Fated Hearts (Southern Bride 8)

He scoffed. “Then why in the hell do you look so fucking miserable right now?”

“I’m not miserable. It’s just…Annalise was different. The moment I laid eyes on her, I wanted her in a way I’ve never wanted another woman. I also knew that if I slept with her, there would be an endpoint. We were forced to walk away from each other, so it was…”

He frowned. “It was what?”

I gave a half-shrug. “It was safe. I knew this morning when she left that was going to be it. I’d never see her again, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the weird-ass thoughts and feelings going on inside of me. And now she’s here, and I…”

My voice trailed off again.

Truitt slowly nodded. “Can see yourself wanting more with her.”

I stood and went over to the window. My silence was clearly answer enough for my brother.

“Roger, it’s okay to let someone in. It’s been a long time since Kerri.”

With a shake of my head, I said, “I can’t, Truitt. I can’t.”

I heard him give a long sigh. “Then you need to tell Annalise. If she likes you as much as you clearly like her, then you need to tell her you’re not interested in more.”

“I already did. Earlier this morning. I knew her thoughts were mirroring mine, and I had a feeling she was going to want to keep in touch, so before she asked and I broke her heart, I told her I wasn’t into relationships. That I had no desire to settle down. I’d hoped it would keep her from asking, and it worked.”

I faced Truitt. He was about to respond when our father walked into the room.

“Roger, how was the extended trip?”

I smiled as I reached for his hand. He pulled me into him and gave me a hard slap on the back. “It was cold.”

My father let out a bark of laughter and then walked over and poured himself a scotch. “Well, you’re back home now, and that’s all that matters. Have you seen your mother yet?”

“No,” I replied with a shake of my head. “She was gone when I got here.”

Dad nodded. “She’ll be back in time for dinner. Let’s head to my office. I want to talk about the Martin place before Luke and Jean get here.”

Three hours later, I was getting up from the table with Luke and Jean Martin after agreeing to purchase their family ranch outside of town. I had been so busy negotiating a fair sale price that I hadn’t thought about Annalise for a short while. It wasn’t until I was alone with my thoughts on the way back home that images of her flooded my mind. And when I found myself parked down the street from The Montclair, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

I walked into the lobby and quickly glanced around. It wasn’t a huge hotel by any means. It had that small-town feel to it, and I smiled at the idea of Annalise running this place. In some folks’ eyes, it would be a step down, but I was sure Annalise didn’t feel that way. She would do some amazing things here.

“Roger, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here!”

Patty Montclair made her way around the counter and pulled me into a hug before I could even say a word.

“How are things going over here at The Montclair?” I asked as she pulled away. “How’s Jim?”

Her eyes lit up like someone had just presented her with a diamond necklace. “Things are amazing now that we have our new general manager. Annalise is a godsend! I heard you two know each other.”

How in the hell was I supposed to respond to that? How much had Annalise told Patty?

“Annalise said you two met in Chicago when you were both stuck there, then ran into each other again in the rental car line! Is something wrong with your truck?”

“No,” I said with a laugh. “And yes, we did meet in Chicago, but neither of us had any idea we were going to the same place. It’s a small world.”

The corner of Patty’s mouth twitched with a hidden smile. “That’s one way to describe it.”

I had no idea what she meant by that comment, and I knew better than to ask. “Speaking of which, is Annalise around?”

“She’s at the River City Grill. Michael invited her to dinner.”

I felt an instant rush of anger sweep through me. Michael was Patty and Jim’s youngest son. He was also one of the biggest players in Boerne, and the fact that he was anywhere near Annalise boiled my blood.

“She’s having dinner with Michael?” I repeated.

“Yes, he happened to stop by to check on things over at the restaurant and invited Annalise to try the food with him. I told her I thought it was a good idea since folks will be asking her how the food is, and it would be best if she’s actually eaten some of it.”