The Way the Story Goes Read online

  Mia could see him so clearly and it wouldn’t surprise her if it were what her guy next door looked like.

  She typed until her hands cramped and her back ached. Straightening, she pressed her hands to her lower back and stretched. Her moan was a combination of pleasure and pain, but she welcomed it. It meant she was productive—a feeling she hadn’t felt in far too long. When her stomach growled, she took it as her cue to stop and get something to eat. With thirty pages already written, she knew she deserved a break.

  And as she skipped down the stairs and heard the sound of hammering, all she could do was smile.

  She had plans for that hammer in her next scene.

  The big old house looked good. Different. And a lifetime of memories hit him as he stood in the driveway and stared up at it.

  Austin Coleman studied his great-grandfather’s home. It belonged to his Aunt Susannah now, who converted it into a bed-and-breakfast, but to him it was still Pops’ house.

  Always had been.

  Always would be.

  He’d been back in Magnolia Sound for two weeks, but as far as his family knew, he’d just gotten in. It wasn’t like he had set out to lie to anyone, but his reasons for being here weren’t something he was particularly proud of. No doubt once word got out, all the old labels would get slapped back on him.

  Hell-raiser.

  Wild child.

  Just like his old man.

  Yeah, that last one burned the most.

  Austin was nothing like his old man—mainly because he actually came back to Magnolia and his family.

  Just…not under the best of circumstances.

  Good ol’ Pops had made it possible for Austin and his brothers to go to college, and Austin swore he’d make something of himself—and he had. Becoming an architect required hard work and made him focus on something other than his anger at the world. After he graduated college and joined a large commercial firm up in Baltimore, he felt like he reinvented himself.

  Unfortunately, there was still a bit of wildness in him and it usually came out at the wrong time or on the wrong person—or both.

  The sound of footsteps had him turning and Austin smiled as his cousin Sam Westbrook walked across the yard.

  “The prodigal son returns,” Sam said, grabbing Austin in a headlock like he used to do when they were kids. Sam was almost six years older and Austin grew up idolizing him. This was the first time they’d seen each other in years and it felt good to be on more equal footing with him.

  “Hey, Sam,” Austin said, shaking his hand once he got free of the headlock and smoothed his dark hair.

  “Your mom mentioned you were coming back to town, but I wasn’t sure you’d be able to make it today.”

  Austin slid his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, well…it’s been a long time and I figured it would be good to see everyone.”

  Nodding, Sam studied him. “So how’ve you been? How long are you here for?”

  Good question…

  “I’m doing well,” he replied and contemplated how much to say about his stay in town. “And I’m actually here working on a house for a friend.”

  “Really? That’s awesome! How did that come about?”

  “I was hanging out with a buddy of mine from college along with his older brother and the subject turned to beach houses. So, of course, I mentioned how I grew up in a beach town—or near one,” he corrected, since his family lived on the outskirts of town, on the other side of the bridge.

  Sam nodded.

  “Anyway, Ryder’s some sort of big-shot financial guy—like an investor. Anyway, we were all hanging out one night and Ryder was talking about wanting a place at the beach that wasn’t too touristy and I mentioned Magnolia to him. Next thing I know, he’s buying a place.”

  “Wow,” Sam said. “And Ryder’s the older brother?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s great, but…if he’s got money, why buy here? I mean, of all the coastal towns he could pick from, why here? It’s a small town.”

  “This is what he wanted,” Austin explained. “He didn’t want to be in a big city or some big vacation destination, so…here we are.”

  “So you designed the house and he bought land to build it on?”

  “No, he bought a place right on the beach, but it needs a lot of work. He has a crew coming to do all the exterior stuff, but I designed the interior stuff. You know, tearing everything down to the studs and going from there.”

  Sam nodded again. “And you’re overseeing it all? Like making sure it’s all done right?”

  “Uh…not exactly,” Austin said, raking a hand through his dark hair. “I’m doing the bulk of the work myself.”

  The look of shock on Sam’s face spoke volumes.

  “I was bored sitting behind a desk all day and just walking around job sites or sitting in the construction trailer. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten my hands dirty and this seemed like a great job to take on.”

  “Mm-hmm…”

  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that his cousin wasn’t quite buying it.

  “The timing works in my favor too,” he went on. “It’s not quite tourist season yet so I’m not stuck dealing with the crowds or worrying too much about the noise.”

  “No neighbors around?”

  “There are a few,” Austin replied. “But I don’t think it’s a problem. The couple in the house on the left stopped by and introduced themselves. They only come out on the weekends.”

  “And the house on the right?”

  He shrugged. “No idea. I saw a woman out on the deck once but haven’t seen her since. And I thought I saw a car in the driveway a few days ago, but it’s gone now too, so…”

  “If it gets noisy enough, I’m sure you’ll hear from someone,” Sam said with a short laugh. “Trust me. I do landscaping and it seems someone always has something to say about the noise.”

