Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) (2 page)

“No
you wouldn’t. Remember when you told me that Rebecca wasn’t the one for me? It
took me a minute to realize that but I got there after a lot of reflection.”

Hank
couldn’t listen to Austin at this moment, especially with his world crumbling
down at his feet. He was a big mess as rage, shock, and sadness rocked his
body. For the first time in years, he felt lonelier than he could have ever felt.

“Don’t
give me none of that BS about once a cheater always a cheater, because look at
you,” Hank mumbled, looking over at his cousin who wore a shocked expression.
Austin didn’t have any room to talk about Natalie, simply because he cheated on
his fiancée, Rebecca, with the chef who was supposed to cater the wedding of
the century.  

“Yeah,
what I did was fucked up,” his said slowly. “I caused Rebecca some pain, and I
hate that I did that.” Austin took off his cowboy hair and placed it next to
him. He looked up at the dark sky, as rain pour down on them. “I’m not going to
repeat those mistakes, my relationship with Farrah is very different from the
one I shared with Rebecca. My wife is the person I’m going to be with forever,
she fulfills me. ”

“Do
you know who the hell she left me for? Dwight Brooks!”

“Shit,”
Austin said and shook his head. Dwight Brooks was a backup guitar player for
Liam Owens. He was what most guys called a womanizer, Dwight used his status in
Liam’s band to bed women.

“I
wasted years on this woman that I can’t get back. I tossed my dreams aside for
her,” Hank stood up and started to pace the gravel rocks. “What do I do?” he
said, beating his chest.

“Forgive.”

Hank
looked up to see Farrah standing on the porch.

She
could sense the hurt, betrayal and rage that was coursing through his body. “I
made dinner for us, please come inside and out of the rain. The last thing I
need is for my husband and his cousin to catch a cold.”

“Yes
ma’am,” Austin said. “We better listen to Mrs. McBride.” He draped his arm
around Hank’s shoulder and walked into the house.

Hank
glanced up at the stone tutor home that held many dreams and hopes for him and
Natalie. She complained about a house that most people thought of as a mini
mansion, which sat on a sprawling estate. He didn’t feel like going into the
house and being greeted with things that reminded him of his wife. Walking
through the front door, he was surprised that the smell that filled his nostril
was something spicy, instead of the light feminine perfume he prepared to
smell.

“I
cooked the ground beef in the refrigerator, I thought you would love my chunky
beef chili,” Farrah said, handing each of them a white plush towel. “Dinner
will be ready in thirty minutes.”

“You
didn’t have to,” he said softly. “I’m going to go change clothes. Austin, you
know where the extra clothing is at.”

This
was Farrah’s first time seeing the big cuddly guy being sad and upset. Standing
in the large chef’s kitchen. She looked at her husband standing in front of her,
wearing only a pair of blue jeans, his blonde hair wet. “Maybe we should spend
the night here with Hank,” she said, as she walked over to Austin and started
to dry his hair off.

“Nope,
he wouldn’t want that,” Austin said, enjoying his wife’s fingers against his
skin.

“Remember
what you said the other night, when I got to veto you because you said, and I
quote ‘I’m considered two people because I’m pregnant.’ Well I’m vetoing your
decision not to stay the night.” She rubbed her round tummy for measures.

“No
honeybun, it doesn’t work like that,” Austin chuckled. “I said you can veto
food choices, nice try baby.”

“Well
since you didn’t clarify yourself, my veto stands, but next time I know the veto
only means for food.” She winked at him, tossing Austin the towel. Farrah
walked back to the kitchen singing a happy tune.

“You
win this time Farrah McBride,” Austin laughed.

***

Hank
could hear them laughing in the other room. He envied what they shared
together. He sat there on the bed, in the dark room, emotionally drained. His
mind continued to drift back to the past three years with Natalie and the love
they had. There was no value and commitment to each other. Was he destine for
people to always leave him?

Maybe
he haven’t been the best husband in the world. God, how could he have been so
blinded? Natalie was distant and he should’ve known she was having an affair.
Picking up the photo of them at a much happier time, he threw it across the
room. Glass shattered and the metal frame slid across the floor. Hank wanted to
cry, he wanted to rush out the house and go after Natalie and punch the hell
out of Dwight Brooks.

