The Way the Story Goes

by Samantha Chase

  Still, it did the job and after he dried off and put on clean clothes, he realized he was relaxing a bit. Maybe this ban on power tools wasn’t the worst thing. He’d been working so much lately that it was all he was doing. If he were still back in Baltimore, he’d be going out for drinks with friends after work, perhaps meeting a woman and entertaining her back at his place.

  But this was Magnolia Sound, and the last thing he wanted was to entertain any of the locals.

  Been there, done that, not looking for a repeat performance, thank you very much.

  Down on the main floor, Austin scooped up his keys and was about to go down to the garage when he caught a glimpse of the beautiful night sky. It had been a long time since he simply sat outside and appreciated where he was. Stepping out onto the deck, he leaned against the railing and stared out at the ocean. Growing up near the beach meant he took all of this for granted, but he’d never lived right on it. The house he was raised in was on the other side of the bridge in a bit of the poorer part of town with no water in sight.

  “A guy could get used to this,” he murmured, deeply breathing in the salty air.

  He caught a glimpse of Mia stepping out onto her deck, and he turned and studied her. She had a big red plastic cup in her hand and it looked like she was doing exactly what he was—enjoying the view.

  For several minutes she simply leaned against the railing and stared out at the water, but she didn’t seem to be happy about it. Even from where he was standing, he could tell she was frowning. It was crazy to even wonder or care about what she was thinking, but for some reason, Austin was curious.

  And even more curious about how long a person could stare straight ahead without moving because…she could almost pass as a statue right now. Maybe it was a little juvenile of him, but Austin felt the need to do something—to get a reaction out of her, even if it was just to flip him off and storm back in the house. Before he could second-guess himself, he quietly cleared his throat and began to belt out the first verse of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. He got no further than “Living in a lonely world…” when Mia turned to him all wide-eyed.

  Gotcha…

  And because he had clearly lost his mind, he continued to sing badly as he walked down the steps to the sand and while he strolled over to the steps of her deck. She stood at the top of the stairs staring at him, but she was definitely trying hard not to laugh. Luckily, he was done with the first chorus by the time he was standing beside her.

  “What in the world?” she asked with amusement.

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I missed having my music blasting and I wanted to see how you felt about me just singing a cappella.”

  “Your singing was more offensive than the volume of the music,” she said, but she was smiling.

  “Well, damn. There go my dreams of auditioning on American Idol.”

  “Trust me, America thanks you for letting that dream go.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” She took a sip of whatever she was drinking, but her eyes never left his.

  “Are you this snarky with everyone or is it just me?”

  Without hesitation she said, “Just you.”

  His bark of laughter was loud even to his own ears. “Wow. Way to kill a guy’s ego.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get over it.”

  “So what are you doing out here?” he asked. “You were looking a little fierce so that’s why I had no choice but to break into song.”

  “Most people would have just said hello and asked if I was okay, but…” She shrugged.

  “I’m not most people. What were you thinking about?”

  “Um…I was working,” she said hesitantly, and he thought she was joking, so he laughed. When she glared at him, he realized she was serious.

  “What kind of work has you staring out at the ocean like you’re mad at the world?” He leaned against the railing and waited while she took another sip of her drink without offering one to him.

  Mia let out a long breath. “I’m an author and…I was trying to work out a scene in my head. Listening to the sound of the waves really helps me, but I’m writing a very intense scene and…it just won’t gel. It’s extremely frustrating and I think the longer I stand out here willing the words to come, the worse it gets.”

  “Author, huh?”

  She nodded. “I write mysteries and thrillers.”

  Now it was his turn to nod.

  Mia stared at him expectantly and he wasn’t sure why.

  “What kind of books do you like to read?” she finally asked.

  “Oh, uh…I don’t read.”

  Her dark eyes went wide. “You mean at all or just books?”

  The mouth on this girl…

  Leaning in close, he said, “Books.”

  This time she chose not to comment and Austin figured maybe it was time for him to go. It seemed like he truly had interrupted something important and her rage toward him yesterday suddenly made sense. If she was trying to write, he had no doubt that the noise he was generating was completely interfering.

  Straightening, he smiled down at her. Now that she wasn’t glaring at him, he took a minute to study her face more closely. Mia was a beautiful woman; he realized that yesterday. She was attractive in a girl-next-door kind of way. Long dark hair, dark eyes, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. There wasn’t anything overtly stunning about her, but he was definitely drawn to her and…now he was starting to feel creepy for staring at her for so long.

  Forcing himself to look away, he took a step back.

  “Sorry I interrupted you,” he said apologetically. “Had I known what you were doing…I mean, obviously I didn’t know what you did for a living, but I hope I didn’t ruin any progress you were making.”

  She smirked at him. “You’ve been doing that for over a week. Why stop now?”

