And Then One Day (Magnolia Sound Book 4)

by Samantha Chase

  Straightening, she looked at him and frowned. “What are you saying–that you’ve already done the inspections and you want to buy and flip this place?”

  “Um, no.” Carefully, he guided her to stand up and then did the same. With his arm around her, Dean pointed out to the view. “I know it’s a cliche, but…this is kind of a million-dollar view.”

  She looked out at the Sound. “That it is.”

  “And I would think anyone who lived here would love it, right?”

  “Well…yeah. It’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t love it?”

  He grew quiet, but his gaze stayed on the water. “Do you love it?”

  “Dean, it doesn’t matter if I love it or not. If we’re just going to flip it…”

  “What if we flipped it for us,” he said and she heard the slight tremor in his voice–the uncertainty.

  “Us? As in you and me owning a place that belonged to the two of us? Like from the very beginning?”

  Looking at her, he nodded. “Yeah. Like from this day forward.”

  She let out her own shaky breath. “I like the sound of that a lot.”

  Now he turned to stand right in front of her. “Court, this is something I really want–a place that we get to put our own stamp on and a place where we really start our lives. I’m not saying it has to be this house; we can start looking online together until we find the perfect place for us.”

  The house checked all her boxes and she knew they’d be crazy to let it slip through their fingers. And if Dean already knew it was something they could afford, why wait?

  “I really like this house and I can already envision some of the things I want to do with it! I saw some great ideas for a bathroom that I think we can try here! When can we start?”

  “Well, there is one thing we need to take care of before we can put in an offer.”

  “Really? What?”

  He dropped to one knee in front of her, her hand in his. “Courtney Baker, I am so glad you took a chance that night not so long ago. You kissed me and I haven’t been the same since. I can’t remember a time when you weren’t in my life, and I want you there every day for the rest of my life.” He paused and pulled a small ring box from his pocket. Opening it, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

  “Oh my God,” she whispered as her hands went over her mouth.

  “This ring was my mother’s. My dad’s been holding on to it for me, for this moment. But if you want something different, that’s fine too. I know it’s not particularly flashy and a little more antique in design…”

  When she saw the nervous look on Dean’s face, she immediately lowered her hands. The ring was spectacular and she almost wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  “Um…Court?” he prompted.

  With a happy laugh, she nodded. “Yes! Yes, I will marry you!” He stood and kissed her soundly before stepping back to place the ring on her finger. Courtney held her hand up and simply stood in awe of it all. She faced the water as Dean moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I think this was the most perfect day ever.”

  “You think so?”

  She nodded as tears stung her eyes. “Do you know how many times I dreamed of this? How all the times Scarlett and I would play wedding dress-up, you were always who I wanted the groom to be? This is like a dream…and it still feels hard to believe sometimes.”

  Kissing her cheek, he said, “It shouldn’t. This is always where we were meant to be. I mean, one day you were just a friend.”

  She smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. “And then one day, you were mine.”

  Dean smiled back. “And you were mine.”

  IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW

  A Preview

  Chapter One

  “Success.” Mason Bishop looked around the room with a satisfied grin. Sure, he was alone and talking to himself, but he was alone in a place of his own and it was beyond exciting. It was something he should have done a long time ago, but…here he was.

  Collapsing down on his new sectional, he studied his surroundings with a sense of accomplishment. Had he known how satisfying it was going to feel, he might not have moved back in with his family after he finished college five years ago. Hindsight and all. Relaxing against the cushions he realized that as much as he hated the way things had gone down a week ago, it was exactly the impetus he needed to get him here.

  Of course the fact that his cousin Sam kept poking at him because he still lived with his parents helped moved things along, but…

  As if on cue, his phone rang and Sam’s name came on the screen.

  “Hey!”

  “So?” Sam asked giddily. “Is it glorious? Please tell me it’s glorious!”

  Mason couldn’t help but laugh. “I just put the last of the boxes in the trash so I haven’t had the time for it to feel particularly glorious yet, but…”

  “Okay, fine. Pretend, for crying out loud. You’re in your own place and it’s filled with your own stuff. Doesn’t it feel great?”

  It would be fun to keep needling each other, but to what end? “You know what? It does,” he said with a big grin. “I slept here last night but there were boxes and crap everywhere. Now everything is put away and...yeah, I guess it is kind of glorious.”

  “There you go! Now don’t you feel like a complete idiot for waiting for so long?”

  “Weren’t you living with your mom up until a couple of months ago?”

  “Dude, that was totally different. I’d been living on my own up in Virginia for years. It was only when I was forced to move here that I chose to live with my mother. Apples and oranges.”

  “Maybe.”

  “No maybes about it,” Sam countered. “And now Shelby and I are living together and it’s awesome.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea? Moving in together so soon? Her father’s a pastor. The gossip mill must be going crazy with the news!”

  “Thanks. Like I needed the reminder,” Sam deadpanned.

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “C’mon, are you telling me there’s been no backlash? No one spouting how you’re living in sin and whatnot?”