A
knock sounded on the door. “It’s me,” Farrah called out. “Can I come in?”

When
he didn’t say anything, the door to the bedroom creeped open slowly. He looked
up to see Farrah standing in the doorway holding a tray of food.  Hank could
smell the steamy contents, and his stomach growled from just inhaling the smell
of buttery cornbread.

“I’m
not hungry,” he lied.

Farrah
ignored him and turned on the light. Hank groaned, adjusting his eyes to the
brightness.  He missed the darkness, at least in the darkened room Hank didn’t
have to worry about seeing everything that reminded him of Natalie.

“Yes
you are,” she said softly, sitting the tray in front of him on the night stand.
“Eat and listen.”

“No
disrespect, Farrah, but I’ve been through an emotional rollercoaster tonight,”
Hank mumbled.

“There’s
nothing wrong with wanting to bawl your eyes out, or rip pictures up.” She
nodded to the mess on the floor.

“Are
you about to tell me all those girly clichés?” he said, rolling his eyes.

Farrah
chuckled and nodded her head. “I could, but you’re a man and I know you have
that macho man persona running through you. ‘Guys don’t cry’ but that’s a lie.”

“I
don’t know what I did wrong.” He leaned back in bed and stared up at the
ceiling.

“Nothing.”
Farrah sat on the bed next to him and laid back. “You can’t blame yourself.
Believe me when I say that it’s easy to point fingers at yourself.”

“I
should have known.”

“Know
what?” Farrah said as she looked over at him. “Shit, maybe Natalie did you a
favor. I’m sad because she broke your heart, but a part of me is happy that
Natalie’s gone. Weren’t you the one who told my husband he deserved better than
Rebecca?”

Hank
covered his eyes with his arm. There was an endless film of their relationship
flashing before his eyes, the good and bad with Natalie.

“Some
people marry for love, some for companionship and some for convenience. You my
dear cousin, have to figure out which one Natalie married you for.” Farrah sat
up and walked to the window, and watched the rain that was coming down harder.
“Whatever she told you, I want you to know that you are worthy of being loved
and bring cared for. Her feelings may have not been genuine and true. Believe
me when I say there is nothing wrong with you.”

“Farrah,
I don’t need an Oprah moment,” he grumbled.

“I’m
not.” She sounded offended. “Hank, you don’t need to be blaming yourself, we
have to face facts and realize that sometimes relationships don’t work out. You
gave it your best and it’s time to move on. If I could drink with you I would.”

“But
I can,” a voice said from the hallway.

They
both looked up to see Austin standing in the doorway with two glasses of brown
liquor.

“Let’s
go to the table,” Hank said, getting up from the bed. He bypassed them and
stormed into the living room. It felt like he was suffocating sitting in that
room, he wished the smell of the chili would overpower the faint scent of her
perfume, but it didn’t. It also couldn’t hide the fact that the dresser drawers
were pulled out and Natalie clothes were gone.

Sitting
at the table, Hank tried to regain his appetite but it was no use, he was down
in the dumps. No matter how much Austin and Farrah tried to cheer him up, it
was no use. He spent a period of his life married to a person that he thought
was the most perfect woman on this earth, and now he thought of Natalie as a horrible
sun on this planet.

“Two
words!” Austin said, leaning back in his chair. “Rebound sex.”

Farrah
started coughing on her apple juice and looked at Austin with a frown. “Don’t
listen to your cousin,” she said, turning her attention to Hank.

For
the first time that night a smile formed on Hank’s handsome face. “I think
Austin might have a point. I’ll be a divorce man in a few months, life goes on
right, why should my bed be cold?” He held up his glass and filled it with Jack
Daniel’s. “To moving on,” he toasted.

“Moving
on,” Austin echoed.

“I
think we should take some of that anger you have pent up and use it to
something meaningful,” Farrah suggested.

“Such
as?” Hank asked.

“I
want you to consult with Kari, the decorator for the baby nursery. I know you’re
good with your hands and the handmade rocking chair is magnificent.” She nodded
to the chair in the corner. “Instead of being depressed, you can create a
McBride heirloom for our little one,” she said and gently rubbed her tummy.

