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

“We didn’t think about worms. Can’t we just pretend?” His open smile tugged at her heartstrings.

Cain laughed. “There’s no fun in pretending.” He moved closer to her son and rested his hand on Michael’s shoulder. It was a small gesture, but one that twisted her insides something fierce. “We’ll hop in my truck after lunch and drive into town to get some bait. Sound good?”

They both looked at Maggie—Michael’s face full of hope, Cain’s unreadable.

“Can I, Mom?” Michael was near bursting, antsy. “I promise I’ll sit in the back and everything.” He looked up at Cain and whispered, “Air bags freak Mom out.”

How could she say no?

“That’s fine, Michael.”

“Sweet!” He high-fived Cain. “I’ll get my pole. I left it on the dock.”

“I don’t know about you guys, but I need some food.” Mac turned toward the house. “Your mom make her potato salad?”

Jake shrugged. “I’m sure she did.” His eyes lingered on Raine. “You coming?”

She shook head. “Maggie and I had a late breakfast.”

“Did she eat?” Jake asked Maggie, his face hard. He looked like he was back in that dark place…the place he’d been when he first returned to Crystal Lake over a week ago. Gone was the lightness of the morning. Something had changed, and she shifted uncomfortably.

Truth was, Raine had barely touched her fruit salad, and Michael had finished it.

“Oh for God’s sake, Jake. What are you, the food police?” Raine turned and shook out her towel. She grabbed a pile of magazines from her bag, mumbling under her breath, and flopped down onto the low-slung chaise.

Her skin was milky white, and the two-piece amber-colored suit she wore was retro—very forties in style and totally suited to her looks. With her hair piled on top of her head and the overlarge black sunglasses perched on the edge of her nose, she resembled a movie star from a long-ago era. She rapidly flipped through the pages, ignoring them as she settled into the chair.

“Okay, I’m gonna grab some grub,” Mac said to no one in particular. Marnie and Steven were on the lower deck. The barbecue was lit, and the smell of burgers and dogs wafted on the breeze. He headed toward them.

Jake swore and followed suit, while Cain watched them, a frown replacing the smile he’d sported moments earlier.

“Is he…”

Cain’s gaze swung back to her. His dark eyes were shadowed with concern.

“Is he all right?” The man’s brother had just died—of course he wasn’t all right. But there was something more at play, and Maggie had a feeling things were a lot more complicated than most people realized.

“No.” He shook his head and looked behind her. “He’s not.” He exhaled and ran fingers along the back of his neck. “So you girls are good?”

Maggie nodded.

“Okay.” His mouth crooked into a halfhearted, easy smile. “I’m going to grab a burger and then take Michael out on the boat. If you change your mind and wanna come with, just let me know. There’s lots of room.”

The last place she wanted to be right now was on a small boat with only a few feet between them.

“Thanks for taking him. He loves the water, but I just don’t really have the time to get him out…between work and…” She shrugged. “Well, and the fact that I don’t have a boat.”

Cain smiled, a lazy, slow, seductive smile that started the old heart up but good. “Come with us,” he said carefully, watching her way too intensely.

Her mouth was dry and she shook her head. “I’m…I’ll,” she stammered, “stay with Raine.”

His grin widened.

“I have a book.” She jutted her chin slightly, regaining a bit of her composure.

Cain looked down at her in silence. A breeze rippled the air between them, lifting long wisps of her hair into the wind. She tucked them behind her ear, and his gaze followed the action. Heat flushed beneath her skin as she looked up at him.

The look in his eyes set her heart beating even faster against her chest. So fast that it was uncomfortable. Electricity charged the air, and her breath hitched at the back of her throat. A vision of his mouth sliding across her neck flashed before her eyes, and she blinked rapidly in an effort to clear it from her mind.