  “Personally, I don’t think I’ve been that bad, plus most of the stuff I’ve done has been inside. It’s not like I’m working on the exterior of the house. How bad could it be?”

  Sam just shook his head and laughed. “You’d be surprised what’s bad to some people.”

  “I guess.”

  “What’s your timeframe like?”

  “Ryder’s not in a rush. He wants it done right.”

  “And your job back in Baltimore? Are they just willing to wait for you or did something happen there that you don’t want to talk about?”

  Austin let out a quiet snort.

  And if anyone understood him, it was Sam. They were alike in a lot of ways and their rebellious nature was one of them. So rather than answer, he just changed the subject slightly.

  “The good thing about this job is it kills two birds with one stone. I get a break from my normal routine and I can spend some time with my mom and hopefully get to see Garrett and Jackson at some point. Once we all left for college, it seems like it’s been impossible to get us in the same place at the same time except for random holidays or weddings. Any chance either of them is here for this?”

  A bark of laughter was Sam’s first response. “Dude, it’s my mom’s birthday and a small family barbecue. It’s not like this is anything big. Just your average family get-together.”

  With a shrug, he chuckled. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.” He looked toward the big house again. “The place really does look great. Pops would be proud.”

  Sam glanced at the house and nodded. “Well, Coleman Construction really did a wonderful job of freshening everything up without changing anything. And honestly, it was because Jake was the lead on the job. I think because he essentially grew up coming over here and was so close to Pops, he didn’t want to see it change much either.”

  Austin nodded. Every now and again he felt a twinge of jealousy toward Jake Summerford. Pops had left him the construction business—something Austin would have loved to have for himself. Of course, at the time of his great-grandfather’s death, he was heading t
o college and far too young to head up a massive business. But sometimes it still burned.

  I guess good things only happen to other people…

  “You know, if you’re going to be sticking around for a while, you should talk to Jake about helping you out with anything you may need for the house,” Sam suggested. “I mean, I know you worked construction for years while you were in school, but he can probably help you out with materials and helpers, if you want.”

  It wasn’t something he wanted to commit to right now, especially since he wanted to do the work himself.

  And keep all the profits too.

  Unlike the rest of the Coleman family, Austin and his brothers didn’t have it so easy. Because their father walked out on them when they were small—leaving his mother alone to raise three boys—they always struggled. Sam and Mallory grew up in a similar situation—and not in Magnolia—but to him, he and his brothers had it worse. It didn’t matter that he’d had a good job up in Baltimore or that he’d learned to live frugally and invest his money; the fact was that if he ever wanted to get ahead and have his own firm, he needed to bank as much money as possible while he could.

  Like now.

  And if that meant working day and night on Ryder’s house, he’d do it.

  No matter how backbreaking it was.

  “I’ll think about it,” he said when he realized Sam was still looking at him. Letting out a long breath, he looked at the house again. “So, who all is here?”

  “Um…well, obviously my mom and Colton.”

  “Obviously.”

  “Me and Shelby, Jake and Mallory and their little girl, Mason and Scarlett and their son, Peyton, Parker, your mother…oh, and Uncle Beau and Aunt Georgia.”

  “Great,” he murmured and was relieved when Sam laughed.

  “Yeah, I still feel like that when I hear they’re going to be someplace,” he confided. “But believe it or not, they are mellowing.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Then brace yourself. Mason’s wife made a huge impact on their family and is kind of famous for putting Aunt Georgia in her place whenever she gets a little too snooty.”

  “So she just corrects her all the time then,” he deadpanned.

  Sam laughed loudly at that. “Not as much as she used to, but in the beginning? Pretty much. Ever since Asher was born, Scarlett’s mellowed a bit, but then again, so has Aunt Georgia. Not that I’m saying she won’t say something that will rub you the wrong way, but…you can certainly steer clear of her if you really try.”

  “Somehow, I doubt it. If there’s one thing I remember about her, it’s like she’s got some sort of sixth sense when someone she considers weaker—or poorer—than her enters the room. God knows she’s always brutal with my mom.”

  “Believe it or not, that’s changed a bit too. Again, thanks to Scarlett. I really think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

  “It takes a lot to surprise me these days, Sam.”

  “Then brace yourself, little cousin,” Sam said, playfully wrapping an arm around Austin’s shoulders. “The Coleman family has changed a lot over the last few years and while I can’t say we’re perfect, we’re certainly a lot closer.”

  Unable to help himself, Austin chuckled. “Are we sure that’s a good thing?”

  “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” He paused. “You ready to head in?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  2

  “So I think I’ve finally managed to kick my writer’s block.”

  “Really? That’s awesome! I knew coming to the beach would be good for you. Just like I knew you’d be able to ignore the noise coming from the house next door.”

  “Yeah, no. I haven’t been able to ignore it.”

  “Oh. Then what finally helped?”

  “I’m imagining killing my next-door neighbor,” Mia said as she rubbed her temple.

  “Um…what?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m not only imagining it, I’m writing it. Started a new book about it and everything. I’ve written about thirty thousand words on it already.”

