A Daddy for Christmas: Holiday Romance (Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) (8 page)

Chapter 10

Three weeks later…

B
rice, Megan, and Jacob had gotten close over the last month. They had been inseparable, always having fun and learning about one another. It was now only 39 days until Christmas, and Jacob had reminded them of that on the countdown ever since Megan and Brice got back from their trip to Brice’s Cabin.

“You know, we are going to have to take him to get a real Christmas tree,” Brice said, quietly. Megan smiled as they walked hand in hand. Jacob was at her mom and dad’s place for the weekend.

“He would love that. I would, too. But, why don’t we wait until we are past Thanksgiving before we start talking about that?”

Brice grinned. “All I can think about is Christmas, that boy of yours is driving me crazy with his countdown.”

Megan smiled again at Brice, and snuggled in closer. “I know. He is so excited.” Megan couldn’t help but think of Jacob’s Christmas list with just a picture of Jacob and Brice on it. She wanted to talk to Brice about it, but it was too soon, and Jacob had already said he wanted a dad a million times anyway.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Brice said, as he looked down at Megan.

Megan sighed. “I think I’ll keep this one to myself.”

Brice stared at Megan for a moment before looking away. “Okay. So, I didn’t get to tell you last night, but I have to work on Thursday. I couldn’t get out of my shift. I tried to switch with Ted, but he had plans already with his family.”

Megan frowned, and let go of Brice’s arm. “But it’s Jacob’s play.”

Brice took a deep breath and then spoke, “Megs, you know I want to be there. I feel awful about it, but I’m the only one without a family, and, well, this is the holiday season.”

“You had plenty of time to get the day off, Brice.”

Brice couldn’t believe she was acting this way. Megan turned and headed back toward her house. “What are you doing?”

“Going home. I have to figure out what I’m going to tell my son.”

Brice sighed irritably. “You are kidding me, right?”

Megan turned around, her eyes were wet. “No, I’m not kidding, Brice! He was really looking forward to you being there!”

“I know.”

“Well then, why aren’t you?”

“Why are you shouting at me? I told you, I couldn’t get off work. I don’t have a family, Megs. Everyone there has a family.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Megan seethed. Brice flinched.

“Honey, you know what we are together, but it’s not on paper yet, and the guys, well there’s seniority.”

Megan’s heart thudded in her chest at what Brice had just said. She stopped. “I’m sorry I yelled.”

Brice put his arms around her and squeezed. “You know I’d be there, if I could. I can tell Jacob. I should tell him.”

“No, I’ll talk to him tonight. We just won’t see you there is all.”

“Megan,” Brice said softly, bringing his hand up to her chin to tilt her face up to his. “You know I want to be there.”

Megan nodded.

***

Brice felt like shit. He did try to get off for the Thanksgiving play. Jacob was playing a major part, and it was all a big surprise that he’d been talking about for weeks. Brice felt himself looking forward to the night as well, but when he found out what day it was, he could have crawled into a hole. It was one of his doubles, and he didn’t say anything to Megan, but he had already taken off for her twice in the past three weeks because she had been getting panic attacks at work.

Brice was sitting in his squad car at the corner of the Fifth and Vine when he saw the truck pull up. A few minutes later, a dressed up couple exited the vehicle with two boys in tow. Brice smiled at the one boy as he was hopping all around like he had ants in his pants, but when he looked at the other boy, his heart clenched. It was Jacob.

What was Jacob doing?

Then the man held his hand out and Megan took it, and followed him and the kids across the street to the Maple Diner.

Brice could feel his palms sweat, he could feel the nerves in his body unwind, and he found himself out of the squad car, and leaning against the window to the diner for a better look.

Megan was sitting down beside the man, and the two boys were deep in conversation when he walked into the restaurant. Brice’s jaw clenched, his fists were to his sides. He cleared his throat, startling Megan and the boys.

“What’s this?”

Megan’s smile dissipated at his tone. “Brice?”

“Having fun?” Brice said in a cold tone. Jacob’s eyes widened, and Brice hated that he had frightened him. Brice bent down and kissed Jake on the head. “How was your play?”

“It was awesome, Brice! I wish you could have seen me, I remembered all my lines, except for a few.”

Brice smiled despite the anger. “I bet you were wonderful. I’m really sorry I had to work tonight.”

“That’s okay.”

Brice looked up.  He couldn’t help the disgusted look on his face that was directed toward Megan. Megan stiffened. It was like Jenna all over again. “I better go. I wouldn’t want to intrude on this—moment.” Brice turned, and Megan yelled after him.

“What is your problem?!”

Brice stopped just before exiting the diner. He turned around, his face was red, and his jaw was clenched. He was wearing his uniform, as he was still on duty.

Megan’s lip trembled and Jacob started to cry. Brice could feel his stomach cramp.

“Ja…”

“What is your problem?” Megan said. She was closer now, and Brice swallowed.

Brice shook his head. “It didn’t take you long.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you I couldn’t get off work, Megs.”

“Don’t call me, Megs, like that!”

Brice looked around the diner and nearly every eye was on the two of them. “I can’t do this in here.” Brice had to be smart, he had his uniform on, and he was still on duty.

