The Way the Story Goes (Magnolia Sound #7) - Samantha Chase Page 0,3

that, time ceased to exist. Words appeared on the page and her fingers almost cried out with joy at finally being useful again.

He had a reputation around town.

He could turn any home into your dream home, but it was going to cost you. Whether it was money, time, or your sanity, he would get the job done. Unfortunately, not all clients were satisfied.

And neither were most people he came in contact with.

Colton Maxwell was a son of a bitch, and after working on homes for more than thirty years, he didn’t give a damn what people thought of him. They didn’t like him, but he didn’t like them either. Working on their houses meant he learned a lot about them, knew their secrets and the things they kept hidden from the good people of…

There was no way she was going to use Magnolia Sound—even if this were a story for her own entertainment—so she needed to come up with a name for the town.

“Hmm…”

Shady Creek.

“No. Too obvious.”

Blossom Bay.

“Perfect. With a cheery name like that, you wouldn’t expect there to be a murder.” Feeling good about her new little town, Mia fluffed the pillows behind her and got comfortable again. God, it felt good to see so many words on the page!

In her mind she pictured him as an older man in his fifties, graying hair, beer gut, and a whole lot of attitude. Blue jeans, stained t-shirts, and work boots would be his standard attire, and when he wasn’t bothering the people in town with the sound of his tools, he’d probably bother them with the sound of his obnoxiously loud motorcycle.

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