  Wait…was she flirting with him or was that just ego or wishful thinking? And when he smiled back at her, he noticed she was blushing. “I did try to behave myself today. I’m not sure if you noticed, but…”

  “I did, and it was greatly appreciated. Thank you.” Her voice was soft with a hint of huskiness and all in all, Mia Kingsley presented one very tempting package.

  “Listen, I was just going to go into town and pick up some takeout. Care to join me? I can go pick it up and bring it back or…we can go eat someplace. It’s the least I can do to try to make up for ruining so much of your writing time. What do you say?”

  Her blush deepened. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m really behind on this book and I think I’m in a good place to get back inside and get some words on the page.”

  “Oh, okay. Sure.” It was stupid how disappointed he was. “Raincheck?”

  “Sure. Thanks, Austin.” With a small wave, she turned and walked back into the house and he had no choice but to head back down the stairs and across the sand to his place. Since he hadn’t locked up, he had to run back up his stairs and secure everything before going out the front door and to his truck.

  It was a damn shame Mia turned him down. Suddenly the thought of eating alone was completely unappealing.

  Then again, so was heading out to a bar and potentially hooking up with someone.

  Either way, he was in for a very disappointing evening.

  Or…he could call his mother and see if she’d like to have dinner with him. He knew it would probably shock the hell out of her, but he was in a fairly good mood and figured, why not?

  Pulling out his phone, he pulled up her number and hit send.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mom. How are you?”

  “Austin, hi! Is everything okay? Is something wrong?” Grace Coleman was a worrier and when he realized that her immediate reaction was to assume there was a problem was a little upsetting.

  “Everything’s fine. Really. I was just wondering if you had dinner yet.”

  Silence.

  “Uh…Mom?�
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  “I…I was just getting ready to make something,” she said with a small laugh. “Are you hungry? Would you like to join me? It’s nothing fancy. I made a pot of sauce the other day with some meatballs and was just going to boil up some spaghetti.”

  It would be easy to say yes. His mother made the best meatballs, but…

  “How about I pick you up and we go somewhere to eat?” he suggested. “I went to the Mystic Magnolia the other day and was surprised how much it’s changed. They have a great menu and I know how much you love a good crab cake.”

  She laughed again. “That I do. And not having to cook.”

  “So what do you say? I can be to you in fifteen minutes.”

  He could have sworn he heard her sniffle, but maybe he was mistaken. “That would be lovely, Austin. Thank you.”

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said before hanging up. For a minute, he simply sat in his truck, stared up at the house, and called himself every name in the book. It was such a simple thing—asking his mother to dinner—and he could tell it meant the world to her. What kind of son was he that he never realized how much his mother might miss him and his brothers? You would think after growing up knowing their father had just up and walked away from them that they would have been a little more considerate of her feelings rather than moving away and rarely coming back to visit.

  You’re very rude.

  Mia’s words came back to him and as much as it pained him to admit, she had a point.

  Austin knew he was more than a little rough around the edges; he was rude, selfish, and was known to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but that never should have been a thing toward his own family.

  Maybe it was something he should work on while he was here in Magnolia Sound.

  With a bit of renewed purpose, he pulled out of the driveway and went to pick his mother up. When he got to her house, she was waiting on the front porch and he smiled when he realized she had dressed up for him. She worked as a receptionist in a pediatrician’s office and normally was in scrubs, but she had on a pretty floral dress. The closer she got to the truck, he noticed she had on makeup too.

  The entire ride to the Mystic Magnolia, she gushed over how happy she was that he called and then made plans for him to come for Sunday dinner when she’d make all his favorites.

  “We didn’t get to talk much at Susannah’s birthday party,” she said to him as they walked into the restaurant. “How long do you think you’ll be working on the house?”

  They were seated right away and Austin slid into the booth opposite her. “I’m thinking at least eight weeks, but it could be longer.”

  “Oh, wow,” Grace said, studying him. “And you’re living there while you’re working?”

  He nodded.

  “You know, if it gets to be too much or too dirty, you’re always welcome to come and stay with me. I know it’s not as nice as living right on the beach, but…it’s definitely clean.”

  Chuckling, he reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Handing her the menu, he said, “Once things are cleaned up a bit, you’ll have to come over and check it out.”

  “I’d love to.” She paused and glanced at the menu. “Ooh…they do have crab cakes. I think I’m going to have them. What about you?”

  Scanning the menu, Austin decided on the fish and chips platter and once their waitress came and took their orders, he realized he was looking forward to catching up and having this one-on-one time with his mother.

  “So what’s going on with you, Mom? Anything new and exciting?”

  “Hmm…not really. Work is always busy. We got a new computer system and everyone tells me it’s supposed to make our lives easier, but it confuses the heck out of me.”

  “Technology isn’t my strong suit either so I completely feel your pain.” He smiled at her. “What about in your free time? What have you been up to?”

  “Well…I joined a book club about a year ago. We only meet once a month, but I love it. Reading has always been a favorite of mine, and I’ve found some great new authors through the group.”

  Austin immediately thought of Mia.

