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

Michael scurried off to wash his hands, and he followed suit. The fish had been cleaned and were ready to go on the grill.

“I made a lemon sauce for the fish.” Maggie handed him a cold beer and reached for her glass of wine. “It’s in the small container by the barbecue along with foil and tongs.”

“Thanks, lady.” He winked, loved the flush that stained her cheeks, and headed toward the barbecue.

Maggie’s yard was a small oasis that was a perfect example of “size doesn’t matter.” It was a space meant to hang out and relax in. A large oak tree provided shade to nearly a third of the space, and there was an oriental waterfall in the corner that provided a Zen-like touch. The honeysuckle that crept along the back wall was fragrant, the scent hanging heavy in the warm June air. A small vegetable garden was tucked away in the far corner of the yard, and colorful flower beds overrun by petunias and geraniums crept along the foundation of the house.

It was pretty much paradise as far as he was concerned, and Cain hummed to himself as Michael helped prepare the fish. They arranged the fillets neatly on the foil, doused them liberally with the marinade that Maggie had provided, and covered them so they’d cook.

It felt good to do this. To do something for someone else. For too long he’d been on his own, and for the first time he realized that the few years spent with Natasha had never brought out this need in him. The need to put someone else first.

Being back here in Crystal Lake was about as far away from the life he’d built as he could get. But he was okay with that. In fact, he was beginning to suspect he needed a shot of something real in order to survive the future.

He took a long drink from the cold beer in his hand and glanced back at Maggie. She was someone he wanted to worry about. Someone he wanted to do things for.

“This smells so good, it’s making my tummy rumble.” Michael laughed and rubbed his belly. Every single piece of anxiety that lived in Cain had left him. As if a leak had sprung inside his body, he was light and stress-free.

He felt like a damn king.

“Sure does buddy, and it’s gonna taste even better than it smells.”

The boy’s forehead creased into a frown. “Is it because we caught it? So it’s fresh? Cause I never smelled anything this yummy.”

He ruffled the top of Michael’s head. “This is gonna be the best fish you’ve ever had, and it’s because you worked for it. Anything worth having in life has to be earned.”

Michael nodded, and his little face screwed into a frown as he kicked at the ground. “Miss Lauren is your mom, right?”

That was a 360-degree change in conversation. Cain nodded. “Sure is.”

Michael glanced up, eyes wide, mouth set in a serious line. “Where’s your dad?”

He stared down at the boy. Good question.

“I don’t know, Michael.” Cain busied himself with the fish, rearranging the fillets in the foil before covering them again. They were almost ready. “My dad left when I was a little guy barely five years old and never came back. He could be anywhere, I suppose.” Or dead.

“Oh.” Michael shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the ground once more. “We’re the same, then.”

“Yeah?”

Michael shook his head and glanced toward his mother. “I don’t have a dad anymore either.”

Cain didn’t know what to say. The tone of their conversation had changed, and no longer were they two guys grilling some fish. Michael was sharing something pretty damn heavy. It was shadowed in his eyes and evidenced by the rigid set of his small shoulders.

Cain was curious. He’d assumed Maggie was divorced, a single mom. He hadn’t considered the possibility that she was a widow.

He knew nothing about Maggie or where she came from. Nothing about the man she’d had a child with. He pursed his lips and took another swig of beer. Something hot flashed through him, a sliver of jealousy he had no right to feel.

But it was there nonetheless. He didn’t like the fact that another man had tasted her, had held her, and created life with her.

What the hell was up with that?

“You guys ready yet? I’ve got the table set.” Her voice startled them both, and a frown slid over her face. Maggie had crept up on them and stood a few inches from her son, but her focus was on Cain. “What’s going on? Am I interrupting?”

Michael shook his head but didn’t answer.

Cain put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, flashed a smile at his mother. “We’re good, and your boy’s hungry, so…”

They ate on Maggie’s small deck. There was just enough room at the table for the three of them. The fish was tender and tasty, as were the sides. It was cozy, intimate, and the bottle of wine went down smooth as silk.