The Way the Story Goes Page 15

  And that stung too.

  The thing was, it had been a long time since he’d been in a serious relationship. There hadn’t been anyone he was interested in doing the long-term thing with.

  But he was with Mia.

  It just sucked that the only way it was going to happen was if they did the long-distance thing and considering she had no interest in him meeting her parents, chances were fairly slim she’d want to continue what they had once she went back to Boston.

  So what am I doing here?

  Good question.

  The truth was, he was possibly a glutton for punishment in every aspect of his life. Chasing after a woman who was out of his league, contemplating moving back to the town that had once mocked him and his brothers…there were probably more examples, but he had an appointment to keep and it was all he could come up with.

  The move back to Magnolia? He could handle that. After all, he wasn’t that poor kid from the broken home anymore. He was an intelligent man who designed incredible homes and buildings. Staying with Mia while she was here? That one he wasn’t so sure he could handle. Casual relationships normally suited him just fine, but the more time he spent with her, the more attached he was getting. It would be the first time a woman was the one to walk away from him, and for the life of him, Austin had no idea how that was going to make him feel.

  So fight for her.

  How? How could he do that? If the situation with her parents hadn’t come up, he had a feeling he’d be feeling a lot more confident. But knowing she specifically didn’t want him around them spoke volumes.

  Scrubbing a hand over his face, Austin knew he could sit here all day going round and round with this, but the bottom line wasn’t going to change.

  He wanted Mia and if that meant this was temporary then…it was temporary. Hell, he wasn’t even completely surprised by her declaration. After all, even now as a successful adult people were still telling him he wasn’t good enough. Maybe in a professional capacity—like he was about to discuss with Jake—but in a personal one?

  Letting out a long breath, Austin looked up at the building again. “You believed in me, Pops,” he whispered. “Why doesn’t anyone else?”

  Obviously there wouldn’t be any response, so he grabbed his keys and phone, climbed from the truck, and braced himself for whatever Jake was going to present to him.

  The interior of the building looked almost exactly the same as it had twenty years ago and it made Austin smile. His great-grandfather never did like change, and it seemed Jake must feel the same way.

  “Austin!” Jake called out when he spotted him. He had a big smile on his face as he walked over and shook Austin’s hand. “Thanks for coming by. I hope you don’t mind, but I had lunch brought in because I wanted a little privacy so we can talk.”

  Nodding, Austin followed Jake into a conference room and had to fight down another bout of insecurity—that Jake wanted to have lunch here so no one would have to see him talking to Austin in public.

  It was a completely ridiculous thing to think of, but…right now it seemed he was overly apprehensive.

  Once he was seated and Jake’s assistant finished setting up a tray of sandwiches and an assortment of chips, salads, and drinks, he had no choice but to wait and see how this was all going to play out.

  “How’s the house coming?” Jake asked, handing Austin a paper plate and motioning for him to help himself to the food.

  “Good. Really good,” he quickly amended. “I have to admit, it’s been a while since I worked a job like this and had forgotten how exhausting it could be.”

  “Well, considering you’re living in the middle of it all, I’m sure you’re not keeping regular hours either. You need to remember to take a step back once in a while.” Then he grinned. “Although I’m sure Mia makes you clock out at a somewhat reasonable hour, right?”

  Rather than confirm or deny, he simply let out a low laugh before turning the tables. “I hope Mallory does the same for you.”

  “Oh, she does. Trust me.” They both had full plates of food in front of them and ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before Jake spoke again. “I’ve been following your career, Austin.”

  Oh shit…

  There was a very real possibility that meant he also knew why Austin wasn’t working in Baltimore anymore. Unable to look at him, he continued to focus on his lunch.

  “The building you designed for the logistics company was impressive, but I have to admit, I was completely blown away by the resort you did in Wildwood.”

  Austin looked up and saw Jake was smiling and he murmured, “Thanks.”

  “There has been some interest in having a resort here in Magnolia and we’ve been approached about submitting some designs, but I didn’t trust anyone to do it.” He took a quick drink before continuing. “Not that I don’t trust the architects we work with, but most of them do commercial—or should I say, more industrial designs. That’s when it hit me how we could really expand if we had someone with a little more creativity on board.”

  Swallowing hard, Austin nodded. “I’m sure if you gave your guys a chance, they’d surprise you.”

  Jake’s smile faded slightly as he leaned back in his chair. “Can I be blunt?”

  Wiping his mouth, Austin put his napkin down and met Jake’s stare. “Of course.”

  “Am I wasting our time here?” And before Austin could reply, he continued. “I know I told you on the phone that I wanted to offer you a position, but if you’re not interested, I’d prefer if you just came out and told me. You’re not going to hurt my feelings, Austin, and I certainly don’t want to pressure you.”

  It took a solid minute before Austin forced himself to straighten in his seat and respond. “I hope you won’t mind if I’m blunt as well.”

  “I’d actually prefer it.”

