Page 41 of Harts & Hurts

“It took a while, but I think they did. Leo Hart never really accepted the wife. I think her name was Cora. But Cecil was his son, so he maintained as much of a relationship with him as he could. I mean, his wife, Cecil’s mother—you know how moms are. Even if they don’t agree with what you do, they still love you. So she demanded that Leo still accept him, but from what my family says, the wedding falling apart was a huge-ass embarrassment for our family. Cecil running off after his father gave his word pretty much killed Leo’s credibility in Fort Jackson. The Hart family name was a source of ridicule and speculation.

“It took like two generations before anybody from Fort Jackson would agree to marry a Hart. We were known as Casanovas who would court women then leave them jilted at the altar. The women fared a little better but not much.”

She sighed. “It was mostly the same for Anna Clara’s younger sisters, Ida Catherine and Mary Grace. Cecil leaving made Anna Clara the talk of the town . . . and not in a good way. She became spoiled merchandise, . . . damaged goods. Her sisters were also looked down upon by association. Both were sent away to college when they were of age. Both married men who weren’t from Fort Jackson. Once she left, Ida Catherine never lived in Fort Jackson again. But Mary Grace’s husband joined Dr. Benjamin’s medical practice. So some of my relatives in Fort Jackson are direct descendants of Mary Grace. But none of those people who hold a grudge against the Harts are direct descendants of either Anna Clara or Ida Catherine. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Yeah,” I agreed with a shrug. “But my family’s the same way. Cecil could never return to Fort Jackson after what he pulled, especially with a farrier’s daughter as a wife. She never would’ve been accepted into the society that the Harts were a part of. He built his life in Atlanta. His children built their lives in Atlanta. We call that branch of the family our Georgia relatives.”

“It’s always been crazy to me that the people keeping up this family feud aren’t even the ones who were directly impacted.”

“I wouldn’t care if they had been directly impacted; all that happened over a hundred years ago. When will enough time have passed to let it go? At this point, it’s just stupid as hell.”

Anistyn stood from the bed, completely nude, and I took in the curves and contours of her beautiful body. My dick twitched at the sight of her. She walked over to Melrose’s crib and peeked in on her. “Shout out to Anna Clara and Cecil for going through hell but making it out on the other side. Even though Cecil was the cause of the breach, it couldn’t have been easy for him to disobey his father and run off with Cora like he did.” She spoke as she walked back over to the bed. “And Anna Clara overcame being the laughingstock of one town to be the belle of the ball in another. I think they both deserve a toast.”

I gave her a small smile. “We don’t have any champagne.”

“I was thinking of a different kind of toast.” She climbed into the bed, then straddled my legs.

“Say less. This is my favorite kind of toast.”

She reached between us and lined me up with her entrance before sinking down on me. All I could do was thank God that a dumbass family feud hadn’t stood in the way of me getting to experience Anistyn. She was a dream that I didn’t even know I needed to have.

18

Anistyn

I probably never realized how much time I spent caring for Melrose because I was in the midst of emotional overload. All I knew was that my sister had perished in a vehicle accident, and she needed me to step in and care for her daughter. My entire focus was on caring for my niece.

When Griffin started taking Melrose to work with him on Mondays, it opened up brand-new possibilities in my world. Monday became “me” day.

In the mornings, my niece and I would attend Bumble Beats music class, then I would hand her off to Griffin. Once I was baby free, I would head to the nail or hair salon. I could get a massage. I could do some baby-free shopping. I could treat myself to an all by myself lunch date. The possibilities were endless, and I took advantage of them.

On the rare occasion that things got hectic for Griffin at work, and he needed me to come by and either pick Melrose up or watch her for a little bit, I wasn’t even resentful. I understood that he was doing his best to support me, so in return, I did my best to support him.

This particular day, I happened to be in the area of his studio, looking at furniture at a consignment shop. I decided to stop by and check on my two favorite people, maybe even give him a break by taking Melrose home with me. Security at the studio greeted me with a smile and a wave as he took a phone call. He waved me through the lobby, and I made my way to the bank of elevators. The building had four floors. The studio was on the second floor, and Griffin’s office was on the fourth.

When I made it to my destination, Griffin wasn’t in his office, but I was surprised by who was. “Hey,” I said to her as she sat in the rocking chair I’d thrifted from a second-hand antique store in Charlotte.

She looked as surprised to see me as I was to see her. “Hey, Anistyn.”

Melrose bounced in her aunt’s lap as soon as she spotted me. Her little chubby hands banged together in what was her version of a clap.

“Hey, sweet girl,” I cooed to Melrose. Mariah handed the baby to me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?”

She chuckled. “I missed my brother . . . and my niece.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I live and practice law right here in Charleston. I’ve lived here for years, but even when Griffin was playing for the Cyclones, I didn’t see him often. Now I’ve lost one brother, and I only have one left. We don’t know how much time we each have on this Earth, and I want to build a grown-up relationship with my brother, so I called him one day.

“When he told me that he brought my niece with him to work every Monday, I figured that would be a good opportunity to visit with her without having to come to you all’s home. I know what my mother and sister did that time they visited. I didn’t want to trigger you with the thought of more Harts invading your space and acting entitled. I’ve been spending time with her here. When he needs to run to a meeting, do an interview, . . . or whatever, I’m here, spending time with the last living connection to my brother Fisher.”

For some odd reason, her words made me want to cry. We had both lost siblings, and Melrose was a tangible, living, breathing embodiment of our loved ones. “Why is this so hard?” My voice betrayed me by cracking.

Her eyes watered. “I don’t know. But I hate it.” She took a few calculated breaths and pulled herself together. “What I know is that I can’t apologize for my mother’s or Marissa’s behavior, but I do apologize for mine. I apologize for not extending an olive branch. For not seeking you out to offer my support or whatever help I could’ve offered. I apologize for not applauding your decision to pick up your life to give everything you had to our niece. I don’t know if I could’ve done that.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. And thank you.”

“For what?” I gave Melrose’s cheek a soft kiss.

“I don’t know what it is about you Hurt girls that gets my brothers’ noses wide open, but Griff is all about you.”