The Summer He Came Home (13 page)

Were
they all right? Luke’s question echoed inside her head.

Yeah,
Maggie thought,
we’re all just freaking peachy.

To say the garage sale was a success would be an understatement. The weather had cooperated, spilling sunshine and heat onto the field, encouraging the crowds to come early and spend heartily.

The townies were out in full force, and the influx of weekenders and a good number of folk who’d traveled from the city was impressive. The executives who’d organized the event were happily counting their cash, and by noon a good amount of the donated items were long gone. They’d been packed into cars and trucks and trailers and taken away, hopefully never to be seen again.

Cain watched Maggie from across the park.

She was still with Raine, though the toy section they’d been in charge of was very much depleted. She stretched her arms above her head and rolled her shoulders. The tank top she wore emphasized her full breasts, and her legs, with their delicate calves and toned thighs, were once more shown off to perfection.

With her hair hanging in braids, she looked like every man’s fantasy schoolgirl, and the kicker? She wasn’t working it. At all. Just watching her drove him crazy.

Cain groaned and ran his hands across his chin. Even now, here among the families and town folk, in this very public place…all he could think about was her. About having her alone and naked.

He was hard like a geek teenager with no control, and his groin tightened even more as she rubbed the back of her neck, which in turn pushed those delectable breasts tighter against the thin fabric of her shirt.

Her soft curves, hesitant touch, and the flare of passion he’d coaxed from inside her the afternoon before played over and over in his mind. He hadn’t wanted a woman this badly in years. Hell, not even Natasha had touched him the way Maggie did.

It wasn’t just physical either. Sure, she was easy on the eyes and had a body that made his mouth water, but it was so much more than that. Her laughter was contagious, her shy wit captivating, her affection for her son quick and sure.

He loved watching her interact with Michael. The mutual respect and love the two of them shared made him feel empty when he considered what filled his life.

And yet there was so much he didn’t know. Cain’s eyes narrowed as he continued to study her. She was a mystery, this woman, and one he fully intended to unlock.

“You got a thing for her.” Mac handed him a bottle of water and chugged his own back. “Bad.” He tossed his empty bottle into the recycle bin behind them. “Weird, ’cause she’s not your type.”

Irritation pinched Cain’s mouth and he glared at his friend. “How the hell would you know what my type is?”

Mac laughed, a loud, hearty chuckle that turned several heads, including Maggie’s. “You’ve dated models and singers and married an actress and, uh…” He tossed a wicked smile at Cain. “Let me see, there’s the whole groupie thing, which honestly I don’t know much about, but I can only imagine.”

“Well, maybe my tastes have changed.” Cain scowled at Mac and shoved past him.

Luke Jansen strolled up to Maggie and Raine, but Cain’s course was set and he didn’t deviate from it. He clenched his teeth and glared at the large paramedic. The bastard didn’t give up.

“There you are, Cain.” The paper-thin voice stopped him cold. Just like back in the day.

Mrs. Lancaster, the pastor’s wife. He had a sudden urge to look behind him, to make sure trouble wasn’t following in his steps.

He turned quickly and smiled at the little woman before him. She was barely five feet tall, her round frame draped in a blue and yellow print dress that looked as if she’d grabbed it from one of the donated clothes hampers, and her feet were encased in black rubber boots. In her arms she held a basket of daisies that were as white as the perfectly coiffed hair that was pulled back into the tightest bun imaginable.

Cain grinned. Time had stopped at Mrs. Lancaster’s door and left the lady exactly as he remembered. Boots and all.

“How are things, Mrs. Lancaster?” he asked politely. He glanced behind her, and his mood darkened when he spied Luke a little too close to Maggie for his liking.

“Oh my goodness, they’re just fine.” The woman beamed at him and adjusted the large basket in her arms. “I was thrilled when Lauren told me you’d decided to prolong your visit home.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it feels good to be back. You need help with that?” Cain asked.

“Oh no, dear, I’m on my way home. Must help Frank prepare tomorrow’s sermon.” She paused and cocked her head. “It would be awfully nice to have you sing in church again.”

