Stone Heart_A Single Mom & Mountain Man Romance

by Rye Hart

  I’d only ever been out here a few times but it had different kinds of shops. Coffee shops and craft shops. A used bookstore and a couple of antique stores. A jeweler set his shop up there and a couple of hole-in-the-wall restaurants had made a name for themselves on the strip but there were two vacant buildings that hadn’t been vacant before.

  They were for sale and they were right next to one another.

  I pulled my truck over to look at the two buildings while a series of ideas crossed my mind. I knew I was crazy even thinking them but, even as I tried to pull myself away, I pulled my phone from my pocket. Both buildings seemed to be a decent size and, as my phone rang in my ear, I chuckled to myself.

  I really had lost my mind.

  “Hello?” the gruff voice asked.

  “Yes. Hello. My name is Liam Canter and I’m looking at a couple of buildings downtown that are for sale. Am I talking with the right person?”

  “That’s me,” he said. “Name’s Lee. What can I do ya for?”

  “I was wondering if you could give me a price quote on the two buildings,” I said.

  “To sell ‘em and get those damn things off my hands, I’ll cut ya a deal. I’m tired of upkeepin’ ‘em. Too old to do most of the maintenance. Back’s no good anymore. Three hundred thousand for the both of ‘em, but they come as-is.”

  “Can you give me a rundown of what needs to be done to them?” I asked.

  I knew it was a farfetched idea, even as the older man talked me through things that needed to be fixed. Everything seemed pretty superficial. No plumbing or electrical issues that he knew of. I took a mental list of all the things I could fix on my own before I’d have to bring in someone to fix up the rest of it all and, even then, I could hear my mind calling me crazy. Something like this would never work and, even if I thought it would, how in the hell was I going to get Whitney to talk to me?

  I honestly wasn’t sure, but this chance opportunity seemed too perfect to pass up.

  CHAPTER 30

  WHITNEY

  I missed him.

  Even though he was only temporary and even though I was right in insinuating that it was a fling, I missed him. As I lay there in Gwen’s guest bedroom applying for mediocre jobs in the area online, all I could hear was Liam’s voice in my head. I was recounting the conversation we had about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I could hear his voice asking me about starting my own business. Telling me that I was in control of my life. That I could do what I wanted for the rest of my life if I just set out to do it.

  But my phone ringing ripped me from my thoughts.

  “Hello?” I asked.

  “Any word from any of the jobs?”

  “Hello, Gwen. I only started applying today.”

  “Well, you’re awesome and they should see that.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “You still pining over that guy?” Gwen asked.

  “No,” I said.

  “You’re a liar and a cheat, Miss Hollis.”

  “Is that your best lawyer voice?” I asked. “Because you sounded constipated.”

  “Why don’t you come down to the new shop?” she asked. “Get your mind off things.”

  “I’m applying for jobs,” I said.

  “And how many have you applied for?” she asked.

  “Seven.”

  “That’s enough for today. Get your ass out of bed and get down here. I’m signing the papers.”

  “Wait, you’re what? Don’t touch a thing until I get there. Let me look over the paperwork first.”

  “Then get out of bed and get down here,” she said.

  Scrambling out of bed, I ran around my room and threw some clothes on. My mind went straight from finding a job I didn’t hate, to helping Gwen with her dream. I stumbled out of the room while I hopped into some jeans and I managed to get my coat around my body before I grabbed my purse. I was so excited for my best friend to have finally made it to this point. She practically inundated me with pictures when I’d gotten back into town.

  The truth was, I couldn’t stay at the resort. I tried distracting myself with the hot tub and some coffee at the cafe on site, but I just couldn’t do it. The front desk worked with me as much as they could to get my money refunded but I could only obtain half of what I’d sunk into the trip.

  Half was better than none and it got me back home to Memphis by Saturday evening.

  I rolled that fight around in my head the entire trip back. I flung my arms around my best friend when she opened the door for me and I broke down and cried. I didn’t even really know what I was crying over. I just knew that I was hurting. Hurting in ways I’d never experienced before.

  Well, I experienced it one time before. When I realized my parents were never coming back for me.

  She tried to calm me down by showing me pictures of the four spots she’d narrowed her business down to and I chose the two I liked the most. They had wonderful locations and a decent amount of space. Plenty of room for her to put in stations in case she wanted to hire any other hair stylists and beauticians to work with her.

  I was hoping she’d chosen one of those two places.

  I got into my car and Gwen shot me the address. I recognized it instantly and cheered to myself all the way down the road. She’d picked one of the ones I’d pointed out to her and I had a feeling I knew why she had picked it.

  It was right across the street from a beauty supply shop, which meant she wouldn’t have to do much footwork to get her clients last-minute things if they changed their minds on her.

  “Here. Take a look.”

  Gwen shoved the paperwork at me before I even got out of the car. There was a very anxious man standing on the sidewalk, shivering in his lack of clothing while I sat in the warmth of my car. I read over every word and turned over every page, just to make sure no one was swindling my best friend.

  “You know you’re buying this place, right?” I asked. “Not renting it?”

