The Thing About Trouble (Crystal Lake 1)

Cam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise because the comment was totally out in left field. “Where?”

“Just down the road from your brother’s place. About an acre and a half, with a lot of waterfront.” He took off his Tigers cap and brushed his big hands through the thick white hair that lay there. “It came up for sale around the time your grandmother left Nash her place. Bank sell-off, so I got it for next to nothing. The place isn’t much, but it has a lot of potential.” He nodded slowly. “I think it’s time I took you out there.”

There was a lot not being said, and Cam frowned. Something was off. He didn’t know what it was, exactly, but his father wasn’t himself. “You okay?” he asked, watching his father closely.

Harold Booker nodded. “I will be. Don’t go worrying about me.” He glanced up, and Cam’s stomach clenched. His dad looked tired, and his color wasn’t good. The older man slipped off the stool and grabbed his wrench. “I’ve got to get this finished.” His voice was gruff, and the conversation was over. That was the way it had always been with his father. The Booker patriarch had always been a man of few words.

“I’ll see you Sunday,” Cam said, backing out of the garage.

His father nodded. “Don’t be late. You know how your mother gets about her food. If it’s not served hot, she’s not happy.”

Cam told the dog to stay put and headed to the house. He let himself in the back door. The kitchen smelled like heaven—his mom was busy baking—and he spied Tawny right away. The little girl was at the table coloring, so engrossed in the task, she didn’t see him walk in. He kissed his mom on the cheek, and she turned around, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Thanks for getting Tawny for me.” He’d managed to get her enrolled into the best preschool in Crystal Lake. No mean feat, though it helped that his cousin Meredith worked there.

His mother smiled. “It’s no problem at all. In fact, I liked playing Nana for the day. Mary Ambrose was picking up her grandchild at the same time, and I haven’t seen her since…well, since they sold the business and moved across the lake. It was nice to catch up even if all we had was five minutes.” She looked across the kitchen. “Tawny’s normally a Chatty Cathy, but she’s been quiet today.”

Cam followed his mother’s gaze. “You think something’s up?”

“I don’t know, Cameron. But she sure is on the quiet side.”

“Okay. Thanks.” He watched his mother closely. “Hey, is everything good with Dad?”

Lisa Booker cleared her throat and turned back to the ball of dough she was kneading. “Why would you ask that?” She pursed her mouth. “Did he say something?”

“No. Not really. But he’s acting weird, and he looks tired. He told me about some land he bought on the lake. Said he wants to take me out there.”

“Did he.” His mother kept kneading the dough.

“Is there something going on?” Alarm bells banged loud in his head.

The phone rang just then, and his mother ran her hands under the water. “I need to get this, Cameron. Cocktails on Sunday at four and dinner at five. The whole family will be here. Nash and Honey. Your sister Melody and the kids.”

“Jason?” He wasn’t sure what was going on with his sister and her husband. The guy had cheated, been caught, and left his young family. Melody had moved back to Crystal Lake with the kids while he took care of selling their family home. As far as Cam knew, they were separated and on their way to divorce. But Nash had mentioned Jason earlier, something about him spending time with Melody, and it had got Cam wondering.

His mother shrugged. “I don’t know.” The phone had stopped ringing but then started up again. “I really have to get this, Cameron.” His mother sailed past him but took a second to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you guys Sunday.” He watched her disappear from the room, and then turned to Tawny.

“Okay, kiddo. Time to go.”

The little girl slid from the table and carefully packed the crayons and coloring book into her backpack. When she was done, she methodically pushed in her chair and then slipped her feet into her new purple canvas shoes. She was so damn small. So damn vulnerable. It hit him then. The kid had nothing, and he wondered what she would be doing if she was still with her grandmother. Would she be happy? Well fed and clothed?

When she turned and looked at him, Cam cleared his throat and attempted a smile. His mom was right. Tawny was on the quiet side. Normally, he’d have had an earful of every minute detail of her day. From some kid named Sam farting repeatedly, to Nancy lifting up her skirt and showing off her Moana underwear, to Lissa bossing someone around.

“How about pizza for dinner?”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

Cam knelt in front of her and grabbed her bag. “Homemade? You can help me. We just have to hit the gro

cery store first.” He held out his hand, and she put her little one in his. The two of them said goodbye to his dad, and ten minutes later, they left Rufus in the truck with the window cracked a few inches and headed into the Grocery Mart.

It was busy, but Cam kept his head down, grabbed a basket, and headed for the bakery to grab a readymade crust. He avoided eye contact and turned in the opposite direction when he spied Mrs. Flannagan. The woman was the biggest gossip in Crystal Lake and loved nothing more than to spread it. No way was he putting Tawny through the woman’s scrutiny.

Once he found the crust, he let Tawny pick out whatever she wanted for toppings. Their pizza was going to be a combination of Hawaiian and Mexican, with a bit of old-fashioned Chicago style thrown in. She also liked anchovies and olives. The kid sure had a mature palate for someone so young. By the time they reached the snack aisle, Tawny’s somber mood was gone, and she was back to having an opinion on pretty much everything. Case in point, their ongoing disagreement over which was better—Doritos or Cheetos. Cam was a Cheetos kind of guy, but Tawny was all over Doritos.

He’d just tossed a bag of each into their basket when he heard his name. Turning around, he spied Nate O’Connell, a guy he used to go to school with, but one he hadn’t seen in—Cam’s eyes widened at the sight of four children—a long time. Nate was a year or so older than Cam, but they’d played hockey and football together.

“Thought that was you, Booker.”