When It Comes Back Around

At twenty-three years old, Hartley Bennett seemed to have it all. She was a small business owner who was engaged to the love of her life and expecting her first child. Being the youngest of her parents’ four kids, Hartley didn’t have to navigate through life blindly. With two feisty sisters and an older brother, she had all the tools for survival that she needed. They always had her back but the one thing they couldn’t shield her from was heartbreak. Everything that sparkled wasn’t glitter and she learned that by experience. Through learned lessons, triumph, and tragedy, Hartley found out that the greatest relationships were the ones that you never expected to be in.

Having three kids of his own, Karter was ecstatic about Hartley bearing baby number four. Although his immediate family didn’t agree with his sentiments, Hartley made him a better man. Doing the right thing wasn’t always easy but no woman had ever captured his heart quite like she did. There are no secrets that time doesn’t reveal but honesty was never one of Karter’s strong points. Making life altering decisions for others turned out to have dire consequences for him in the end. Karter took pleasure in the suffering of others but pain never feels good when it comes back around.