“That’s what Jill thinks,” she replied, squirming against him as his mouth gave her chills. Opening the email, she clicked on the attachment and started to scan the document. “Oh my God!”
Austin instantly froze. “What? What’s the matter?”
“Look at this offer?” Holding up the phone to him, she watched as his expression went from curious to shock.
“That’s for one book?”
Nodding, she pulled the phone back and continued to scan for the offer on any sequels and felt faint when she saw the figures. Austin immediately grabbed the phone and she felt him almost slump against her. “Are they for real?”
“This is more than I got for Twisted Deception and I thought that was like winning the lottery.” Forcing herself to put the phone down, Mia took a minute to let it all sink in.
“Are you going to call her back and accept?”
She thought about it. “You know what? I’m going to sit on it for a day or two, but…I think we should celebrate! How about we go to dinner and order the best bottle of champagne and…” When she noticed he wasn’t looking particularly celebratory, she stopped. “No? We can just stay in and celebrate in sexier ways…” Her arms went around him and she mimicked his earlier moves by kissing his throat.
He gently grasped her shoulders and put some space between them. “As happy and excited as I am for you, I kind of have some good news of my own to share with you.”
“Oh my goodness! What is it?” She hopped up on the counter and waited.
Honestly, the news could be anything. So many things were falling into place for them that she knew she had made the right decision to move here with him. Her parents weren’t overly thrilled about the move and were even less thrilled when they heard she was in love with Ryder’s contractor, but Mia didn’t let that bother her. She had put the townhouse up for sale and never looked back.
As for Austin, his architectural firm had launched big and he was handling several clients right now—including the new resort that was going to go up just a few miles down the beach. He was happier than she’d ever seen him and it seemed like he finally found some peace.
“So? What’s going on?”
“Well, I just finished some plans on a beach house for a client and I wanted to get your opinion on them. If they’re accepted, this could be the beginning of something amazing.”
Her eyes went wide. “Really? You haven’t mentioned a house client before. When did they come in?”
“It was a referral from a couple of months ago. I didn’t think much of it, but…I think the time is right for them and I just really want a second set of eyes on this to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“Absolutely!” She hopped back down off the counter and followed him up to the guest room he’d turned into his office. On the large drafting table, he already had the plans laid out. He motioned to them and stepped aside.
Over the last several months, Mia had learned how to read architectural plans and found them fascinating. She looked at the house as a whole on the first page which showed the front exterior.
“Ooh…I like this,” she said. “It’s very similar to the one next door, but the front of this one has so much more character.”
Beside her, he nodded.
Flipping the page over, the next one showed the main floor and again, it was similar to the one she rented, but a little bigger. The layout of the rooms was slightly different but overall made much more sense. “Custom built-ins in the living room and a fireplace? They are going to be a big hit.”
“What do you think of the master bedroom? Too big? Enough closet space?”
Leaning forward, she looked at the dimensions. “I think it’s a really great room size and it looks like you chose to do a bathroom similar to the one you and Ryder designed for here.”
“I did.”
The next page was the second floor and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. One was labeled as a nursery, one a guest room, and one an office. “This all looks great. Do they have kids?”
“Not yet, but they’re planning on them in the future.”
She nodded and flipped the page that showed a third floor with a wall of windows that would look out on maybe the ocean? It was also labeled as an office. “Two offices?”
“Yeah, or one of them could be used as a den or a man cave or something.” He shrugged.
“Ugh…three levels though…”
“If they get the property they’re thinking of, then the house will be on the beach and will need to be raised. An elevator will be worked into the plans. If they opt to live a little further back, the house can be on a slab and maybe still have the elevator or…not.”
“Mmm…” The final page was the back of the house with a massive deck that had a small outdoor kitchen area and a hot tub. “Oh, a hot tub! I wish we had one of those. I bet that would be glorious year-round, huh?”
“I would think so,” he said. “Check out the last page. That’s the best part.”
It didn’t seem like anything was missing, so…
Turning the page over, all it said was “Turn Around” and when she did, Austin was on one knee and holding up a ring box.
“Plot twist,” he said with a grin.
“What is happening?” she whispered even though she knew exactly what was going on.
“Mia Kingsley, I have never been happier to have almost killed someone with a sink,” he began. “That one stupid move was probably the smartest thing I ever did. You give me hope and love and happiness and you are everything in this world that is perfect. I love you and I love the story of how we met and you once told me that the next step was happily ever after.”
“Oh my goodness…”
“I designed that house for us because I want you to have everything you ever wanted and I hope that includes me. Will you marry me and give our story the happy ending it deserves?”
She dropped to her knees in front of him and felt tears sting her eyes. “I will,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’d love nothing more than to live happily ever after with you.” And when he slid the beautiful marquise onto her finger, she knew she was finally home.
Want to know where Sydney and Kyle began??
Here’s an excerpt of
“To the happy couple!”
