Holly looked down at the beautiful white gold necklace with five diamonds curved in a row.
“I thought it was neat because the diamonds don’t go straight in a line, but on a curve, like a road. Our road hasn’t been easy, but that doesn’t mean our love is any less strong or beautiful.”
Holly looked as if she was on the verge of tears.
“Oh, Brant… It’s so beautiful!”
She put her camera down, and kissed Brant in front of everyone. This time the kids didn’t notice because they were too busy unwrapping their presents. Slowly, Holly removed her hand from Brant’s cheek.
“You’re entirely too good to me. I’ll give you your presents after the kids are done,” Holly said with a smile.
“Sounds good. I have more for you over there,” said Brant pointing to another ridiculously large pile of presents in the corner next to the sofa.
“Good God, Brant!”
“I got a good Christmas bonus this year,” Brant said matter-of-factly, as if it was no big deal, and effectively closed the conversation as Brant began to pick crumpled up bits of wrapping paper off of the floor. He spotted a red bow on the floor and plopped it on top of Belle’s head, the sticky back clinging to her blonde hair. Holly snapped her camera just in time to catch Belle looking up at her father with a sweet smile, and Brant smiled back, some his former pride returning to his face.
*****
“Hand me that present over there,” said Brant to Marv who was sitting on the couch opening a present of his own. Marv grabbed the small box on top of Brant’s pile and tossed it as Holly eyed it nervously. It was a simple black box, flat and light. Brant shook it by his ear to hear what sound it made.
“Hmm… I can’t guess this one,” said Brant with a perplexed look on his face. He had correctly guessed the last ten of his presents that he had opened from his parents.
On top of the present there was a bright red tag that read:
My Dearest Brant,
Key to my heart. Key to our house. Welcome home. Love Always, Holly
Brant’s heart quickened as he opened the box and found the silver key that unlocked the front door of 56 Wallace Road. He was blown away. It was official. Brant was moving back in. As Brant took the key out of the box and reached for his key chain from his back pocket, he held it up and smiled at Holly. No words could possibly express how happy he was. He was already planning in his head when he could get his stuff from his cramped bachelor pad.
Suddenly, a crash coming from the direction of the basement door caught everyone’s attention. It sounded like someone was dragging something incredibly heavy up the basement steps. Sloane appeared at the top of the basement steps and she was yelling directions at her lackies, Luke and Greg.
“Be careful, now! Don’t drop it!” she demanded.
Finally, after several moments of stern direction from Sloane, who was still dressed in her candy-striped Christmas pajamas, Greg and Luke appeared in the living room carrying a huge red fabric sack. With Sloane dressed in her festive pajamas, she looked like a little English elf who had stolen Santa’s sack of presents.
“Oh, children!” Sloane yelled in a high pitched, sing-song voice, “Auntie Sloane brought you some goodies!” Randy and Tressa’s eyes immediately broadened. Sloane was another one responsible for spoiling the Edgemont children during the holidays. Randy and Tressa came running towards their mother’s best friend, with Belle toddling close behind. Sloane had Luke pass Randy a big, heavy package. Tressa received a pink and black leopard print gift bag that was overflowing with Tissue paper. Meanwhile Belle’s package was a bit smaller than Randy’s and not nearly as heavy.
The children ripped the wrapping paper off of their presents and they all laughed from excitement. Randy had received a huge remote controlled pick-up truck that looked almost exactly like his father’s truck, complete with horn and engine sounds and blinking lights. Tressa quickly tore the tissue paper from her gift bag to reveal a pink and purple leopard-print purse, complete with a set of lip gloss designed for little girls.
“Mom! Look!”
Holly’s eyes went wide at the pattern of the purse, and rolled at the sight of the lip gloss.
“Gee, Sloane. You shouldn’t have,” Holly said sarcastically with a laugh.
“It’s not for you, it’s for her! My little fashionista!”
Finally, Belle was able to tear through her wrapping paper and squealed in delight when she saw the baby doll through the plastic of the box and promised to name the baby after Sloane. Sloane was touched.
*****
Christmas had gone off without a hitch. The Edgemont and McCresson family and friends had finally finished opening presents around mid-morning and then they enjoyed Gloria’s hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs and scrapple. Holly then kicked everyone out of the kitchen while she prepared her usual Christmas Day staples: a honeybaked ham, pineapple stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry mold, a broccoli quiche, and a big bowl of ambrosia. She had trays out to make cookie trays and cheese trays, and of course her refrigerator was overflowing with drinks and desserts. Thanks to Sloane and Luke, Holly’s wine cart was well-stocked and Greg brought an entire cooler of beer, so Marv, Brant and Greg were very happy men, indeed. Holly rolled the wine cart into the living room, along with two coolers: one for the men that was filled with beer, and one for the kids that was chock full of chocolate milk and juice boxes. Then she slapped a note on the kitchen door that read:
Holly’s Territory – Stay Out!