For a second Cain was speechless. He hadn’t sung in service since he was a teenager. In fact, it had been just as long since he had stepped inside a church.

“Don’t look so horrified.” The woman winked and smiled. “You might be surprised how good it feels to come back to the fold. Lord knows, the corruption you face every day must wear you down. All that sex and drugs and…”

Rock
and
roll?

“Well, I’m sure you know what I mean.” Her faded blue eyes narrowed. “Crystal Lake will energize your soul and fill your spiritual well, Cain. If you let it.” She rearranged the daisies and glanced toward Maggie. “It works miracles.”

With that, the slight woman turned and headed toward the parking lot. She disappeared into the throngs of people milling about, and Cain felt the tension on his shoulders leave in a swoosh.

He’d never had a problem with authority figures—teachers, principals, police officers, and so on. But that woman, that small bundle of godliness, had always managed to penetrate his defenses, and after all these years, she still made him nervous as hell.

As if she knew something he didn’t.

He continued on toward Maggie, his steps sure, his strides long. Luke glanced up and narrowed his eyes as a frown crept over his features.

“Black,” Luke said.

Cain ignored him. No one called him Black. Not even Mac or Jake.

“You ready to get out of here, Maggie?”

Her eyes were wary, and for a second he thought she was going to protest. “I…” she began, but Luke cut in.

“She’ll be here for a while.”

Anger shifted beneath his skin, and Cain flexed his fingers before glancing toward the paramedic. “Really.” He gestured behind him. “Seems to me you’ve got a ton of help, and since Maggie was here before the crack of dawn setting up for this sale, I think she’s good on the volunteer front, don’t you?”

“What’s up?” Raine asked as she slid a marker behind her ear and tossed a toy into the reject bin.

“We’re heading back to the lake.” Cain flashed a grin. “You coming?”

“Is Jake going back?”

Her question surprised Cain. He shrugged. “I assume he’ll make his way over. He’s already left to go meet his father.”

Raine rolled her shoulders. “Okay, sounds good. I need a break.” A smile crept over her pale features. “Here comes Michael.”

Michael was running full tilt, his legs pumping hard as he raced toward them, his friend Tommy steps behind. “Cain!” He waved several large sheets of paper in the air. “I found them.”

Shit.
Cain felt Maggie’s eyes on him but ignored her.

Michael was puffing hard as he slid to a stop and grinned at them all before handing over his precious cargo to Cain.

“Thanks, buddy. We’ll be leaving soon. Did Tommy clear it with his folks?”

The fair-haired boy with Michael nodded. “My dad said it was okay as long as Maggie is there, because then he’ll know that no shenan…” He scratched his head. “Shenanig…” The kid’s brow furled and he turned to Michael.

“Shenanigans.”

Tommy grinned. “Yeah, that’s the word. None of that will be happening.”

Cain hid a grin. “All right, then.” Nice to know his reputation as a hell-raiser was intact.

He chanced a glance at Maggie. The wariness had returned to her face—big-time—along with a hint of annoyance.
That
he sensed clear as day. “Can I talk to you?” It wasn’t a question. It was an order. Her lips were tight, her features even tighter.

Hell, yeah, she was annoyed and bordering on pissed, which meant that… Christ, he didn’t know what it meant. He just knew he liked it. This interaction with her, no matter if she was happy or angry. As long her gorgeous blue eyes were focused on him—he cracked a smile at Luke—and no one else.

He followed her until they stopped several feet away. “What’s up?” When in doubt, play dumb.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, her gaze moving past him and then back. She spied the paper in his hand, arched her brow, and nailed him with a look that said
What
the
hell?

“Why did Michael bring you my illustrations? Those were donated to raise funds for the sale.”

“They did.”

“They did what?”

“They raised funds for the sale.”

“Really.” Sarcasm touched her voice, and he grinned.

“Yes. They fetched a good price.”

“What’s considered good?”

“Five hundred dollars.”

