Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) (16 page)

“Is
everything okay?” she asked softly, as they stood in the jungle room that was
decorated in Polynesian and Asian influences. The floor and walls covered in
green shag pile and wooden furniture carved into animals.

“Yeah,”
he replied. Taking her hand into his.

After
their thirty minute tour of Graceland and taking pictures in front of the famed
iron gates, the headed off. Going back to Beale Street was different in the
afternoon. They allowed music to carry to different restaurants to sample food
by the time they made it to BB King Restaurant, Corrine was already waiting
for  their arrival with a steamy catfish bites and fried green tomatoes.

“I
timed you guys just right.” Corrine pointed to a table near the stage.

Hank
pulled out Kari’s chair before sitting down. “You’re quiet this morning.”

“I’m
sorry… I have a lot of things on my mind,” he replied.

“Remember
what you said, ‘This weekend together there will be no talk about regrets or
family problems. We will be silly, playful, spontaneous, generous, thoughtful
and affectionate’” she mimicked in a southern accent that caused him to smile.

“I
did, sugar.”

Kari
stood up. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said, kissing him on the lips before
she disappeared to the back.

“She
is a good girl,” Corrine said, sitting down in the seat that Kari vacated
seconds ago. “I like her and apparently you do too.”

Hank
picked up his glass of iced tea. “I’m falling in love with her,” he admitted.

“Is
that why you looking a mess?” Corrine folded her arms, narrow those big hazel
eyes on him.

“No.”
He ran his fingers through his brown locks and shook his head. “The problem is
that one of the security guys from the ranch told me that Natalie’s back home.”

“And?”

“I’m
still in love with my wife even though she left me for another man,” he
admitted. “I would have done anything to get her to come back home…”

“Now
that she did you want to give her a second chance?” Corrine was seething as she
unfolded her arms. “That child don’t love you and I told you that the day you
said you was going to marry her.”

“It’s
my life,” Hank spat.

“What
about Kari and her feelings?” Corrine was the only one besides his family who
knew that the break up with Natalie did to him.

“I
don’t know,” he said truthfully.

“All
Natalie did was take from you and never gave you shit in return,” Corrine said,
slamming her hand on the table. “Now you going to toss something that can be
good for you.”

“I’m
going to figure things out,” Hank said, he raised his hand up for Corrine not
to say anything when he saw Kari coming from the back. He saw the smile on her
face that was only for him.

“Now,
I know you from Beverly Hills-Ms. Kari, but don’t be afraid to show your face
in this establishment because I will always open to you with open arms,”
Corrine said standing up, giving Kari a hug.

“Thank
you, ma’am,” Kari said.

Hank
stood up and put a few bills on the table before hugging Corrine. “Now stay out
of trouble.”

“Whatever,
take your own advice, Hank Jackson,” Corrine singsonged as she walked to the
bar to chat with patrons.

Chapter Eight

 Hank
cursed aloud as the snow started to fall down on I-40 as they were coming up
the rocky mountain. He wished he’d paid attention to the forecast before leaving
Memphis. The October cold front was bring snow to the mountains earlier than
expected. He turned up the heat with hopes of getting rid of the chill in the
air.  His eyes focus on the snow covered road.

“What’s
the matter?” Kari yawned, looking at him.

“It
looks like there is a snow storm coming our way.” Hank pointed out.

Kari
gazed out the window; the clouds were looking fierce as the snow started to
fall rapidly. “What are we going to do? Keep driving until we find a hotel?”

“The
wind is picking up and I don’t want to chance us get stranded in the middle of
nowhere,” he said.

“What’s
the plan?”

“We
have a cabin not far from here, we will stop at a store and grab the bare
necessities,” Hank said, pulling the truck off the nearest exit. The snow
blanketed the streets, Hank knew it would be hard to navigate on the road
without snow tires.

They
stopped at a small, country, back wood, grocery store. Kari shivered as she
felt a blast of cold wind hit her as she walked into the store with Hank right
behind her. With quick work they managed to grab everything they needed for an
overnight stay at the cabin. “Stay here. I’ll be right back for you.”

Kari
nodded her head and looked up timidly and examined the two story log cabin. The
roof blanketed in glistering white snow. She watched as Hank walked to towards
what appear to be a flower bed, using his phone as a flash light, he looked
underneath rock before walking up the stairs and opening the door.

The
cabin reminded her of a perfect romantic getaway, but that wasn’t the case for
them. Kari opened her iPad case to make sure that all items for the nursery in
Dallas was delivered on time. She was about to send an email, to a contractor
when out of nowhere she hear howls piercing the quiet night air.

Kari
screamed as she open the truck door and ran up the stairs and into the house.

“What
the hell,” Hank said, running around the corner and into a panic stricken Kari.
“What’s wrong?”

Kari
gasped and looked behind her. “Wolves!” She pointed behind her.

Hank
wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. “I’m sorry Kari; I went
to start the fire and to check the house out before you came in.”

“Please
don’t leave me again,” she cried into his chest.

He
cradled her face in his hands. “I could never leave you,” he whispered,
thumbing away her warm tears.

“Okay.”
She moved away from him, surveying the spacious living room. The only source of
light was coming from the fireplace. “This isn’t a freaking cabin it’s more
like a log-mansion.”

“Says
the rich girl from Beverly Hills,” Hank mocked. “I’m going to go get the
luggage.” He walked towards the open door.

“What
about the wolves?”

“Aww,
you care about my well-being,” he said, before disappearing out the door.

