Kissing the tip of her nose, he laughed softly.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“We’re like ten minutes away and Haley is thirteen. In the morning, you can probably bring her back here to hang out if Sydney hasn’t had the baby yet.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “You’re right. I don’t know what I’m thinking.” Tossing the bag down next to the sofa, she looked up at him. “We should go. I’m sure they’re freaking out by now. I know I would if it were us having a baby and we had to wait on people to get there before we could go to the hospital.”
She was walking toward the door as she spoke, and Austin wondered if she realized what she just said.
And his smile grew as he trailed behind her out the door because the thought of the two of them and a baby of their own sounded pretty damn fantastic.
13
Mia stood in the doorway and watched until Kyle and Sydney’s car was out of sight.
I want you to know that I love you…
Behind her, Haley was chatting excitedly about how she couldn’t wait for the baby to be born.
I want you to know that I love you…
Slowly, Mia closed the front door and locked it before turning and watching as Austin sat with a serene smile on his face as he listened to the teenager brag about all the ways she was going to help Kyle and Sydney and how she’d basically be a big sister to the baby.
I want you to know that I love you…
It didn’t matter how many distractions were all around her, Austin’s word had been playing on a constant loop in her head and she wanted to kick herself for not responding to him right then and there.
No one had ever said that to her before.
No one.
Maybe it was fear that kept her from saying it back or maybe she was so sexually distracted by him that words simply escaped her.
Or maybe, just like Austin explained how he felt nothing good would ever happen to him, she felt the same way about relationships for her. She knew good things happened for her; her entire life had been all about opportunities that most people never got to experience. But where personal relationships were concerned, Mia never knew what it felt like to simply be accepted for herself and not judged by her academic or professional accomplishments.
And as much as she hated how they were interrupted, having this time to breathe and think things through was incredibly helpful.
At least…she thought it was.
Forcing herself away from the door, Mia walked over to where Haley and Austin were sitting and joined them.
“Isn’t this great, Aunt Mia? Like…in a few hours, Aunt Syd’s going to have the baby!”
Mia smiled and nodded. “Definitely. I know Sydney was so ready for this and I’m glad this wasn’t another test run.”
Haley groaned. “Me too. You have no idea how many times she went over the plan with us. If it had been earlier, I just would have gone to Janie’s house so you didn’t have to come over.”
“I don’t mind. It was part of the plan for me to come here and help you get where you needed to go.”
“Yeah, but now you have to sleep over and all, and if I were you, I’d be annoyed with that.”
“Why?”
Haley gave her a patient smile. “Look, this house is great. Kyle made it awesome. But your house at the beach? Now that is an amazing place. I bet you can sleep with the windows open and hear the waves and…I bet it’s just the coolest way to fall asleep, right?”
An idea came to mind. “What would you think of going there to sleep tonight and then tomorrow I can bring you over to Janie’s if you want?”
Haley’s eyes went wide. “Really? We can do that?”
“Sure,” Mia replied. “Why not? I’ll text Kyle and let him know the change of plans and then we’ll get packed up and ready to go.”
“This is awesome!” Jumping to her feet, Haley started to run toward her room when she stopped. “Can I pick whatever room I want?”
“As long as it’s not mine, you sure can!”
The sound of laughter was the only response as Haley went to her room.
When they were alone, Mia turned to Austin and smiled. “I know we can’t go back to exactly what we were doing, but…I kind of like the idea of being able to sleep with you in my bed instead of the tiny bed in the guest room here.”
He took her hand in his and kissed it. “Well, I wasn’t sure if I should stay or not while we were here. It felt weird.”
Nodding, she agreed. “That’s why this is a good solution.” Pulling out her phone, she sent the text to Kyle and five minutes later he told her it was fine and thanked her again. Haley came out still wearing her pajamas and carrying her overnight bag and pillow. “We have plenty of pillows at the house, Hales.”
“I know, but…this one was my mom’s and I just always sleep better when I have it.”
Smiling, she walked over and kissed the girl on the head. “Okay then. Let’s go!”
Haley talked the entire ride to Mia’s and while they got her situated in one of the guestrooms upstairs. Austin excused himself at one point and wished Haley a goodnight and told Mia he’d meet her downstairs. Once she and Haley were alone, the tone of the conversation changed almost instantly.
“Are you going to marry him?” Haley asked in hushed tones.
“Um…what?”
She nodded. “You know, you and Austin? Are you going to marry him?”
“We really haven’t talked about that. We’ve only been dating for a short amount of time.”
Another nod. “Yeah, but…if he asked, would you say yes?”
“Hales, this really isn’t an appropriate conversation with Austin right downstairs.”
The disappointment was palpable. “Is he going to sleep here tonight? With you?”
“Hales…”
The girl held up her hands. “What? I’m just saying that it’s cool if he does. You know Kyle moved in with us before he and Aunt Syd got married so it’s not a big deal. You don’t have to ask him to leave because of me.”
Mia made a mental note to ask Sydney how she handled conversations like this.
