His footsteps seemed overly loud on the hardwood floor of the community’s clubhouse. They were slow and steady, much like the heartbeat in the old Poe tale.
Click…click…click…
Damn him, why wouldn’t he speak?
Mia paused and thought about what would come next. How long would the detective keep them all there and who was going to break first and why?
“Hmm…” Ideas began to gel, and a smile crossed her face as she went back to typing. Mia continued typing for the next several hours and it wasn’t until her phone rang that she forced herself to stop. Seeing Sydney’s name on the screen made her smile and she was more than willing to step away from her computer.
“Hey, Syd! What’s up?”
“Hey, are you busy?”
“Not really. Why? What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you would mind if Haley came over to hang out? Or maybe you could come here?”
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I think I’m in labor,” she said, and Mia detected the change in her voice.
“Oh, my goodness! Is Kyle with you?”
“He’s on his way home and Haley said she could go to her friend Janie’s house, but…I don’t know…I thought maybe it would be better if…oh!” she cried.
“Syd? I’m on my way! I’ll be there in a few minutes!” Running around the house, Mia locked up the back door, grabbed her flip flops and purse before heading down to the garage. Sliding her phone into her purse, she climbed into the car and sped out of the garage and across town and prayed she wouldn’t get pulled over.
Six minutes later, she was running up the steps to Sydney’s front door and was greeted by Haley. “How is she?”
“Fine, why?”
For a moment, Mia simply blinked at the girl. “Because Sydney just called and said she thought she was in labor.”
Haley looked extremely calm. “Oh, that. Yeah, she’s having some contractions, but she’s on the phone with the doctor right now and seems to be calming down.” She looked over her shoulder before turning back to Mia and motioning for her to come in. “You want to stay for dinner? I’m making tacos.”
What in the world was going on? “Sure,” she said with a smile. “Thanks.” In the distance, she heard Sydney talking and she did sound a lot less frantic than before, so…
A minute later Sydney breezed into the room with a big smile on her face. “Wow! You got here fast!” She hugged Mia before offering her a drink.
“Wait…what’s going on? Shouldn’t you be getting ready to go to the hospital?”
“What? Oh, no. Sorry.” She put a bottle of water on the kitchen counter and smiled sweetly. “Okay, don’t hate me but…that was a test.”
“A what?”
“A test.”
“Why?”
With a small sigh, Sydney explained. “I have a few more weeks to go and I’m starting to freak out at all the things that can go wrong when I go into labor.”
“She’s making us all crazy,” Haley chimed in. “You never know when she’s going to throw a surprise test at you.” Then she glanced at Sydney. “Ever hear of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf?”
That just made Mia laugh. “Okay, but you’re seriously not in labor and there are tacos for dinner. Am I up to date?”
Her friend smiled brightly. “You are and thank you for not being mad.” Then she paused. “But I probably interrupted your writing so…sorry about that.”
But Mia waved her off. “Honestly, I needed a distraction. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
“Oh, no! What’s going on?” she tugged Mia over to the couch so they could sit and talk. “Are you okay?”
Mia then had to tell the whole sordid tale about Austin, Ryder, and her parents. By the time she was done, she felt exhausted and flopped back against the cushions. “And the thing is, it was all so eye-opening! I realize now what snobs my parents are, but I also saw another side of Austin that wasn’t great.”
Sydney studied her hard for a moment. “Okay, but in his defense, you basically told him he wasn’t good enough to meet your parents.”
“No! I just didn’t want them to treat him the way I saw his aunt treat him! I was trying to protect him!”
“Does he know that? Because I don’t think he would have said what he did yesterday if that’s what he thought.”
She shook her head. “No, I definitely told him that I didn’t want them treating him the way his aunt did, so that’s not it. Maybe he’s just a jerk and I was blinded by…you know…sex fog or something.”
“Hmm…sex fog can make you miss all the signs, but I don’t think that’s it. We hung out with you both and it didn’t seem like the two of you were just casual. He doted on you, Mia, and for him to lash out like this, there has to be more going on.”
They both stopped talking when Kyle walked in the door. He spotted them and smiled. “Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Jake’s with me and I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay before I let him in.”
“Kyle!” Sydney cried. “Let him in! It’s rude just leaving him outside!”
He shrugged and then let his boss in. Jake smiled at Sydney, but his eyes went a little wide when he spotted Mia.
Weird.
“So what’s going on?” Syd asked. “There’s nothing wrong with the house, is there? Because I can’t possibly handle any work being done when I’m this close to having the baby.”
“Nothing is wrong,” Kyle assured her. “But I did want to get Jake’s input on putting in a window or two downstairs.” Then he looked at Hailey. “You know, in case we decide to let someone move their bedroom down there.”
“Oh my God!” Haley shouted as she jumped up and down. “That would be amazing! And I’d get walls and a door too, right?” And before anyone could answer, she was running down to the stairs to check out the space.