While
Hank was busy getting the luggage, Kari decided to give herself a tour around
the spacious cabin. The house was divided into levels, main level featuring a
gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless. There were pictures on
the wall of Austin and Hank as teenagers, she came upon one of Hank and red
haired woman. She stood there for a second studying how happy the couple
appeared. When she heard Hank coming through the front door, she moved away
from the pictures. Kari ventured out two French doors that lead to a wraparound
deck with a gourmet gas grill, outdoor brick fireplace, four log rocking chairs
and two porch swings. The snow was coming down harder; she could see trees in
the distance thickly coated with snow.

“You
shouldn’t be out here,” Hank said from behind her, he wrapped his arms around
Kari’s waist. “You don’t have the appropriate clothes on.”

Kari
turned around in his arms. She stared into his grey eyes, she brushed
snowflakes out of his brown hair. His cheeks and nose were red and rosy from
the cold, and the smile on his face melted her heart. Kari thought about how
handsome he looked before moving closer to him. She cupped her hands around his
cold cheek. Hank big hands covered hers and pulled her lips up to meet his
halfway.

“Kari,”
he groaned against her lips. “We need to get inside before we catch a cold.”

‘Okay,”
she said, pulling away from him.

“I’ll
show you around,” he said, taking her by the hand.

They
walked back to the living room where a leather sofa was strategically arranged
and a stacked, stone, gas fireplace and a huge flat screen TV on the wall. Hank
opened a door that lead to the master suite, king size bed draped in lovely
fabrics, sitting area, fireplace and French doors that opened to the spacious
deck.

“This
is nice Hank; I would never want to leave here.”

“Yeah,”
he mumbled, and walked out of the room.

Kari
sat on the bed and sighed. She felt like he was tossing her aside or keeping
something from her. Never one to back down, she got up from the bed and she
followed the sound of cabinets opening and closing from the kitchen.

“What
is your problem? You woke up with a bad attitude.”

Hank
continued lighting a few candles around the kitchen. “There is nothing wrong
with me.”

“I
think I’m in love with you,” she said softly.

Hank
appeared as if he’d been sucker punched. “Out of all things, I didn’t expect
you to say that.”

“Why
not? Because of the picture hanging on the wall?” Kari promised herself she
would never know what another broken heart felt like.

“Natalie
doesn’t have anything to do with us,” he said, leaning against the refrigerator.
“You don’t love me.”

Kari
stared at him in disbelief. “I didn’t know what it meant until now…to trust
someone wholeheartedly. I know now.”

“Love
don’t happen overnight.”

“Are
you telling me that or are you telling yourself that?” Kari ran her hand down
her face; she was getting impatient with Hank. “You know what, just stay the
hell away from me during the remainder of our trip to Dallas and I’ll do the
same.” She turned around and stormed back into the bedroom, slamming the door
behind her.

She
should’ve seen this coming. Well, technically she saw it coming but decided to
throw chance into the wind and follow her damn heart. There were so many
preventative measures she had taken to keep her heart safe, but she allowed a
man’s loving, comforting words to knock down the walls she put up.  Going to
the bathroom, she ran herself a hot bubble bath in the two person tub. Kari
cursed herself, for allowing her heart to override her mind.

***

He
was always told that falling in love is one of the most mysterious and amazing
things one can experience in life. For the longest time, Hank thought he was
lusting after Kari. But the signs of loving her were always there, from the
first day she passed him on the highway. Hank finish adding the steamy water to
the coffee mugs, stirring the hot chocolate mix he walked into towards the
bedroom that’d been locked for the past hour. He kicked it with his feet and
waited for an answer.

“What
do you want?”

“You
can’t go to bed hungry,” he replied, standing carefully making sure he didn’t
splash any hot chocolate on himself.

“I’m
not hungry.”

“You
haven’t ate anything since lunch and its way passed dinner.” Hank could hear a
plastic bag rumbling behind the closed door.

“I’m
eating right now, you left beef jerky and Slim Jims in here.” She chewed and
smacked her mouth for great measure. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Hank
growled from the responses he was getting from Kari. “I bet its cold in there,
you should let me to light the fireplace and I’ll leave.” When the door
unlocked and opened, he smiled.

Walking
through the threshold, it was freezing and the cold reception he was getting
from Kari wasn’t making things any better. He put the tray down on the nightstand
and went to work getting the fire going.

“You
can leave,” she said tightly, avoiding any eye contact with him.

“Can
we talk?” he asked.

Silence

“Well,
I’ll talk and you listen.” He sat on the leather sofa next to the bay window.
“Falling in love is beyond our control, and it comes at a wrong time.”

Kari
chewed slowly on the tough beef jerky. “You opened my eyes to a part of the
world…a part of my life that I didn’t know existed.” She smiled slowly as her
eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’ve been in love a few times, but this between
me and you is totally different. I can feel it in the atmosphere when we’re together;
it’s like this intensity like I’ve never felt in my twenty-eight years.”

“I
felt it the first day in front of you, teasing you about driving fast.”

“I
doubted him and myself the whole engagement. Somewhere in that relationship I
lost myself honestly, I became my own worst enemy. Sam knew all my weakness and
my fear and used that against me.”

“Kari
you are the most beautiful, opinionated, and fearless woman I’ve ever met. I’m
not saying those things to boost your ego.”  

“I
was made to believe that I was impossible to love.” She sat the cup of hot
cocoa down and clasp her fingers together. “The best thing Sam could have done
was cheat on me…that was my way out of a terrible, no good relationship.”