  “Yikes,” her best friend Sydney said. It was Sunday night and they were chatting on the phone. “Shouldn’t you be working on…you know…your current book?”

  “I wish I could! This guy is so damn loud all day long! Yesterday, he was gone for most of the day and it was glorious. But other than that, he’s been working on the house. And just when I think he’s done—like no more power tools running—he turns on some music and sings along with it while he grills his dinner. Loudly.”

  “How do you loudly grill?”

  “Not the grilling, Syd, the singing. The singing is just ridiculously loud. And awful. He seriously can’t carry a tune and doesn’t seem to care.”

  “Okay, so you’re still cranky.”

  “Oh, this isn’t cranky, this is motivated. You see, I’ve come up with the perfect plot for this book. My PI is going to go and investigate a missing handyman and he’s going to interview all the neighbors and people he’s worked for and they’ll all have motives to kill him because he’s so damn loud and annoying.”

  “Mia, come on. That’s a thin plot and you know it. I get that you’re frustrated with the way things are going, but have you called your rental agent and complained? Maybe they know the owner next door and can talk to him.”

  “I called the rental agent twice and now she’s not returning my calls. You know what that means, right?”

  “She’s busy?”

  “It’s the off-season at the beach! How busy could she be? Meanwhile, I’m ready to lose my mind because he’s so inconsiderate!”

  “Have you told him he’s being inconsiderate?”

  Mia sighed loudly. “What do you think? You know I’m not confrontational.”

  “Okay. I get it,” Sydney said slowly. “But maybe you can go over there and talk to him and maybe come to some sort of agreement where he’s not using power tools at all hours of the day and night.”

  She sighed wearily. “I already called the town and he’s completely within the hours where he’s allowed to make that kind of noise with the tools. It’s no one’s fault but mine that I enjoy sleeping in and need some peace and quiet to focus on this book. Although, this was the kind of noise I was dealing with back in Boston. Maybe I should just go home…”

  “No! Come on. You just got here,” Sydney argued. “It’s going to get better. I promise.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t have time to keep dealing with this sort of thing. I’m already behind schedule…”

  “How about this—I’ll come over tomorrow and spend the entire day. This will be the first time we can actually…you know…work together! And considering I’m your assistant, that’s just weird.”

  “I guess it would be good for us to start planning ahead for the next release and talk strategy…”

  “Exactly. Then, while I’m there, I’ll get a feel for what the noise pattern is and how to help you work around it. And—if need be—I’ll go over and talk to this guy. I’m pregnant and most people won’t argue with an emotional pregnant woman. Or better yet, we’ll have Kyle go over and talk to him. You know, handyman to handyman.”

  “Your husband is not a handyman…”

  “You know what I’m saying, Mia. He can be like a spy for us! He’ll go over and scout out the situation and get a feel for how much longer this nonsense is going to go on. Come on, what do you say?”

  “I say I’m ready to pull my hair out of my head!”

  “Well, don’t do that. You happen to have gorgeous hair, so…no. Just no.”

  With a weary sigh, she said, “Fine. But something’s got to give soon or the only thing you’re going to have to worry about is bailing me out of jail.”

  “Okay, drama queen. Save that rage for the murderer in your book.”

  “As of right now, I could be the murderer in my book.”

  “Mia…”

  “Fine. I will try to have
a better attitude, but you’ll see when you’re here tomorrow just how awful it is.”

  “We could always switch houses. We don’t have a fantastic view of the ocean, but it’s quiet.”

  Mia knew she was only joking and couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ll be sorry when I take you up on that offer.”

  “Um…no I won’t. Your house is spectacular and almost three times the size of mine, so…yeah. It wouldn’t be a hardship for me to stay there.”

  It was a ridiculous thing for them to be talking about and Mia did have some errands to run so she knew they would talk about the noise and the nuisance tomorrow.

  “What time do you want to come over tomorrow? Lunchtime?”

  “That works for me and I’ll bring the lunch.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Syd. I’m getting ready to go to the grocery store now. I can pick something up for us.”

  “Nope. It’s my treat.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Go do your thing and try not to kill your neighbor—except in the book. In the book you can do whatever you want if it helps you with your rage.”

  “Oh, believe me. It does.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When they hung up, Mia walked around and gathered her purse, keys, and sunglasses. Her car was in the garage so she didn’t have to go outside and even chance running into Mr. Power Tools.

  She snorted a laugh at the nickname she’d given him.

  “Maybe I’ll put that in the book,” she mused as she walked down the stairs to the garage.

  For the next hour she was able to push all thoughts of noise and nuisances out of her mind while she browsed the aisles of the local grocery store. She loved to cook and as crazy as it was, food shopping was actually a joy rather than a chore for her. So, she found the best produce, picked out some choice pieces of meat for some dinners, and marveled at the fresh seafood. Living on the beach definitely had its perks, and as she put items in her shopping cart and planned her meals, Mia found herself smiling.