  “What kind of books does your group read?”

  “Oh, a bunch of different genres, but we’re a little partial lately to mysteries. Right now we’re reading a Mia Kingsley novel, Fall From Grace. It’s the second book in her series, and I have a feeling we’re going to keep going with it. The last book isn’t going to be out until next year, so…”

  He was pretty sure his eyes had gone wide and his jaw was hanging slightly open. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Uh…how many books are in the series?”

  “There are going to be five and the first book is being made into a movie!” she said with wonder. “I know you’re not much for reading for pleasure, but you really should check these books out. They’re so gripping that I can’t put them down!” Grace shook her head. “Hopefully the movie will be as good as the book, but sadly, they rarely are.”

  Mia was famous?

  “I wonder what it’s like to be so creative,” she went on, oblivious to her son’s confusion. “I’d love to know what her process is like and where she gets her inspiration from. A group of us went to a book signing a few months back for a local author and he told us how there was always a story going in his mind and how his characters would talk to him day and night. Could you imagine? I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse!”

  “Voices in your head? Probably a curse.”

  “Oh, stop. Don’t be so negative. I think it’s fascinating.” She looked like she was about to say more but something caught her attention. Austin followed her line of vision and saw an older man walk in. Well, older than Austin but probably closer to his mother’s age and suddenly he felt a little awkward.

  “Mom? You okay?”

  “What?” she said a little breathlessly. “I’m fine. Fine. Sorry. I got distracted for a moment. What were we saying?”

  He looked over his shoulder again. “Do you know that guy?”

  She shook her head and took a long sip of her water without making eye contact with him, and all Austin could think was how it was very possible that his mother was dating and inwardly shuddered. There was no way he wanted to even think about it, but the way she kept stealing glances at the guy made it seem like a very real possibility.

  “Mom?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She looked a little flushed, and he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

  “I’m fine,” she said after a moment. “I don’t know him. He just looked familiar, that’s all. No big deal.” Then she smiled brightly at him. “So what were we talking about?”

  “Um…”

  “Oh! Mia Kingsley’s books. I’m telling you, Austin, you really should read them.”

  An idea came to mind. “Do you happen to have one at home I could check out?”

  It didn’t seem possible for her smile to get any bigger and yet it did. “I do! The first one and you are going to get hooked. It’s so good.”

  All he could do was nod.

  It seemed like his night wasn’t the least bit disappointing after all.

  4

  “You’ll never get away with this, Austin,” Melanie whispered. “I won’t give in to blackmail. I’ll see you in hell first.”

  His grin was as devious as it was sexy as he advanced on her. “The only place you’re going to be seeing me is your bed.”

  Before she could stop him or even utter a coherent word, his lips claimed hers. In her mind, she knew it was wrong—knew she should stop him, but she couldn’t. His large, work-roughened hands were everywhere and they felt so good. It had been a long time since a man touched her like this and she swore she wouldn’t react.

  The moan of pure pleasure was out before she could stop it and she mentally cursed herself.

  And Austin.

  Wasn’t it just yesterday when she stood talking w
ith half of the homeowners’ association and listened to how most of them wanted to kill him for the hell he’d put them through? So why was she letting him touch her and kiss her like he owned her?

  Austin broke the kiss and stared down at her with the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and for a moment, she thought she saw something good there—something redemptive. It was gone in an instant and his sardonic smirk was back.

  “Just like I thought,” he said, his voice as rough as gravel. “You’re just like the rest of them.”

  “The…the rest of them?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. This little slice of suburbia has been mighty satisfying. But you, Melanie, are the most decadent of desserts. I’ve been hungering for you for months and I’m finally going to have you.”

  She shook her head, but he was kissing her again and all of her good intentions and resolve vanished. He was a skilled craftsman and right now he was using his skills in another way. Even though she knew she was going to regret it, she didn’t have the will to stop.

  Stretching, Mia glanced down at the screen and frowned. This story was flowing like wild—along with her new edits—and yet her work on Twisted Deception was still at a standstill. Something had to give—soon. She had a call scheduled with her editor tomorrow and she was expecting an update. As of right now, Mia had no idea what to tell her and because Austin had been true to his word for the last few days, she didn’t have any excuse.

  That’s when she realized she hadn’t heard a single power tool all day.

  Leaning back in her seat, she had a clear view of his house and wondered if he was truly being considerate or if something was wrong.

  “None of my business,” she murmured, closing out of the document and pulling up Twisted Deception. For thirty minutes, she read over her own words, waiting for inspiration to strike, but it didn’t happen. Growling with frustration, she pushed away from her desk and stomped to the kitchen to get something to drink. When she turned back toward her desk, she spotted Austin out on his deck.

  Shirtless.

  Oh my…

  But he wasn’t working, she noted. He was sitting and looking at something. Maybe she was just desperate for a distraction, but she was curious about what he was looking at and carefully made her way over to the window—but just out of the line of vision, in case Austin looked up and saw her.