“I
don’t know what to say,” Hank stammered.

“Say
you’ll do it, if not, Farrah will hound you each and every day until you say
yes.” Austin sipped his drink when he saw the way his pregnant wife was looking
at him.

“I’ll
do it,” Hank said happily. Farrah didn’t have to ask him twice to create an
heirloom that would be pass down from generation to generation.

“Great,
Kari will be on the ranch in two months, where you two can go over designs for
the crib.” Farrah clasped her fingers together. “I can’t wait to see the new
designs.”

Hank
nodded his head. Damn, he was trying his best not to have a complete meltdown,
his fingers were itching to reach over and grab his phone and text Natalie.
Something inside of him told him no, to let it go, and that rebound sex was
exactly what he needed.

Chapter One

Two
Months Later

The
beeping of the alarm clock ripped Kari from her dream, just when she was about
to kiss Chris Hemsworth.

“Damn
you alarm clock,” she moaned. Rolling over, she stared at the blinking red
numbers on the alarm. Sometime last night the raging thunderstorm knocked out
her power. Reaching for her cellphone on the nightstand, she screamed when the
time revealed it was 8:00 in the morning.  

“Shit!”
She jumped out of bed.

Kari
was due at Southern Hearts Ranch in forty five minutes. Racing around her condo
like a chicken with the head cut off, Kari was pulling out clothes left and
right. She needed to look and appear perfect for her new VIP client.

“God
please don’t let me be late,” Kari prayed, as she brushed her teeth quickly and
curled her hair at the same time.

Kari
Hayes was still trying to establish herself after moving to Nashville from Los
Angles. Instead of taking her designing talent to New York or keeping it in
Hollywood where she could work a big design firm, Kari thought that it was in
her best interest to move to Nashville and hopefully start her own business. 
Three months ago, Kari finally stuck gold when Melanie the wife of a country
music star Liam, hired her to decorate the nursery for her child. 

Today,
she was decorating a nursery for Farrah McBride, the wife of country superstar Austin
McBride. Slipping on her black, Prada 5-inch heel booties that went perfectly
with her cream colored sheer tank, sleek black skirt, and red and black
baseball jacket. Snatching up her keys, Kari practically made a mad dash to her
car, and sped down the highway with hopes that she would be on time to Southern
Hearts Ranch.

Turning
up the radio, Kari bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the music. Today
was looking good for her as she checked her watch on her wrist, the traffic on
the interstate was light. She might be five minutes early instead of being late.
Cruising down the country road, Kari groaned when a red, new model Chevy
Silverado towing what appeared to be hay, was traveling at least 15 below the
speed limit.

Beep
Beep Beep

Kari
blew her horn at the man in the truck, the asshole was going to make her late. She
blew the car horn a few more times, but it only made the driver go a little
slower. Honking her horn once more, Kari was beyond pissed, swerving over, she
saw the lane was cleared for passing. As Kari came up on the on the slow moving
vehicle, she flicked her middle finger at him. Looking into her review mirror
she saw the truck flicking his headlights at her.

“I
don’t care,” she mumbled, and continued her journey down the road.

Five
minutes later, she was pulling up to the iron gates with gold letters ‘SH’
inscribed in the middle of it. Before she could press the intercom. Kari
followed the white gravel tree lined road to the three story brick antebellum
house. Her mouth nearly dropped as she surveyed the vast estate. The rumor mill
was buzzing about how Austin McBride fell in love with Farrah Rue within a few
weeks before his wedding to another woman.  Kari parked her new model range
rover near a simple, blue mini cooper and exited her vehicle. 

“Ms.
Hayes,” a soft feminine voice yelled out.

Kari
shielded the morning sun from her eyes as she looked at a very pregnant woman
walking towards her wearing a white t-shirt dress and brown cowboy boots. 
Looking down at her thousand dollar Prada boots, there was no way she was
trekking through the mud in her perfectly clean shoes.

“Hello,”
Kari waved from the pavement; she wasn’t taking a chance on getting her shoes
muddy.  “I’m here to meet Farrah McBride,” she said, extending her hand to the
woman.

