friendly, but he didn’t exactly sound disinterested either. He was caught somewhere between wanting to know more and not being willing to ask.
“Hey,” Michael answered, shuffling his feet in the dirt.
Mac lifted an eyebrow and tried not to laugh at all the male posturing.
“Liam,” Becca said excitedly, “Cain is the guitarist and singer from BlackRock. Remember I told you? He’s been on the cover of Rolling Stone and he’s played with Bruce Springsteen, and—”
“I don’t know those guys,” Liam said. “But I might have heard of BlackRock.”
“He’s not really a big deal,” Mac said, grinning at the look of horror on his sister’s face.
“That’s exactly what my wife would say,” Cain replied.
“So, what did you need?” Mac asked, glancing back at the fence that wasn’t going to get done unless he got his ass in gear.
“I’ve got a favor to ask,” Cain said.
“Anything.”
Cain laughed. “Don’t you want to hear it first?”
“As long as it’s not illegal, I’m good.”
“Nah. Those days are behind us. I need an assistant coach, and since you’re here for the summer, I thought you could help me out.”
“Coach?”
Cain grinned and ruffled Michael’s russet curls. “Yeah. Baseball coach. Brad Kitchen was helping me out, but he’s got stuff going on and quit last week. Seems as if he’s trying to get back with his wife, but after stepping out all over town with Lori Jonesberg, Cindy is really giving him the gears. Jake suggested you.”
“Did he now?”
Cain nodded. “We have a practice tomorrow night and a game on Friday. So what do you say?”
Mac rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t really have a reason to say no even though the thought of coaching a bunch of ten-year-old boys wasn’t exactly at the top of his list. God, he remembered what ten-year-old boys were like. The maturity gene was still a long way off.
“Um, can Liam…” They both glanced at his sister and she froze. Becca cleared her throat. “Liam loves baseball. Is it too late to add him to the team? He’s Michael’s age.”
Cain shook his head. “We can make it work. What position do you play?” The question was directed at Liam.
The kid shrugged as if he didn’t give a crap, but Mac saw the interest. “I pitch.”
“No way!” Michael said. “My buddy Timmy broke his arm jumping from the dam into the river, and he was our number one pitcher.”
“Dam?” Liam asked.
“No way, mister.” Becca looked stern as she gazed at her son. “The dam is off-limits.”
“You in?” Cain asked.
Mac glanced from his nephew to his sister. The hope in her eyes and the I-don’t-give-a-crap-even-though-I-really-do in Liam’s made up his mind.
“I’ll warn you boys: I mean business when it comes to sports. I’m not a pussy like Mr. Black here.”
Michael laughed and moved past Mackenzie, Liam following him until they stopped a few feet away. He heard Liam ask Michael if the guy with the long hair was really Cain Black, from BlackRock.
Michael nodded, hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. “Yeah. He is.”
“Wow,” Liam replied, sneaking a look back.
Michael shrugged. “He’s just like any other dad though. My mom says he pees standing up like the rest of ’em and usually forgets to put the seat down.”
“Nice,” Mackenzie murmured with a smirk.
“Talk to me when you start living with a woman,” Cain said.
“Yeah. That will never happen. Who the hell wants to worry about whether the toilet seat is up or down?”
Cain shot a smile toward Mac’s sister. “Nice to see you again, Becca. I think the boys are going to have a fun summer.” He turned to Mac. “Practice is at six thirty, tomorrow night. See you at the park.”
“Sure,” Mac replied. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do. Like get busy with a certain blond who’d pretty much starred in his pornographic dreams the night before.
“Hey,” he said quietly, following Cain to the
“Hey,” Michael answered, shuffling his feet in the dirt.
Mac lifted an eyebrow and tried not to laugh at all the male posturing.
“Liam,” Becca said excitedly, “Cain is the guitarist and singer from BlackRock. Remember I told you? He’s been on the cover of Rolling Stone and he’s played with Bruce Springsteen, and—”
“I don’t know those guys,” Liam said. “But I might have heard of BlackRock.”
“He’s not really a big deal,” Mac said, grinning at the look of horror on his sister’s face.
“That’s exactly what my wife would say,” Cain replied.
“So, what did you need?” Mac asked, glancing back at the fence that wasn’t going to get done unless he got his ass in gear.
“I’ve got a favor to ask,” Cain said.
“Anything.”
Cain laughed. “Don’t you want to hear it first?”
“As long as it’s not illegal, I’m good.”
“Nah. Those days are behind us. I need an assistant coach, and since you’re here for the summer, I thought you could help me out.”
“Coach?”
Cain grinned and ruffled Michael’s russet curls. “Yeah. Baseball coach. Brad Kitchen was helping me out, but he’s got stuff going on and quit last week. Seems as if he’s trying to get back with his wife, but after stepping out all over town with Lori Jonesberg, Cindy is really giving him the gears. Jake suggested you.”
“Did he now?”
Cain nodded. “We have a practice tomorrow night and a game on Friday. So what do you say?”
Mac rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t really have a reason to say no even though the thought of coaching a bunch of ten-year-old boys wasn’t exactly at the top of his list. God, he remembered what ten-year-old boys were like. The maturity gene was still a long way off.
“Um, can Liam…” They both glanced at his sister and she froze. Becca cleared her throat. “Liam loves baseball. Is it too late to add him to the team? He’s Michael’s age.”
Cain shook his head. “We can make it work. What position do you play?” The question was directed at Liam.
The kid shrugged as if he didn’t give a crap, but Mac saw the interest. “I pitch.”
“No way!” Michael said. “My buddy Timmy broke his arm jumping from the dam into the river, and he was our number one pitcher.”
“Dam?” Liam asked.
“No way, mister.” Becca looked stern as she gazed at her son. “The dam is off-limits.”
“You in?” Cain asked.
Mac glanced from his nephew to his sister. The hope in her eyes and the I-don’t-give-a-crap-even-though-I-really-do in Liam’s made up his mind.
“I’ll warn you boys: I mean business when it comes to sports. I’m not a pussy like Mr. Black here.”
Michael laughed and moved past Mackenzie, Liam following him until they stopped a few feet away. He heard Liam ask Michael if the guy with the long hair was really Cain Black, from BlackRock.
Michael nodded, hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. “Yeah. He is.”
“Wow,” Liam replied, sneaking a look back.
Michael shrugged. “He’s just like any other dad though. My mom says he pees standing up like the rest of ’em and usually forgets to put the seat down.”
“Nice,” Mackenzie murmured with a smirk.
“Talk to me when you start living with a woman,” Cain said.
“Yeah. That will never happen. Who the hell wants to worry about whether the toilet seat is up or down?”
Cain shot a smile toward Mac’s sister. “Nice to see you again, Becca. I think the boys are going to have a fun summer.” He turned to Mac. “Practice is at six thirty, tomorrow night. See you at the park.”
“Sure,” Mac replied. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do. Like get busy with a certain blond who’d pretty much starred in his pornographic dreams the night before.
“Hey,” he said quietly, following Cain to the
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