The Bad Boy of Butterfly Harbor(19)

“Careful, Simon,” Holly warned. Given Simon’s penchant for hugging most animals, he’d have no qualms about throwing his arms around this one.

“I know, Mom.” She could all but see him rolling his eyes. “What’s his name?” He curled his fingers over the window edge.

“Cash,” Luke said with a grunt as he slid the plywood on top of the others in the truck bed. “Short for Cassius. After Cassius Clay.”

“The boxer?” Holly asked, and her heart twisted as Cash gave Simon’s hand a solid lick. Her son’s smile widened.

Luke nodded. “They’re both fighters. Seemed fitting. I see you weathered the rest of the storm okay.”

“Yeah.” She still had difficulty reconciling the Luke she knew years ago with the man who had returned. The edge was still there, along with the promise of danger, although it was tempered by maturity and control. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “We’re heading to the bookstore, so...”

“Actually, I’m glad you ran into me.” He grinned and made Holly’s heart stutter. “I saw a bunch of kids hanging out around the old community center last night. What can you tell me about them?”

“They’re bored,” Holly said, reluctantly impressed he cared. “Not much left for them to do around town, especially now that the arcade closed.”

“I saw a blond kid, birdlike hair.” Luke waved his hand above his head. “Gray hooded sweatshirt. Seemed like the ringleader.”

“That’s Kyle Winters,” Simon announced as he continued to pet Cash. “He’s always up to something.”

“Like what?” Luke asked.

“He’s mean. He picks on littler kids.” Simon’s face scrunched up. “Knocks them down, throws things at them. One time he even shoved Monty Tillings in his locker. I heard Mellie Sinclair say he smokes pot up in one of the beach caves. I tried to follow him up there one time, but it got too steep.”

“You did what?” Holly turned stern eyes on her son. “I thought we talked about this, Simon.”

“He’s a bad guy, Mom. Superheroes catch bad guys, right, Sheriff Saxon?”

“They do in comic books,” Luke said, obviously trying to walk the thin line between child logic and maternal discipline. “But you should be careful.”

“Kyle was suspended from school last year for threatening one of his teachers,” Holly added in the hopes of veering off the topic of her son’s leanings. “His home life isn’t ideal.” She pinned Luke with a look that she hoped conveyed what she really meant to say. Kyle Winters’s situation at home wasn’t dissimilar to the one Luke had experienced, but while Holly might sympathize, she couldn’t excuse the damage Luke had caused her father. “Kyle’s an instigator. I don’t think he’s a bad kid, just lost. All the more reason for you to stay away from him, young man.” She held out her hand. “Have a good day, Luke.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

“’Bye, Cash.” Simon waved and Holly steeled herself against the sorrowful expression that crossed her son’s face. Something told her he’d be begging for a dog again come dinnertime. “Mom, is Sheriff Saxon the reason Grandpa doesn’t walk right?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“At the diner.” He puffed out his chest. “I hear everything there. So is it true?”

So much for hoping this conversation could wait until Simon was older. She should have realized Simon would be privy to tons of town gossip, but how else was she going to keep an eye on him if she didn’t bring him to the diner with her? “Luke was involved in the accident where your grandpa got hurt, yes.” She dropped her hand on Simon’s shoulder, not wanting to delve too deeply into a topic that could bring up memories of Gray’s death. “It was a long time ago, Simon. Way before you were born.”

“But you’re still angry with him. And now he’s taking Grandpa’s job?” The annoyance in her eight-year-old’s voice twisted her insides into knots not even a magician could loosen. Blast it, the last thing she wanted was for her anger with Luke to trickle down to her son. “That’s not right. I thought sheriffs were supposed to be good guys.”

“Luke didn’t take your grandpa’s job, Simon.” When Simon’s shoulders stiffened, she knew his overactive brain was already spinning. She circled in front of him and stooped down, gripping his little arms in her hands. “Simon, I need you to hear me, okay? What’s happened is because of decisions other people have made, including your Grandpa. Yes, we’re all sad he’s not sheriff anymore, but think about all the extra time you’ll get to spend with him now. You have fun with Grandpa, don’t you? Maybe he’ll even teach you to fish like you’ve always wanted.”