The Summer He Came Home Read Online Free Page A

paused. “You do know where the house is, right?”
    Her sarcasm was noted and he shrugged sheepishly.
    His mother had married a wealthy financier from Chicago a few years after he left town. Cain had met the man a few times—they’d jelled over football and not much else. He’d been a proper sort of man and had doted on Lauren. Sadly, he’d died nearly five years ago, leaving the bulk of his wealth to his wife.
    Her eyes narrowed onto his. She’d bought a new place a few years back and knew damn well he had no clue where it was located on the lake.
    “No matter,” she continued, “Maggie knows.” She turned to the young woman. “If you could help us out, that would be great.”
    “Of course.” Maggie turned abruptly. “I’ll get Michael.”
    Cain’s eyes followed her slight form as she disappeared down the hall, his eyes resting on the curve of her ass.
    “Forget it, Cain. She’s not for you.” His mother pursed her mouth, and a frown creased her forehead. At his look of surprise, she did everything except shake her finger at him. “I mean it. She’s not some groupie or model or anything like the women you’ve been with. The last thing she needs is someone like you filling her head with nonsense.”
    “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Someone like me?”
    His mother’s frown softened, and she pinched his cheeks just as she had when he was younger. He’d hated it then, and that was something that hadn’t changed.
    “Sweetie, you know I love you, I do. And God knows I’m ecstatic you came to your senses and kicked that Hollywood harlot to the curb, but seriously, you’re not meant for someone like Maggie.”
    What the hell?
    Cain gazed at his mother, a surly look in place that forced his eyebrows together. He’d moved from plain annoyance to a truly insulted state. “Not that I’m interested in”—he gestured toward the hall—“your friend Maggie, but would you care to explain what you mean?”
    “Don’t take it personally, honey.” Her lips graced his cheek, and then she moved away. “But Maggie needs someone…solid, stable. A man who’ll be there for her and be a father to her son.”
    Cain couldn’t help but feel pissed. This was personal. “Okay, I get that for whatever reason, you’re protective of this woman. And let me reiterate, I’m not interested. The last thing I need is a complication. I just got rid of one. But I sure as hell would like to know why you think I’m not good enough for her.”
    Lauren Black stared at her son for several long moments. Her eyes glittered like blue diamonds, their brilliant depths colored with pain. “It’s not a question about being good enough, Cain. It’s just that in some ways you’re a lot like your father. I know you don’t like to hear that, but it’s true.”
    He bit his lip to keep quiet and glared at her. Sure as hell, he didn’t like to hear that. His father was a bastard. Being compared to him was a low blow, and it left a shitty taste in his mouth.
    “You’re here now, but tomorrow or next week or maybe even the week after that…you’ll leave. It’s what you do.” She couldn’t quite keep the bitterness from her words as she turned from him. “How many years will go by before you come back to us?”

Chapter 3
    Maggie-Grace O’Rourke drained the last of her coffee and rinsed her cup in the sink before quickly drying it and putting it away. Her counter space was limited, and she liked to keep it free of clutter. She was a great believer in the saying Less Is More, though truthfully, when you didn’t have a whole lot, it sure was easy to live by.
    Besides, a dishwasher wasn’t in the budget, and the one that had come with the house had never worked. She looked at it in disgust. It was there for looks only.
    She glanced out the window above the sink and felt her spirits lift as sunlight crept inside. Honeysuckle climbed the trellis along the fence in her small backyard, and a tiny hummingbird flitted about,