The Way the Story Goes Read online

  “But that’s just Austin,” she said softly. “He’s comfortable with his family and in almost any social setting.” She thought about Asher’s party and how happy it made him to have her there with him. “And it was a child’s birthday party so really, it wasn’t like a big event.” She sighed. “Nothing more than a barbecue, really.”

  Sure it was a big deal to Mason and Scarlett and their family, but at the end of the day, it was still a fairly casual get-together with friends and family.

  Whereas meeting her parents was much more intimate.

  And intimidating.

  And now that she realized just how much her actions mimicked her parents, she wanted to find Austin and apologize.

  And then run away with him so neither of them had to deal with her parents.

  “Wishful thinking.”

  She lost track of time and felt more than a little mentally exhausted by the time she forced herself to stand. When she turned toward the house, she spotted someone on Austin’s deck. Frowning, she stood and observed for a minute. From this distance, she couldn’t tell who he was, only how he was in a suit and looked completely out of place here on the beach.

  Slowly, she made her way up to Austin’s place and walked up the steps and found the man peeking through the glass doors to look inside. “May I help you?” she asked with a bit of attitude.

  He turned around and Mia felt like taking a step back—or running. Up close, he was much bigger than she realized. Taking his sunglasses off, he seemed equally miffed to see her. “I’m looking for Austin Coleman,” he said stiffly. “I was expecting him to be here.”

  “Oh, um…he mentioned having to go and pick up some fixtures and would be back this afternoon,” she said. “I’m sure if you had an appointment with him…” The sound of his phone ringing interrupted her and he turned away without even offering an apology.

  Rude.

  “No, it’s fine,” she heard him say. “I was just out on the deck looking in and thought you’d be here.” He paused. “Okay.” Another pause and then he turned and looked at Mia. “No, there’s a woman here who looks rather peeved that I’m staring into the house.”

  Seriously? He was going to talk about her when she was standing right there?

  “Are you Mia?” he asked.

  Standing a little straighter, she nodded.

  “Here she is,” he said before handing the phone to her.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mia, it’s Austin.”

  “Hey,” she said softly, hating how this guy was staring at her while she talked. So she turned her back to him. “What’s going on?”

  “That’s Ryder. My friend who owns the house,” he explained, and she wanted to groan because she wasn’t particularly friendly to him. “I got a little held up while picking up the lights and I’m still about an hour away. I know it’s a lot to ask, but is it okay if Ryder hangs out at your place? I’m guessing he doesn’t have his key with him and there’s no spare anywhere.”

  Now she really wanted to groan.

  “Um…I guess, but…I’m getting ready for…” And she stopped herself from even bringing up her folks. “It’s fine. Sure. No problem.”

  “Thanks, I really appreciate it, and I’ll try to get back as fast as I can.”

  “Well, don’t speed and risk getting a ticket. I’m sure we’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

  He laughed softly. “Let me talk to Ryder again and I’ll be there soon.”

  After saying a quick goodbye, she handed the phone back to Ryder and waited for Austin to tell him what the plan was. Once they were done, she was surprised when Ryder looked at her and smiled as he held his hand out to her.

  “I guess now would be a good time to be formally introduced,” he said. “I’m Ryder Ashford.”

  “Hi,” she replied pleasantly. “Mia Kingsley.”

  “The author?” He released her hand and his smile grew when she nodded. “I’m a big fan of your work. And it’s a pleasure to meet you. Austin tells me you live next door and it’s okay if I wait with you for him to get back.”

  All she could do was nod and lead the way back to her place.

  The timing sucked because there were things she wanted to do before her parents' arrival and considering she had no idea how long she had sat down by the water, she had no clue how much time she had before they showed up. Her mind was racing, but she wanted to be a good hostess to Ryder—even if it wasn’t particularly necessary.

  “I’m sure you’re anxious to see all the work Austin’s been doing on your house,” she said as they walked up the steps to her place. “He’s accomplished quite a bit since I’ve been here and it’s all gorgeous.”

  Ryder nodded and followed her into the house. He stopped in his tracks and let out a low whistle. “Who is your decorator?”

  “Oh, um…I have no idea. I’m just renting the place for a few months. I don’t own it.”

  “Do you know the owners? This is exactly the kind of look I’d love to have next door.” He glanced around and seemed hesitant to move. “Do you mind if I look around?”

  She motioned for him to go on. “You can tour the whole place if you’d like.” This time it was her phone interrupting them and it was a text from her mother stating they had taken an earlier flight and would be arriving shortly. Muttering a curse, she put the phone down and smiled apologetically at Ryder. “I hate to be rude, but I’m expecting my parents any minute and need to go change. Feel free to walk around as much as you want and I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  She was practically sprinting from the room before he had a chance to respond.

  Fifteen minutes later, Mia felt a little more relaxed. She changed into a pair of soft harem pants with a cami and a cashmere cardigan over it. Simple and somewhat elegant. Her hair was loose and wavy and with any luck, no one was going to find fault with it. With one last glance around her bedroom, she checked to make sure everything was in its place before stepping out into the living room.