“We don’t have to do it at all,” Megan seethed. She went to turn, when Brice whispered.

“So, what, that’s it?”

Megan didn’t even turn around to look at him, she just nodded curtly.

Brice blew out the breath he was holding, and turned and opened the door. When it shut, Megan trembled right along with it.

“Mommy, what’s wrong? Mommy?” Jacob asked, frantically. “Why is my…Brice mad?”

Megan started to cry, but stopped herself in time. People in the diner were staring, and she didn’t want to ruin Jacob’s night. “Nothing’s wrong, baby.” Megan’s eyes were wet, and she tried to smile at Jacob. “Want some ice cream?”

***

“Want to tell me what went down at Maple’s last night?” Carl asked as he came into the precinct. He placed his clipboard down on his desk, and came around to where Brice was sitting. “What happened?”

Brice looked up, his eyes were red.

“Shit, man, what happened?” Carl asked, concerned.

“Megan broke up with me.”

Carl’s eyes widened, and he sat on the edge of Brice’s desk. “What?” he asked, surprised.

“I was supposed to get the night off, remember? It was Jake’s play.”

“She broke up with you because of that? Listen, Man, I’ll talk to her.”

Brice shook his head. After he left, he had time to think about what had happened, and he couldn’t get the image of her holding that putz’s hand out of his mind. “She was with some other guy last night. I saw them pull into the parking lot across from Maple’s. She was holding his hand.”

“What the hell?”

Brice didn’t know what to think. “Yeah, so I went inside. I couldn’t stand it, I was so damned jealous. I just went nuts.”

Carl took a deep breath and looked at Brice. “You didn’t do anything stupid, did ya?”

Brice shook his head. “No. I told her I couldn’t talk to her in there. I had already made a fool out of myself by walking in on her ‘family scene.’”

“What do you mean?”

“She was with this guy and his son. The real shit about it is that she had Jake in there with them. It was just like it was with Jenna, only this time it was some other guy and not my own brother. Jacob saw all of that… just like my nephew! I thought… I thought she was different,” Brice all but yelled. He slammed his fist into the desk, and stood up. I gotta get out of here.”

“Dude, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’m just going home.”

“You want company?”

“No. I’m just going home, Carl. Thanks.”

When Brice got home he went into his bedroom and opened the top drawer of his dresser. He got out the locked box, and set it on his lap. Tears came down his cheeks as he opened it up, and pulled out the smaller velvet box.

Brice swallowed back the bile of his relationship with Megan. He loved her. He took the ring out of the container, and looked at it. It wasn’t huge, but it was beautiful. He had never bought a ring before. He had never loved anyone before Megan. He thought he loved Jenna, but this pain, was nothing like what he went through while losing her.

Brice closed the box, and put the ring back in the lock box, then leaned back onto his bed.
What the hell was he going to do without Megan?

Megan was extremely irritated when she got home.
What the hell was Brice thinking, coming into the restaurant, and looking at her like that?
She had never seen him give anyone such a look of disgust before. She didn’t know what he was so damned angry about, she was just having a congratulatory dinner with Jacob and his friend’s family. They all had a great time watching the play together. Megan had to admit when she saw him get a little mad at first it was nice. Nobody had ever gotten jealous over her before, but after seeing the way that he had looked at her, and didn’t trust her, it made her just downright angry.

What the hell had happened to her happily ever after? What had happened to them seeing where it all went, and to their close knit family-type situation?
  It went right down the tubes is where it went. Megan’s shoulders slouched, and she had just begun to take in the night’s happenings. She had broken up with Brice. They were done.

Tears came down hard and fast as she clenched on to her comforter. She laid back into the pillows and cried for what seemed like hours, until she heard the phone ring.

She cleared her throat. “Y..yes?”

“Oh, honey!” her mother cried. “I just heard.”

“How?”

“Gladys.”

Gladys Everette, mom’s best friend, was the biggest gossip in town. Of course she knew.

“Are you okay?”

“No! I’m not okay, Mom!”

“Gladys said that he was pretty angry. She said that you were also in there with another man?”

“Mom, it was Jacob’s friend Toby, and his dad.”

“Yeah, honey, but did Brice know that?”

Megan shook her head no even though her mother couldn’t see her. She started sobbing loudly now.

“Honey?”

“No, he didn’t know that, but he obviously doesn’t trust me.”

“Honey, he is an idiot. All men—idiots. But, you have to admit it is sort of romantic.” Megan’s mom’s voice got all syrupy.

“You should have seen the look he gave me. He was disgusted with me.”

Megan’s Mom talked about how she should give Brice a call and explain, but Megan didn’t think it would do any good.

“No. I shouldn’t have to do anything. He promised me that he would be different.”

“Megan, you can’t run around in life thinking things will always be perfect,” Megan’s mother said softly. “You have to let things happen sometimes.”

“Yes I do, and I am going to let this happen. We broke up. There will be others,” Megan said, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought. Megan didn’t know it until that moment that she loved Brice more than any man she had ever known.

“You love him, Megan.”

“Yes,” Megan said softly. “I do.”

“Well, don’t you think you owe it to yourself and your boy to find out if he loves you, too?”