The Summer He Came Home

by Juliana Stone

“Do you know where your mom left the keys to my truck?”

  The boy nodded. “I think she left them on the counter in the kitchen.”

  “Good. Grab them and unlock it. Leave the passenger door open, okay?”

  “Okay.” Michael ran from the room.

  Maggie heard the sound of a zipper. When she chanced a look, she was happy to see him dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He knelt in front of her. In his hand was a towel, which she accepted and held against her head.

  “Let me help you up.”

  She couldn’t go to the hospital. She had no insurance. Panic set in at the thought, and she tried to clamp down on it, but it was no use. How could she? A trip to the emergency room would wipe out her savings, because she sure as hell wouldn’t apply for Medicaid. That meant paperwork, and that left a trail.

  “I’m fine, Mr. Black. Please give me some room.”

  “You’re not fine. Ten to one, you have a concussion. At the very least, you’ll probably need stitches.”

  He was right. Maggie gritted her teeth.

  “And the name’s Cain. Mr. Black really isn’t me.”

  He offered his hand and reluctantly she used it. Once she was on her feet, the world tumbled again and her stomach rolled over. A groan escaped, and helpless tears threatened.

  “Just give me a second.”

  His arms slid along her shoulders and under her arms, and he lifted her before she could protest. Cain filled the space around her—his hard, muscled body, the chocolate eyes that stared at her intently, and the solemn tilt of his mouth.

  He held her close. Every inch of her was pressed intimately against his flesh as he lifted her into his arms.

  “Please, I’d rather go home.”

  Cain ignored her, took the stairs two at a time as if she weighed no more than a child, and headed outside to his truck. His voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke, tickling her cheek. “Lady, I’m not giving you a choice.”

  The sun was still hot, bright, and it hurt her eyes. Maggie closed them and finally relaxed her limbs when he placed her in the passenger side of the SUV.

  She rested her head against the soft leather and held the towel he’d given her against her head.

  Cain slid in beside her, and the truck roared to life. “Seat belt on, buddy?”

  “Yup,” Michael answered from the backseat.

  Maggie gritted her teeth as a wave of dizziness rolled through her head.

  Guess the ice cream cone was going to have to wait.

  Chapter 4

  Cain kept up a light chatter with the boy in the back even as he drove like a maniac through the streets of Crystal Lake. The hospital was at the north end, and he thanked all that was holy the town hadn’t changed much over the past ten years.

  New construction was evident around the lake, and a small subdivision had sprung up near the one mall on the outskirts of town, but for the most part, it was old-school. The town had been founded in the 1800s, during the lumber boom, and was full of stately century-old homes, American pride, and a population that was tight-knit.

  He knew exactly where he was going. Lord knows, as teens, he and the boys had visited the emergency room on numerous occasions. Mackenzie Draper had held the record for hardest head. Hell, he’d taken more hits to his cranium and had had more concussions than anyone else on the football team. It was a miracle the man had escaped brain damage.

  And that didn’t include any of the injuries his father had inflicted.

  He glanced at Maggie. Her eyes were closed, her skin pale except for the blood smudged along her cheek. It was already congealing. At least he could be thankful for that.

  Guilt washed through him. Christ, if he’d just crashed in one of the guest rooms upstairs instead of hiding in the basement like a hermit, none of this would have happened.

  Except he’d gone nearly forty-eight hours without sleep, had been half-drunk and jet-lagged, and had wanted nothing but complete silence and darkness.

  His fingers gripped the steering wheel as he turned off Main Street onto Oak. They were nearly there, maybe two minutes out.

  He glanced at Maggie once more. It bothered him…the look in her eyes when he’d knelt down to help her. She’d looked scared, and that made him feel even more like an asshole. He wasn’t used to getting looks like that from women.

  They barreled toward the emergency doors, and the SUV skidded to a stop in the no parking zone. Cain hopped out and yanked the passenger door open.

  “Let’s go.” He reached for Maggie, but she hunched her shoulders and shook her head, her features pinched.

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks for the ride.” Maggie slid from the truck, and Cain stood back as she took a couple of steps.