  Where she spotted Ryder pouring her parents a glass of wine in the kitchen.

  Geez, way to make yourself at home…

  Pasting a smile on her face, Mia walked over to join them. After a round of hugs and kisses to her mother and father, she accepted a glass of wine from Ryder.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” he said smoothly. “Your father mentioned how tedious their flight was and spotted the wine and I offered to open it for them.”

  With her smile still in place, she replied, “It’s fine.” Then turning to her parents, she added, “I’m sorry I wasn’t the one to greet you. I wasn’t expecting you to arrive so early.”

  “We did text,” her mother said with a serene smile. “And honestly, your friend Ryder has been a delight.”

  A delight? Seriously?

  “You didn’t mention you were dating anyone, Mia,” her father chimed in. “Ryder was just telling us how he’s investing in some of the local real estate here in Magnolia Sound, and I invited him to come to Boston and look at some property there.”

  “How long was I in the bedroom?” she murmured. “And Ryder and I aren’t dating,” she quickly added. “He’s here to look at his house which is right next door and he was locked out.”

  “It’s true,” Ryder explained. “My contractor was out and I foolishly arrived without letting him know, so Mia offered to let me wait here until I could get into the house.”

  “Normally I’d lecture you on the foolishness of inviting strangers into your home when you’re a single woman,” her father said, frowning. “Fortunately, we’re here now.”

  “It’s fine, Dad. Austin’s going to be back soon and Ryder’s not really a stranger.”

  “So the two of you have met before?” her mother queried.

  “Well, no. But…Austin has talked about him a lot and I feel like I already know him.”

  “I’m sorry, and who is Austin?” her father asked, and Mia felt the first twinges of a migraine coming on.

  “
Austin is a friend and architect who is doing the bulk of the work on my place,” Ryder said smoothly. “He’s one of the best craftsmen I’ve ever met, and the work he’s been doing is incredible. I’m sure the pictures don’t do it justice.”

  “Wait until you see the master bathroom,” Mia gushed. “It’s incredible. The design is truly beautiful.”

  Ryder smiled. “I really had to let Austin take me out of my comfort zone on this place because I wanted it to have a beach feel to it. If it were up to me, everything would be black and white and industrial looking.” With a low laugh, he shook his head. “Not very beachy at all.”

  “Considering it’s your house, it should be designed exactly the way you want it,” her mother said, and Mia wanted to remind her how she had changed Mia’s designs without worrying what it was that she wanted.

  But she didn’t.

  “I had no idea what I wanted and I’m not very good at design,” Ryder explained. “I’ll have a decorator come in and pick all the furnishings with me when the time comes. But the overall design and finishes were all Austin’s idea, and I was pleased with what we decided on.” He looked over at Mia. “And I’m glad you liked the way the master bath turned out. It was hard to tell from the pictures because I was seeing the room in pieces. I’m looking forward to walking in and seeing the whole thing.”

  “You’re going to be very pleased,” she told him before taking a sip of her wine.

  “All of my other places are fairly masculine—almost too much so, I’ve been told,” he said with a small laugh. “So this was really a stretch for me.”

  “How many places do you own?” her father asked, and Mia silently groaned.

  “Why don’t we go and sit out on the deck?” she suggested. “I know it’s a bit overcast, but the breeze is lovely and…”

  “Mia, sweetheart, I’m not in the mood to get all windblown,” her mother replied, waving her off. “Can’t we just sit in the living room and relax and catch up?”

  “Of course,” she replied meekly, motioning to the sofas. “I’m just going to open the sliding doors to let a breeze in.”

  Her parents sat on one and Mia found herself sitting next to Ryder—almost too close for comfort—but she chose to say nothing.

  Again.

  “So, Ryder,” her mother began as she got comfortable, “where else do you have property?”

  “I’m based out of Richmond, Virginia, but most of my personal properties are here on the East Coast. I’ve invested in several businesses across the U.S., but I find I’m partial to this part of the country to live. Everyplace else is fine to visit, but this is where I call home.” He took a sip of his wine as his free arm came to rest along the back of the sofa.

  And almost around Mia’s shoulders.

  She stiffened and sat up straighter to try to put some distance between them. Plus, it would be nice if her parents focused on her instead of gushing over Ryder.

  “How was your flight?” she asked, forcing a smile on her face.

  “Mia, we told you it was tedious,” her father said with a hint of boredom. “It’s like you weren’t listening.”

  “No, you told Ryder about your flight. I wasn’t out here yet.” Both her parents looked mildly annoyed by her snippy tone, but she didn’t care. “I’m sorry it was tedious for you.”

  “The local airport is tiny,” her mother said with distaste. “I swear there was only one ticket counter.” She shuddered. “I’m relieved we won’t be flying out of there. It’s like a one-horse town scenario. Haven’t we made enough strides in the aviation industry so places like that airport are no longer used?”

  “Mom, I’ve flown in and out of it several times when I’ve come down to visit Sydney and it’s actually very efficient. And the staff are all extremely friendly. You would have been pleasantly surprised if you had given it a chance.”

  Rather than reply, her mother simply wrinkled her nose with distaste.