  Sam let out a low laugh. “Oh, they spout it all the time, but we’re good with it. We both know this is it for us and if anyone really starts hassling us, we’re more than okay with going to the courthouse, making it legal, and shutting everyone up.”

  Mason was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor. “Are you serious? Making it…? Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?!”

  That just made Sam laugh harder. “When you know, you know. And with Shelby…I know.”

  And damn if he couldn’t hear his cousin’s smile.

  It was enough to make a guy sick.

  “Wow…just…” He let out a long breath. “I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

  “Yeah, well…me either. But like I said, she’s it for me. But I appreciate the uh…concern.” He laughed again. “That’s what that was, right? You being concerned?”

  “Um…yeah. Sure. We can call it that,” Mason said with a snicker. “We’re family and we just look out for each other, right?”

  “Yes, we do. But enough about me. Weren’t we talking about you and the decisions you’re making for your own life?” He paused. “You know I was seriously just thinking of your own sanity, Mason. Every day I watched you die a little more while under your parents’ thumbs.”

  “I know and now that it’s done, I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner–like as soon as I graduated college.”

  “Hell, I’m still surprised you opted to move back here at all.”

  Raking a hand through his hair, he looked up at the ceiling. “I tossed around the idea of moving somewhere else, but…believe it or not, I like it here. I see all the things I want to do and help change. And if it means I have to live under the watchful eye of my folks, I’ll live.”

  “They’ll get hobbies eventually, right?” Sam teased.

>   “God, I hope so.”

  “They will. And either way, this move is going to be great for you. Trust me.”

  He didn’t need his cousin to tell him that. He already knew it.

  He could feel it too.

  Last night when he’d carried in the last box and closed the door behind him, Mason felt like he had taken his first free breath.

  Sad, right?

  “I do trust you and I know the time was right because everything fell into place. The house–even though it’s only a rental–is the perfect size for me. In a couple of years, I might be ready to buy a place, but for now this works.”

  “If you’d make a damn decision on the bar Pops left you, you know you could have afforded something of your own. I mean, why are you holding on to this place? Let it go already!”

  Yeah, everyone had been in his face about The Mystic Magnolia and Mason had to admit, the whole thing still stumped him. Everyone else got an inheritance that made sense except him. Granted, he never felt the closeness to Pops his sisters or his cousins did, but to be left a decrepit old bar just seemed like a slap in the face.

  Although–if he were being honest–he’d admit there was one tiny reason he was still holding on to it…

  “I’ll deal with it when I’m ready,” he stated, unwilling to let his mind wander any more than it already had. “The lawyer said there wasn’t a rush. Everything is being handled–bills are being paid and all so...I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it all.”

  “You mean why Pops gave you the place only old locals go to?” Sam teased. “And I mean old! No one under the age of sixty-five goes there!”

  “Okay, that’s not that old…”

  “C’mon, fess up. Pops took you there when you were younger, didn’t he?” Sam prodded. “The place must hold some significance to you and that’s why he felt like you should be the one to have it.”

  “Why would I go to a bar with my great-grandfather? That’s just...it’s weird, Sam.”

  “Some could say it was like bonding, but whatever.”

  “Look, Pops never took me to The Mystic Magnolia or any other bar so...I’m stumped.”

  “Did he give you a letter? I thought we all got letters.”

  Rubbing a hand over his face, Mason let out a long breath. “He said a lot of things in my letter but none explained why he thought I should get that place.”

  “Really? Huh...that’s strange. What did he say?”

  Ugh...this really wasn’t something he wanted to talk about right now. He was feeling all good and proud of himself and was ready to order a pizza. The thought of being able to kick back and enjoy it here in his new place was awesome. But now his cousin was crapping all over his good mood.

  “Look, you um...you wanna come over for some pizza?” he said, hoping to change the subject. “I was just getting ready to order one when you called.”

  Luckily, Sam could be easily distracted.

  “Wish I could, but rain check, okay? Shelby and I have dinner plans with Jake and Mallory. You wanna join us?”

  The laugh escaped before he could stop it. “Right. Why wouldn’t I want to be the fifth wheel at dinner? I think I’ll pass.”

  Catching his meaning, Sam laughed. “Yeah. Okay, I get it. Are you going to the benefit concert tomorrow night?”

  “Shit,” he murmured. “Is that tomorrow?”

  Sam chuckled. “Yup. I think your mom bought out the entire VIP section.”

  He groaned. “Of course she did.” He paused. “Wait, the Magnolia Amphitheater has a VIP section? Seriously?”

  “Sure. Most places do.”

  “Still, that place isn’t all that big–like 2,500 seats max.”

  “And that has to do with VIP seats…why?”

  He groaned again. “Never mind. It doesn’t really matter. We’ll all be there so…wait, who’s playing?”

  “A couple of bands, I think. I didn’t pay much attention either, but they’re all somewhat local.”

  “Go have dinner and tell everyone I said hey and I’ll see you at the show tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, sure. Sounds like a plan. Have a good night.”

