by Thorn, Ava
***
Hank stood there grinning like a loon, as he watched the sliver luxury SUV kick up dirt as it sped down the road. When Farrah asked him to build a custom crib for the newest McBride, Hank didn’t think that decorator and designer Kari would be so beautiful. With her brown sugar skin and eyes the color of whiskey.
“What are you thinking?”
Hank turn around to see Austin standing there looking at him with a sly smile on his face. “It’s not what you think.”
“What am I’m thinking?” Austin said, sticking his hand into his pockets.
“Didn’t you mention having a booty call or something like that?” Hank went to his truck and pulled the tailgate down and sat.
“I may have mentioned rebound sex,” Austin said, taking a seat next to Hank. “But not with Kari Hayes. I’m not one against mixing business with pleasure, but I have a pregnant hormonal wife in that house and if something happen between Kari and you…”
“Don’t worry, Kari Hayes is not my type,” Hank mumbled, as he looked up at the sky.
It’d been two months since Natalie made her choice to leave him. She was doing what makes her happy but at his cost. Hank never really thought they would ever get this to place. What happen to finding some semblance of harmony and understanding? For the life of him he couldn’t find any of those things that divorcees talked about. All he felt was emptiness and depression. Hank felt like there will never be inner peace for him. Maybe he’ll just be one of those good guys who finish last.
“Hold up,” Austin said, gawking at his cousin. “Is it because Kari’s black?”
“No!” Hank said, running his finger through his hair.
“Then what it is?” Austin asked, as he analyzed Hank closely.
Hank pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve only seen Kari once, and I know for a fact that she is a snobby woman.”
Austin howled with laughed. “How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”
“Natalie is a big spender, I recognized the designer shoes and clothes she was wearing,” Hank said with a pained expression on his face.
“Well, this conversation is moot since obviously you’re going to keep everything professional,” Austin said. He stood up and slapped Hank on the back. “I’m sure you know this by now, but you’re invited to dinner and Farrah is not taking no for an option.”
“Can’t you tell her I’m busy or something,” Hank pleaded. Since Natalie left, he spent dinner time at the McBride dining room table or Farrah would bring over food. He didn’t mind Farrah’s cooking, he actually believed he gain a few pounds on her delicious meals.
“You were busy last night and the night before.” He paused and looked at Hank with a straight face. “Now, you don’t want my wife to nag me all night about you. ‘Do you think he’s okay?’ Or ‘He probably don’t like my cooking anymore.’”
They both looked at each and laughed.
“I’ll be there for dinner,” he conceded. Hank walked to his truck door and stopped and glance back at Austin. “I just want you to know that I’m happy for you. Mama would be proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Austin said, clearing his voice. “She would be proud of you too, but most of all Hank, Mama would want you to be happy.”
Hank nodded his head and got into his truck and traveled the winding dirt road back to his house. For the first time in his life, Hank didn’t know the meaning of love. He thought he knew the meaning, but now with everything going on with him and Natalie, he wasn’t sure. Of course his cousins had wives now; Austin was madly in love with Farrah and Shane had Jasmine.
In this time and day love was associated with what a person had and their financial wealth. No one loved a person for who they were. Love was supposed to be divine and selfless but in his case it wasn’t. Hank could honestly admit that never experienced that type of love, not even with Natalie. The way Natalie loved him was held on conditions, such as if she could get those new Jimmy Choos or Prada purse. Natalie’s life was all about keeping up with the Joneses.
He made a pact with himself that night as he laid in bed, mourning the loss of his relationship. He would never allow a woman to weasel her way into his heart only to break it. Hank’s heart was poison and no amount of love could bring down those walls he put up.
***
Kari sat in her office in the heart of downtown Nashville, gazing out the window into the partly cloudy sky. Her studio was called K-By Design. Coming to Nashville was the best thing that she could’ve done. She moved to a place where no one knew her or the family she came from. Sighing, Kari pulled out her iPad and started to design the nursery.
