You'll Never Be Lonely (3 page)

“Oh, I know all I need to know.” He scooped her up in a bear hug, pressing his manhood against her.

“Oh? What exactly do you know?” She kissed Hank’s neck and flicked his ear lobe with the tip of her tongue.

“I know you like this.” He buried his face in her neck and playfully bit the tender skin.

Hank’s nibbles made Kallie shriek with delight and she practically collapsed in his arms.

“Hank! That’s so unfair! Playing on my weakness? You should be ashamed of yourself.” She tossed back her head and swatted at him.

“Why? Because I know you’re ticklish? How about here?” He moved the collar of her shirt to nibble Kallie’s shoulder.

Kallie moaned and felt her knees buckle again.

“You have to stop. We’re never going to get out of here.”

“And?”

* * * *

An hour after their shower, Kallie sat out on their deck sipping a steaming mug of coffee. She loved her cozy home in the city, but being here in The Smokies was incredible. In fact, she felt as though they’d never left a few short days ago. If she was honest with herself, she’d admit that this place felt more like home than anywhere she’d ever been and with Hank by her side, she’d never felt more secure. Being married would take some getting used to and Kallie would probably remind herself on a daily basis that her heart was safe with Hank, but she knew everything would be okay.

As she watched a pair of squirrels play on the ground beneath the deck balcony, a giggle escaped her as she thought back to Hank’s warrior moves that morning. The man was definitely a keeper. She knew without a doubt their lives would always be interesting.

She heard the telltale click-click of a camera, “Mrs. Fogle, you are a vision.”

“Oh stop. I hate having my picture taken. Besides, how can you be snapping photos of me when we are surrounded by such breathtaking beauty?”

“You are the only beauty that takes my breath away.” He leaned down to give her a long, slow kiss.

“If you keep that up, we’ll never get out of here.” Not that she’d mind. Making love to her husband twenty-three hours a day would suit her just fine. However, realistically, they’d made plans to play ‘tourist’ that day and if they wanted to stick to some semblance of an itinerary, they’d need to get moving soon.

“You’re right. Are you ready to frolic in the woods with me?”

“You bet.”

Hank took her coffee mug from her as she stood up and he opened the sliding door for her. Kallie gathered her purse and a duffel bag while Hank rinsed her cup and placed it in the dish rack to dry. She watched her husband’s swift movements and found herself mesmerized once again by the man who stood before her.

He caught her staring at him, “What’s wrong, babe?”

“I love you.”

“That’s what’s wrong?” His hand flew to his heart as he feigned hurt.

“No, you goof! It’s the only thing that’s been right in a very long time.”

“Well, I happen to love you, too.” He swiftly picked her up and she dropped the duffle
bag and her purse as he spun her in a dizzying circle.

“Put me down, silly man. We have things to do.”

Hank set her on her feet and as she bent over to retrieve their bag, he swatted her behind. “Get movin’, woman! Giddy up!”

“Watch it, cowboy.”

Locking the door behind them, Hank and Kallie set out for their first excursion as a married couple.

The streets of Gatlinburg were crowded with other tourists. Every shop was full of people clamoring for the perfect treasure or souvenir.

“I can’t believe how many people are here. Doesn’t anyone work anymore?”

“Sweetheart, when The Smokies call, you must answer. This town is always busy. There’s always something to see and do. People come here from all over the world just to eat the down-home cookin’.”

“Now, that I understand. I’m just not big on the whole tourist trap gimmick. I’d much rather have a rock or a leaf from the places I visit. You’ll never find someone else who has the exact same one.”

“That’s why I love you, my dear.” He wrapped his arms around Kallie and they kissed long and slow as people filtered around them.

“What do you say we go get some of that down-home cookin’ right now? After the incredible morning we had, you must be starving.” Kallie nibbled at his ear before they turned to stroll down the street, hand-in-hand, toward a restaurant that wasn’t as busy as the others.

“Look at this place! It’s so adorable and cozy.”