“I’m
her,” she chuckled, and shook Kari’s hand.

Kari
tried her best to hide the shock on her face, apparently she didn’t do a good
job and Farrah saw it. “I’m sorry, I was expecting-” her voice faltered when
the Farrah McBride started to laugh.

“Blue
eyes and blonde hair?” she singsonged.

“Pretty
much.” Kari shifted uncomfortably to the other foot. When Melanie told her that
her friend Farrah McBride wanted Kari to design a nursery, she assumed the
woman would be white since her husband was a country music star. But boy was
she wrong, Austin McBride’s wife was African American with skin the color of
nutmeg and black kinky curly hair.

“It’s
okay,” Farrah said. “I get that all the time.”

“I’m
sorry…I have this terrible habit of saying what’s on my mind,” Kari admitted.

Farrah
put her hand on Kari shoulder, “Girl, I wish everyone was a little more like
that instead of hemming and hawing around.”

Kari
could tell the Farrah McBride was a down to earth woman, who didn’t seem like
the average celebrity wife that was all about the glitz and glamour. “Melanie
told me you were impressed with the nursery that I designed for her.”

“Yes!”
she said excitedly. “Let’s go get a glass of iced tea and I’ll show you the
nursery.”

“You
have a lovely home,” Kari said, as she walked through the front door behind
Farrah, the house boasted heavy columns, decadent chandeliers, and a ton of
rare oriental rugs cover the stunning hardwood floors.

“Thank
you, my husband had someone to design it with me in mind.”

“Rustic
meets European,” Kari said, as she stood in a kitchen that was bigger than her
whole apartment.

“Exactly,”
Farrah said.

Kari
watched as the pregnant woman pulled out a glass picture from the refrigerator
that was filled with tea, ice and sliced lemons. Pouring herself and Kari a
glass of the preferred beverage of the South, they took a seat at the breakfast
table in the kitchen. The floor to ceiling windows gave an amazing view of
rolling hills in the distance.

 “Tell
me some of your ideas for the baby nursery,” Kari said.

“I
guess I’m in time,” a baritone voice with a southern accent said.

Kari
and Farrah both looked behind them. A very handsome man with sun-kissed skin,
grey eyes that would make a woman heart beat faster, and ruffled dirty blonde
hair.
Damn
, was all Kari could say to herself as she watched him stroll
into the room wearing blue jeans and red plaid button up long sleeve shirt.
Was
it possible for a man to walk sexy?
Kari asked herself.  When he walked
over to Farrah and kissed her senseless, Kari knew the man was Austin McBride.

Kari
looked away from the couple and gazed out the window. She watched a horse
gallop around in the pasture in the distance.

“Stop,
we have company,” Farrah laughed. “Sorry Kari, this is my husband, Austin
McBride, and Austin, this is the interior decorator I was telling you about,
Kari Hayes.”

“Nice
to meet you,” Kari said, shaking Austin’s hand.

“My
wife has been praising your work for the past two months,” Austin said with a
friendly smile.

Kari
could see the love between the two, it was so cute but at the same time
nauseating. She wasn’t one of those women who was going to say
“Oooh I want
what she has.”
Kari knew first hand that love was for suckers. “I was just
asking Mrs. McBride what type of style she envisioned for the baby nursery.”

“First,
please call me Farrah, we don’t have to be formal,” Farrah said, as she handed
Austin a glass of ice tea. “Secondly...”

Austin
looked over at Farrah and squeezed her hand. “We’re having twins, so you’ll be
designing a nursery for two babies.”

“Congratulations!”
Kari said happily.

“Thank
you,” they both said together.

 “When
are you due?” Kari asked. She didn’t know anything about pregnant women, except
for the fact they carry another human being for nine months.

“I’m
five months along, I will be delivering in 4 months on Feb 14
^th
,”
Farrah said, as she rubbed her growing tummy.

“What
are you having?” Kari asked, before taking a sip of her ice tea. Most people in
the South added too much sugar, but this lemon ice tea was just right.

“Boys,”
they said. 

“Congratulations.”

“But
you’re the only one who knows, we will surprise our family and friends at the
baby shower in a few weeks,” Austin said, looking at her sternly.

