Page 22 of Havoc for the Holidays

“Can we say hello to little Rebecca?” Her smile turned more smirk as she skimmed the crowd.

“I… don’t think…” I inhaled a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “What brings you back to Windhaven, ma’am?”

“The holidays, of course. We came to see some old friends.” Sarah gestured over her shoulder aimlessly. “Oh, here’s the little angel! Hello, sweetie pie!”

“Hi, Miss Lady.” Becs slipped in beside me and hugged my waist. “Daddy, you did such a good job!”

“Th-thank you, love. So did you. Go find Ez for me, okay?” I ran my hand over her head and gently redirected her to where I had last seen Ezechiel. Only once she was out of earshot did I turn back toward my daughter’s grandmother. “I'm very sorry, Mrs. Montgomery, but this… this wasn't part of the agreement—”

“Yes, the agreement you made with my daughter while you were bothchildren.” The fake smile morphed into a very real scowl. “All I wanted to do was say hello, but if you're going to act like this, so be it.”

I had to hold myself up with the edge of the table as she turned and stormed away, taking all the bravery I'd mustered in that moment with her. I could feel the eyes of everyone bearing down on me as another group of people stepped closer.

“Ollie! Great show out there. You and Zeke, eh?”

“Interesting wardrobe. Big fan of the tights.”

“You and Ezechiel are just the cutest. I'm so happy for you.”

“Was that Marissa's mother I saw just a few minutes ago?”

Every well-intentioned gossip and nosy neighbor whittled away at my tenuous grip on my nerves until I finally couldn't handle it anymore. Mumbling something close to an apology, I sprinted across the studio, snatched my daughter up in my arms, and burst through the back door in record time. When I got to my car and tried to open the door, I lost the battle with my overwrought emotions completely. It was locked. My car was locked up tight just like Ez had promised, and I didn't have my keys.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” My daughter’s perfectly pudgy hands cupped my cheeks and turned my face towards her. “Did someone say something mean because you tripped in the dance?”

“No, sweetheart. Daddy’s just very, very tired.” I shifted her to my chest and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I'll be okay, my love.”

“Olls? Ollie, are you okay?” Ezechiel burst through the backdoor and came rushing over. “Lincoln just told me about—”

I held up my hand and subtly indicated Becs with a shift of my eyes. He got the point immediately and clamped his mouth shut. His eyes spoke only of concern and worry and care, but all I could do was offer a weak smile. I needed to get to the safety of home before I completely broke down.

“Do you have my keys?”

“Yeah, of course. Let me grab them from inside…” He took a slow step backward as his expression crumbled. “Just a second.”

Yet again, I'd managed to ruin a good thing. I sighed and hugged my baby girl to my chest even tighter. She was my everything and maybe that's what I needed to concentrate on after all. I only opened my eyes again when I heard the back door of the studio open.

“I grabbed your jackets and boots too.” Ez stepped closer, reaching out a hand to touch my shoulder. “Can I call later?”

“Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I just need—”

“I completely understand, Olls. Get home safe. I'll call you once I get finished here.”

He lingered as I unlocked the car, got Becs buckled in, and climbed into the driver’s seat. He lingered even as I put the car in gear and headed toward the road. I suspected he lingered even after we drove out of sight. I wondered if he would call. I wondered if I would answer. I wondered if I should. I wondered about a lot the entire way home and long into the night, but the only answers my wondering resulted in were tears and bad memories.

Chapter fourteen

Ezechiel

My mind was perpetually distracted by Ollie’s abrupt departure from the dress rehearsal as I mingled with the parents and students. His baked goods were a smashing success, but his name was on everyone’s tongue for different reasons that had me damn near seeing red. If I heard one more comment about his dance costume, I was liable to scream. If I “accidentally” overheard one more whisper about our relationship or the drama with the woman who was supposedlyhis daughter’s maternal grandmother, I was going to tear my hair out.

No wonder he had left so quickly. If I was hearing so much gossip, I could only imagine what he had heard. When I imagined what it must have been like for him over all these years, my heart sank. His shields were up with everyone. All I wanted at that moment was to hold them for him so he could relax. Unfortunately, I was stuck entertaining the townspeople and their friends and family in order to try and make my newly acquired studio and its first show under my direction a success.

After the twelfth well-intentioned congratulations on my barely-there relationship with a man who had fled the scene, I needed a break. I excused myself with a quiet thank you and escaped to my office for a chance to breathe. By and large, everyone meant well, but the amount of attention was overwhelming and frankly, a little invasive. We were supposed to be here to see the hard work the students had put into the show, not concentrate on the personal lives of others. Maybe I wasn't as prepared for small town life as I had originally thought I was.

In the sanctuary of my tiny office, I discovered the neatly folded stack of garments belonging to Ollie. I sighed softly and pulled out my phone. I'd promised to call later, but I couldn't not reach out. His distress gnawed at my chest more and more with every minute that passed. Hopefully, a simple text would help me and him both.

Ez: Did you make it home safe, love?

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