Holly didn’t mind people wanting to help, but she loved doing Christmas dinner by herself. It was hard work, but offering a feast that was lovingly prepared, in her opinion, was the best gift that she could possibly give her family. She also knew how much Brant was looking forward to it. After all, he was the one who had sent Sloane shopping yesterday for all the trimmings. So she dove in and got out all her food, ingredients and supplies. She strapped her apron around her waist and got to work.
While the men and Sloane watched football on TV, and the kids played with their new toys, Holly did what she did best.
*****
“C’mon ref! That was a bullshit call!” Brant yelled at the football game on TV, while Harry and Marv shook their fists in anger. Doris simply rolled her eyes as the football game went on, hoping that it would be over soon.
“I need another beer,” declared Sloane.
“Given up on the wine?” asked Luke, giving Sloane a sly wink.
“I need something stronger. Bloody Eagles.”
Marv and Brant gave Holly a cross look.
“Hey now…”
Sloane jumped back from the nasty glares that she was receiving from the two biggest Philadelphia Eagles fans she had ever met.
“Sorry… damn…”
Finally, after five long hours in the kitchen, Holly emerged with two trays of cheese and meats and placed them on the dining room table. The smell coming from the kitchen was glorious and it caused the disgruntled football fans to groan in hunger. Gloria was the professional chef of the family, but Holly wasn’t so bad herself. She called Brant into the kitchen so that he could start to carve down the ham. Randy and Marv took side dishes out to the dining room table. Slowly, everyone meandered to the dining room. No dinner call was required. The smell alone did the hard work for Holly.
Everyone gathered hands at the table and in his usual fashion, Brant led the traditional Christmas Day prayer.
“I would like to thank everyone who came together to bless us with this wonderful Christmas Day. God bless our family, our friends, our home and our union. We’ve been blessed with the bounty before us, lovingly prepared by my Holly. Life has its shares of struggles, but this moment, right here, shows us exactly what it is that we are fighting for. Each other. Merry Christmas and thank you, every one of you for being here with us.”
Holly watched Brant as he said his prayer. He had come such a long way. He knew the plights that they faced in life, but he would be there
, fighting side by side with her. Together they were strong. Apart they were essentially useless. She continued to watch him with wide eyes and an open heart. They were finally on the same page.
Chapter Thirteen
Twenty Missed Calls and One Crack Shot…
December 26, 2013
Edgemont Residence
“Do you remember where you had it last?” asked Brant as he continued to look for Holly’s cell phone. He had checked down the cushions of the couch, in the kitchen, in her coat pockets, and even in the laundry, but it was to no avail. Her cell phone was MIA. With the excitement and hubbub of Christmas, Holly had completely forgotten about charging her cell phone that had gone dead almost three days ago.
“I was by the Christmas tree.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
Brant took one look at the Christmas tree and made an unpleasant face. There were toys everywhere. It looked as if a toy store had exploded in the living room.
“But wait…” said Holly, as another thought came to her mind. Brant looked at Holly, waiting for her to complete her thought.
“Then I went upstairs to find a charger in Tressa’s room, and it was a total mess. So I gave up. It’s got to be in there… somewhere.”
Brant sent Tressa up to her room to find Holly’s phone. Within minutes she had found it and brought it back downstairs in one piece. She handed it to her father, hoping to go back to playing with her toys.
“Thanks. Now go clean up that room,” Brant demanded.
“Aww, Dad…”
“Go.”
Brant gave the phone to Holly and followed her into the kitchen. She plugged it into the charger, grabbed a frying pan from the cabinet, and started to fry up some bacon for their lunch sandwiches. Brant was exhausted from moving all of his things over from his apartment, and they were both hungry. Suddenly, the phone came to life, vibrating every five seconds with a new missed call or text message. Brant looked up from his newspaper at her cellphone as his stomach dropped.
Chris Beckman
215-555-9241
His buddy Chris’ phone number kept popping up on Holly’s cell phone as a missed call. The word buddy should be used very loosely, as Brant had just told him off several weeks ago for asking about Holly, and most recently for trying to put the moves on her at Rogue. He used to be Brant’s best friend. That was all down the tubes now.
“Baby…” said Brant, as Holly’s phone vibrated again.
“Yeah?” asked Holly in return.
“Why is Chris Beckman calling your phone?”
“Chris Beckman?!” said Holly in startled surprise.
“Yeah, there are seven… No eight missed calls from him from Christmas Eve… Wait, there’s more…”
“I don’t even know how he has my number. I saw him at Rogue the other night. He asked me to dance with him and he got a little too friendly, so I left and Sloane and Russell took me home.”