Maggie’s mouth fell open again, and he groaned softly as the urge to grab her and kiss her
hard
rushed before him in Technicolor porno. Long red hair, entwined limbs, and that soft, full mouth. Shit. He hardened instantly and shifted, groaning inwardly as he did so.

Her color was high, the normally pale complexion a soft blush.

“You paid five hundred dollars for a few drawings I donated.” Disbelief rang in her voice.

“That would be correct.” He glanced down at them for the first time. They were colorful pieces featuring a young boy, an older girl, and the biggest, fattest tabby he’d ever seen. The scene looked fantastical, whimsical almost, and was good. Really good.

Michael had told him that his mother drew—that she was working on a children’s book and had donated a few sketches she wasn’t going to use. That was enough. He’d had to have them.

She stared at them for a good long while, and a shadow fell over her face. In a second her mood went from annoyance and anger to…well, if he was honest, it looked like she was afraid.

That stopped him cold. Shit. He didn’t want her to think he was stalking her or anything. That would be creepy. “Hey, I didn’t mean—”

“What are you doing?” she interrupted in a whisper. “We can’t…you can’t…”

She
was
afraid. But she didn’t have to be.

“We can.” Cain took a step closer until her subtle scent teased his nostrils. Until there was only a breath of air between them. His eyes were intense as he stared down at her. “I don’t know about you, but that kiss yesterday… I can’t stop thinking about it…about how I want to do so much more to you.”

She lowered her eyes, but his hand moved to her face, and he was encouraged when she didn’t pull away. In fact, she leaned into his palm. The movement was subtle, but it was there, and it gave him hope.

His thumb skated across her bottom lip. “I want to put my mouth on every single inch of your body.” Totally forgetting about everyone else, Cain slipped his forefinger between her lips and bent low. “The things I want to do to you, Maggie, are driving me crazy, and I can’t get the images out of my head. Yesterday was just a teaser. You have no idea what I’m going to do to you when I get the chance.”

She tugged away and he let her move, her breaths falling fast and hard. Her nipples stood out in stark relief against her top, and Cain knew she was as horny as he was. Thank God he’d worn his loose-fitting board shorts, or everyone within ten feet would know the state of what was going on between his legs.

“Look, I’m sorry if you think I used Michael to get you to agree to come out to the beach.” He smiled, and damned if he wasn’t working it. Just a little. “I just thought he’d like to hang out with his buddy.” Cain glanced around. “And really, it’s another perfect beach day.”

Her eyes were stormy again. Just like the night he’d met her.

“I’ll be honest, Maggie. I don’t know what this is between us or where it’s going. The only thing I’m sure about is that I’ve never felt this way before. All twisted and frantic and”—he grinned—“horny as hell.” Something passed between them in that moment, a look in her eyes, an answering need.

Cain decided to put it all out there. “I want to know what you think about before you fall asleep.” His eyes smoldered and his skin was hot. He lowered his voice and moved closer, loving the way she bit her lip. “I want to know
who
you think about when you’re alone in the shower. What makes you laugh and what makes you scared.” He had to make her understand. “I want to know
you
, and I want you to know me, because that kiss that we shared? That connection? It doesn’t come around every day, and I sure as hell want some more of that.”

Cain held out his hand. “You do too. I can feel it. Live in the moment Maggie. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He was suddenly aware of the others milling about several feet behind him. It was a reality check, and he cocked his head, effectively dousing the erotic images in his mind. “You coming?”

She stared at him for several long seconds, and just when he thought he’d blown it, Maggie exhaled, squared her shoulders, and put her hand in his. She didn’t say a word.

But that was all right. She didn’t have to.

Are you
out of your ever-lovin’ mind?

Maggie could ask herself that question until she was blue in the face, and she wasn’t sure the answer was the one she wanted to hear. Which would be…hell, yes.

It was nearly three in the afternoon, and she watched her son frolic along the beach with his friend Tommy. Out on the lake, boats and Jet Skis zipped by, their clean lines cutting through the blue water and leaving a white froth behind them. Along the shore private beaches were occupied, kids and adults enjoying the sun and water. Families building memories.

