choice, “Wow. You’re badass.” Sloane casted an evil look in Holly’s direction.

  “You got it… None for me. I’m the designated driver,” said Russell with a smirk. Russell then looked at Luke to see if he needed a drink, but he already had a beer in his hand.

  “I’m good.”

  The night was going along nicely and Holly was actually having a good time. Chris had bought them another round of drinks and Sloane was beginning to get sloshed off of her fruity drinks. Holly was just beginning to lighten up, which is something that Holly wasn’t having an easy time with lately. Luke had spun Holly around the dance floor a few times, but then Sloane wanted a turn, so Holly returned back to the bar for another drink. While Sloane was on the dance floor with Luke, and Russell was arguing on the cell phone with his mother, Holly sat alone at the bar. Chris Beckman saw the perfect opportunity to make his move.

  A song came on the radio that both Chris and Holly recognized. Chris grabbed her hand, and the next thing she knew she was being led out into the middle of the dance floor at Rogue, her inhibitions dropping by the second. Chris could really dance, and he wasn’t bad to look at either. At six feet, he was tall but lean, not muscular like Brant.

  What am I thinking? Chris Beckman was Brant’s best man at our wedding. But we aren’t married anymore. Right? I am a free woman, and I could dance with whoever I want. It’s not like I was marrying him.

  Chris was actually fun to be around. She couldn’t help but laugh and smile as he twirled her around the dance floor. It was so long since Holly had gone dancing. His reputation as a ladies man preceeded him though, and she knew not to let herself stumble. Suddenly, a slow song came on, and Chris moved in closer, grabbing Holly by the waist. He took Holly’s hand and began to lead, slowly swaying their bodies to the music. Everything was going fine until he went in for the kiss. He leaned in, taking advantage of the moment. As his lips approached hers, Holly quickly turned her head, denying Chris a kiss as a glimmer of sadness overcame her beautiful face. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to Chris. It’s just that her heart belonged to someone else.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Too fast.”

  “Want another drink?”

  “No… I think I’ve had enough.”

  “Holly!” Chris called from the dance floor, but Holly pretended not to hear him.

  Luke and Sloane, who were slow dancing on the opposite side of the dance floor, saw Holly rush off of the floor. They divided and conquered, Sloane to Holly and Luke to Chris.

  “What the hell are you thinking, man?!” yelled Luke, getting right in his face.

  “What? I’m single. She’s single. What’s the problem?”

  “That’s your best friend’s ex-wife!”

  Chris still didn’t see the problem, and walked off.

  “Whatever, man!”

  Sloane found Holly back at the bar where she was in deep conversation with Roz, the bartender. Sloane took one look at Holly and said, “All partied out?”

  Holly looked back at the dance floor and saw that Chris was already chatting up a brunette that was sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant.

  “Yeah…”

  “Hey, designated dude…” Sloane said to Russell, trying to get his attention.

  Russell was half asleep at the bar. He raised his head in response.

  “Care to give Holly a ride home? She’s spent.”

  With a nod, Russell grabbed his keys and the girls followed him out of the bar, leaving Chris alone on the dance floor. Luke stayed
behind, keeping a watchful eye on Chris from the bar.

  Chapter Seven

  All Partied Out…

  She should have never gone out. Now Holly felt worse than ever. Going out wasn’t making her forget about Brant… It was making her want him back more. Holly sat in the passenger seat of Russell’s car feeling tipsy and aggravated.

  “C’mon girl… Let’s get you home,” said Russell as he put the keys into the ignition.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Hey, Russ, could you give us a minute?” asked Sloane.

  Russell nodded and he stepped outside the car for a few minutes.

  “Just keep putting yourself out there. You’ll find someone,” said Sloane a bit carelessly. She could be a bit obtuse after a few drinks. Holly gave Sloane an annoyed look.

  “Do you really think that I couldn’t have had whatever guy I wanted in that bar tonight?”

  “I know you could have. Even the guy I was talking to was staring at you.”

  “It’s not like that with Luke. He protects his friends.”

  “It was a joke.”

  “The fact is, I don’t want to put myself out there.”

  Sloane looked at her friend for a moment.

  “What do you want?” she asked honestly but bluntly.

  Holly considered her friend’s question. She didn’t know the answer.

  “I just want to go home… I need to figure some things out.”

  “No, that’s not what you want…” said Sloane bravely.

  “Really? Okay, Ms. Fortune Teller! What is it that I want? Solve all my problems!”

  “Okay, I will! You want… No, you NEED Brant to come home. You need to fix that! Not just for him and the kids’ sake either… For your sake. You still love him, and I have it under good authority that he still loves you, too,” said Sloane matter-of-factly, hitting the target with precise aim.

  “What would you like me to say?! That I want Brant back?! You know I do… But aren’t I also supposed to stick up for myself?!”

  Sloane shook her head, recognizing the plight that her friend was faced with. For two long years Holly had fought hard to maintain her self-respect while pretending that she didn’t love the man that left her. She was finally cracking under the pressure.

  Sloane knew the reason why Brant left, and she knew what Brant wanted to tell Holly. He had rehearsed it many times to Sloane over the phone. She also knew that Brant’s departure had nothing at all to do with Holly, but everything to do with Brant’s own guilt. A guilt that had devoured him from the inside out. He felt he had done enough damage. He couldn’t stay at the house that he shared with his family and further hurt them. In his mind he had let everyone down. Sloane knew what she had to do.

  “Do you know where he was that week? The week when he was gone?” asked Sloane calmly.

  “He tried to explain, but I shut him out.”