  “You too.”

  After he hung up, Mason stretched his arms out along the top of the sofa cushions and smiled. He could order some pizza and maybe invite some friends over, instead of his parents and the brutal conversation he’d normally had with them over dinner. It was always about what other people his age were doing or who had just gotten engaged or who would be a suitable spouse for him. Seriously, he loved his parents but their obsession with his life had gotten out of control.

  The breaking point was ten days ago.

  He had come home from work to find his mother drinking wine with a woman he’d never met before. Leslie...something. Mason had figured she was involved in one of his mother’s many charity projects and said a brief hello, then went to go change so he could go for a run.

  That’s when it all went wrong.

  “Mason, sweetie,” his mother said in her best Southern drawl. “You can’t go for a run. You have dinner reservations in thirty minutes with Leslie.”

  The rage he felt in that moment was like nothing he’d ever felt before. In the past, he dealt with being introduced to women his parents thought would be a good match for him and being asked to take out their friends’ daughters, but this was the first time he had been so blatantly ambushed in his own home.

  Forcing a smile onto his face, he looked at Leslie and said, “I’m so sorry you were misled, but...I already have plans this evening.” When he turned to leave the room, his mother had jumped to her feet and started to berate him for being rude.

  “Rude?” he snapped. “You made dinner reservations for me with a stranger without talking to me about it and I’m being rude? This is it! I’m not doing this anymore! You have interfered with my life for the last time!”

  The argument went on for hours and even though his father came home and tried to calm things down, it was too late. The damage was done. Mason had walked to his room, packed a bag and walked out.

  And hadn’t talked to either parent since.

  He spent a week staying at Magnolia on the Beach–a small local hotel–and frantically combed the real estate ads looking for a place to live. The house was a complete godsend and when it was available immediately, he knew it was meant to be his. Furnishing it was a breeze since his cousin Mallory, who owned the local decor place, helped him and then his sisters both took turns bringing some of his things from home over to him. They could be total pains in the ass at times, but he was thankful for them right now.

  It was quiet and for a long minute he sat there and enjoyed it and then...not so much. He wasn’t used to the silence at all. Suddenly the thought of sitting home eating pizza wasn’t quite so appealing, but then again, neither was going out to a bar or going out to eat alone.

  Maybe he should’ve been the fifth wheel.

  “This is ridiculous,” he murmured coming to his feet. He’d lived in this town his entire life. Surely he could go out and grab something to eat, maybe run into a friend or two and kill some time before coming back here alone.

  Or maybe...not alone.

  Hell, he could finally bring a woman home instead of either going to her place or going to a motel!

  The idea had merit.

  But then…it didn’t.

  Honestly, he was tired, sweaty, and hungry. There was no shame in admitting that a quiet night in his own home was really what he wanted. Still, now he didn’t want pizza, he wanted something with a little more substance. Feeling like he had a bit of a plan, he walked with purpose into his new en-suite bathroom to shower so he could go out and grab something to eat before settling in for the night with some Netflix.

  “I think my virginity is growing back.”

  “Engine grease under your fingernails isn’t very attractive, Scar. Maybe that’s why guys aren’t banging down your door to ask you out. But that’s just my opinion.”

>   Scarlett Jones looked down at her hands and frowned.

  Damn.

  With a shrug, she walked back into her bathroom to rewash her hands. Yeah, she wasn’t a girly girl. She grew up working in her father’s garage alongside him and her three brothers and it turned out, she really had a gift for working on motorcycles. If the engine grease and the smell of gasoline on her didn’t turn guys off, the fact that she was fiercely independent did.

  Did it bother her? Yes.

  Enough to make her quit? No.

  Glancing up at her reflection, Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with her. In just about every other aspect of her life, she was confident–sometimes overly so. She was smart and caring and always willing to help out anyone in need. Everyone was always saying how great she was.

  And yet, she hadn’t been in a relationship in a long time.

  Like…a really long time.

  Hence the fear of her virginity growing back.

  Turning off the water, she shook out her hands as she continued to stare at herself in the mirror. While there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about her, she was bold enough to know she was attractive, long, wavy brown hair, dark brown eyes, and if she did say so herself, a pretty kick-ass body. So why couldn’t she seem to attract a decent guy?

  “You’re not pissed at me, are you?”

  Reaching for a hand towel, Scarlett pulled herself from her thoughts and looked over at her best friend Courtney. With a smile, she replied, “Nah. That would be a pretty stupid reason to be mad. I had grease under my nails and you were just pointing it out. No biggie.”

  Only…it did bother her.

  Not that Courtney pointed it out, but that it was there in the first place and she hadn’t noticed it.

  And it probably wasn’t the first time.

  “Are you sure? Because you just sort of got up and walked away.”

  Scarlett tossed the towel aside before holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers. “To get rid of the grease!” With a small laugh, she walked past Courtney and back into her bedroom. “Okay, where are we going tonight? Do I need to change?”