The Summer He Came Home (2 page)

His gaze wandered past the deck. There was no one here he wanted to talk to. Bradley Hayes, a classmate from back in the day, nodded and headed in his direction. They’d never been friends, and he sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to pretend.

Cain turned abruptly and took the stairs two at a time to the patio below.

He cleared the bottom step, grabbed a cold beer from the nearest waiter, and took a long, refreshing draw. He glanced out over the backyard as his hand absently wiped the corner of his mouth. The tight feeling in his gut pressed harder, and his skin was clammy.

Cain was used to being the focus of attention but this was different. These weren’t fans. They were old neighbors, teachers, acquaintances, and some he’d considered friends a long time ago.

Were they judging him? Was he the prodigal black sheep, returned?

He squared his shoulders. None of them were the reason he’d come back.

Two men caught his eye, and he moved methodically through the crowd of mourners, nodding to those who called greetings, yet his gaze never left the duo several feet away from everyone.

The man on the left was dressed in a suit, his tall frame draped in expensive Armani. Cain knew this. His closet was filled with the crap. His newly minted ex-wife, Natasha, had insisted he wear nothing but the Italian designer whenever he accompanied her to one of her damn premieres. She’d spent wads of cash dressing him up like one of her West Coast buddies. After she had left, he’d considered getting rid of the lot, but hell, it had cost a fortune and he didn’t see the benefit in throwing money away.

The man on the right was decked out in full military dress.

Cain stopped a few feet away, and they both turned at the same time to face him.

Silence fell between the three, their eyes locked on each other as a world of pain united them.

Armani raised his beer, a tight smile settling on his face, though his eyes remained shadowed as he spoke. “You look like shit.”

The soldier stepped forward.

“I’m sorry…I…” Cain struggled to form a coherent sentence but faltered. Two arms enveloped him in a bear hug that was crushing and welcoming and hard, in the way it was among men.

The pain he’d felt for days, ever since he got the news, grabbed him, twisting his insides until he nearly choked from the intensity. Mackenzie stepped back, gave them some room, and Cain fed off the strength and energy that was Jake Edwards.

After a few moments Jake let go, grabbed another cold beer from the bucket at his feet, and tossed it to Cain—who nearly dropped the one he already had. Mac scooped one for himself, and they wandered down to the beach.

There were no words spoken. The easy silence of their youth enveloped them as if the passage of time meant nothing.

They’d buried one of their own today.

There was nothing else to say.

Dusk fell, bringing with it the sharp dampness of a Michigan June night. Cain was drunk. Hell, the three of them were a sorry-ass bunch. They’d sat on the beach for hours, drinking beer until there was none left. Then they’d moved on to the hard stuff, sharing a bottle of vodka as they talked crap, caught up, and reminisced about every detail of Jesse’s life.

The men had kept in touch after they went their separate ways, but as was the way of it, time expanded and filled with other things. Phone calls and emails became less frequent, and Cain couldn’t remember the last time he’d had an actual conversation with his friends.

Mac had moved to New York after graduating from Michigan State and was now an architect on the fast track to partner at a prestigious firm. The twins had joined the armed forces straight out of college and were never in the United States for long—military leave didn’t allow it. When they had the good fortune to come home, they’d spent their time in Crystal Lake. Jesse of course had had a wife waiting for him, and Jake had never been far from either one of them.

Cain glanced at his friend and frowned. Jake was in a place of transition. The loss of his brother had hit him in a way that left scars beneath his skin. There was a darkness inside him that didn’t belong. He’d always been the easygoing twin—the light to Jesse’s intense, moody personality.

It was all wrong.

“So, Mr. Guitar God of the Year,” Jake slurred.

“Yeah.” Cain grinned. He couldn’t help it. “Pretty damn cool.” The latest issue of
Guitar
World
had featured Cain and a host of up-and-comers, though he’d snagged the all-important cover and had been humbled when Springsteen sent him a note. Apparently the man liked his playing and songwriting skills.

“I want my copy autographed,” Mac joked. “You should send one to your ex. Let her know what she’s missing.”

Cain’s lip curled. “Natasha only cares about herself. Trust me, she’s moved on.”

Jake punched him in the arm. “Natasha fucking Simmons. How in the hell did a redneck from Michigan end up with a Hollywood hottie like that?”

“Don’t ask.” Cain was tight-lipped. His ex-wife was not someone he cared to discuss. He took a second to gain his balance and grimaced. “Boys, we need food.”

“I second that. Liquid lunch is fine, but it only goes so far.” Mac nodded toward the house. “Let’s go.”

There were a few lingering guests, his mother among them. Lauren Black was a tall, attractive woman who took great pride in her appearance. Her hair hung past her shoulders, a silken sheet of gold. Her figure, enviable by women half her age, was shown to perfection in the classic cut of the simple black dress she wore. At her ears were small pearls, and at her neck, the matching pendant.

