Down To You (The Love On Edge Series) by Addison Kline Read Free Book Online Page B

room.
     
    Holly could hear the phone ringing from somewhere within the hovel.
     
    Oh, what the hell…
     
    Holly dug through the piles of clothing, trying to find the source of the ringing, but it was to no avail. Finally, when the phone stopped ringing, she ended her searched, but not before allowing herself to flop on the pile of clothes in frustration.
     
    She just couldn’t believe she had been so stupid. Her mind still reeled from what Sloane had divulged. She had always seen Brant as such a strong guy with all the answers. She wasn’t the only one who was hurting. In the few days after she had returned from the hospital, he had been quiet, but attentive. He was too quiet. She should have known that there was a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
     
    He was gone for a week and she was so angry and hurt that she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Nobody could really blame her for being angry and upset. But shouldn’t she have at least listened to his side of the story? The uncertainty of where he was, especially at a time like that was what chilled her heart the most.
     
    Where could he have been that was so important that he had to leave his wife and children, when his wife was recuperating from emergency surgery? She immediately thought that there must have been another woman. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
     
    Brant broke down, and he didn’t want to let Holly or the kids see him so low. He was physically incapable of handling any more stress. He blamed himself entirely for her miscarriage. Brant believed that if he hadn’t gone to Hong Kong, and left Holly with the burden of taking care of everything at home, that the baby and Holly would have been okay. He sat in the dark of that hotel room in a state of self-loathing as he cried and thought and tried to figure out what to do next.
     
    The stress of any life can get the best of a man. Between bills, stress at work, the heavy weight of raising children, and seeing your best friend and love of your life in danger. It’s amazing he didn’t crack earlier. He thought it was better to break down away from home so that his family didn’t see him at his weakest point. He never realized how drastically his actions would affect his family, especially Holly. The truth of the matter is physical strength is easy to come by, but it was the inner strength is much harder to attain. Holly took her strength for granted. Not everyone was so lucky.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
    Midnight Encounter
     
     
    The lights from the Christmas tree shone brightly in the dark living room of the Edgemont house as the sound of Frank Sinatra’s “White Christmas” crooned from the radio. Holly was sitting next to the Christmas tree on the floor opening up Christmas cards that had come in the mail. Unsure of what to do with her time. She was no longer tired. In fact, she didn’t think she’d be able to fall asleep if she tried. She tried calling Brant’s cell phone from the house phone but no one picked up.
     
    Somberly, she sat opening up holiday cards from relatives and friends, local businesses and fellow church members.
     
    First, she opened a brightly hued card that read “Season’s Greetings” on the front. Inside it was signed by Sloane. Next, Holly opened a red envelope that had a card with Santa Claus depicted on the front. When she opened the card, it sung to her “Santa Claus is coming to Town.” It was signed by Marv.
     
    Such a big kid , Holly thought as she laughed.
     
    There were cards from Brant’s parents, Tressa and Randy’s school teachers, the Home and School Association, their pastor at church, and even a card from the garage where Holly gets her car tuned up. There was just one envelope left, and Holly immediately recognized the scrawl.
     
    Holly’s hands fumbled to get the envelope open; she just couldn’t get it opened fast enough. Rather than a card, it was a letter. She unfolded the letter to reveal