She and Raine were parked on the dock near the boathouse, the water lapping at their feet as they dangled them in the cool water.

She glanced up at the cottage several hundred feet away. This was such a beautiful spot, with the cottage nestled among a canopy of forest that ran along the shoreline. Pine and spruce crowded together and stood like soldiers. The house was rustic, built with reddish-brown logs and resembling a cabin out of the past. It was an A-frame, and the entire front facade was a solid wall of windows. A long veranda ran the length of the structure, which boasted a couple of reclining chairs and a rickety table. In the corner, resting against the railing, was an acoustic guitar.

The house was plain in comparison to the Edwardses’ home or Lauren’s, but then, it was truly a cottage and not meant for year-round living.

She sighed and tried to relax, but it was next to impossible. She and Cain had danced around each other for the last few hours—covert glances, stolen smiles that hid secrets. She’d wanted to ignore it, wished it didn’t affect her so, but at the moment, her body was buzzing with anticipation. She couldn’t help it. Every time he looked at her, she felt a jolt of energy slice through her body. It was unnerving.

She ran a hand along the back of her neck. The action pulled her tank top tight across her chest, and she bit her tongue and hissed. Her nipples tingled and her belly clenched.

Cain was right. There was no way around it. This thing between them was palpable. It was alive inside them both. God, the thought of his hands on her body was enough to drive her to distraction.

Not once in the entire time she had been in Crystal Lake had she entertained the idea of being with someone. She’d been content to carve out a life and look after her son. Heck, for the first few months it was all she could think about. She’d arrived with five thousand dollars and not much else. It had taken everything in her to set up a house and keep things normal for Michael.

If she was honest, she’d given up on the possibility of a relationship long before she left Savannah. The twisted thing that her life had become had left her no choice, really. It had beaten her down and snuffed out the flame.

And now there was a glimmer of
something
. Would it be worth it? To open up and experience Cain Black, even if it was just for a short period of time?

She heard him inside the cottage whistling to himself as he prepared meat for the barbecue. Mac was helping, or rather drinking beer, while Cain prepared. There was something dark inside his friend, a wounded soul that she could relate to. Maggie didn’t know the details of his life, but she thought that maybe he drank a little too much.

So far, Jake hadn’t shown up.

“When’s Jake heading back to Afghanistan?” she asked. Good. This was good. Think about other things, and maybe the longing that hung in her belly and warmed the softness between her legs would go away.

Raine sighed and kicked her toes into the water. Little minnows swam crazily, darting in all directions. They looked like what was going on inside her belly.

“I’m not sure. He’s not exactly talking to me these days.” Raine splayed her hands out along the deck, and Maggie frowned, noticing for the first time that the young widow had removed her wedding band. “We had an argument the other day, and things aren’t good.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear that.”

Raine pushed her hair behind her shoulders and leaned back, her eyes closed as she drank up the sun. “I don’t want to talk about Jake or Jesse or the phantom baby.” A ghost of a smile touched her pale lips. “What the hell is going on between you and Cain? And don’t tell me nothing, because seriously, he’s eating you with his eyes.”

Raine straightened and glanced at her, and a giggle fell from her lips. “I don’t ever remember seeing him so”—she shook her head and made a weird face—“so freaked-out over a woman.”

“Freaked-out?”

“I see the way he looks at you, and it makes me think of being sixteen again and how I felt when I first realized I was in love.”

Maggie nearly choked. “Love? Um, I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself. I’ve barely known him two weeks.”

“Oh I know. I didn’t mean… It’s just…” She shrugged and looked out over the water as her face fell and her chin trembled. “If I could go back in time, there are so many things I’d do differently—”

“Raine, you can’t think like that,” Maggie interrupted.