She’d come a long way, his mother, and pride rolled through him as he studied her. She’d grown up with nothing and hailed from the wrong side of the tracks. But she was made of good stuff—her roots were humble and strong. They were the kind of roots that went deep, and she’d kept the both of them anchored. He might have been poor for most of his youth, but he’d never known it.

She was chatting with Raine Edwards—Jesse’s young widow. The petite woman looked gaunt, her features pinched and her skin much too pale against the ebony hair that fell past her shoulders.

Cain glanced at Jake. The soldier’s gaze was locked on to the widow with an intensity that was heartbreaking. Everything had changed, and yet so much remained the same. The hunger, the
want
, was hard for the soldier to hide, and Cain looked away, uncomfortable.

Marnie and Steven Edwards were in the family room, a large open space just off the kitchen. It boasted an entire wall of glass that brought the outdoors inside, and in the distance the stars reflected on the lake like diamonds on black velvet. They sat together on a leather sofa, an open book of photos displayed on the coffee table. A small group was gathered around them, their voices low in that polite, mournful way.

“Here.”

Cain turned and accepted a plate of sandwiches from Mac. There was tuna, salmon, and, no surprise, the always-crowd-pleasing ham. It didn’t last long. He hadn’t eaten since the plane.

“Oh shit, here she comes.”

Cain turned at Mac’s harsh whisper. “Who?”

“Rebecca Stringer.”

“Stringer?”

Mac guffawed drunkenly. “Seriously? You don’t remember? ‘Stringer-dinger, she’ll ring your bell’?”

It came back quickly. Blond. Plastic. Head cheerleader, homecoming diva, and queen of the backseat. They’d each dated her at one point or another—
dated
being a loose term.

He stifled a groan and glanced at Jake. He’d changed out of his military dress, but the plain white T-shirt and jeans did nothing to detract from the powerful energy that surrounded him. His short dark hair and even darker eyes only emphasized this. Afghanistan had changed the man in more ways than one.

The soldier was quiet, stuffing sandwiches into his mouth, his eyes still on his brother’s widow.

“Well, well, well…the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake all together again.” Rebecca’s candy-red lips were glossy, as if they’d been coated in syrup. They were porn-star perfect and somehow out of place in northern Michigan.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re missing one.” Jake glared at Rebecca, his eyebrows knit into a frown, his mouth tight.

Rebecca’s face flushed deep red, and for a moment she was speechless. “I’m sorry. Of course…I didn’t mean…” Her voice trailed into silence as Jake shoved past them.

“Whatever,” he muttered. “I need another drink.”

Cain took a step, intending to go after Jake. The man was hurting.

Rebecca’s hand on his chest stopped him. Her fingers grazed the fabric of his shirt a little longer than was necessary.

“Cain.” The way she purred his name reminded him of his mother’s old cat—all soft and fuzzy, with claws waiting in the wings. “Shame on you for not coming home sooner.” Her shiny lips loosened into a pout.

She smiled so wide, Cain was afraid her makeup was going to crack. “Tell me,” she said, and sidled up as close as she could. Cain glanced at Mac, but his buddy raised a bottle of water in a mock toast and moved away.

He was caught in the corner with Rebecca Stringer. Shit.

“You ever write a song about me?”

He nearly choked on the tuna in his mouth. “Uh—”

“I mean, that one they played on the radio a few months back.” She paused and sang in a girlish voice, “‘She had my heart, she stole my soul, I’ll keep her close till I grow old.’” Her eyes glittered. “I think that could have been about me.”

What the hell could he say to that?

She hummed it over again and grinned at him crazily. “We had some good times, right? Back in the day?”

Someone
rescue
me.

His pulse quickened when he spied the woman from the porch. She was tidying up the table in the kitchen, gathering empty plates and cutlery. From where he stood, Cain didn’t see her little boy.

“Who’s that?” he asked instead.

Rebecca glanced toward the table, her eyebrow arched. “The cleaning lady?” She lowered her voice, as if she were sharing a dirty secret. “Well, she moved to town about a year ago. Came from the South, Savannah or New Orleans.” She shrugged. “I think her name is Sally, maybe? Dunno, she cleans my house too.” Her eyes narrowed as she focused back on him. “Why?”

Cain’s eyes hardened. He didn’t like her tone or her attitude. Some things never changed. Money bought a lot of things, but class and humility sure as hell weren’t on that list. “The woman scrubs your floors, and you have no idea what her name is?”

“She cleans my toilets too.
Should
I be on a first-name basis with her?” Gone was the sly smile.

Cain leaned in close. “You forget, Rebecca, there was a time when
my
mother cleaned your toilets and half the town’s elite’s, for that matter.”

“But,” she sputtered, “that’s different. Lauren’s one of us now, and technically they weren’t my toilets, they were my mom’s.” Nervous laughter fell from her lips as she swept her tongue over what Cain now decided were collagen blunders.

The remainder of his sandwich was tossed into the garbage. He was tired as hell, and the beer and vodka hadn’t helped. The day had been an emotional roller coaster, and he didn’t have the time or patience for someone like Rebecca Stringer.

