The Summer He Came Home

Chapter 14



To say the garage sale was a success would be an understatement. The weather had cooperated, spilling sunshine and heat onto the field, encouraging the crowds to come early and spend heartily.

The townies were out in full force, and the influx of weekenders and a good number of folk who’d traveled from the city was impressive. The executives who’d organized the event were happily counting their cash, and by noon a good amount of the donated items were long gone. They’d been packed into cars and trucks and trailers and taken away, hopefully never to be seen again.

Cain watched Maggie from across the park.

She was still with Raine, though the toy section they’d been in charge of was very much depleted. She stretched her arms above her head and rolled her shoulders. The tank top she wore emphasized her full breasts, and her legs, with their delicate calves and toned thighs, were once more shown off to perfection.

With her hair hanging in braids, she looked like every man’s fantasy schoolgirl, and the kicker? She wasn’t working it. At all. Just watching her drove him crazy.

Cain groaned and ran his hands across his chin. Even now, here among the families and town folk, in this very public place…all he could think about was her. About having her alone and naked.

He was hard like a geek teenager with no control, and his groin tightened even more as she rubbed the back of her neck, which in turn pushed those delectable breasts tighter against the thin fabric of her shirt.

Her soft curves, hesitant touch, and the flare of passion he’d coaxed from inside her the afternoon before played over and over in his mind. He hadn’t wanted a woman this badly in years. Hell, not even Natasha had touched him the way Maggie did.

It wasn’t just physical either. Sure, she was easy on the eyes and had a body that made his mouth water, but it was so much more than that. Her laughter was contagious, her shy wit captivating, her affection for her son quick and sure.

He loved watching her interact with Michael. The mutual respect and love the two of them shared made him feel empty when he considered what filled his life.

And yet there was so much he didn’t know. Cain’s eyes narrowed as he continued to study her. She was a mystery, this woman, and one he fully intended to unlock.

“You got a thing for her.” Mac handed him a bottle of water and chugged his own back. “Bad.” He tossed his empty bottle into the recycle bin behind them. “Weird, ’cause she’s not your type.”

Irritation pinched Cain’s mouth and he glared at his friend. “How the hell would you know what my type is?”

Mac laughed, a loud, hearty chuckle that turned several heads, including Maggie’s. “You’ve dated models and singers and married an actress and, uh…” He tossed a wicked smile at Cain. “Let me see, there’s the whole groupie thing, which honestly I don’t know much about, but I can only imagine.”

“Well, maybe my tastes have changed.” Cain scowled at Mac and shoved past him.

Luke Jansen strolled up to Maggie and Raine, but Cain’s course was set and he didn’t deviate from it. He clenched his teeth and glared at the large paramedic. The bastard didn’t give up.

“There you are, Cain.” The paper-thin voice stopped him cold. Just like back in the day.

Mrs. Lancaster, the pastor’s wife. He had a sudden urge to look behind him, to make sure trouble wasn’t following in his steps.

He turned quickly and smiled at the little woman before him. She was barely five feet tall, her round frame draped in a blue and yellow print dress that looked as if she’d grabbed it from one of the donated clothes hampers, and her feet were encased in black rubber boots. In her arms she held a basket of daisies that were as white as the perfectly coiffed hair that was pulled back into the tightest bun imaginable.

Cain grinned. Time had stopped at Mrs. Lancaster’s door and left the lady exactly as he remembered. Boots and all.

“How are things, Mrs. Lancaster?” he asked politely. He glanced behind her, and his mood darkened when he spied Luke a little too close to Maggie for his liking.

“Oh my goodness, they’re just fine.” The woman beamed at him and adjusted the large basket in her arms. “I was thrilled when Lauren told me you’d decided to prolong your visit home.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it feels good to be back. You need help with that?” Cain asked.

“Oh no, dear, I’m on my way home. Must help Frank prepare tomorrow’s sermon.” She paused and cocked her head. “It would be awfully nice to have you sing in church again.”

For a second Cain was speechless. He hadn’t sung in service since he was a teenager. In fact, it had been just as long since he had stepped inside a church.

“Don’t look so horrified.” The woman winked and smiled. “You might be surprised how good it feels to come back to the fold. Lord knows, the corruption you face every day must wear you down. All that sex and drugs and…”

Rock and roll?

“Well, I’m sure you know what I mean.” Her faded blue eyes narrowed. “Crystal Lake will energize your soul and fill your spiritual well, Cain. If you let it.” She rearranged the daisies and glanced toward Maggie. “It works miracles.”

With that, the slight woman turned and headed toward the parking lot. She disappeared into the throngs of people milling about, and Cain felt the tension on his shoulders leave in a swoosh.

He’d never had a problem with authority figures—teachers, principals, police officers, and so on. But that woman, that small bundle of godliness, had always managed to penetrate his defenses, and after all these years, she still made him nervous as hell.

As if she knew something he didn’t.

He continued on toward Maggie, his steps sure, his strides long. Luke glanced up and narrowed his eyes as a frown crept over his features.

“Black,” Luke said.

Cain ignored him. No one called him Black. Not even Mac or Jake.

“You ready to get out of here, Maggie?”

Her eyes were wary, and for a second he thought she was going to protest. “I…” she began, but Luke cut in.

“She’ll be here for a while.”

Anger shifted beneath his skin, and Cain flexed his fingers before glancing toward the paramedic. “Really.” He gestured behind him. “Seems to me you’ve got a ton of help, and since Maggie was here before the crack of dawn setting up for this sale, I think she’s good on the volunteer front, don’t you?”

“What’s up?” Raine asked as she slid a marker behind her ear and tossed a toy into the reject bin.

“We’re heading back to the lake.” Cain flashed a grin. “You coming?”