  With a curt nod, Austin laid his cards on the table. “I spent most of my life trying to prove myself here in Magnolia Sound.” Then he shook his head. “Well, there were probably a few years when I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought and I did my best to earn all the labels that had already been placed on me.”

  Jake simply listened.

  “Now I’ve worked hard to prove I’m not the same wild child I was—or a hooligan or a troublemaker.” He paused and hoped lightning didn’t come down and strike him for that one. “My great-grandfather gave me the opportunity to make something of myself, and I believe I have. And in any other place in the country, I’m considered somewhat of a success. But here? People are going to see me coming to work for you and think I’m a charity case or something. I’m not so sure I want to deal with that.”

  Now Jake studied him hard but didn’t say anything for a moment. “Are we talking about people as a whole or maybe one or two individuals?”

  It would be foolish to pretend he didn’t know what Jake was implying. “Well, they’re the ones who will be most vocal about it.”

  “They’re vocal about everything and everybody, and no one pays much attention anymore, Austin.” He paused and seemed to consider his next words. “For the record, you’re not a charity case. At all. I think Zeke would be thrilled to know you’re part of the team here. Hell, if you had been older when he died, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you’d be the one running the show here.”

  Austin knew his eyes went wide.

  “It’s true,” Jake clarified before letting out a long breath. “I was fortunate enough to have spent a lot of one-on-one time with your great-grandfather. I knew what he thought about everything going on—from your dad taking off and all the responsibility your mom had to take on, to what he hoped would come of you and your brothers.”

  Swallowing hard, Austin fought the urge to ask for specifics.

  But Jake seemed to know that he needed them.

  “He never wanted you to feel the stigma of what your father did,” he began solemnly. “But he also didn’t know how to stop it. Over the years, he did what he could to help your mo
ther out, but he struggled because he felt that by doing it, it made it easier for your father to stay away and not take responsibility for his family. It was one of the few things I’d ever seen him angry about.”

  “Did he…did he ever have contact with my father? You know, after he left?”

  Jake’s expression softened. “If he did, he never mentioned it to me. I’m sorry.”

  All Austin could do was shrug. It wouldn’t have changed anything if there had been contact, but…he had to ask.

  “More than anything, Zeke loved knowing his family was here in Magnolia, Austin. And I’m not saying that to sway you in any way about the job, so let’s just get that out of the way. Why do you think he gave Mallory the décor shop and Sam the landscaping business? Mason was always going to be here, but Zeke made sure to give him something of his own so he wouldn’t have to rely on his parents because…well…we know how controlling Georgia can be.”

  With a snort, he said, “That’s an understatement.”

  “He gave Peyton the restaurant and Parker the money to travel because he knew she’d go and see what she wanted to see, but ultimately she’d come back here because this is where her family is.” He paused again. “And he wanted to make sure you and your brothers could have a good college education. You were too young for businesses and he felt like you were all too young to know exactly what you wanted to do and he didn’t want to lock you in to something you might hate. He was a man who wanted to take care of his family and the community.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

  Frowning, Jake thought for a minute. “Well, he gave Susannah the house and Georgia the yacht club, but…”

  “And you this business,” Austin said with a little more animosity than he intended.

  “Yeah,” Jake said wearily, “a part of me wondered if you and I would have this conversation.”

  That was…shocking.

  “Look, I’m not a total idiot, Jake,” Austin quickly explained. “I know why he left this to you.”

  “But…?”

  “But…” He groaned. “Sometimes it’s just hard to look around and see all the good that happened to other people and not me or my mother or Garrett or Jackson! I know it makes me sound like a damn child, but…it’s not fair!”

  And he hated that he was saying this shit out loud, but he couldn’t take it back.

  “For once, I would love to have something good happen to my family!” He went on because he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “Not charity, not a handout, just something genuinely good!”

  This time Jake stopped him. Leaning forward, his expression looked fierce. “No one’s offering you charity or a handout, Austin. You may be Zeke’s great-grandson, but there is no way I’d offer you a position here if you weren’t good at what you do.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “But I don’t want to keep having this conversation with you either. You’re either comfortable with the thought of working here and knowing you’re here on your own merit, or you’re not. I don’t know how else to convince you that I’m sincere here.”

  Raking a hand through his hair, Austin slouched slightly in his chair. “It’s just hard for me to believe that…you know…an opportunity like this could really be true. Just like…” Then he stopped himself and refused to finish that thought.

  “Come on,” Jake prodded. “I think we’ve both been brutally honest here, so whatever you were going to say, say it.”

  “You’re sitting here telling me you want me to join Coleman because you’re impressed with my work and…I appreciate that. But you and I don’t know each other all that well, so I have to wonder if you would be offering me this if I wasn’t family.” He paused and let out another long breath. “And at the same time, it makes me wonder if…if Pops really cared about us—me, my brothers, my mom—or did he simply feel obligated?”

  Now it was Jake’s turn to groan. “Dude, you have a lot of issues and I don’t know how to help you. I wish I did. I can tell you all day long how Zeke felt about you and your brothers, but it’s up to you to believe it.”