It wasn’t as if he was looking to get into her pants. Hell, that boat had sailed, crashed, and burned.

“And what is it you do these days?” he asked.

“Do?” Rebecca looked surprised. “You mean, like a job?”

He nodded. What did someone like Rebecca Stringer do with her time?

“Well, I—I’m married.” She shrugged. “I don’t have to work.”

“Figures.” He glanced at her hands. The fingers were tipped scarlet, their perfection and length obviously fake. A large diamond sparkled on her finger. “Who’d you marry?”

Rebecca’s eyes were now dark slits of anger, her pouty lips pursed so tight, she resembled a goddamn blowfish. She raised her chin and took a step back.

“Bradley Hayes. He’s just been named junior partner in his father’s law firm.”

“Good luck with that.” He’d spied Hayes chatting up a leggy brunette outside. The bastard was no different than his father. Cain’s mother had stopped working for the family after the elder Hayes had been inappropriate one time too many.

He walked past her without another word. Rebecca was much like the bored, rich housewives who were a dime a dozen in LA—always looking over the horizon, loving no one but themselves and the size of their husband’s wallet.

“Hey, need some help?”

The redhead jumped, her eyes wide as she glanced up at him. He’d startled her, and for one second she reminded him of a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

She regained her composure and looked away, her voice soft, the drawl he’d noticed earlier a little more pronounced. “No, thank you. I’m tidying up for Marnie. It’s the least I can do.”

“I don’t mind.” Cain grabbed the stack of plates she’d gathered into a pile and moved them to the counter near the dishwasher. He stared down at the machine for several seconds. He had one at home, a supersized monster, in fact. He’d just never used it before.

“Don’t worry about dishes. The caterers will be here within the hour to do the real cleanup. Everything belongs to them.”

She was there, beside him, placing several wineglasses in a neat row next to the dishes. Her fingers were long and delicate, the nails short and free of color. She was smaller than he’d thought. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder. Her scent lingered in the air, and Cain wondered what it would feel like to hold her. Would she lean into him, soft and pliant, with those big blue eyes looking up at him? Or would she be aggressive and hard, pushing and reaching for something more?

He took a step back, ran his hand along his forehead, and then rolled his shoulders. He really shouldn’t be thinking about her like that. Hell, he shouldn’t be thinking about anything right now except sleep.

“I see you’ve met our Maggie.”

Lauren Black slipped her arm through his, and Cain gave his mother a hug.

Maggie.
It suited her. His dark gaze swept back to the redhead, but her eyes were lowered. Her hands clutched a rag so tightly, her knuckles were white.

“We met earlier on the porch,” he answered. “Though I don’t think we were officially introduced. I’m Cain.”

She looked up. Her eyes were darker than before, the deep blue now two shades past navy. A thin layer of freckles sprinkled the bridge of her nose, and an image of his tongue sweeping across her creamy skin flashed before him. Cain’s groin tightened; his lips thinned.

What the hell was wrong with him? He was at a funeral reception for Christ sakes.

Jesse’s funeral.

It was the booze. The lack of sleep. It had to be.

He nodded toward the far end of the kitchen.

“How’s Raine?” When in doubt, divert attention.

Lauren shook her head. “Not good.” Jake was at Raine’s side, his hand on her shoulder, his eyes intense as he leaned in close to listen to whatever she was saying. “They loved each other so much. She didn’t deserve this.” Lauren paused. “I thought they’d live the dream, you know. I really did.”

“Dreams sometimes turn into nightmares.”

Cain and his mother turned back to Maggie. She looked pensive, surprised maybe that she’d spoken out loud.

“I, uh…” Her small tongue darted out and moistened her lips. They were full, kissable, free of gloss, and sexy as hell. She had the kind of mouth men fantasized about, lips meant for sinning, for gliding and nibbling. Cain’s chest tightened as he stared down at her, an unfamiliar feeling warming his body.

She was really…kind of perfect.

“I didn’t mean anything.” She paused and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I just…when you love like that, you take a chance.”

“On what?” Cain was curious. He’d never been hooked. Hell, the Natasha fiasco had been a whirlwind of hot sex and fantasy. In the end it had been nothing more than a train wreck, and when it finally derailed, he’d been left wondering what the hell he’d ever seen in his ex. There’d been nothing of substance, no glue to hold them together.

“On losing yourself.” Maggie glanced at her watch. “I have to call a cab and get Michael home. He fell asleep over an hour ago.”

His mother’s grip tightened and she yanked on his arm. “Don’t be silly. We’ll give you a ride.” She glanced up at her son. “Cain will drive you.”

“No.” Her answer was abrupt. “He’s been drinking.”

She was right. Cain couldn’t drive.

“You have your driver’s license?” Lauren asked.

At Maggie’s nod, she continued. “Perfect. You take Cain’s rental and drop him off at my house on the way.”

His mother planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “I’m going to grab my purse and say good-bye to Steven and Marnie. Don’t wait up. I have a prior engagement I can’t get out of.” She paused. “You
do
know where the house is, right?”