Kyle lifted his glass of champagne along with everyone else and smiled at the happy couple. His brother Hunter and his fiancé Violet were both beaming as everyone toasted their new engagement. And as much as he usually made fun of people who opted to tie themselves to someone for the rest of their lives, he had to admit he was happy for them.
Hey, just because he didn’t want to take the plunge, didn’t mean others couldn’t.
“There he is, the last Jones standing.”
Looking over his shoulder, Kyle smiled at his oldest brother Dean walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Yup. That’s me!”
They stood shoulder to shoulder as Hunter and Vi shared a kiss. “Nice of you to fix yourself up.”
“What? What’s wrong with the way I look?”
Dean reached over and ruffled his hair. “You couldn’t bother getting a haircut?”
Groaning, he raked a hand through his hair. “For an engagement party? Not necessary. I’ve always worn my hair long and no one has a problem with it.” Then he paused. “Wait…do they?”
Chuckling, Dean shook his head. “Sometimes you make it too easy.”
“Ass.”
“Look at him,” Dean said after a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hunter look so happy.”
“I agree. And honestly, he deserves it.” Nodding, Kyle took another sip of his champagne.
“What about you, bro? When are you going to give up your wild ways and settle down?”
It wasn’t the first time someone had mentioned how it was time for him to give up his partying lifestyle and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Honestly, it didn’t even bother him.
“Never,” he said mildly.<
br />
Beside him, Dean chuckled. “Seriously?”
Another nod. “Not everyone wants to settle down. Me? I enjoy dating. I enjoy dating different women.” Then he chuckled. “And many different women enjoy dating me.”
Rolling his eyes, Dean shook his head. “It’s going to get old eventually. And so are you. And then where will you be?”
“That is a long way off and I’m not worried about it. You weren’t in any rush to settle down.”
“And yet I did. I just had to find the perfect woman.”
That made him laugh. “Yeah, and she’d been right under your nose for most of your life. You were a little slow on the uptake there.”
But his brother didn’t even seem mildly offended by the ribbing. “True, but once I realized that Court was it for me, I didn’t waste any time.”
True, he had married her six months after he proposed.
Whatever.
He was about to comment on it when Dean’s wife walked over and snagged her husband to go and dance. He raised a glass to them and told them to have fun, but now he wished he had someone to dance with. Glancing around the room, there were plenty of women he knew, but they all were here with dates. Hell, he could have brought a date, too, but taking someone to your brother’s engagement party implied a level of commitment that he just wasn’t interested in.
No thank you.
There was a time when he thought it was, but…that was a whole other lifetime ago.
His father walked over and took the spot his brother had just vacated.
“You know what I wish?” Dominic Jones asked.
“What’s that, Dad?”
“That I had someone to dance with.”
Wow…color me surprised.
Turning his head, he looked curiously at his father who had been widowed for close to thirty years. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why don’t you date?”
Shrugging, his father said, “I guess I just sort of…forgot how.” He laughed softly. “For so many years after your mother died, I was focused on just trying to keep it together and raise you kids. Then I was so set in my routine that I didn’t even think about it. But now? Now I’d like to think about it, but I don’t know how.” Sliding his hands into his trouser pockets, he glanced at Kyle. “You know any single women my age?”
Kyle almost choked on his champagne. “Ugh…you are not asking me to set you up with anyone. Just…no.”
“Why not? It’s not a big deal. You have a very active social life, surely you’ve met older women who might be looking to go out with someone like me.”
“Someone like…? What is happening right now?”
“What? What’s the matter?”
He knew his eyes were pretty much bugging out, and Kyle looked around frantically for someone to save him from this conversation. But no one was paying any attention to them, and if they weren’t at a formal event, he seriously would have considered throwing something at either Dean or Hunter to get their attention.
Letting out a long breath, he said, “I thought you’d gone out for coffee a few times with…with…” Damn, what was her name? “Rose! Yeah, I thought you’d gone out with Rose a few times. What happened there?”
“Happened? Um…nothing. We went out a few times for coffee, but…I don’t think she’s interested in me.”
“Why? Did you ever ask her out on a real date? Like dinner or something?”
“No, but…I thought she was just being friendly. You know…like a friend.”
“Well, wouldn’t you like to find out if she’s interested? She’s here tonight. Maybe go and ask her to dance.”
“Oh,” Domenic said, “I don’t know. I just thought…”
“Look, I think it’s great that you want to start dating again. If you ask me, you should have done it a long time ago. But maybe your friends–you know, people your own age–can fix you up with someone.”
His father made a non-committal sound before asking, “What about one of those apps? You know, the kind where you swipe or something.”
Now he really needed someone over here to help him out because there was no way he was going to have the talk about what swiping on a dating app meant. Scanning the room again, he spotted his boss Jake talking to Pastor Steve. The only one to catch his eye, however, was the pastor.