  “Yep. Only took the monthly payment up forty bucks, so I decided to purchase it.”

  “Okay. I don’t see anything in here that looks too frightening,” I said. “Just wanted to make sure you knew you were buying it, since the last time we talked, you said you were going to rent. Has the place been inspected?”

  “Guy came by yesterday.”

  “On a Sunday?” I asked.

  “I told the inspector I’d do her daughter’s hair for prom for free this coming April if she came and did the inspection free of charge for me.”

  “You’ve always been a tough negotiator,” I said, grinning. “The paperwork looks good. I can see the place?”

  “Get out of that car first, girl. We gotta talk.”

  Rolling my eyes, I got out of the car while Gwen signed the paperwork. I watched her shake the frozen man’s hand before he handed her a copy of the paperwork. Then he practically ran back to his truck. Gwen dangled the keys from her fingers before she unlocked the door and then she opened the beautiful double doors into her future salon, and I gasped.

  “This place is much bigger than your photos,” I said.

  “Yep. And I love it. I want this place to be a one-stop beauty shop. Hair, waxing, nails, and massages.”

  “I didn’t know you had a permit to do massages,” I said.

  “I don’t,” she said. “That’ll have to be my first employee but I’m ecstatic.”

  “Talk me through your finances,” I said. “Did you take out a loan to buy this place or are you using all of your savings to do it?”

  “I put a decent down payment on the building so I could keep myself afloat month to month just doing hair. I’m in the process of taking out a loan—”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “In the process?”

  “Chill, Whitney. It’s been approved. It just won’t hit my account for me to do anything with until Wednesday.”

  “Don’t scare me like that,” I said.

  “Once it hits my account, that’ll be the mon
ey I use to start doing this place up right.”

  “Are you hiring a contractor to help you with this stuff? Or are you doing it on your own?”

  “I have an interior designer coming in and giving me some of his time for free in exchange for nail services.”

  “A guy doing his nails?” I asked.

  “Hey, they’re out there. I get them more than you think. Anyway, he’s coming in to help me figure out how it would be best to lay this place out. He even offered to sketch up some designs I could go with.”

  “All for some nails,” I said.

  “What can I say? The people of Memphis enjoy taking care of themselves.” She grinned. “Plus, the best advertisement in the beauty and body modification industry is word of mouth. The more people I can cut deals like this with, the more people I have telling others where they went. They’re practically walking business cards.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” I said. “I really am.”

  “Now, it’s time to talk about you.”

  “What about me?” I asked.

  “You’re pining over Liam still. I know you are.”

  “Come on, Gwen. Can we drop it, please?”

  “It was just a fling, Whit. What in the world did you expect? You can’t board yourself up in a room and mope about losing a guy you barely knew.”

  “But I didn’t feel that way,” I said. “I didn’t feel like I barely knew him.”

  “Didn’t you tell me he was keeping secrets?” she asked.

  “Who the hell doesn’t keep secrets? Gwen, I felt like I’d known him a hell of a lot longer than I did.”

  “But you didn’t, Whit. You went there for a vacation and you got some good dick. It happens when you’re addicted to the dick. He must’ve been good if you’re this brainwashed.”

  “He was good, yes, but it was more than that,” I said.

  “Then why didn’t you tell him that?”

  I was frozen in the middle of the room while her question rattled around in my mind. Why didn’t I just tell him that? It was obvious he was hinting at something akin to the same thing. So why didn’t I just tell him I felt the same way? That I wanted to see where this went and see if it had any sort of potential to take off like it already had?

  “I was scared, I guess,” I said.

  “Of what?” Gwen asked.

  “Of him not feeling the same way, maybe? Of him leaving even after I said something? I don’t know. I just know that it was more than a fling. I’m just not sure how much more.”

  “Whit, I get it. I really do. But it’s done and you’re home. The question is, what are you gonna do now?”

  “I need to do something with my life,” I said. “Something that’s fulfilling. That will make me happy.”

  Like Liam made me happy.

  “What makes you happy?” she asked.

  I felt the answer hit me like a ton of bricks but I was still scared to say it out loud.

  “Let’s start with an easier question,” she said. “Now that you’ve experienced the mountains, are you happy coming back to the city?”

  And even though the bricks kept pouring down on me, I was still terrified of saying it out loud.

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “You do but you’re scared. So, when you’re ready to tell yourself the truth, you’ll be ready to take that step. Until then, just keep applying to jobs you know you’ll hate. Just don’t make your bed in your misery and expect me to feel sorry for you.”

  “Thanks,” I said flatly.

  “Girl, I’m your best friend, not someone trying to kiss your ass. I’ve watched you be miserable for far too fucking long. So, if tough love and shit’s gonna get you off your ass and barreling toward what makes you happy, then I’m gonna dole it out. Wanna know why?”

  “Because you love me?” I asked.

  “That, and because whenever I can make you feel guilty, you buy dinner.”

  “No, I don’t,” I said.

  “Yes, you do,” she said. “Do you feel guilty yet?”

