Since You've Been Gone (Welcome to Paradise) by Kennedy Elle

Author:Kennedy, Elle [Kennedy, Elle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2013-10-21T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Mari was oddly nervous when they reached Austin’s mother’s place forty-five minutes later. The house reminded her of Nate’s, a rustic two-story structure with an enormous porch and pretty green shutters. Her nervousness increased as the murmur of voices drifted from behind the tall wooden gate to the side of the house.

The half dozen cars parked on the dusty drive told her that the birthday party was in full swing. Nate’s pickup truck was already there since Nate and Charlotte had gone ahead of them, which had been a stalling maneuver on Austin’s part. Mari knew he’d purposely waited for his older brother to leave first so Nate wouldn’t get a chance to demand answers about Austin’s big reveal.

“Come on, we should go inside,” Austin said with a sigh.

Mari nodded. “’Kay.” As they got out of the SUV, she continued to admire Della Bishop’s house. “Why are all the houses in this town so freaking pretty?”

Austin smiled faintly. “’Cause Owen builds them.”

“He built this one too?”

“Yup. After Dad—” His expression darkened “Henry,” he amended. “After Henry died, Mom didn’t want to keep living in the house she’d raised us in. She needed a fresh start, so Owen and his crew immediately got working on the plans for this place.”

They climbed the porch steps and approached the front door, which was painted a lovely hunter green. Wind chimes hanging from the porch posts jingled in the evening breeze, making Mari smile. It really was the perfect evening for a party. The sun had already set, but the sky still held the orangey hue of the sunset, and the air was warm and sultry.

Mari breathed in all that fresh mountain air, a sense of serenity fluttering through her. She didn’t understand this strange connection she felt toward Paradise. She’d only been here a few hours, yet she felt so comfortable and relaxed. She felt…at home.

Austin didn’t ring the doorbell, which reminded her of the fact that this was home. To him, anyway. They walked into a bright and airy front hall, where the only artwork on the off-white walls happened to be Austin’s photographs—she recognized some of the shots from the online portfolio Austin had shown her during their road trip.

Seeing them again only cemented her opinion that he was unbelievably talented. His style was an odd combination of stark and elegant, and he’d told her he didn’t do any digital touch-ups after the fact, which she appreciated. She loved Photoshop as much as the next person, but she disliked the way some artists relied too heavily on the tool.

“You’re here!”

The overjoyed exclamation came from the doorway to their left. Mari turned her head in time to see a petite older woman bounding toward Austin. From sheer joy shining on her face, Mari instantly knew that this was Austin’s mother.

Like Charlotte, Della was petite but carried herself in a way that made her seem taller. She vaguely resembled her son in terms of features, but while Austin’s hair was dark, Della’s was dark blond and threaded with silver, and her eyes were brown rather than green.

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