  His temper flared, but he kept quiet and stood to the side.

  “I got ya, Mom.” Michael smiled up at his mother.

  Cain watched the way they moved together—their steps in sync like a perfect harmony. There was no doubt the two of them belonged to each other. Michael tucked his hand into hers, and Maggie tousled his hair and kissed the top of his head as they walked away.

  He didn’t have that connection.

  Family wasn’t something he’d considered before—at least not one of his own. Natasha had brought up the subject once, but he’d shot her down cold. Even then he’d known she wasn’t the one he’d raise kids with. Hell, he wasn’t sure he wanted a family at all. It took a special sort to be a parent. His mother was an ace, but his father? Major fail. The man had left two days before his fifth birthday, and neither he nor his mother had seen him again.

  Gerald Black was a sperm donor—nothing more—and truthfully, for all he knew, the man was dead.

  His eyes remained glued to Maggie’s slight form.

  As far as he could tell, she was on her own, but the love of her son seemed to be enough. He thought of what his mother had said the night before and scowled. Who the hell did he have? Christ, he didn’t even own a dog.

  He thought of Jesse and his widow, Raine. If Cain died tomorrow, who besides his mother would mourn his passing? Really mourn him?

  Hell, his record label wouldn’t bat an eye. If his ass ended up on a slab in the morgue, he’d make them a fortune. Dead rockers sold millions.

  “Son of a bitch! I heard you were back in town.”

  Cain turned toward a tall paramedic who’d just walked out of the emergency room entrance. The man had some paunch around his midsection, his light brown hair was thinning, and for a second, Cain couldn’t place him. The paramedic smiled a wide toothy grin, and it came back in a flash.

  He shook the hand that Luke Jansen offered. They’d played football together, and he’d been a member of the team Cain led to a state championship their last year of high school.

  “Hey, sorry to hear about Jesse Edwards. I know you guys were tight.” Luke paused and looked around. “What are you doing here? Is your mom all right?”

  Cain nodded toward the doors. “She’s good. I brought a woman in who does some work for my mother, Maggie…possible concussion.” She’d disappeared inside, and Cain took a step forward. “I really should go and check on her.”

  Luke’s eyes widened. “Maggie…Maggie O’Rourke?”

  At Cain’s nod, Luke held up his hand. “Hold on.” Luke shouted to the other paramedic who stood several feet away, near their ambulance. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Dave.”

  Cain was silent for a moment. There was interest in the other man’s eyes, and for some reason he didn’t like it. “She was at my mother’s place and had an accident.” He paused. “How do you know her?”

  Luke walked alongside him, and they entered the emergency room together. “She rents the bungalow beside my house. Moved in about a year ago. I try to look out for her, you know…cut her grass and stuff when I can.”

  “She got family close by?” Cain was curious.

  Luke shrugged. “Not that I’m aware of. I’ve never seen anyone visit other than your mom a few times, and Raine Edwards. I�
��ve asked her out, but she shot me down cold. I don’t think she’s interested in anything other than her kid.”

  “His name’s Michael.”

  “What?” Luke looked confused.

  “The kid. His name is Michael.”

  “Yeah, that’s it…Mike.” They stopped just in front of reception. “There she is.” Luke pointed to the waiting area. Both men crossed over, and when Maggie looked up, Cain noticed her hand was trembling. She was flushed, her cheeks rosy, and sweat beaded along the top of her lip.

  “Hey, Maggie, I’m going to make sure you get in to see the doctor right away, okay?” Luke turned. “I’ll be right back.”

  She held a clipboard, a pen between her fingers. Blood was smeared near her temple where she’d wiped it. Michael’s face was pale and he looked worried.

  Cain winked at the boy and sat beside her. “Do you want some help with that?” He pointed to the forms she held.

  “I…no, I can do it. I just…my eyes hurt. The lights are bright in here.”

  Cain reached for the clipboard and gently tugged it from her grip. “Let me help. I feel like a total ass as it is. If I hadn’t left my crap on the floor, you never would have fallen.” He knew that Maggie most likely had no insurance. The least he could do was pay for her visit.