  “I know I’m being incredibly difficult, but…” Another pause. “The weird thing is that I never second-guessed myself back in Baltimore. There was never a need to. But being back here and dealing with family stuff just has me…I don’t know…twitchy.”

  “I get it, Austin. I do. And if I were in your position, I’d probably be a little defensive and twitchy too.”

  “But…?”

  “But…I’d really like you to think about this. I honestly believe you’d be a great asset to Coleman’s and it would mean a great deal to me to have an actual Coleman on the team.”

  Dammit, that was almost enough to make him say yes.

  “Go home and talk to Mia about it—you know, get her input.” Then he smiled. “Hey, why don’t the two of you come for dinner this weekend? I know Mallory would love to spend some time with you and we’re both huge fans of Mia’s books, so…what do you say? Saturday night?”

  “Um…yeah, I’m not sure…”

  And something in his tone must have told Jake everything he needed to know, but before Austin could confirm or deny it, the whole sordid mess of Mia’s parents coming to visit spilled out and he felt like a damn teenage girl and wished someone would kick his ass and make him shut up.

  “Damn,” Jake murmured. “No wonder you’re a little…”

  “Overly sensitive? Yeah, I know.”

  “I don’t even know what to say except…that definitely sucks. When we saw you at Asher’s birthday, you both seemed…”

  “Yeah, I know,” he interrupted, unwilling to hear how happy they looked together. “This all just happened and honestly, I wasn’t prepared for it. Back in high school, having the reputation of being the kind of guy a girl didn’t bring home to meet her parents seemed funny and harmless. As an adult? Not so much.”

  They each sat back and took a couple of bites of their lunches without saying a word.

  Jake was the one to break the silence.

  “How about this—let me show you the little presentation I put together for the resort project while you’re here. No pressure,” he added with a soft laugh. “I just put a lot of work into it so…”

  That made Austin relax, and he was more than a little curious about it, so…what was the harm?

  “And when it’s done and we’ve finished eating and catching up, you go and take some time to think about it all. No matter what, Austin, we’re family. I know I’m only family by marriage, but…we’re family and I’m going to support you no matter what you decide.”

  And for the first time in a lot of years, he felt something other than jealousy for Jake.

  It was a little freeing.

  “Sure,” he said after a moment. “Let’s see what you’re thinking.”

  Jake’s smile grew as he jumped up and began his PowerPoint presentation.

  10

  It was hard to concentrate on edits when she was consumed by a guilty conscience.

  Mia’s head rested on the desk as she called herself every name in the book. Austin left her house yesterday morning and she hadn’t seen him since. Part of it was definitely because he was working—she could both see and hear him doing it—but the bigger picture was that she screwed up and hurt his feelings.

  And for someone who wasn’t confrontational, it was a first for her.

  That she knew of.

  She had hoped he’d come by yesterday after his meeting with Jake but it must have gone longer than he expected because when she texted him, he told her he was in the middle of working on some custom piece for the kitchen and was going to go to bed early.

  It was plausible but…

  Then this morning she texted and invited him over to breakfast, but he declined because he had to go to Wilmington to pick up some fixtures he ordered for the house.

  Okay, message received.

  He’s pissed.

  Now she only had until four this afternoon to try to talk to him
before her parents arrived. Not that she was changing her mind, because she refused to let anyone else make Austin feel inferior.

  Isn’t that what you did by telling him he couldn’t meet your parents?

  Oh, God…it was.

  Groaning, Mia banged her head on the desk. “I’m just as bad as they are. Worse!” Tears stung her eyes and she knew she had to do something to make things right.

  In her own defense, she’d never dated or even known anyone quite like Austin and no matter how confident she tried to appear when they were together, the truth was she was still intimidated by him and felt like it wasn’t possible for someone like him to truly want someone like her for more than just…a fling.

  And yes, she knew Austin had said they were dating but…a fling is still a kind of dating, wasn’t it?

  “Ugh…I am completely clueless,” she murmured and considered calling Sydney to talk her off the ledge. Forcing herself to sit up and move away from the computer, Mia got herself something to drink and walked out onto the deck. It was overcast and a little breezy, but she didn’t care.

  That’s when she decided to walk down to the sand and close to the water before plopping down on the ground with a dramatic sigh.

  “I’m a freak, that’s the problem here. I’m a total freak who has no idea how to socialize like a normal woman!” Realizing she was talking out loud, she quickly glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. When she realized she was alone, Mia stared out at the water and let out another long breath.

  She was definitely a freak, she thought. All of her formative years were spent with older people, and she’d never felt like she had peers until college. Sydney had helped her to make friends and experience college life—like going to parties and football games—and it took almost two years for Mia to feel even a little comfortable in her own skin. After graduating, she had been so consumed with writing that she hadn’t realized just how much time she spent alone and isolated.

  And that meant she simply reverted what was familiar.

  Resting her head on her knees, she wished she could be the person she was whenever she was with Austin. He gave her the confidence to be bold and simply enjoy life.