Wild Heart (The Wild Heart Series)

  Wild Heart

  Book #1 of The Wild Heart Series

  Jennifer Culbreth

  Copyright © by Jennifer Culbreth

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission or the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Peggy H. Frese

  Graphic Design and Interior Design by Jennifer Culbreth Designs

  Cover art taken by:

  Cassandra Kirkpatrick Photography: Background

  Carrie April Photography: Image of Police Officer; Model, Rex Peters

  From the Heart Photography: Image of Biker; Model, Jason Orr

  Visit my website at: www.facebook.com/jenniferculbrethauthor

  Table of Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  dedication

  For Jenifer,

  More now than ever before.

  acknowledgments

  Of all of the journeys I have taken in my life, this is by far the most adventurous. Each time I have finished a manuscript, I sit back in awe of what I just accomplished. It is a very humbling feeling to see your work go from notes on a page to a full length novel. I wanted to write this book as encouragement to anyone out there who wants to start their journey, but they don’t know how. I want to thank each of you who reach out and ask for advice. I cannot begin to tell you how excited it makes me to see someone else who wants to follow their dreams and take me along on their own adventure. For any of you who aspire to become an author, I want to encourage you to pursue your dreams. If I can do it, you can do it.

  I also want to give a tremendous thank you to Peggy Frese. She has been with me from the very beginning. Peggy, you have become a friend, a mentor, and my rock throughout this journey and I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me. I look forward to continuing this ride together!

  I would also like to give thanks to my amazing group of beta readers! I don’t know where this book would have ended up without your motivation and help. I took a leap off the cliff on this book and you were all there to support me when I needed it most!

  Lastly, I would like to say thank you to my family and my amazing husband. It is because of their love and support that I am able to follow my dreams. And though not all of you are related by blood, you are all my family and I love you very much! Thank you for always encouraging me to follow my dreams.

  And for Jason, thank you for always being my knight in shining armor. You have taught me what true love really is and I am blessed to have you as the man who loves me.

  Enjoy the story…

  preface

  There are no signs along our road of life. Nothing warning us of misery or guiding us towards love. From the time we are born until we become adults, it’s of our own accord which direction we choose to take. We are guided by our parents for a short period, but like baby birds we must leave the nest and it’s up to each us of to choose our own path. Or is it? What if you choose your path but fate decides it wants something different?

  Fate.

  The power that is believed to control our future. It takes advantage of our hearts and plays with our minds. It uses those we love and cherish so deeply against us. It plays unfairly by bringing up our past and clouding our future. Some believe our fate is already planned, that no matter what you do, fate will win out in the end. Can you change your fate or is it sealed, destined to play out at the hand of an invisible principle? They say fate brings people into our path, but it is up to our own choice who we decide to let walk out of our lives.

  Chapter one

  back to tennessee

  After fifteen hours on the road, anyone would be exhausted. Pushing through the Washington DC traffic was the nightmare she had expected. However, once she hit the state line, each side lined with southern pines, she knew she was almost home. The darkness had already fallen, only making the trip seem much longer than it actually was. However, she was determined to pull into that gravel drive tonight. No matter how much coffee and gummy bears she had to go through, she was going to make it tonight. As she made the last turn onto the dirt road leading to her childhood home, Aiyana Forrest slowed her truck to a roll. Leaning forward she gazed out at the stars that speckled the night sky. Now this I missed. No southern stars in New York City.

  As she turned her black Toyota FJ onto the gravel driveway, she let out a long sigh. In front of her stood a future that she hadn’t planned. She had hightailed it out of here as soon as she had graduated high school. Coker Creek, Tennessee had been her entire world growing up. Her parents had made sure that she’d gotten everything she had ever wanted; not only their support, but also their unconditional love.

  Her father had been a war hero, saving his troop from being captured, or worse, during the Vietnam War and after suffering an injury from a training mission in Africa, he’d retired from the military. Being in love with the outdoors, her father settled in North Carolina, opening an automotive shop; when a certain fiery Native American woman had come in cursing to the heavens for the third flat tire in three months. He had not only fallen in love with her sassy attitude, but her devotion to her heritage as well. Three months later, they wed in a small ceremony on the reservation where Aiyana’s mother had been raised.

  After a few years of her mother dropping hints, her father finally had a house built for them in the mountains of Coker Creek. They tried for years to have children without success, when finally her mother had found out she was pregnant. After nine months of worry, her mother gave birth to a healthy, happy, baby girl. Aiyana had grown up an only child and instead of brothers and sisters; she had ponies, dogs, and the occasional pet squirrel. Aiyana had embraced her Native American heritage from an early age and loved the traditions and large extended family that came with it.