  Luke approached, a nurse in tow. “This is Tracy. She’ll take you back to see the doctor.”

  “Oh my goodness,” the nurse blurted. Cain glanced up.

  “I heard you were back in town.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and giggled. “My older sister went to school with you. Patti Jones? Do you remember her? Our parents own the bakery in town?” Maggie was totally forgotten. “I think your band is awesome, especially that British guy.” She paused, eyes wide. “Oh my God, I have your CD in my car. It would be so cool if you could sign it for me. Maybe get a picture with you too?”

  Cain stood. “Sure. But let’s look after my friend first.” His voice was firm, though he winked and smiled. “And I promise I’ll let you take as many pictures as you want.”

  “Oh.” Her flush deepened. “Sorry, of course.” She laughed—a weird, strangled sound—and motioned to Maggie. “Follow me, hon. Dr. Karkoff will be back in a minute.”

  Maggie stood and grabbed hold of Michael’s hand. She looked up at him, and Cain felt something shift inside as their eyes met. His muscles tightened and his mouth went dry.

  She looked so damn vulnerable that it tore at him. This woman he barely knew had managed to tie him up in all sorts of ways he couldn’t explain. He took a step forward, but stopped when her eyes darkened, a shadow of confusion reflected in their depths.

  “Thanks for giving me a lift.” Her hand went to her temple, and the guilt inside him tripled as she rubbed the tender spot. “I’m sure everything is fine.” She looked at her son. “Right?”

  “Yep.” Michael grinned at him. “Thanks, Cain.”

  They turned to follow the nurse.

  “I’ll be waiting to drive you home…it’s the least I can do.” He spoke in a rush, nervous as all hell and not liking the feeling one bit. What was it about this woman that turned him into a blubbering moron?

  She paused, turned her head to the side. “You don’t have to. I might be here a while.”

  “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

  She disappeared with the nurse, and Cain finally relaxed. Luke stared at him, his face screwed up into a frown.

  “Something wrong?”

  Luke shrugged. “Not my place to say anything really. I mean, Maggie barely knows I exist, but hell, she’s not the kind of girl to play with, and you…”

  Cain’s tempered flared. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He cleared his throat. “And I…what?” Gone was the charm from moments earlier. He was pissed and had no qualms about letting Luke Jansen know it.

  The paramedic glared at him, puffed up his chest, and stepped up to the plate. “It’s no secret you played the field big-time back in the day, and from what I’ve heard, you’re still that guy.”

  Cain’s eyes narrowed dangerously as a muscle worked its way along his jaw. Here we go. Everyone assumed he lived the stereotype.

  “But she’s not like that. Maggie’s special.”

  “First off, Jansen…” Cain clenched his hands together and felt the interest of those gathered in the waiting room, but he didn’t care. He was used to attention—which didn’t mean he liked it—and the paramedic was not. Luke’s face was now mottled red, his cheeks ruddy patches of skin. “Don’t make assumptions about my life and how I live it. You don’t know me. You caught the pigskin I threw at you in high school. That’s the extent of our relationship, and it ended over ten years ago.”

  Luke held his hands up as if to say okay, back off, and his mouth widened into a smile, though his eyes remained frosty. “Hey, I’m not saying anything that’s not already out there. Come on, until recently you were known more for the women you’ve dated than your music.”

  Cain figured one shot and he could take the son of a bitch down.

  “Shit, you dated that English chick, the one related to the queen, and you married Natasha Simmons.”

  Cain’s jaw clenched painfully. He was dying to smash his fist into Jansen’s nose, but what could he say? There was some truth there. He was no fucking choirboy, that’s for sure, but he sure as hell owed nothing to Jansen.

  “Jesus, Luke. You seem to know more about my life than my fucking publicist.”

  Luke’s mouth tightened. “I’m not judging. Christ, you’re living most guys’ fantasy. I’m just saying that Maggie O’Rourke isn’t one of those women, and I’d hate to see her hurt by some slick rocker who’s come home for a few days, looking for a distraction.”