  “Ryder,” her father began, and Mia inwardly groaned. “Where did you go to school?”

  “The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Arvin,” he replied smoothly. “Graduated in the top five in my class.”

  And cue the gushing…

  “Oh, how impressive! Isn’t that impressive, Mia?” her mother asked and all Mia could make herself do was smile and nod.

  “Do you do any international business?” her father asked.

  “I minored in East Asian Languages & Civilizations and did a semester in Tokyo. I made some good friends while I was there who I’ve done some work with after graduation. It’s not something I’m overly interested in, but it’s nice to dabble once in a while.”

  “You’re fluent in Japanese, then,” Arvin said as if it was a given.

  “Of course,” Ryder replied proudly. “As well as French, Italian, and Latin.”

  “Latin and Italian are basically the same,” Mia said softly and caught her mother’s disapproving glare.

  “Well, there are definitely similarities,” Ryder explained as he leaned a little closer. “But I opted to learn the more…shall we say…vulgar or common Latin. The original dead language as opposed to the prettied-up version they teach in most high schools today.”

  “For what purpose?” Mia asked, feeling like Ryder was overly pompous and she couldn’t believe he and Austin were actually friends.

  Then she remembered Austin was friends with Ryder’s brother and not directly with Ryder.

  Thank God…

  Shrugging, Ryder took another sip of his wine. “I like a challenge.” He smiled at her. “What about you, Mia? Haven’t you ever done anything just for the challenge of it?”

  She felt the weight of three pairs of eyes on her and suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. Luckily, this was her mother’s cue to praise her only child, and Mia was more than willing to let her talk. Meanwhile, she threw back the rest of her wine and wished like hell that Austin was here.

  And not just to take Ryder away, but here beside her to give her some confidence.

  Boy, I really screwed this up…

  “Six languages?” Ryder exclaimed, snapping her out of her reverie. “That means you should be able to do your own translations of your books, right?”

  “Oh, um…”

  “Please,” her mother said with a dainty snort. “Her publisher doesn’t realize just how brilliant Mia is. They have someone edit her work! Edit it! Can you imagine? My daughter was at the top of her class as an English major and they have some…some…community college person editing her work! It’s a disgrace!”

  “Mom…”

  But Beverly simply waved her off before returning her attention to Ryder again. “You really should join us for dinner, Ryder. We were planning on taking Mia out and Arvin and I would be thrilled if you’d join us.”

  “Mom,” she repeated with a little more force.

  And got waved off again. “Don’t mind her. She’s so worried about her edits that she didn’t even want us to stop in and visit!” Then she glanced at Mia. “I’m sure if you truly applied yourself, you’d be done with whatever piddly corrections you have to do. And I’d think you would be pleased to spend time with us and someone as interesting as Ryder! Honestly, it’s like the two of you are perfectly suited for each other. You have so much in common!”

  The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them interrupted anything Mia was going to say. And when she turned around, she saw Austin standing by the screen door.

  The two of you are perfectly suited for each other. You have so much in common!

  Austin’s fists were clenched at his side and he was ready to storm in and take Ryder by the throat and demand he get away from Mia. But once he took a moment to calm down, he realized Ryder was exactly the kind of man she should be with—someone educated, intellectual, and wealthy.

  He had nothing even remotely close to what Ryder could offer her.

  “Mia, who is that person?” Austin had to assume that was her mother askin
g and he swore she sounded like the northern version of Aunt Georgia.

  Great. There’s two of them…

  Mia jumped up and walked over to him, and he could see she looked nervous.

  Probably because I’m interrupting her time with her potential new boyfriend…

  “Hey,” she said softly. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  He knew his eyes went wide. “Really?”

  Leaning in close, she said, “Please get Ryder out of here. I swear both of my parents are a little in love with him and…” She groaned. “Can you just please take him?”

  For a minute he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or if he just wanted to laugh out loud.

  Ultimately, he went for relief and made his way across the room to his friend. “Hey, Ryder!” They shook hands as Ryder stood. “Sorry for the delay. I didn’t know you were coming into town.”

  “It was a spur of the moment thing,” Ryder replied. “But now that you’re here, I am anxious to go next door and see what you’ve accomplished. Mia was telling me how spectacular the master bath came out.”

  Turning, Austin smiled at her and saw her blush and wished he could go over and kiss her, but…

  This time he turned and addressed her parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley, I’m Austin Coleman. It’s nice to meet you.” He shook both their hands and he really regretted how he was in a pair of ripped jeans and an old t-shirt. Compared to the rest of them, he definitely looked like the hired help.

  That’s because you are the hired help…

  “You’re the contractor, right?” Mia’s father asked.

  He gave a curt nod. “Yes, Sir.”

  “Well, we’d love to see the house too,” he said, sounding hopeful. “After hearing Ryder talk about it, I know my curiosity is piqued.”

  “Dad, this is the first time Ryder’s seeing everything. It’s probably not a great time to…”

  “Nonsense!” Ryder said. “I’d love for you both to come and see it, and I’m sure Austin would be happy to show off his craftsmanship, right?”