The Summer He Came Home (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake 1)

“Do you think Cain will be there?” Michael hopped on one leg as he tried to snap his sandal strap closed.

“I hope not,” she murmured to herself.

The last thing I need is a complication. I just got rid of one.

She turned the fob over in the palm of her hand and glanced toward her son. She’d overheard Cain talking to his mother the night before. Complication. Her cheeks burned at the thought, righteous indignation pulsing through her.

She shouldn’t care. She wasn’t in the market for a man. Especially one like Cain Black. He was enigmatic, charming, and way too easy on the eyes, with his dark good looks and perfect smile. She knew too well how deceptive those things could be. He represented everything she’d run away from.

“Miss Lauren told me her son plays guitar and that he sings too! Isn’t that cool? She says one day he’ll be a big rock star!”

“I’m sure he will be.” She tried to keep the sarcasm from her words, but Michael frowned. Somehow she wasn’t surprised the tall, good-looking man was an entertainer. She’d watched him the night before. He had a certain something that pulled people in, and in a crowded house like Steven and Marnie’s, he’d easily stood out.

“Don’t you believe her?” He bit his lip. “You don’t think she would lie about something like that, do you?”

Maggie shooed her son toward the door. “I think all mothers want their sons to be rock stars at whatever it is they do.” She watched his curls bob as he ran down the cement steps and jumped onto the grass, and her heart swelled all over again.

“So a police officer or a fireman can be a rock star too?”

Maggie locked the door behind them, checked twice just to make sure, and turned. She shook her head and laughed softly. “If they’re the best in their field, then yes.”

She unlocked the SUV and climbed in. Michael ran around to the other side and opened the passenger-side door.

“Uh, no, young man. You’re too little to sit in the front. You know the rules.”

“Tommy’s mom lets him ride up front all the time.” He pouted, but when she gave him “the look,” he closed the door and climbed into the back.

Maggie turned the key, and the powerful engine sprang to life. She put the truck into gear, backed out of her driveway, and headed toward Main Street.

“Mom?”

She glanced in her rearview mirror. “Yes?”

Michael’s brow furled. He chewed on his bottom lip and looked up. “So, when is a regular rock guy just a plain old rock star?”

Maggie’s gaze returned to the street. “Jon Bon Jovi is a rock star. Maybe we should ask him.”

“Who’s Jon Bob

Jodi?”

Maggie turned into Mrs. Landon’s driveway and giggled. “Never mind, sweetie.”

Three hours later, they’d finished Ellie Landon’s bungalow and were on their way to Lauren Black’s palatial home on the water. It was gorgeous—modern, but with an old-world flair, a wonderful combination of brick, stone, and wood. Maggie maneuvered the SUV up the drive and parked to the side, near the garage.

“Do you think there’ll be time for a swim?”

“Nope.” Maggie hopped from the truck and made sure no mess was left behind. “And before you ask, I didn’t pack your suit.”

“Miss Lauren has an extra suit. She keeps one just for me.”

Maggie sighed and stared at her son. She didn’t want to linger, because there was no way in hell she wanted to run into Cain Black. She didn’t like him. Didn’t want her son to like him either.

She clutched her cooler and walked toward the house as Michael ran to catch up. She doubted Cain was home anyway. He’d mumbled something the night before about returning the truck at her convenience, since his buddy Mackenzie was picking him up for lunch.

She ran her fingers across the top of Michael’s head. “If you want a cone from The Pit, we need to head out as soon as we’re done. The five o’clock bus won’t wait. You know how busy it gets on a Friday night.”

“I guess you’re right.”