“You’re adorable. If you could only see yourself the way I see you, Kal. Everything to you is new and exciting. When I see you smile, your eyes light up with a genuine happiness and there aren’t many people left in the world who find joy in the small things in life.”

“Aren’t you a big ball of sap, Mr. Fogle?” Not accustomed to flattery from anyone, not even her new husband, Kallie had a tendency to laugh off and revert to silly behavior whenever Hank made her blush.

“Yeah, I am. All thanks to you, Mrs. Fogle.”

“Don’t blame me.” Her laughter seemed a bit too loud in the tiny establishment and she found herself blushing. “Great. Now everyone’s staring at me.”

“That’s because you’re beautiful. They’re probably wondering why you’re here with such a crotchety old man.”

“Crotchety? You’re too much! And far from an old man, husband.”

Their conversation soon drifted to the day’s agenda and Kallie found herself amazed at the man who sat before her. He knew so much about The Smokies, about the world. It was hard to believe Kallie had led such a sheltered life. Considering her upbringing, it shouldn’t have been such a shock. She’d been basically locked in her parents’ home when she was a teenager.

When Kallie graduated from high school, she ran away from her hometown, never looking back. Her mother was prone to affairs and loved to take her frustrations and anger out on Kallie. Kallie’s biological father had checked out long ago and her stepfather was nothing more than a doormat. He sat idly by and watched as Kallie’s mother treated her only child like scum. From a young age, Kallie had learned to take care of herself. She refused to be a victim for anyone. Her adolescent years may have given her a rough side, and some would call Kallie abrasive, but she preferred to think of herself as cautious. Thankfully, Hank loved her so-called abrasiveness and never made her feel inferior due to her lack of knowledge about worldly things and places.

After a lunch of country-fried steak and loaded, mashed, red potatoes smothered in white pepper gravy, they paid the check and headed out for some shopping.

“We haven’t even talked about redecorating.”

“Redecorating? We haven’t even discussed where we’re gonna live!”

Hank laughed and his eyes danced with amusement. “Yeah, I guess that would be important, too.”

With a serious tone, Kallie said “We both have our careers and we both have homes. What are we going to do?”

“Well, I have a few homes, actually. And I thought yours was a rental? Either way, as long as we’re together, I’ll be happy. Wanna live in a cardboard box? Fine with me.”

Kallie playfully slugged his arm. “Stop it, Hank. This is serious.”

“I know. I know. But, do we have to decide right this minute? We spend every moment of every day in our careers planning everything. You with your reviews, me with my books. Can’t we just leave the decisions for later? How about we just buy whatever we want and wherever we live, we’ll find a place for it?”

Sometimes, Hank could be like a kid and strangely enough, that was one of the things that had drawn Kallie to him in the first place. His carefree attitude made him who he was and deep down, Kallie wished she could be more like him.

“Sure. Let’s just shop. How could I turn down such a fabulous offer? You’re buying, right?” She batted her lashes at him and puckered her lips.

“You got it, Mrs. Fogle. Whatever you want. The sky’s the limit.”

Kallie was tempted to take him up on that offer and she picked up an array of different items but then set them back on their shelves. So many items delighted her and she’d have loved to buy them all. Sure, most of them were typical items any tourist would purchase as a memento from their trip to The Smokies, but every once in a while, Kallie would spot something she couldn’t resist.

“Hank, look! We definitely need this.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s adorable. You know how much I love black bears.”

“Do you really want a bear in the bathroom?”

“Why not? I have my big, hunk of man-bear in the bedroom.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Hank and winked.

“Whatever you want, my dear, whatever you want.”

Hank wrapped his arms around her and they passionately kissed in the middle of the store as if no one was watching.

Chapter Three

They took their purchases back to the cabin and decided to take a quick walk before dinner. Kallie watched Hank’s lips whenever he spoke and need tore through her. It had only been a few hours, but Kallie couldn’t get enough of her husband. The thought of him suckling at her neck, breasts, and working his way down, had her panties soaked. Hank held her hand as they maneuvered along the trail behind the cabin, helping her over the few boulders that were too big for the park rangers to move when they’d carved out the hiking spot.