The objective was to create a nursery for the twin boys. Farrah made it adamant that she wanted to stay away from the traditional baby boy blue, but to add a piece of Austin into the room such as the guitar, horses and reclaimed wood. Kari choose grayish-blue and paired it with taupe and buttercream.
Kari was so engrossed with the task of sketching the crib, she didn’t hear her assistant, Corey, walking into the room.
“How’s it going?” he asked. Corey knew exactly what she needed at this time, he sat a bag of red Swedish fish candy down on the table next to her.
Putting her pencil down, she turned around and looked at her best friend. Corey took a chance on her when she told him about her plans to move to Nashville and open K-By Design. Corey was what some girls would call boy band sexy. He was average height with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes.
“I’m working on the McBride project as we speak,” Kari said. She watched as Corey picked up the sketch work she was working on. His face was expressionless which was tortuous for her because Kari was always her worst critic.
“It’s great,” he said, and nodded his head. “I like the color pallets.”
“Wonderful.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “You’ll have to oversee some of my other projects since the McBride will need all my focus,” she said.
“No problem. You know I have your back,” Corey said, digging into the bag of candy and popping a red fish into his mouth.
Kari went back to designing the furniture, but it was hard especially, with Corey slurping his coffee and chewing so damn loud on the candy. When Corey becomes annoying it meant that he wanted to talk, but Kari didn’t have time to talk. She had to design a custom made crib that was classy and modern.
“K, I need to tell you something,” Corey said, smacking on candy.
“Okay.” She frowned. This wasn’t like Corey to stall on telling her something.
“Now, I don’t want to pry,” he started to say. “I was on Facebook and noticed that Sam is getting married.”
Kari stopped sketching, her body became tense when Corey mentioned her ex-fiancé’s name. “Oh.” Was all she could say. No one knew the reason she vanquished Sam from her life, not even Corey.
“Girl, are you only going to say ‘Oh’?” Corey shook his head in disbelief.
“What am I’m supposed to say?” she asked.
“I don’t know, maybe pick your damn phone up and call him.” Corey peered over at her. “What’s the deal, is he like the one who got away?”
“Corey,” Kari said, losing patience with her best friend. “Sam and I have been broken up for two years now.”
“I know,” he huffed. “You still love him! Come on Kari, you haven’t dated anyone since you broke up and moved out here.”
Kari slammed the pencil on the desk and looked at Corey, his faced went pale. “I’m tired of talking about Sam, I don’t give a damn who the hell he’s marrying.” Picking up her briefcase, she tossed all her work into it. “I’m going home for the remainder of the day.”
“Kari..,” Corey tried to say.
“Cut it,” she said, holding her hand up in the air. “I don’t want to hear it, thanks for the Swedish fish.”
For two years Kari made it her business to forget about the man she fell in love with. The man she wanted to marry. The hopes of building a future with
Sam went tumbling down when she found her future husband was only with her for the financial gains.
Two Years Ago- San Francisco California
Walking off the elevator, Kari stood in front of the apartment. Holding her hand up to the door, she was about to knock but realized she finally had a key to Sam’s apartment. Opening the door, she walked into the quiet bachelor pad placing her purse on the grey sectional sofa she picked out herself. Going into the kitchen, Kari placed the bag of groceries down on the counter. She started to take out the ingredients for the meal she was planning for them tonight.
She was about to rinse her hands in the sink when a pair of crystal drinking glasses grabbed her attention, most importantly there was pink lipstick on one of the glass. Curiosity was getting the best out of Kari. Not once did she suspect that Sam was cheating on her.
Cooking a romantic meal was the last thing on her mind, instead of cooking Kari went snooping. Yeah she knew if you go looking eventually you will find something you don’t want to. Headed to the bedroom that she slept in countless times, she paused by the door when she heard the muffled talking from a deep voice that she knew and a female voice that was eerily familiar. Kari crept to the door and stared into small crack in the slightly open door.
