Down To You (The Love On Edge Series) by Addison Kline Page A

now!” Holly yelled up the steps to her three children who were not-so-patiently waiting at the top of the steps behind the child safety gate.
     
    “Finally!” yelled Randy as he unlocked the gate and began running down the steps with Tressa and Belle on his heels. Holly snapped a few pictures as they rushed to the Christmas tree.
     
    As wrapping paper flew in the air, the kids rejoiced at all the treasures they received. While Holly continuously snapped pictures of the kids with a smile, Brant watched her with an intense look on his face.
     
    She put her camera down for a second and realized that she was being stared at. She glanced over at him with a self-conscious look on her face.
     
    “What?”
     
    Brant smiled. “I have something for you.”
     
    “You’ve already given me too much.”
     
    Brant shook his head.
     
    “I haven’t give you enough, but I hope I can change that.”
     
    Brant reached into the top of Holly’s stocking where he had placed a small wrapped present the night before. He pulled the small package that he had wrapped himself out of the stocking and handed it to Ho lly.
     
    “You didn’t have to get me anything…”
     
    “Are you kidding? Look at my gift pile over there…” said Brant referring to the things that Holly had purchased him at Cabela’s last night, plus one small box on top.
     
    “That’s nothing.”
     
    “Open it.”
     
    Holly smiled as she began to tear the giftwrap off of the Horschman jewelry box. She couldn’t believe how thoughtful everyone was being this year, especially Brant. Slowly, she lifted the lid of the box as the contents within stole her breath away.
     
    “It’s a journey necklace. The diamond at the top is small, that represents our beginning. Each diamond gets a little bigger as the journey progresses. The fifth diamond, the largest, is meant to represent our future - the biggest and brightest of them all.”
     
    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