Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) Read online

  “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 sho
ok 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 14th,” 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 laughe
d, 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.

  “Kari?” Farrah said, with a surprise look on her face.

  “I’m sorry,” Kari blushed. She was too busy checking out Hank that she wasn’t even paying attention to Farrah.

  “This is Hank Jackson,” Farrah said, and turned her attention to Hank. “This is Kari Hayes, the decorator I told you about.”

  “How can I forget,” Hank said grimly.

  Gosh, Kari thought he didn’t want to work with her any more than she wanted to work with him. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand and quickly pulled it away from him.

  “Well Kari, I have to get back to preparing a menu, but Hank will fill you on the wood he’ll use for the baby furniture,” Farrah said. She gave Kari a quick hug before walking into the house.

  “So, you’re the Jeff Gordon this morning with the wicked road rage?” Hank glared at her.

  “Well if you weren’t driving slow like a turtle, I wouldn’t have had to pass you this morning,” Kari said, and made a beeline to her car.

  Hank laughed and shook his head. “Speed kills,” he said, looking at her sternly.

  Kari scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. “So does wearing tight jeans,” she said, backing out the driveway and sped down the gravel road. Looking back into the rearview mirror at the man who rubbed her the wrong. It wasn’t too late to quit the McBride Project.