“Oh don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot I
wouldn’t
change. But the thing that scares me most is the thought of never feeling like that again. The innocence, the hope, and the endless possibilities. We had it all. I don’t want to lose that. I’m scared that
that
part of me will dry up, turn to dust, and fade away like it never existed. That I’ll forget what it feels like to connect with someone so intensely that it hurts.” She turned to Maggie, her eyes filled with glassy tears. “I’m twenty-eight, and I’m scared my life is over. If I have this baby…” She sighed, tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, and looked back out over the water. “We were kings back then and didn’t know it. We had no responsibility and the world at our feet.”

“You miss him.”

“I miss all of it.”

“You’re young. Don’t give up.” Maggie winked. “Love will find you again.”

“So says the woman who’s afraid to date.” Raine’s eyes narrowed. “I know there are things in your past that have scarred you too, but Maggie, you need to listen to your own advice. Cain’s a good guy, and from my perspective, I’m not afraid for you. He won’t break your heart. He’s not that guy.” Raine glanced toward the cottage. “It’s Cain I’m worried about.”

Maggie was stunned. She didn’t know what to say.

“Why would you…” she began. Anger stirred in her gut. Okay, the woman was newly widowed, but hell, that didn’t give her the right to freaking say whatever was on her mind.

“Don’t take it personally, Maggie. But I’ve known Cain my whole life, and as much as people would like to think he’s a player, he just doesn’t do casual.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe.” The pictures she’d seen the day before ran through her mind, and with them, a tingle of jealousy
.
If she were being honest.

Raine shrugged and rose. She offered her hand, and Maggie pulled herself up until she stood beside the small brunette. “Believe what you want, but you’ll see…he’s one of the good guys, and when you finally realize that? Promise me you’ll let him go, because unless you’re willing to walk away from whatever the hell has damaged you, he’ll get hurt.”

Maggie didn’t know what to say.

Raine sighed heavily. “And then we’ll have to listen to song after song about the pain of his tragically broken heart. Seriously, you can’t do that to us.” There was a teasing undertone to her voice, but Maggie knew the woman was serious.

The smell of steak on the barbecue drifted toward them. Maggie glanced up at the house and smiled as Lauren waved down to her. Jake was with her, and he nodded in their general direction, then disappeared around the corner where the barbecue was located.

“Mom! Is it almost time for supper? We’re starved.”

Michael and Tommy came running up the beach. She decided to put aside Raine’s words and concentrate on the here and now. The young widow longed for a past that would never be hers again. Maggie had no desire at all to revisit hers.

***

Cain stretched back and watched his mother and Maggie converse. They were on the deck of the cottage relaxing, sipping hot chocolate. Dinner had been great, the steak tender, the wine smooth, and the company… His eyes rested on the redhead. The company was perfect.

Raine had grabbed a ride home with Jake, and Mac had disappeared soon after the plates were cleared. Draper had claimed he had somewhere to be, but Cain suspected it was more that a visit to the Coach House was needed in order to drown his demons in a bottle of vodka.

He sighed. As long as Mackenzie stayed away from his father, he’d be okay.

Dusk was settling, and he’d built a bonfire near the beach. Michael’s buddy Tommy had just left—his father had swung by—and now it was just the two of them. Michael threw some branches he’d collected onto the flames, and they watched the tiny embers that flew into the air like fireflies. “Do you have marshmallows?” Michael’s eyes widened hopefully.

“Sure do. My mom brought a bag with her.”

“Awesome. Do you have wieners?”

“Dude, you just ate an entire T-bone, and you want more meat?”

Michael giggled. “I make the best SpiderDogs ever.”

“Maybe a midnight snack, if you’re still up.”

Soft feminine laughter drew their attention, and Cain’s heart jumped at the sight of Maggie laughing at something his mother had said. The woman could change the world with that smile.

“Do you hate your Dad?” Michael asked suddenly. His foot sifted through the sand, his eyes fixed on his toes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

But Cain knew better.

“Hate?” He shrugged and settled back onto his elbows. “That’s a pretty strong word.” He thought about it for a few moments. “I don’t think I hated my father. Even when he was home, he wasn’t really around. I was more hurt and disappointed, I guess.” His eyes closed, and once more he saw the little boy that he’d been. Waiting. Always waiting. “That first year after he left, I thought every night would be the one.”