Sam Russell was the man she put so much high stakes in, even when her parents told her that he wasn’t good. Parents have the knack for recognizing a joker from a king. It look like her family was right about Sam considering that he was in bed with her best friend.
“Mariah, you have to go,” Sam said, as he slung his gangling body off the bed. His chestnut brown hair was disheveled and hazel eyes still held lust from his afternoon lovemaking with goldilocks.
Kari felt like a peeping tom, she scrunched her face up and concentrated on the two people inside the room. Her fingers trembled in the air before she touch the door in front of her. Damn her heart was beating fast.
“I’m tired of sneaking around like some whore,” Mariah pouted, sitting up and bed she allowed the sheets to fall.
Kari got an eye full of fake double ‘D’ breasts. You’ve got to be kidding me, she thought. If Sam was going to cheat on her, he should at least do it with someone who wasn’t her best friend.
“Mariah,” Sam exclaimed, jamming his foot against the corner of the mahogany dresser as he fumbled with his pants. “Shit.”
“Don’t Mariah me!” Mariah yelled, standing up from the bed, she picked up her bra and panties that was scatter on the floor. “We agreed that Kari was temporarily.”
“It’s not easy,” he sighed, looking into the mirror as he buttoned up his red dress shirt.
“Wait a minute.” Mariah went across the room and turned Sam around to look at her. “You fell in love with her.”
“Mariah,” he groaned. “Sweetie, we already talked about this, Kari-”
“The goal was for you to marry the heartless spoiled bitch, and take half of her fortune,” Mariah hissed.
“I know that…I haven’t forget the objective.” Sam practically collapsed on the bed. “But I can’t help that our engagement is talking a little longer than expected”
Kari felt sick to her stomach. Sam was only with her for the money. Not once had she ever paid for anything for him nor did she mention her family’s wealth.
Ring
“Who phone is that?” Mariah said looking around the room.
Shit, Kari backed up and practically ran to the living room and snatched her purse up from the sofa.
“Kari wait!” Sam said, running behind her.
She couldn’t stop running down the hall and to the stairwell, Kari didn’t want to hear anything that came out Sam’s mouth. Everything was a lie. The proposal. Every time he said “I love you,” was a lie. He was going to used her for a financial gain.
That day Kari ran away from everything and everyone. She moved to Nashville to create her own stamp on life and that started with K-By Design, but also she moved to a town where no one would know her influential family and wealth.
Kari wiped the single tear from her eye, as she thought about the betrayal of a lover that still ran rampant in her veins and heart. When people asked her about the relationship she had with Sam, she always changed the subject. Never once had she mentioned what happen to her best friend, Corey. Kari never spoke with Sam after leaving his apartment, she changed her number and refused to talk to him. To this day she harbor feelings of resentment, bitterness, disappointment, rejection, anger and humiliation. Kari made a pact on that day two years ago that she would never fall in love with anyone else, she destined herself to be that career woman who owned a five cats.
Chapter Two
The next day, Kari breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t encounter the slow driver on the road called Hank Jackson. Arriving at the Southern Hearts Ranch with her work bag, she made her way up the stairs to knock on the door when it abruptly swung open. Standing in the threshold was Austin McBride, who appeared to be waiting for Kari’s arrival.
“Hello, Kari” he said, looking around nervously. “I only have a few minutes before Farrah comes back from the garden.”
“Ok,” she said, feeling a little uncomfortable.
“I have this picture of Farrah’s deceased mother.” Austin handed the small picture to Kari. “Maybe you can add the picture into the room.”
“Sure,” Kari said, as she looked down at the picture of a pretty black woman with Farrah’s features holding a baby. “Farrah will love this.”
“I hope so.” Austin smiled.
“She will…I want to set up my presentation in the nursery to give you guys a more visual effect.” Kari slipped the portrait of Farrah mother in her folder.