“Look,” Haley said, sounding much older than her thirteen years, “I have been around a lot of couples like you and Austin. I swear, Kyle’s whole family is like you and Austin, and I just think you should…you know…think about marrying him. He’d make you happy.”
“Um…”
“For a while, I was like the only kid in the group when we got together with Kyle’s family. And when my mom and dad were alive, it was the same way, so I kind of started like…observing. When you’re an only child and you’re kind of forced to hang out with adults, it’s the only thing to do.”
This time it was Mia who nodded because it hit her just how much she and Haley had in common.
“Anyway, when you came here for Aunt Syd’s wedding, you were kind of chill and laid back and didn’t seem very comfortable around everyone. But every time I’ve seen you with Austin, you’re like…mega happy and smiling all the time.” Then she reached out and put her hand on top of Mia’s. “And you look very pretty when you smile and if Austin makes you happy then you should totally marry him and have a baby like Aunt Syd and Kyle are.”
“Okay, that is getting way ahead of things…”
Haley just rolled her eyes before yawning. “I’m just saying…like…” She let out a long sigh before she laid down and got comfortable. “My mom and dad didn’t have a whole lot of time before…you know. And Grandma always says how happy she was that they met when they were in high school so they had a lot of years to be in love while they were alive. Life really can be short, Aunt Mia, so you should be happy.” She yawned again. “Promise to wake me up if the baby’s born, okay?”
Unshed tears stung her eyes. How could this young girl be so damn insightful? And it broke her heart knowing Haley had learned the hard way how unfair and short life could be. Losing her parents was beyond traumatic, and the fact that she
could talk about it so maturely just spoke volumes about how amazing Haley truly was. Leaning down, she kissed the top of Haley’s head. “I promise. Night, Hales.”
“Night,” she replied softly, and Mia had a feeling she would be asleep before she left the room.
Rather than go right downstairs, Mia took a minute to get her emotions under control. She let the tears fall and took several steadying breaths before she walked into the bathroom, grabbed a few tissues, and wiped away the streaks of mascara. No need to scare Austin with that sight. Checking her reflection one last time, she slowly made her way down the stairs.
But Austin wasn’t there.
Walking into her bedroom, she looked around and he wasn’t there either. Then she noticed a faint glow out on the deck and the closer she got to the sliding glass doors, the more her smile grew. He was out there with one of her big throw blankets on a chaise under the heat lamp, and the sight of him made her heart feel like it was close to overflowing.
When she was outside standing beside him, she looked down and felt tears sting her eyes again. “What have I done to deserve you?” she asked quietly.
And as if sensing there was more to her emotions than just the blanket and stars, Austin opened his arms to her and she joined him. Wrapping himself and the blanket around her, he kissed her cheek. “You okay?”
As she leaned back against him and got comfortable, she had to try not to cry. “Haley and I were just talking and she was telling me a story about her parents and…God, it just sucks that she had to experience that at such a young age. She’s matured so much in this last year and just listening to her talk was very…” She paused. “Let’s just say she’s very wise for someone her age.”
Austin rested his cheek against hers. “Yeah, sometimes you have to grow up faster than you want to because of your circumstances. It sucks and it’s not fair, but…”
“I know, but she made me realize something very important.” Slowly, she twisted in his arms until she was facing him. “Life is very short.”
“Yes, it is.”
“And we should make the most of every minute to be happy.”
He nodded. “I agree.”
Mia met his gaze. “You make me happy. Happier than I ever thought I could be.” Reaching up, she caressed his strong jaw. “I didn’t realize how I was sort of going through life and simply going through the motions until I met you.”
A small smile played at his lips but he didn’t say anything.
Which gave her the perfect opening.
“I know we didn’t meet under the best of circumstances, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love you, Austin. I should have said it earlier when you did, but I think I was just so…so shocked because no one’s ever said it to me before. Then Syd called and everything got crazy, but…” She sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner because I’ve felt like this for a while. I just thought it was too soon or you didn’t feel the same or…”
She never got to finish. Austin captured her lips with his and kissed her until she melted against him and then kissed her some more. It wasn’t possible for it to feel different, but…it did. There was so much more to it—more emotion, more feeling, more…everything. Her hands anchored in his hair as she twisted some more until she was straddling his lap. The kiss turned urgent and she was almost obscenely rubbing against him in hopes of them maybe picking up where they left off, but…
Austin broke the kiss and took a minute to catch his breath. “I know we’re alone out here, but Haley’s inside and could come down at any minute, so…”
Damn, she had been so caught up in the moment that she had forgotten how that was a possibility. Resting her forehead against his, she let out another soft sigh. “I ruined this night, didn’t I?”
It wasn’t really a question.
Austin maneuvered them until he could see her face, his expression fierce. “You did not ruin anything. Why would you even think that?”
Shrugging, she snuggled up against him. “Because I waited to say I love you, then I had to run over to Sydney’s, and then I bring Haley back here and as soon as she goes to sleep, I’m out here dry humping you like we’re teenagers!”