“The one?”

“The night that he’d come home, back to me and my mom. But it never happened, and eventually I gave up.”

Michael slid in beside him, and Cain moved, gave the kid some room. The boy nestled against him, and something hit him in the gut that he wasn’t expecting. A rush of emotion that was both a need to protect and something else entirely.

It was the something else entirely that he wasn’t real sure about.

“I hate him.” Michael said quietly. “My dad. I don’t want to see him ever again.”

Cain was silent. He had no idea what to say, but one thought spoke loudest in his mind. Maggie’s ex was alive. Somewhere out there.

“He used to hurt my mom.” Michael’s voice trembled.

Cain glanced up at Maggie. He couldn’t see her face anymore—the shadows had grown long—but he heard the soft lilt to her voice, that Southern roll that he’d come to adore. He saw the elegant curve of her hand, an artist’s hand, tuck a stray curl behind her ear. His heart leaped into his throat, and anger tightened inside him. His fist clenched, but he remained silent.

“I used to hear her crying at night sometimes, and once it was so loud, so…sad that I wanted to make her feel better.” Michael’s chin trembled, and Cain’s fist unclenched. “I snuck into their room…” His fingers crept onto the boy’s shoulder, and Michael glanced up then, his huge blue eyes glistening with tears. “I saw him hit her.” Michael made a fist and shoved it in the air between them—a small, angry fist that trembled. His face darkened, the cheeks flushed a ruddy color. “His hand was like this, and he hit her on her arm and then on her face.” Michael shuddered angrily and swiped at the tears that fell from his eyes. “Over and over,” he whispered.

Something twisted inside Cain, something dark and deadly.

“Hey, it’s all right buddy. We don’t need to talk about this right now.” Cain rubbed Michael’s shoulder, trying his best to keep his voice neutral and calm. It was hard. He was fucking livid. He needed to focus on the boy.

And yet how did you wipe away that kind of pain?

Michael plunged forward, and Cain realized the best thing he could do was listen.

“I was so scared that I ran back to my room and hid in the closet, but he found me.” His voice lowered until it was barely a whisper. “His face didn’t even look normal. It was all red and angry and scary.”

Michael kicked his foot, and his little hands were clenched so tight, the knuckles were white. “He tried to hurt me too. Said I was a little snot-nosed bastard who didn’t deserve anything.” Michael shuddered. “The police came and took him away before anything really bad happened.”

Cain’s gut rolled over. Shit. He’d had no idea. But it sure as hell explained a lot. The wary look that had been in Maggie’s eyes the first few times he met her. How she’d cowered when he tried to help her after she fell. She’d thought he was going to hit her.

“What happened after the police came?”

“We left and came here.”

Cain let the information settle for a bit. “Have you talked to your father since you’ve been in Crystal Lake?”

The boy shook his head. “No.” He looked up at Cain and was anxious. “I’m not supposed to talk to anyone about him. You can’t tell my mom I told.” His chin trembled, and Cain squeezed his shoulder.

“Hey, we’re good. I won’t say a word.”

“Swear on the Bible?”

“A whole stack.”

“Okay. Mom says it’s our private business and no one needs to know. I think she’s scared…”

Cain frowned, unease sliding through him. “What’s she scared of?” He asked the question, but he knew what Michael was going to say before he opened his mouth.

The boy’s small shoulders hunched forward as if he were trying to draw what warmth he could from the fire. “She’s scared that he’ll find us and then…”

“Then what? It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“He’ll hurt us. I don’t want him to hurt my mommy,” Michael blurted before burrowing into his side. The boy shuddered and shook against him. It was obvious he was scared, and for a moment, red-hot anger coursed through Cain.

His arms went round the boy, and he pulled him in as close as he could. His gaze traveled back up to Maggie. His heart pounded hard and fast, and he clenched his teeth together tightly.