The
way Austin looked at her told her that he valued his privacy. “Your secret is
safe with me,” Kari said. Opening her leather binder she pulled out a
confidentially agreement. “This is a privacy clause, informing you that I will
not breach your trust nor will I discuss anything that we talk about.”

 “I
like you Kari, you came prepared,” Austin replied, as he took a pen out his
shirt pocket and quickly signed his name and handed it to Farrah.

“My
husband is slightly apprehensive because we had to dismiss three housekeepers
due to their relationship with tabloids.” Farrah’s face became gloomy as she
signed the paper and passed it back to Kari.

“Don’t
worry, I’m perfectly loyal to my clients,” Kari assured the couple at the
table.

“With
that said,” Austin said, standing up. “Let’s show you the nursery.”

Seconds
later, she stood in an empty grand room that even had French doors that led to
a balcony which overlooked a pool and rolling hills in the distance. Kari could
tell that these babies were going to be spoiled beyond belief.

“What
is the budget?” Kari asked, turning around looking at the love-birds holding
hands.

“One
million dollars,” Austin said, without batting an eye.

“No,”
Farrah said, shaking her head. She looked at her husband like he bumped his
head. “That’s too much money.”

“We
will spare no expense,” Austin said.

“Errr….kids
are expensive even though we can afford them, I’d like to be sensible,” Farrah
said, and turn her attention to Kari.

“$250,000.”
Austin smiled, looking at Farrah sheepishly. “We’re getting a nursery in
Dallas, too.”

“You
do know if we were the average Joe, we would having some Do-It-Yourself
moments,” Farrah said, kissing his cheek.

“Yep,”
he said.

“We
want to incorporate this beautiful, tranquil and cozy environment for the
babies,” Farrah said, as she walked around the room. “But we want to celebrate
the twins as separate entities.”

 “I
have a few ideas in my head,” Kari said, as she looked around the room. “I can
have a few sketches around the end of the week.”

“There
is one more thing…we’re hoping that you can work with Hank Jackson, my husband’s
cousin who is a skilled carpenter,” Farrah said hesitantly.

“You
want custom made items?” Kari asked.

“My
wife wants you to design the items, such as: the cribs, and a small table and
chair set,” Austin said, as he inspected the room.

“How
do you know that Mr. Jackson will be able to deliver?” Kari asked.  She didn’t
need some wanna-be ‘
Bob the Builder
,’ to give her name a bad rap when he
couldn’t deliver, Kari couldn’t care less if this Hank dude was Austin’s
cousin.

“Let
me show you some of his amazing work,” Farrah said, as she walked out the room.

Kari
followed the couple to a bedroom down the hallway. When the door opened she
stepped into a room where furniture was made of reclaimed wood; from the
bedroom set to the dresser. “He did a magnificent job.”

“Does
this answer your question?” Austin smiled.

“Yes
it did,” she admitted. “When do I get to meet the master builder?”

“I’ll
give him a call,” Austin said, walking away to leave the two ladies to talk
babies and color scheme.

“I
don’t want to do the blue for boys,” Farrah said, making a face. “I want this
room to have southern charm and class, but stay away from blue.”

“Don’t
worry, I see all cowboys in this room,” Kari laughed, and checked her watch. “I
have to go, but I’ll be back tomorrow to show you my ideas.”

Stepping
outside into the cool afternoon sun, it felt like winter was approaching and
autumn was fading quickly.  The late night storm last night brought cold
weather to Nashville earlier than expected.

“Here
comes Hank.” Farrah pointed to a red Chevy Silverado coming down the road.

It
can’t be
, Kari thought. This was the same truck she passed on the
highway earlier this morning. Kari cringed when she thought about how she gave
him the finger. The pickup came to a stop next to Kari’s car.

“Hank,”
Farrah said excitedly, as she walked over to the truck.

Two
words came to Kari’s mind when she saw the man name Hank Jackson step out the
truck. Sexy Lumberjack. He was tall and muscular, with brown shaggy hair and a
beard to match. His body was ripped and lean. Kari eyes raked all over Hank’s
body, damn he could be a model for a milk campaign with his tight black t-shirt
and blue jeans.