  “He was in a hotel at the airport. Alone. He shut the blinds and allowed his guilt to consume him. He blamed the miscarriage on himself. He didn’t know how to forgive himself for leaving you back home pregnant while he was abroad. Then, knowing he couldn’t be there when you needed him most, it killed him. It still kills him. And then, when he was ready to talk, you shut him out. Nobody’s perfect, Holly. He loves you. You love him. You need to let him explain himself. At what point does your war path for self-respect become more harmful than good for you? You married him, Holl! You were supposed to work it out!”

  Sloane looked perturbed. She had held her tongue for far too long. She respected Holly’s decisions. That didn’t mean that she thought it was right.

  Holly didn’t respond. She sat quietly and stared out the car window. Finally Russell returned to the car, and within minutes Holly was climbing up her front steps feeling far worse than she did when she had left the house earlier.

  After she made sure Holly got home safely, Sloane picked up her cell phone and dialed Brant’s digits.

  “We gotta talk…”

  *****

  Luke sat on his barstool keeping a watchful eye on Chris. It didn’t sit well with him what he was doing. He knew Chris had a thing for Holly for years. An attraction that burgeoned freshman year in college. The fact remained that Holly was Brant’s ex-wife, and Chris, being one of the Brant’s oldest friends, was stepping over a line that shouldn’t be crossed. As a friend, Luke felt he owed it to Brant to let him know what Chris did. Holly had done the right thing. It seemed like she had a little too much to drink, and just assumed Chris wanted to dance and have fun. Then when Chris leaned in to kiss her, she outright rejected him. That said something, too. Holly still respected Brant.

  Luke picked up his cell phone off of the bar, and immediately began texting Brant.

  “Yo.”

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “We got a problem.”

  “Problem? What problem?”

  “Beckman.”

  *****

  Holly walked into her empty house feeling cold and alone. There was no one there for her to check on. No one to tuck in. No one to talk to. She had never felt so alone in her entire life. Going out tonight had only solidified her feelings. She wasn’t over Brant. She wondered if she would ever be over him.

  A somber mood took over her as she climbed the steps to her bedroom. She turned on the lamp by her bed, kicked off her shoes, and went to her bureau to fetch a pair of leggings, socks and a sweater.

  Holly was tired, stressed and needed to relax. She got dressed and took out a pair of boots out of her closet and pulled them on over her leggings. That is when she noticed something sticking out from underneath her bureau.

  She bent down and picked the photograph off of the floor and looked at it as nostalgia waxed.

  It was a picture taken on the night Holly and Brant had their first date. They both looked so happy. Maybe they could be again. As little girls, we are raised to believe that our prince will come, and we will live happily ever after. But that’s not life, is it? No. There are interruptions and mishaps, miscommunications and set backs. Just because things don’t work out the first time, doesn’t mean things aren’t meant to be.

  In a moment of bravery, Holly grabbed her cell phone from her purse. She caught her breath and closed her eyes as she dialed Brant’s number.

  Please pick up.

  After two rings Brant’s voicemail picked up causing Holly’s heart to sink.

  “It’s just me. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  *****

  “Sloane?” Brant asked with a perplexed tone of voice.

  “Yeah, who else?” said Sloane as if Brant was supposed to assume it would be her calling. She never called him.

  “I can think of a number of other people who I would expect to hear from other than you,” Brant admitted.

  “No one as fabulous as me! Now listen up!” Sloane demanded.

  Brant listened as Sloane went on a rampage about what he needed to say and do to get Holly back.

  “You need to say it exactly like that!”

  “I’ll give it a shot.”

  “Mess this up and I’ll kill you myself,” said Sloane in her best menacing voice.

  “No worries, Sloane. You’re a good friend.”

  With that, Sloane hung up, and Brant hit the end button on his phone. That is when he saw it.

  “One missed call… Who would be calling me at this hour, other than Ms. Jet-Setter herself?”

  Holly.

  Chapter Eight

  One Missed Call

  December 23, 2013

  Denver, Colorado

  Brant’s heart began to quicken as he listened to Holly’s voicemail. He was so excited to hear her voice, but also worried at how upset she sounded. He knew what Beckman had pulled, and she sounded distraught. He put the phone down on the restaurant table as a nervous look crept across his handsome face.

  “Who was that, Brant?” asked Doris, Brant’s mother
, who was sitting at the table across from him.

  Brant’s parents Doris and Harry had met Brant and the kids at the airport and had taken them out to dinner at Harry’s favorite restaurant, The Beef Barn.

  “Holly’s friend Sloane,” said Brant.

  Doris raised an eyebrow, “Is that really a good idea?”

  “Trust me, it’s not what you think,” explained Brant with a chuckle. He continued, “I’ll be back. I have to make a call.”

  Brant dialed Holly’s cell phone number but no one was picking up. He dialed the house phone, but again, no answer. An awful sense of déjà vu crept over Brant.

  She just called. Why isn’t she picking up?

  As he walked into the restaurant, Brant had a million things going through his mind at once, but he knew his course of action.

  “Hey Pop…” Brant said to his father. Harry raised his eyebrow at his son.

  “What?”

  “Slight change of plans…”

  *****

  “Shit…” complained Holly as her cell phone shut off due to a dead battery.

  She ran for her charger.

  “Where the hell did I put it?!”

  Holly ran downstairs looking for her phone charger. It wasn’t in the kitchen, or the living room. Frantically, she ran back upstairs and checked her bedroom. That is when she remembered that she had forgotten her charger at work.

  Great.

  She scrambled into Jake’s room hoping that he had left his extra charger. Of course not. Suddenly the house phone began to ring. She scrambled out of Jake’s room and began looking for the cordless phone that Chloe had failed to put back on the charger. Holly rushed into Chloe’s bedroom.