  Now, she was pulling back into the driveway leading to the large wooden cabin that sat up on the side of the Appalachian Mountains. This time though, she wouldn’t be leaving again. After her Aunt Karen called, concerned about her father’s declining health, she had put in her two week’s notice at the Federal Reserve in New York. She packed what belongings she had into her truck and headed home. She was now sitting in front of the cabin she loved so much, but afraid to move; once she stepped down onto that red clay she was here for good.

  She looked up at the large cabin, taking in the worn look of the shutters. She could see the neglected yard from the light cast out of the windows. One last deep breath and she stepped out into the muggy Tennessee air. Heading to the back of her truck she carefully opened the back glass to keep the rest of her items from spilling out onto the ground; she grabbed her large suitcase and headed for the door. As she hit the lock on her key fob, she saw a shadowed figure step out onto the top porch.

>   “Is that my baby girl?” her father’s voice was deep and raspy.

  “Yes, daddy. It’s me,” Ani’s voice reflected the smile on her face.

  “How was your trip, dear?”

  “Long,” she let out in a laugh as she made her way up the stairs on the side of the porch.

  “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

  “Not yet, daddy. I hope you fixed me something good. I haven’t had a good home cooked meal in a long time.”

  As she made her way toward the light, she could see the same worn and weary look that reflected from the house on her dad’s face. She hadn’t seen him in a few years and life had definitely taken its toll on him. She set her suitcase down and wrapped her arms around him, taking in the faint scent of his cologne on the collar of his shirt; she could feel her body relax as he held her. The man she had once thought was invincible felt fragile beneath her arms. She stepped back as her father held her out at arm’s length, looking her over from head to toe.

  “You look more and more like your mother every time I see you,” his eyes lit up and he smiled.

  He was right. One thing she was thankful for was that even on days when she couldn’t picture her mother in her mind, she could look in the mirror and see so much of her reflected in her own face. Her mother was Cherokee Indian and she’d immersed Aiyana into her Native American roots from the time she had taken her first steps.

  “Thanks, daddy.”

  “Let’s get you inside, baby girl.” He reached for her suitcase, but she grabbed it before he could get the handle. She noticed the sarcastic look in his eyes, but chose to ignore it and followed him into the kitchen. “I fixed your favorites. Butter beans, cornbread, and cubed steak.”

  “That sounds absolutely amazing. I haven’t had good homemade cornbread since the family reunion a few years ago.” She set her suitcase inside the door and made a beeline for the kitchen, and the cast iron skillet that sat on the stovetop.

  “Be careful, Ani. That skillet is hot,” her dad chimed. “What the hell you got in here, Ani?” he said panting as he attempted to scoot her suitcase towards her old bedroom.

  “I’ll get that, daddy. Just sit down and relax a little would ya?” she called out. “Daddy, you cooked way too much food. Who were you planning on feeding, an army?” She filled her plate from the buffet of food her father had prepared.

  “No, but Cash is supposed to swing by after his shift,” her dad said as he took a seat at the table.

  Conniving.

  Her breath hitched at the sound of his name, Hudson Cash Roberts had consumed her childhood. His parents owned a home down the road from Ani’s. Since houses out here were few and far between, Ani and Cash had become inseparable as the only two kids on this road. He had stuck up for her all throughout elementary and middle school during the time in which she was teased for looking like Pocahontas. When high school came around, the teasing stopped as Ani had finally grown into herself. Her long gangly legs were now the envy of all of the girls, along with her long black hair and year round tan. Cash had been there through each break-up, each catfight, and eventually became more to Ani than just a friend. During their last two years of high school, she’d given him more than just her heart and from that day until she’d left, she had worshipped him.

  It had taken a lot of adjusting when she left the only world she’d ever known behind for New York. She had studied hard in high school and earned a scholarship to NYU. She was determined to make something of herself and to make her parents proud. Something about it just never seemed to go right though. One year after starting college in New York, she had gotten the call from her father telling her that her mother had fallen ill. Deciding to take the summer off from school, she came home; and two months later helped her father bury her mother. At the time, it was the hardest thing she had ever done, until she’d had to leave her father alone to go back to school. But he had insisted that she finish for both her mother and herself.

  Taking a seat next to her father at the table, she remembered the last conversation she had with Cash. She had just received the news of her scholarship to attend college in New York and had spent the last two days planning their life together in the big city. She had known in her soul that they were going to get married and see the world together. However, those dreams had all come crashing down that last day in his Bronco.

  “Cash, I have to tell you something,” she smiled goofily from the passenger seat.

  “Oh yeah? What’s that, princess?” Cash reached over and took her hand in his before looking back out at the water falling from the mountainside.

  “I got the scholarship,” Ani beamed, turning to face him.