Sydney awkwardly got to her feet and gave Mia a helpless grin. “I’ll be back in a minute. She’s going to need to relax a bit or she’ll badger Kyle and Jake.”
Mia nodded, but she stood and looked at Jake. “Actually, Jake, could I talk to you for a minute?”
He didn’t look overly thrilled, but he nodded. “Uh…sure.”
Once everyone else was out of the room, she sat down and asked Jake to join her. “Okay, I’m going to be a little nosey and perhaps a little personal for a moment and I hope you don’t mind.”
“Uh…”
“You met with Austin the other day and I know you’re related through marriage and all that, but…I think I really hurt his feelings and I didn’t mean to and now I don’t know what to do to make things right.”
And just like that, Jake visibly relaxed.
Again, weird.
A small smile crossed his face. “Austin’s definitely someone who can be hard to figure out,” he explained carefully and then seemed to consider his next words. “I’ve known him his whole life because I was very close to his great-grandfather. I watched him go from a sweet little kid to a rebellious teen, to the hard-working man he is now. He and his brothers haven’t had an easy life and he’s carried the weight of that around for a long time. Still is.”
“I know, but…I saw how everyone was at the birthday party last weekend and really, it seems like it’s only his aunt who was less than gracious.”
“Yeah, well…it seems like he’s holding on to that one negative relationship instead of focusing on all the great ones he has.” And when his smile broadened, she took it as a compliment.
Mia explained about her parents and that whole situation and looked at Jake helplessly. “I don’t know how to fix this. The things he said to me yesterday really hurt and…I don’t know…am I crazy? Should I just let this go?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
Now he looked uncomfortable again. “Um…relationship advice isn’t my strong suit so…forgive me if I’m a little…blunt.”
“Go for it.” She leaned forward because she
had a feeling this was exactly what she needed to hear.
“If you’re just looking to hook up with Austin and then go back to Boston and never see him again, then yeah, you should let this go.”
“And if I want more?” she asked quietly.
He let out a long breath. “Then you’re going to have your work cut out for you because he is incredibly stubborn.”
“Well, crap,” she sighed. “I’m willing to do the work. I just don’t know what that work is.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Jake seemed to have an idea. “Okay, I’m not making any guarantees, but give me a few days to lay some groundwork.”
“Um…yeah, I don’t know what that means.”
“Just…trust me. If possible, try to keep your distance from him. I mean, obviously if he comes to you then go for it, but…I think I know how to help.” He got to his feet and smiled down at her. “For what it’s worth, Austin’s a great guy, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him as happy as he looked with you at the party. He’s insecure though, and being here in Magnolia seems to bring it out in him. Hopefully we can get that to change.”
Slowly Mia came to her feet and felt…a little let down. She was hoping to get some advice and go home after dinner and try to work things out with Austin. Knowing she had to wait just felt wrong.
However, Jake really knew Austin better than she did, so she had no choice but to trust him.
For now.
* * *
Three days.
Three damn days since he’d seen or spoken to Mia and it was tearing him up.
No one to blame but yourself there, buddy…
Yeah, yeah, yeah…he’d been unnecessarily hurtful to her and had no idea what to do about it.
Actually, he knew what he wanted to do; he wanted to go over and apologize and beg her to forgive him. And if all she wanted was a casual relationship until one of them left, then…that’s what he’d agree to because he’d rather have some of Mia than none at all.
He needed her.
Wanted her.
And if he really allowed himself to believe in something good for himself, he’d admit he was in love with her.
So why wasn’t he over there? For starters, Ryder took his sweet time leaving. Seriously, Austin thought he was only staying the one night, but he ended up staying for two and insisting on working alongside of him so he could feel a connection to the house.
Whatever.
When he finally left on Friday, it was late in the day and his mother called to invite him for dinner. There was no way he could tell her no, and then he ended up spending the night in his old room because he was so damn tired.
Now, as he stood out on the back deck of Ryder’s house, staring over at Mia’s on Saturday morning, he began to wonder if he was mentally prepared for a confrontation. There was a very real chance she was going to tell him off and say she never wanted to see him again, and he wasn’t sure he could bear it. So maybe he should just keep his distance and let her take the lead. If she really wanted to see him or talk to him, he knew she’d seek him out.
Or…he hoped she would.
Off in the distance, he heard the doorbell ring and wondered who could possibly be stopping by. With one last glance at Mia’s, Austin strode back into the house and straight through to the front door where he found his cousin Sam.
“Sam?” he said with a smile. “This is a surprise! Come on in!”
Sam stepped inside and held out a box from Henderson’s Bakery. “I come bearing gifts!” They laughed and walked into the kitchen. “I thought if I plied you with cake, you wouldn’t mind me coming by unannounced to look at the place.”
“You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it.” And he truly did. One of the main things he missed about living in Magnolia Sound was Henderson’s Bakery. Opening the pink box, he smiled down at the assortment of goodies inside. Picking up a frosted fudge brownie, he grinned at his cousin. “Day. Made.”