  Luke’s mobile crackled to life as his partner’s voice slid between them. There was a call, and the paramedic needed to go. “No offense, but it’s not like you’re going to stick around Crystal Lake. I’m just looking out for her.”

  He left without another word.

  Cain’s jaw ached as he ground his teeth in anger. His fist tightened with the need to inflict pain or pulverize something. Anything. He glanced at the back of Jansen’s head. That would do just fine, except his ass would land in jail and his mother would kick it but good.

  His cell phone vibrated and he grabbed it from his pocket. A quick glance told him there were a lot of missed calls, a couple from his buddy Mac and the rest from his manager. There were also more emails than he cared to count. Publicity. Marketing. Managers.

  He sighed and stared at the information displayed on the screen. They were probably freaking out because he’d left right after the Glasgow show without telling anyone where he was going.

  He scrolled down and clenched his mouth, pausing as a familiar name stared back at him. Taunting him. Filling him with anger. Blake Hartley, the drummer in BlackRock. He’d emailed over a dozen times.

  Cain looked away. Let the bastard stew. What the hell did he expect? An apology?

  Tracy the nurse ran from the examination area, a copy of his CD in hand. He signed it as promised and posed for a few pictures with some of the other staff, several of them people he knew.

  One question was asked over and over: “How long are you staying in Crystal Lake?”

  Cain fingered his cell. It continued to vibrate every few minutes. Just listening to the device was tiring and made him edgy.

  He thought of Jake and Mac. Of Raine and his mother. And of Maggie and her son. What did he have waiting in LA, except an empty house and a full bar? Before the phone vibrated again, he powered it down and shoved it into his pocket. Tension lay in wait, fingering out along his shoulders.

  He needed a break. The last six months had been the most difficult of his life, both professionally and personally. He was, in effect, done for now—tapped out. The slow pace of Crystal Lake was exactly what he needed.

  He glanced toward the exam room just as Maggie and Michael appeared. Her arm was around her son’s shoulders
, and she bent low, a smile on her mouth as her son said something. Something passed between the two of them. Something solid. And real.

  He wanted that. He wanted her to look at him with the same easy grace that she gave her son. The thought was sobering and surprising, considering he barely knew her.

  Michael pointed to him, and she straightened, her smile fading as their eyes met. A wary look crept into them and she stilled, like that deer caught in the headlights again. The woman was cloaked in invisible walls, and for whatever reason, he wanted to smash through them.

  His decision was made before he stepped forward. How long was he going to stay in Crystal Lake?

  His gaze locked onto Maggie and a slow smile curved his mouth. Cain thought that at the very least, he was going to stay a good long while.

  Chapter 5

  Maggie stared across the room at Cain and felt a jolt of something rush through her as their eyes met. It left her hot and flustered, and she hoped like hell she wasn’t blushing like a complete idiot, but by the feel of her cheeks, she was probably three shades past pink. Not very attractive, with her red hair.

  The man was compelling; there was no denying the charisma that rolled off every inch of him, like water across silk. It wasn’t just his strong, masculine jaw; sensual mouth; or dark eyes. It wasn’t even the thick coffee-colored hair that framed his Hollywood-handsome face or his tall muscular frame.

  It was the sum of all those things, and yet it was so much more. He had that extra bit of magic that placed him above the crowd, and it was that extra bit that made her nervous.

  She’d heard all about him while in the emergency exam room. The nurse assisting Dr. Karkoff had been more than happy to fill her in. Apparently Cain, his buddy Mackenzie, and Jake and Jesse Edwards had been quite the hell-raisers back in the day. According to Nurse Tracy, everyone knew he’d eventually make it in music. He was way too hot not to.

  Of course, Maggie could have pointed out the fact that it usually took a lot more than hotness to sustain a career in music, but she had to admit her curiosity was piqued. Tracy explained how Cain and one of the band members, a guy named Blake, were like Lennon and McCartney, or Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. That they’d written loads of songs for other artists, but now their own band was finally making it. Maggie had never heard of BlackRock, though Tracy had happily informed her they were the next big thing, in spite of what had happened in Barcelona.