“Is Jake going back?”

Her question surprised Cain. He shrugged. “I assume he’ll make his way over. He’s already left to go meet his father.”

Raine rolled her shoulders. “Okay, sounds good. I need a break.” A smile crept over her pale features. “Here comes Michael.”

Michael was running full tilt, his legs pumping hard as he raced toward them, his friend Tommy steps behind. “Cain!” He waved several large sheets of paper in the air. “I found them.”

Shit. Cain felt Maggie’s eyes on him but ignored her.

Michael was puffing hard as he slid to a stop and grinned at them all before handing over his precious cargo to Cain.

“Thanks, buddy. We’ll be leaving soon. Did Tommy clear it with his folks?”

The fair-haired boy with Michael nodded. “My dad said it was okay as long as Maggie is there, because then he’ll know that no shenan…” He scratched his head. “Shenanig…” The kid’s brow furled and he turned to Michael.

“Shenanigans.”

Tommy grinned. “Yeah, that’s the word. None of that will be happening.”

Cain hid a grin. “All right, then.” Nice to know his reputation as a hell-raiser was intact.

He chanced a glance at Maggie. The wariness had returned to her face—big-time—along with a hint of annoyance. That he sensed clear as day. “Can I talk to you?” It wasn’t a question. It was an order. Her lips were tight, her features even tighter.

Hell, yeah, she was annoyed and bordering on pissed, which meant that… Christ, he didn’t know what it meant. He just knew he liked it. This interaction with her, no matter if she was happy or angry. As long her gorgeous blue eyes were focused on him—he cracked a smile at Luke—and no one else.

He followed her until they stopped several feet away. “What’s up?” When in doubt, play dumb.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, her gaze moving past him and then back. She spied the paper in his hand, arched her brow, and nailed him with a look that said What the hell?

“Why did Michael bring you my illustrations? Those were donated to raise funds for the sale.”

“They did.”

“They did what?”

“They raised funds for the sale.”

“Really.” Sarcasm touched her voice, and he grinned.

“Yes. They fetched a good price.”

“What’s considered good?”

“Five hundred dollars.”

Maggie’s mouth fell open again, and he groaned softly as the urge to grab her and kiss her hard rushed before him in Technicolor porno. Long red hair, entwined limbs, and that soft, full mouth. Shit. He hardened instantly and shifted, groaning inwardly as he did so.

Her color was high, the normally pale complexion a soft blush.

“You paid five hundred dollars for a few drawings I donated.” Disbelief rang in her voice.

“That would be correct.” He glanced down at them for the first time. They were colorful pieces featuring a young boy, an older girl, and the biggest, fattest tabby he’d ever seen. The scene looked fantastical, whimsical almost, and was good. Really good.

Michael had told him that his mother drew—that she was working on a children’s book and had donated a few sketches she wasn’t going to use. That was enough. He’d had to have them.

She stared at them for a good long while, and a shadow fell over her face. In a second her mood went from annoyance and anger to…well, if he was honest, it looked like she was afraid.

That stopped him cold. Shit. He didn’t want her to think he was stalking her or anything. That would be creepy. “Hey, I didn’t mean—”

“What are you doing?” she interrupted in a whisper. “We can’t…you can’t…”

She was afraid. But she didn’t have to be.

“We can.” Cain took a step closer until her subtle scent teased his nostrils. Until there was only a breath of air between them. His eyes were intense as he stared down at her. “I don’t know about you, but that kiss yesterday… I can’t stop thinking about it…about how I want to do so much more to you.”

She lowered her eyes, but his hand moved to her face, and he was encouraged when she didn’t pull away. In fact, she leaned into his palm. The movement was subtle, but it was there, and it gave him hope.

His thumb skated across her bottom lip. “I want to put my mouth on every single inch of your body.” Totally forgetting about everyone else, Cain slipped his forefinger between her lips and bent low. “The things I want to do to you, Maggie, are driving me crazy, and I can’t get the images out of my head. Yesterday was just a teaser. You have no idea what I’m going to do to you when I get the chance.”

She tugged away and he let her move, her breaths falling fast and hard. Her nipples stood out in stark relief against her top, and Cain knew she was as horny as he was. Thank God he’d worn his loose-fitting board shorts, or everyone within ten feet would know the state of what was going on between his legs.

“Look, I’m sorry if you think I used Michael to get you to agree to come out to the beach.” He smiled, and damned if he wasn’t working it. Just a little. “I just thought he’d like to hang out with his buddy.” Cain glanced around. “And really, it’s another perfect beach day.”

Her eyes were stormy again. Just like the night he’d met her.

“I’ll be honest, Maggie. I don’t know what this is between us or where it’s going. The only thing I’m sure about is that I’ve never felt this way before. All twisted and frantic and”—he grinned—“horny as hell.” Something passed between them in that moment, a look in her eyes, an answering need.

Cain decided to put it all out there. “I want to know what you think about before you fall asleep.” His eyes smoldered and his skin was hot. He lowered his voice and moved closer, loving the way she bit her lip. “I want to know who you think about when you’re alone in the shower. What makes you laugh and what makes you scared.” He had to make her understand. “I want to know you, and I want you to know me, because that kiss that we shared? That connection? It doesn’t come around every day, and I sure as hell want some more of that.”

Cain held out his hand. “You do too. I can feel it. Live in the moment Maggie. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He was suddenly aware of the others milling about several feet behind him. It was a reality check, and he cocked his head, effectively dousing the erotic images in his mind. “You coming?”

She stared at him for several long seconds, and just when he thought he’d blown it, Maggie exhaled, squared her shoulders, and put her hand in his. She didn’t say a word.

But that was all right. She didn’t have to.