Laughing, Sam reached in and helped himself to one of the giant chocolate chip cookies. “It’s the little things in life, right?”
All Austin could do was nod because he was too busy chewing as a wave of pure bliss washed over him.
“This place is amazing,” Sam commented as he walked across the massive living room to the wall of sliding glass doors that opened to the deck. “I know it’s clichéd, but that is definitely a million-dollar view.”
“I’d say several million dollars if I had to guess,” Austin said, walking over to join him. “All the years I lived here and I never understood what the big deal was about living on the water. Now I’m afraid I’m spoiled and won’t be able to live in the city ever again.”
Sam nodded. “Shelby and I aren’t on the water but we’re only a few rows back so we can still hear the ocean and I have to admit, it really is awesome.” They stood side by side for several minutes enjoying their treats before Sam spoke again. “Things are looking close to being done around here. How much longer have you got?”
He shrugged. “Two, three weeks tops. Now it’s down to painters and electricians coming in to do the finishing stuff, and I’ll be overseeing it all. Ryder was just here for a few days and would like it all wrapped up in three weeks so his decorator can get in here and do her thing.”
“I’m sure after seeing the place, he’s anxious to live in it a little.”
“Especially now that he’s seen the town. I think he’s hoping to invest in a business or two here, but that’s just Ryder. He never just relaxes. His brain is always working on ways to make more money. That’s just exhausting to me.”
“To me, too. Jeez. Most people come to the beach to relax and get away.”
Austin chuckled. “Yeah, not Ryder. Either way, we’re on track to be done on time and I’m excited to see the finished product.”
His cousin turned to look at him. “You going to hang around after your part is done?”
Another shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s not like I’ve got much to go back to in Baltimore.”
“I was wondering if we were ever going to talk about that.”
Hanging his head, Austin let out a long breath. “Yeah, I sort of got into a bit of trouble and lost my job. The timing for this house was a godsend. But now that it’s done? I’m not sure what to do next.”
“Seems to me you have a couple of serious options.”
That made him look up. “Like what?”
“For starters, you could take the position with Jake and Coleman Construction,” Sam replied, and when Austin went to speak, he stopped him. “Just…hear me out.”
“Fine, but can we at least sit?” There really wasn’t any furniture in the house yet, other than up in the one bedroom Austin had been using, but there were a couple of folding chairs and he motioned to them.
“When Pops left me the landscaping business, I was pissed,” he began. “Like seriously pissed because he put stipulations on it about me having to work the business for a certain amount of time and how I couldn’t sell it and…trust me, it was not a great time for me. I moved back here with an attitude and I felt like the rest of the town had one too. Everyone around here seemed to remember every bad thing I ever did.”
“Then imagine how it is for me,” Austin said with a bit of disgust. “You were only here in the summer for visits. I lived here full-time, so trust me when I say they remember a lot more of me than they do of you.”
With a nod, Sam rested his elbows on his knees and gave Austin a stern look. “But you know what I’ve learned since moving back?”
“What?”
“They remember those things because it’s the only side of me they ever saw. Once I got the chip off my shoulder and put forth a little effort, they all started to see me as a businessman and a landscape designer. I earned their respect and now? Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Austin knew what he was trying to say, but his circumstances were different.
“It’s not the same, Sam.
Pops left you the business because he knew you were the right person for it. Jake’s only offering me this job out of some sort of obligation or something. It just doesn’t feel right. At least not to me.”
“Then start your own business.”
“Um…what?”
Nodding, Sam explained, “Yeah, your own firm. Then Jake can hire you out as a subcontractor or something, but you’re ultimately the boss. Seems like a win-win. And maybe in time you’ll want to be part of the construction firm, but for now, be your own boss.” Then he let out a low laugh. “Guys like us do better as our own bosses. Trust me.”
The idea was definitely appealing.
“If your main issue is feeling like Jake’s only hiring you because of your name, then take that off the table. Say you’d love to work with him, but that you’re your own entity. Set up a little office, get some business cards, and be the badass I know you are and make a success of yourself out of this. Don’t let some bullshit insecurity keep you from getting what you want.”
Could it really be that simple?
“I never thought about doing it on my own,” he admitted. “I mean, I have, but…just not at this point in my career. Or here in Magnolia.”
“Look, call me selfish, but it would be cool to have you living back here again. I feel like we missed out on a lot of bonding when we were growing up because I was only here in the summer.”
“And you’re a lot older than me…”
Reaching out, Sam smacked him playfully on the back of the head. “And I can still kick your ass if I need to.”
Austin brushed him off but found himself laughing. “It’s hard for me to envision living here again. Some things have changed but…some haven’t.”
“Snobs are going to be snobs, Austin. You can’t change that. But turning tail and running away isn’t going to change it either. Me personally, I’d rather be in their faces and prove them wrong. You have to do what you’re comfortable with.”
“Even when the snobs are our own family?”
The Way the Story Goes: A Magnolia Sound Novel Page 18