“Sure, you already know where the room is at. I’ll go get Farrah,” he said, walking away.
Kari busied herself with pinning up each look for the five different themes she came up with. One was a traditional brown and red cowboy theme room with a sleigh crib, second theme consisted of the colors cream and mint green with draping on the wall behind each crib. Third idea was using white, grey-blue and black, two tone crib and clouds on the ceiling. Fourth selection was Kari’s favorite the color scheme was black, white and green coloring such as Sweetbriar and Green Crystal. She would draw a black tree on the wall with branches and leaves that stretch to each cribs, ultimately there would be pictures frames of the twins’ initials hanging from the limbs. Kari was beginning to work on the last theme when she heard a gasp from the doorway.
Farrah stood there with her hand covering her mouth. “You did an awesome job on each them,” she said, and walked towards the wall and ran her hand down on the sketches. “Melanie lied, she said you were great, but I believe you’re magnificent.”
“Thank you,” Kari grinned from ear to ear. “I wanted you to get a full concept of each design.”
“Girl, you gave me plenty to think about,” she laughed.
Kari completed the last theme with mystic gold and marble white colors. She was even implanting draping that flow from the ceiling to floor behind the cribs. The cribs would be custom made by Hank with the twins’ initials inscribe in the head board. She would pick out a beautiful orb crystal chandelier that would hang brightly.
“So these are the samples I made yesterday,” Kari said, stepping back from the wall, she allowed the happy couple time to sort out which one they wanted to pick out. “I will make all the bedding and sitting area furniture in the nurseries,”
“Where’s Hank?” Farrah said, looking at Austin. “Kari would need to consult with him on the furniture design.”
“I called him, he said he would be here after putting Lightning up in the stables,” Austin said, as he studied the western baby nursery. “Sugar, I think we should do the Western theme in Dallas.”
“That what I was thinking,” Farrah said, as she touched the last theme.
“I read an article that said draping the walls helps with keeping the noise out the room,” Kari explained, as she heard heavy
boots on the hardwood floor. She turned around and her eyes connected with a pair of grey eyes. Hank Jackson stood there wearing a red tank top shirt and black jeans. She glanced over the shiny gold belt buckled in front of his pants.
“I’m here,” Hank mumbled, walking into the room and right pass Kari without anything as a simple hello.
“Great! Austin and I agreed to go with the western brown and red room for the nursery in Dallas and the draping theme for the room here,” Farrah said.
“Brilliant!” Kari clasped her hands together. “I’ll have the décor picked out and the customized cribs, chairs, table, dresser, and bedding ready by the time you pop.”
“Hank, what do you think about creating the cribs and the availability?” Austin said looking back at his cousin amusingly
Hank scoffed and looked at Kari and back at Austin. “Yeah it can be done.”
“I just want to say that the cribs here will be circular,” Kari interjected.
Hank looked at her for instant, unblinking, his grey eyes bored into her. “That will not be a problem,” he said through clench teeth.
“Well that’s settled,” Kari said, appearing unbothered by Hank’s rude demeanor.
“I have rules,” Hank said, holding his black cowboy hat.
“Maybe we should go to allow you guys to discuss working together,” Austin said, as his gaze flicker back and forth between Kari and Hank.
Kari busied herself with making plans on her iPad. “When will be a great time to venture out to Dallas for me to get a look at the room?”
Farrah and Austin were nearly out the room’s door when they turn back around and look at her. “Austin and I will be headed on a tour, but Hank can accompany you to Texas, since he headed there in three weeks,” Farrah said, turning to look at her husband. “I can actually meet up with you when the tour heads to Arizona.”
The thought of going to Texas with Hank of all people repulsed Kari. She wasn’t going to mention her displeasure of traveling with the man who was responsible for the furniture in the nurseries. “You don’t have to put yourself out like that, I can travel to Dallas with Hank,” she said.