She heard the low rumble of his laugh as his arms tightened around her. “For what it’s worth, I completely enjoyed the dry humping.”
That made her laugh. “Such a guy.”
“How about this? We sit out here and enjoy the stars and the sound of the waves for a little while, and then we go inside and cozy up under the blankets and get a good night’s sleep.”
Lifting her head, she stared at him as if he were crazy. “That is a lot less sexy than our original plans.”
He made a noncommittal sound. “Yeah, but we’re helping out some friends who are about to have their first baby so I think that makes it okay.”
Unable to help herself, she pouted. “I think you’re a better friend than I am because I have to tell you, I’m a little bitter at being robbed of my sexy night.”
“Then I’ll just have to make it up to you tomorrow night,” he said softly, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“You better,” she told him, but immediately snuggled up again. “Although, there is something to be said about cuddling. I’m not sure what it is, but it can be good too.” Then they both laughed and simply enjoyed the sounds of the water.
“Oh, my goodness! Congratulations, you guys!” Mia said excitedly as they walked into Sydney’s hospital room the next day. Austin had volunteered to stay behind because he knew Kyle had a large family and everyone was going to be coming to see them, but Mia talked him into joining her and Haley.
He walked over and shook Kyle’s hand and offered his own congratulations to the new parents and then stood back and watched as Haley gazed at her new cousin in total awe.
“He’s so tiny,” she said softly. “Is he supposed to be this small?”
Sydney let out a small laugh. “He didn’t feel so small coming out, trust me.”
“TMI, Aunt Syd. TMI.”
Austin noticed how intently Mia was watching the baby too and he wondered how she felt about kids of her own.
And then wondered if he was getting ahead of himself again.
Beside him, Kyle moved to take the baby from his wife’s arms and then helped Haley get situated in a chair so she could hold him. It was something he never gave much thought to, but now…it had him feeling stupidly emotional and he wished there was something manly he could do to get himself under control.
Like what? Spit? Bench press the hospital bed?
“So does this little guy have a name?” Mia asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Kyle moved to sit next to Sydney on the bed and smiled at each other before facing Mia and Austin. Sydney took Kyle’s hand in his. “His name is Jaxon Dominic Jones.”
“But we’re calling him J.D.,” Kyle said with a goofy grin.
“No, we’re calling him Jax,” Sydney corrected and then stared hard at her husband until he caved.
“But we’re calling him Jax,” Kyle murmured before going over and taking his son from Haley. “You ready to hold him, Aunt Mia?”
Mia’s eyes went wide with panic for a brief moment before she walked over and switched places with Haley. Austin watched in wonder as she settled in with the newborn in her arms. Her expression softened and he could see her relaxing and felt himself relax along with her.
“Hey, sweet boy,” she said softly. “Welcome to the world.”
Austin caught Sydney’s eye and she winked at him before giving him a thumbs up.
And he had no idea how to react so he just smiled and gave her one back.
They stayed for only a few more minutes because Kyle’s family started to arrive and the people in the room definitely exceeded the capacity limit. Austin congratulated the new parents one last time and held the door for Mia before heading for the elevator. She was quiet and he gave her until they were walking out of the hospital before he said anything.
> “You okay?”
A small smile crossed her face. “Absolutely. That was…amazing.”
It wasn’t quite the way he would have described it, but that was just him.
“I have friends up in Boston who’ve had babies and I’ve gone to see them in the hospital, but this felt different. I guess because it’s Sydney and she’s more like a sister to me than a friend.”
He nodded.
They got into the car and it wasn’t until they were pulling out of the parking lot that she told him more. “Believe it or not, Jaxon is the first baby I’ve ever held.”
That surprised him. “Really? How is that possible? You just said you’ve gone to visit other friends with new babies.”
Shrugging, she explained, “I always found a reason not to, but basically it was a combination of nerves because babies are so fragile and…” She paused and groaned. “Please don’t think I’m horrible, but…it was lack of interest.”
And that surprised him even more.
But he kept it to himself.
“When we were at Asher’s party last month and Syd was pointing out who was who and all the babies, it was the first time I started to take an interest.” She glanced over at him. “I’m weird, right? Like I should have been interested way before now, shouldn’t I?”
“I don’t think there’s a timeframe or a rule about when you have to take an interest in babies,” he reasoned. “Not everyone is a baby person.”
“Are you a baby person?”
Stepped right into that one, didn’t I?
“Um…I think I am. I mean, none of my friends have babies yet, but obviously my cousins all do and I’m happy for them and I’ll hold one if anyone asks, so…yeah. I guess I am.”
“Do you want kids of your own one day?”
He didn’t even have to think about it. “Definitely.”
She made a small sound as she nodded and Austin took that to mean that maybe they were done with this topic so he decided to find something else to talk about.
“So, what’s next for Mia Kingsley? What book are you working on? Did you finish the one where you kill me off?” he asked with a grin and thankfully, she laughed.
The Way the Story Goes Page 21