And if that’s not an answer to a prayer, nothing is.
Waving, he was relieved when they both began walking toward them. Kyle took a long drink of his champagne and waited. They all shook hands as they said hello.
“Well, Domenic, Kyle, how are you both doing?” Steve asked with a friendly smile. “It’s been a big year for your family, hasn’t it?”
“That it has,” his father replied.
“You must be very proud. Your family is growing and everyone looks so happy.”
Nodding, Domenic said, “I am and they are. It does my heart good to see them all settling down and starting families.”
“Well,” Steve said, grinning at Kyle. “Not all of them.”
Ugh…why did I think this was a better idea?
With a bit of a forced smile, he said, “So how about you, Pastor Steve? What’s new and exciting with you?”
Luckily, he took the change of subject in style. “Well, let’s see…oh, Shelby and Sam are expecting a baby!”
Of course they are…
“That’s wonderful news!” Domenic said. “Congratulations! First grandbabies are always exciting!” Then he smiled at Jake. “And you’ve got a new baby, as well, right?”
“Yes, sir. This is mine and Mallory’s first big outing since Emma was born.”
Kyle tuned out while they talked about the wonders of children and grandchildren and he wished he was anywhere but here. Everywhere he looked, people were laughing and smiling and having a great time, and all he could think about was when he could leave. Maybe once dessert was served, he’d go out to The Sand Bar for some drinks and maybe see who was hanging out or maybe even drive down the coast a bit and see if any of the other clubs looked promising.
“So Jake and I were just talking about an upcoming project that might interest you, Kyle,” Steve was saying, interrupting his thoughts.
“Oh?”
“Do you happen to remember the Albright family?”
His heart literally stopped. He was certain of it.
“The name sounds familiar, but…” he choked out, desperately wishing he’d walked away sooner.
“Of course you remember them, Kyle,” his father said, smacking Kyle on the back of the head. “You dated their daughter Sydney for two years in high school! What’s the matter with you?”
Right now? The possibility of having a heart attack.
“Yes,” Steve said, remembering. “Their younger daughter–Sydney–was a year behind you in school and their older daughter Tracy was a year ahead,” Steve went on. “Anyway, they all lived here in Magnolia up until a few years ago. Dan and Lisa retired down in Florida, Sydney went away to school and is working up in Boston, and Tracy married Daren Trager. They had been living down in Georgia but recently moved back and bought a house here in town.”
“O-kay…”
“Last month, Tracy and Daren were killed in a car accident. You remember the one where the car went off the bridge?”
Everyone remembered it, Kyle thought. It was right here on the edge of town. He remembered seeing the news reports on TV and reading about it in the newspaper. It was incredibly sad. He’d gone to the funeral and paid his respects–from a distance. He had been a little too afraid to go and talk to Sydney because of the way things had ended between them.
“Wait…they had a kid, right? A daughter?” Kyle asked, suddenly unsure what the reports said happened to the child.
Steve nodded somberly. “Fortunately, Haley wasn’t in the car with them. They had gone out on a date night.” He shook his head. “It was a bit of a mad scramble because Daren doesn’t have any family left–onl
y child and his parents had him later in life–and all of Tracy’s family was out of state. Haley was sleeping at a friend’s house and was able to stay with them until Dan, Lisa, and Sydney were able to get here.”
Kyle took another sip of his drink before asking, “Definitely a tragedy, but…what does this have to do with me?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Steve said with a small laugh. “Sydney has decided to move here. She’s Haley’s guardian. She’s going to move into their home and raise her niece here in Magnolia.”
“I’m still not seeing…”
Jake was the one to respond. “Daren and Tracy had just purchased their home a few months ago. It’s located on Sound Drive, down near the end. Older home. They were very excited about renovations. Apparently, they got an excellent deal on the house because it needed so much work.”
Okay, now it was all beginning to make sense.
“So Coleman’s going to do the work?”
Jake nodded. He was the owner of the largest construction company in the region and it made sense that he’d be involved.
“I had planned on talking to you about it on Monday,” Jake said, giving Steve a quick glance. “But…maybe it’s the kind of project that you’d like to take the lead on.”
“Me?” he asked incredulously.
Steve just smiled serenely. “I just wanted you to have a little backstory so you’d take it into consideration. Right now, Sydney needs all the help she can get. Losing her sister, becoming a full-time caregiver to her niece, moving, finding a new job, and dealing with a home that needs a considerable amount of work is a lot for anyone to take on.” He smiled again. “Just…promise you’ll think about it.” Then he congratulated Domenic again and nodded to both Jake and Kyle before walking away.
“That’s the kind of story that just breaks your heart and makes you thankful for all the good we’ve got in our lives, doesn’t it?” his father asked.
Jake nodded solemnly. “We can talk about this on Monday, Kyle. I didn’t expect Steve to bring it up in the middle of the party.”
The Way the Story Goes Page 23