“What do you mean, too friendly?”
“He took my kindess to mean something else. He tried to kiss me, and his hands kept moving lower off my waist than they should have,” Holly explained. The phone vibrated again and again. Fifteen missed calls. Sixteen.
Brant’s calm demeanor grew a little darker as he picked up the cell phone. Twenty missed calls from Chris Beckman.
“Honey, please know that I have no interest in Chris Beckman.”
“Holly, I trust you. It’s him I don’t trust. He has had a very deep interest in you since our days in college.”
Holly didn’t say a word. She had assumed Chris had a small crush on her, but she thought as he got older it would fade. Holly was dead wrong.
“When he calls back let me answer the phone,” said Brant in a firm voice.
*****
Holly placed a plate in front of Brant with a BLT and a side of chips. She looked at him nervously. She had never seen him so angry before.
God help Chris if he calls back.
Suddenly, the phone had lit up again.
“This son of a bitch,” said Brant. He pushed his plate away from him as he reached for Holly’s phone. He motioned for her to be quiet as he put the phone to his ear. Whatever cool Brant had left in his body had vanished and there was nothing but rage left.
“Yo, Holly! You don’t answer your fuckin’ phone?!” said Chris brashly into phone. Brant’s face was beat red with anger.
“Yo! You there?! Answer me!” Chris demanded.
Finally, Brant spoke up.
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you’re talking to like that, but it sure as hell ain’t me or Holly!” said Brant with a no-bullshit tone.
“Who the hell is this?!” yelled Chris into the other end of the phone.
“You don’t know? Are you a fucking idiot? Stop calling my wife’s phone!”
“Holly’s not married,”Chris quipped getting a good jab in at Brant.
“Not for long. Call her again, or show your face around here, and you’re going to have a real problem!” yelled Brant into the phone. He didn’t mince his words, and he wasn’t bluffing. Brant had no problem whatsoever knocking his former friend into next year and Chris knew he’d do it. He didn’t spend all those hours in the boxing ring with him back in college for nothing. Brant knew how to protect his girl, and he certainly didn’t take any crap from the likes of Chris Beckman.
“Dead serious, Beckman! Cross me again and you’ll be sorry.”
“Whatever, man! Your wife is a fucking tease!”
Brant hung up the call and tossed the phone back on the counter. He tried to gain some composure before looking at Holly.
“If he calls back, just let me handle him.”
*****
Brant had a searing headache so Holly told him to go upstairs and lay down. She hoped that a nap would help him feel better. While Brant rested, Holly was on a mission. She had a trash bag and was determined to get all the giftwrap, boxes, and tiny twist ties off of the floor in the living room and out onto the sidewalk for trash day. This was easier said than done, because every time she turned around it seemed like more cropped up. About a half hour later, Holly was satisfied with the progress that she made. She slumped down on the couch when the doorbell rang. Non-chalantly, Holly got up to see who was knocking at the front door. She opened the heavy wood door and Chris Beckman was standing on the other side with a bouquet of roses and a smug smile.
“What are you doing here, Chris?!” Holly asked with attitude clear in her voice.
“You didn’t answer your phone the past couple of days. I was worried,” Chris said in a quiet, sweet voice. Holly gave him a look of disbelief.
“You’re full of shit! I know you talked to Brant.”
Chris dropped the façade, as a scowl crossed his face.
“You’re a game player, girl…”
“What games, Chris?!”
“We had something going the other night, and turns out my friend is back at home.”
“Your friend…? Your friend that wants to beat your ass?! And it was a dance. Nothing more.”
“Fucking whore.”
Before Holly could reply Brant was rushing out of the house bare chested and on the war path. He brushed right past Holly and gripped Chris by his shirt collar, slamming him into the side of his truck.
“What the hell, man!”
“Did I fucking stutter?! Stay the hell away from my wife and my house!”
“Get off of me!”
“I warned you. Come near my wife or my house again and I’m going to hand you your ass.”
Brant let go of his shirt with attitude and anger clear in his movements. He stared at Chris as he backed off with a threatening scowl on his face. That’s when Chris upped the ante.
“Aren’t you two quite the couple…? You’ve got a wife who’s a tease, and a husband who backs out at the slightest sign of trouble! You’re really going back to that Holly! He’s just going to flake out on you again! You could’ve had a real man. Like me!”
B
oth Holly and Brant saw red. This time it wasn’t Brant who was storming at Chris. Holly ran from the porch, much quicker than Brant’s own fast gait. Though she was half a foot shorter than Chris, he stared at her with fear in his eyes. In a moment of rage, she poured all her strength into a sucker punch that collided with Chris Beckman’s right eye.
Down To You (The Love On Edge Series) Page 8
