Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) by Ava Thorn Page B

and interior. I followed in his footsteps, except I wanted to earn
my way in life and not have it handed it to me.” 
    Hank’s
fork clattered on his plate, he was shocked to hear that come from Kari. He
pegged her as a spoiled brat with the designer clothes and shoes she wore. “Why
move to Nashville?”
    “I’m
from the 90210 and moving to Nashville gave me the opportunity to slowdown my
life a lot. Everything you see that glitters is not gold,” she said with a
shrug.
    Hank
sat there eating, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Kari. His judgment
about her was way off. He’d allowed his bitterness to get in the way of seeing
Kari for who she was. Hank tried to look away from her but he couldn’t, her
smile, the excitement her eyes, the laughter and the angriness she sported
after argument with him. Those were all the things he liked about her. Deep
down he wanted to get to know her a little better.
    Sitting
there, he watched as Kari and Farrah interacted together. They acted like there
were old friends. Natalie wasn’t close friends with Rebecca, but somehow found
it to hate Farrah with a passion.  
    “What’s
wrong with you?” Austin whispered. Sitting next to him.
    “Nothing.”
    “That
look don’t say anything,” Austin said. Cutting in his lamb chop and eating
another bite. “I swear you have this look on you face like you did when you was
in 12 th grade with Ally.”
    Hank
picked up his fork and knife and cut into his food. He tried to appear unbothered
by the mentioning of his ex-girlfriend and first real love of his life. Was it
odd that he was thirty-three years old and had a crush on a woman?  He needed
to get a grip and figure out what was happening to him. Hank tried to convince
himself mentally that the only reason why he was smitten with Kari was the
physical attraction he had to her. Yeah his body craved to have her underneath
him, but let’s face it, he wanted it all.
    Damn
he was in trouble, especially if Austin could see that Kari had an effect on
him. Hank felt like he was crossing the line with Kari. He was still married on
paper. It had to more than a physical attraction that he had for her. Maybe it
was because they shared an emotional connection from the time she flipped him
off or when she’d cut her hand. He tried to pay attention to something other
than Kari but nothing was working.
    “Ask
her out to the state fair,” Austin said in a low voice. “Jiggy saw her when she
came up and he was asking about her earlier.”
    Hank
wasn’t about to allow Austin’s sound engineer, Jiggy, to take Kari out anywhere
if he could help it.
    Hours
later after dinner, Hank and Kari left the McBride’s house at the same time.
The short walk to the car was in silence. When she unlocked the car Hank knew his
time was almost up for him.
    “Have
you ever been to the state fair?” Hank asked, looking down at her.
    “Not
that I can recall,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.
    “Austin
asked me to play back up for him.” He stuck his hands into his pockets to keep
himself from touching her. “And I want you to be my date.”
    “I
thought you were married?”
    “I’m
separated,” he said quickly. “I don’t cheat it’s not in my vocabulary.”
    “Why
don’t you come to my house for dinner tomorrow?”
    “You
don’t cook,” he reminded her.
    “I’ll
order something.”
    “Chinese
food, I haven’t had that in a long time.” He reached pass and opened the door.
    “I
live above my design studio.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before
getting inside her car.
    “Drive
safe and I’ll call you when I think you’ve made it home.” He closed the door
and watched her drive away.
    ***
     Kari
just took a shower and was in bed anticipating Hank’s phone call. Her eyes
drifted to the wall. Should she really do this? Kari thought to herself. This
man was still legally married to another woman. Her mind was telling decline
the date but her heart was telling her