my child. Not sure Kara will take me back. I was a fucking jerk.”
“Buddy you better try.” His heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
“Don’t forget to tell her I’d really like the opportunity to apologize.”
“I will.”
We stood, and he embraced me. “You’re my best friend. If you love Kara, I know I will, too.”
I stepped back and quirked a brow.
“Like a brother loves a sister, right?”
“Yeah.”
We chuckled.
“That’s better.”
“You are rank.” His nose wrinkled.
“And to the shower I go.”
We laughed.
**P**
I stood in a batting cage, slamming the bat into one ball after another.
Harry called last night. He informed me Kara had locked herself in the guest bedroom and hadn’t eaten a proper meal in days. He said he took her out to dinner. Harry may work for me, but he was a good friend. He cared for me and Kara. Wanted us to work it out. He said we were both behaving stupidly. I told him I planned to sit down and talk to Kara this evening. He said as long as I did so before she boarded her commercial flight to Anchorage at eight at night.
Stubborn woman wouldn’t take the jet. I swung the bat again, and I smacked the ball hard.
“Someone clearly pissed you off,” I heard to my left.
“Yup. Would you like to know what happened?”
“Sure, why not?” Her fingers poked through the holes in the batting cage.
“I arrived in Talkeetna, Alaska because I needed a break. Low and behold I met a fiery woman who wanted nothing to do with me, so I thought.”
“What made you think she didn’t want anything to do with you?”
“She wouldn’t shake my hand.”
Glancing at her, the sun shined in my eyes, I squinted under the batting helmet.
“Isn’t that rude?”
“Hmm, no. What if this woman had a crush on you and any physical touch would spark something all too real to her?”
“Good point, but I had no idea she had a thing for me. She was downright mean.”
“Maybe she was guarding her heart.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
I traced the end of the bat in the dirt.
“Did she ever let her guard down?”
“Yeah…I persuaded her to move to L.A. Every moment spent with her gave my life purpose.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “Sounds like you two were a match made in heaven.”
“I thought we were. Do you enjoy watching people release their frustration by smacking balls with bats?”
She laughed. “Yup, gives me all the feels. I hadn’t had the best week either.”
“What happened?”
“My boyfriend showed me every day how much he loved me.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. He wanted to marry me. I thought for sure he’d one day break my heart. The moment he called me on my shit, I pushed him away. He was the only man I ever loved. It wasn’t pretty being away from him. I barely ate. Not my finest hour. Our house is so empty. I feel so alone. Not sure if he’ll take me back,” she cried.
I tossed the bat and helmet to the ground and almost ripped the door off the cage.
“I bet he’s been sick without you.” My fingers curled around her neck.
“I was afraid I’d be a shitty dad to our child. Thought maybe you’d be better without me. This was the roughest week of my life. I don’t want to go another day without you in my life.”
Her fingers tugged at my T-shirt. “As long as you and I are together, we’ll be fine. I love you with all my heart, Collin.”
My lips pulled hers into mine. “We won’t ever break up again. We’ll face our fears together. Kara, you’re my heart. I love you so much.”
She smiled and crushed my lips again.
I gathered my equipment, then wrapped my arm around Kara. Harry leaned against the grill of the Yukon, wearing a huge grin under his aviator sunglasses. He threw his hand in the air.
I saluted him. He hopped behind the steering wheel and drove off.
“You’ll never guess what Bryson said yesterday.”
I popped the trunk on the G-Wagon and tossed my equipment inside.
“He was jealous of our relationship.”
“Ah, ha, I told you,” she snickered.
“He apologized to me and would love the chance to beg for your forgiveness.”
“I guess I could hear him out.”
“Well baby, he’ll have to travel to Alaska to give you that apology.”
Her smile dropped, and she fell against the truck. “I don’t understand.”
I cupped her face. “We’re moving to Alaska, sweetheart.”
Her eyes fluttered and tears spilled down her cheeks. “Collin, you don’t have to do that.”
“Someone told me recently they would be happy anywhere