  “No. Well, maybe…”

  “I could keep going if you want me to,” she said.

  “Oh, don’t do that. You’ll run out of guilt to dish out over the dinner I’m apparently buying.”

  “That’s the spirit! Where we headed tonight?”

  I shook my head and giggled at Gwen before I wrapped her up in my arms. One of the things I loved about her was the fact that she always told me what I needed to hear. It was never what I wanted and she was never there to stroke my ego. She was always a refreshing dose of humor and reality, all rolled into one.

  “You know, if this business thing falls through, you might be able to have a career in comedy,” I said.

  “Get me an audience that likes some tough love humor and I’ll show them a good time,” Gwen said.

  “Barbecue and sweet tea?” I asked.

  “My stomach’s already growling. And Whit?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s gonna be okay. It doesn’t seem like it now because you’re scared. You went on a vacation and experienced something not only traumatizing but new and exciting. You’ll settle back down and then you can answer the hard questions.”

  “Promise?” I asked.

  “I promise.”

  CHAPTER 31

  LIAM

  She looked beautiful in her flowing white gown. Her bright white smile and the hanging bouquet of flowers. Butterflies surrounded us, all nestled in the bushes, while Paxton walked her up the aisle. I took her hand and, suddenly, we were screaming. Pushing and panting while sweat ran down her neck. Whitney’s legs were pushed to her chest and she was bearing down with all her might. Grunting about how I could never touch her again while I pressed kiss after kiss on her forehead.

  I was taken by her strength while she held our little boy in her arms.

  Then, suddenly, we were in the backyard. The snow was falling and gathering on our picketed fence while two boys and a silly little girl ran around in the yard. There were snow angels and promises of hot chocolate. There was a pie I could smell somewhere while a small hand slid right into mine.

  I looked down and saw Whitney’s eyes twinkling up at mine and I could’ve sworn I could swim in them.

  Suddenly, that was what I was doing. Swimming in the blue of her eyes while we all played in a pool. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but grass, trees, and hope. The kids were literally growing in front of our eyes and I could see Whitney’s hair changing from blonde to gray to white.

  White, like her wedding dress.

  White, like her smile while I held her hand on her deathbed.

  “I love you,” she said to me.

  I opened my eyes and a small tear slid down my cheek. My cheeks hurt from smiling and I could still feel her hand in mine. Her words echoed off the chambers of my mind while I slowly pulled myself from a sleep I never wanted to wake from and I knew what I had to do.

  I had to chase after the one thing that still breathed life into my soul.

  I was determined to get her back, no matter what form she took. I needed her by my side. I needed her in my life. I felt the cold, empty side of the bed next to me and I knew I never wanted to feel that again. I no longer wanted to wake up in this lonely cabin on the side of the hill and regret the decisions I’d made with my life.

  I didn’t know if I deserved it and I didn’t know if things would pan out. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to her if she picked up the phone for me but all I knew was I had to try.

  I had to give it another shot.

  Rolling over in my bed, I picked up my phone and called her number. That beautiful nine-digit number she’d saved into my phone after worrying over my going out into the snow. She’d showered me with affection I didn’t even think she realized she possessed and, as I listened to the phone ringing in my ear, I took the time to reflect on that dream.

  How beautiful she looked in her wedding dress and how fierce she looked giving birth t
o our children. How wonderful she looked surrounded by all that snow and how radiant she looked in her old age.

  Images of those two buildings came flooding back to my mind the moment I heard the phone pick up. I prayed she wouldn’t think I was crazy. I prayed she would just hear me out. I hoped with my entire soul that she wouldn’t walk out on me the way I’d walked out on her because, if she simply listened, I would make sure I promised that it would never happen again.

  I would never turn my back on her like I had that day.

  “Liam?”

  Her voice washed over me as I jolted upright in bed. She had picked up.

  “Liam, are you there?”

  “Whitney,” I said.

  “It’s you.”

  “It’s me. Listen, I… do you think that maybe…?”

  Groaning, I ran my fingers through my hair. I noticed how dry my hair was. How dry the back of my neck was. I noticed my pajamas weren’t sticking to my chest and I couldn’t smell myself drenched in sweat.

  This was worth it.

  All of it was worth it if she agreed in the end.

  “What is it, Liam? Are you okay?”

  “You’re incredible,” I said breathlessly.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Listen, Whitney. I don’t know where you are right now or what’s going on—”

  “I’m in Memphis.”

  “Memphis?” I asked.

  “Yeah. It’s where I live.”

  “You live in Memphis?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “So, you’re not here?” I asked.

  She was six hours away from me and I felt my entire plan slowly crashing down around me.

  “Is there any way I could convince you to come back?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “To Gatlinburg. What would I have to do to get you to come back?”

  “I… um… why?” she asked.

  “Because I want to sit down and talk with you. Maybe over coffee?”

  The silence on the phone was deafening and, for a moment, I thought the call had dropped.

  “Whitney?”

  “Yes? Sorry. I’m just… I mean… even if I got on the road or took a flight, I still wouldn't get there until tonight.”