The Thing About Trouble (Crystal Lake 1)

“Sure is.”

“Honey doesn’t know Blue.”

“Nope. But Tawny does.”

“You don’t say,” Nash replied. “Things are starting to make sense now.”

Cam wasn’t listening to his brother. The man from the night before was with them, his body language casual, and yet the sight of him had those invisible fists banging against his chest in a rhythm older than time. It was loud and aggressive and animalistic. It was ownership and testosterone and a whole bunch of other stuff mixed together.

It made Cam crazy.

Nash and Cam waited for them, Honey chatting animatedly with Blue and the stranger, while Tawny skipped along beside them, her face colorful, her smile wide. When she saw Cam, she ran toward him, nearly knocking him over with her enthusiasm.

“Cam, I found Blue, and I wanted to show her the baby.” Tawny pushed back. “Honey said it was okay.”

Cam met Blue’s gaze just as Tawny pulled her close to the stroller, finger to her mouth, shushing everyone. “He’s asleep,” she whispered, peering at him. “This is the baby I tolded you about.” Tawny looked up at Blue. “He doesn’t smell right now.”

“Give him another hour or so,” Nash said with a chuckle. His brother offered a hand. “Nash, Cam’s brother.”

“Hi, I’m Blue, and this is Cash.”

Cam shoved his hands into his pockets because the urge to slam his fist into the other guy’s face was nearing epic proportions. It was stupid and juvenile and made no sense. He nodded but didn’t say a word.

“Can we get french fries?” Tawny smiled up at him sweetly. She’d picked out one of her new outfits for the day, an orange dress with purple polka dots, matching purple sandals, and a small purple bag strung across her shoulder. He’d spent extra time on her hair this morning, and she sported two French braids that had taken him nearly an hour to perfect. Her little heart-shaped face was earnest, and he nodded.

“Whatever you want, kiddo.” How could he say no?

“We’ve got a tent set up down there.” Nash pointed toward the water. “The Coach House is serving up wings, fries, and burgers.” He winked. “I might be able to find us a couple of cold beers.” He turned to Blue. “You and Cash are more than welcome to join us.”

“Sounds good to me,” Cash replied. “We were just looking for a place to grab some food.”

“Oh, we don’t want to intrude,” Blue said, taking a step back.

“Don’t be silly,” Honey replied. “And to be honest, Tawny and I could use another female in the mix, right, pumpkin?”

Tawny had no idea what the adults were discussing, but she nodded excitedly and tugged on Cam’s arm, giving him no choice but to head toward the food tent. By the time they got there, Tawny was jumping up down as if a battery pack had exploded inside her.

“How much chocolate have you had today?” he asked, steering the young girl to the back of the tent. The fryers were going full force, and the air was heavy with the smell of grease.

“I had smarties.”

“That’s it?”

“And a donut.”

“And you still want fries?”

“Yes, please.” He couldn’t fault her manners, and he sure as hell couldn’t say no. He just hoped her belly didn’t rebel later and keep them up all night. Cam was aware that Blue was just behind them, but the guy had disappeared. They grabbed a table, and Honey sat down with the baby. Tawny slid onto a seat beside them, happy to make funny faces that made Gabriel squeal.

Nash left to find Tiny, the guy he’d put in charge for the day, which left Cam to grab the orders.

“I’ll help.”

He turned at the sound of Blue’s voice. “I’m fine on my own.”

“It’s a lot to carry.”