  “What scholarship?” His face mirrored the confusion in his voice.

  “To NYU. I told you about it a month ago,” her voice was quiet as she attempted to hide the frown growing on her face. This wasn’t how the conversation had gone in her head.

  “Ani, you never told me about NYU. You told me you were trying for a scholarship to the University of Tennessee.” She could see the panic and irritation swirling in his eyes.

  Her heart thumped hard against her chest, she was almost certain she had told him about NYU. But to be honest she had applied to so many different colleges after high school that they had all mixed together.

  “Well, I applied to NYU and not only did I get accepted, but I also got a full scholarship.” She plastered on a big smile, hoping that it would lift his mood. It wasn’t as if she had purposefully not told him.

  “Yeah? When were you going to tell me about this, Ani?” The confusion in his voice had now turned to anger.

  “I wasn’t trying to hide it, Cash. I guess I just forgot,” she turned, watching the waterfall just across the trail from the truck.

  “You forgot? You forgot to tell me that you were moving to New York? Jesus, Ani.” He snatched his hand away from hers, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck in exasperation. “You think I want to just uproot from my home and move to New York?” His words tore through her like knives ripping away the flesh around her heart.

  Nope. Not at all how this was supposed to go.

  Ani could feel her heart breaking, ripping right out of her as the conversation took a different direction. “Yes, Cash. Yes. I thought that for me, you would uproot and come to New York. Isn’t that what we always talked about?” she snapped back at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

  “I know we have joked about it, Ani, but I really don’t want to leave. Tennessee is my home. I thought we talked about getting that cabin up on Mr. Baxley’s property and living there after we graduated. Knoxville is only an hour or so away, so the drive wouldn’t be too bad for you.”

  “That’s not what I want Cash. I want to see the world and experience things. This place is all I have ever known and I want more than what it has to offer.”

  “So, what; I’m not good enough? This town isn’t good enough for you?” he snapped across the truck. “If you don’t like what it has to offer then I guess all of this between the two of us has been something to just fill your time.”

  “Yeah, Cash, I guess it has!” she shouted at his hateful words. “Take me home. Now!”

  She could still hear the gravel kicking up against the frame of the truck as he’d sped off after leaving her standing in her driveway. That was the last she had spoken to him and God knows, she didn’t feel like talking to him now. Trying to finish quickly, she shoveled the food into her mouth, only stopping to give yes or no answers to her dad’s questions.

  “Kiddo, if you keep eating like that you’re gonna choke on a butter bean,” her dad eyed over at her suspiciously.

  “I just want to get in the shower and relax a little, dad. It’s been a long drive,” she smiled, her mouth full with food.

  “Oh, my beautiful baby girl. I raised you to be a nice civilized member of society didn’t I?” he chuckled, patting her on the shoulder.

  After the last few bites were down, she hopped fro
m the table and took her plate to the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a pair of headlights pulling into the driveway. Taking a few steps towards the window, she could see the outline of an old Ford Bronco patrol car pulling up. Some things never change.

  “Daddy, is Cash an officer now?” she called out. She knew he had found work here in Coker Creek, but she wasn’t sure what he did now.

  “Yeah, been on with the state patrol for about five years now. He’s a Deputy Chief; moved up pretty quick. I’m right proud of that boy.” She could hear the smile on his face.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get what you’re playing at old man. You can stop playing matchmaker now.

  “Ok, I’m going to go take a shower and head to bed. Don’t be upset if you don’t see me again until the morning.” She leaned over, kissing her dad on the cheek before she made her way toward her bedroom.

  “You don’t have to go into hiding, Ani. He doesn’t bite.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  She could hear heavy footsteps across the porch and tried to move toward her room, but curiosity got the best of her and she lingered just long enough to see Cash’s large frame come into the light. She found herself standing there, mesmerized by his bright green eyes, the same green eyes she’d loved so dearly when she was younger. He stood just outside of the glass door, staring back at her. He was bigger now, his muscular frame almost too large to see entirely on the other side of the door. His shaggy brown hair was now cut short and the sleeves of his uniform cut tight around his large biceps. He had always had southern muscle, but she could tell that he now spent plenty of time in the gym. He grinned his all-American boy smile as he turned the handle, breaking eye contact long enough for her to slip into her room and quickly close the door.

  Not again! Went down that road once, dummy. How did that work for you last time? She leaned her back against the door to her room and tried to catch her breath. How, after so many years, could this man still have this effect on her? She could feel the heat spread across her body at the thought of his deep green eyes and dimpled smile. Before she would let those thoughts go any further, she took off toward the bathroom and turned the shower handle toward cold, peeling out of her clothes and hopping in. She gasped as the frigid water spilled down over her body. Serves you right for thinking like that!