“I wish we could stay right here.” The view at the edge of the property was incredible! As the sun set, the horizon cast a cerulean ray that kissed the great mountains. There were panes of pink, yellow and orange just above The Smokies and a few stray clouds had already settled in the tops of the trees, looking like a magical mist floating above their personal paradise.

“Isn’t it amazing? That’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved it here. The majestic views are engraved in my memories and they call to me whenever I’m away from here for too long.”

“I can see why. I didn’t really get a chance to see much the last time we were here together. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this my entire life.” A tear made its way down Kallie’s cheek and Hank wiped it away with his thumb.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“It’s just so beautiful! I can’t help it. I’m bawling like a baby over a sunset! I feel like I’ve been transformed and I can’t explain it. All I know is I never want to lose this sense of peace and completeness. I want to feel like this for the rest of my life.”

“You want to cry for the rest of your life?” he teased.

“No, silly.” She giggled and hiccupped. “I want to feel this connected. I want to feel like I belong. I never want to feel like I’m all alone in the world again. I love you, Hank. At first, I wasn’t sure whether getting married was the best idea. Now, I know it’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. You sending me threats over that book review, water-logging my laptop, causing me to drop my phone and lying to me resulted in more than I could ever hope for. How crazy would that sound to everyone else?”

“Um, I love you, too. But, I didn’t really…”

“I know. You didn’t know the reviewer was me. And you didn’t intend to destroy my things, but you did and I’m glad you did.”

Hank laughed and pulled her into his arms. “I truly do love you and I promise you’ll never, ever be lonely. Got it? Never.”

Kallie had no idea why she was such an emotional mess but for now, she just didn’t care. As long as Hank didn’t run away screaming from the sight of her with mascara running down her tear-stained face, she’d be happy.

They lingered on the overlook for a long time, kissing and holding each other. Even at five thousand feet above the rest of the world, Kallie had never felt safer than she did in that moment.

As the sun fell further below the mountaintops, the temperature dropped with it and they turned back toward the cabin.

“I’m starving, how about you?”

“You have quite the appetite today. Are you sure you’re happy? I remember you saying you usually only eat a lot when you’re depressed. Should I be worried?”

“I’m perfectly happy, Hank. It’s probably just because of the excess energy I’ve used today. Besides, I’m going to use a lot more of it once I get you inside, so I suggest you feed me, husband.” Wicked playfulness danced across her face as she took off in a sprint, racing Hank to their cabin.

Once inside, Kallie made quick work of dicing some veggies while Hank fired up the grill. An easy meal of brats, peppers, onions and fried potatoes was just what they needed. After dinner, they sat on the deck talking and counting stars.

“I’ll never stop being mesmerized by the beauty here.”

“Neither will I.” Hank squeezed her hand and rubbed her wedding ring finger with the pad of his thumb as he undressed her with his eyes.

Kallie knew he was complimenting her and as his wife, she should thank him. But old habits die hard and Kallie fought the urge to shrink back into herself. Instead of saying anything, she simply averted her gaze and changed the subject. She had no idea why she couldn’t control her moods. One moment hot, the next lukewarm.

“So, let’s talk about where we’re going to spend the next fifty or so years together.”

“I’ve got the perfect place in mind.” In one quick move, Hank stood, scooped her into his arms and carried her to the sofa inside. They made great use of the small living room, making love well into the early morning hours.

* * * *

Hank’s phone began ringing around eight in the morning. Groggy and naked, he stumbled around blindly looking for the noisy contraption that seemed to control most of his waking hours. He was on his honeymoon! Who the hell would be calling him? His agent knew where he was and if it was something about some damned edits, Hank would surely wring her neck!

“Hello!”

“Good morning, Hank. How are you?”

“Jackie? You know I’m on my honeymoon, so I was just fine until you called. This had better be good.”

“Well, it is. Your book has been picked up by a major production company and they want to start filming right away. But they’re requesting a sit-down meeting to go over the contracts with you. And it has to be today.”