Lucky Break

be alone.”

He raised his eyebrows, surprise etching his expression. “Okay, I’ll finish work while you rest. Then-”

She jerked her head back and forth once more. “Please, just go home for the night. We’ll get back to work tomorrow.” She had to force out the words.

He reared back as if she’d slapped him. “Don’t do this. Don’t pull away. We can work through this together.”

Lauren clenched her fists, letting her nails dig into her palms, drawing courage from the pain. “Why are you so sure Beth is reacting to specific things? To the curse?”

“Because I saw her with my own two eyes?”

He reached for her hand but Lauren refused to let him touch her. “Beyond that. Why would Beth react to mention of the curse?” she asked, rephrasing.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me go there,” he said in a firm voice.

“I have to. Answer the question. Why do you think that my sister Beth, my grandmother Mary’s granddaughter and assistant, would react to recent news of the curse and offerings?” Lauren pushed him.

She wanted to hear him say it.

“Fine.” He leaned in close. “Because she believes in that curse with every fiber of her being. Because she hates my family and wants the legacy of the curse to continue.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s a damned Perkins, that’s why,” he said, his voice raised. “Are you happy now?”

Lauren’s eyes filled with tears. No, she wasn’t happy. But she was right. He’d never truly be able to accept Beth. Which meant he’d never truly be able to accept Lauren, either.

LAUREN HAD BAITED HIM, Jason thought. And even knowing she was setting him up so she could push him away, he’d allowed her to manipulate him anyway.

“Idiot!” he said, stamping his foot.

Fred lifted his head and let out a lazy howl before laying his head back on the floor. As soon as his uncle saw Jason’s car pull into the pathway to the barn, Hank walked The Fat Man over.

Jason knew he was in trouble the moment he realized the old barn felt less like his home than the Perkins house. Things only went downhill from there. Sleeping with gas-producing Fred wasn’t the same as sleeping with Lauren and her snoring cat, and Jason woke up in a pissed-off mood.

When his doorbell rang, he answered without looking to see who was there. The freezing November air hit him as soon as he cracked open the door.

“Hey, cousin,” Mike said, walking inside.

Jason slammed the door shut behind him.

“I stopped by the house but Lauren said I’d find you here. So I left Amber there to help out and here I am.”

“What are you guys doing out here so early?” Jason asked, knowing Mike and Amber lived an hour away in Boston. Even Amber didn’t normally arrive until eleven on her day off.

“I have news,” Mike said. “I wanted to run that check for you earlier but I’ve been on a case and haven’t been able to breathe until now.”

Jason waved away the apology. “It’s fine. What have you got?”

“I didn’t want to tell Amber without you there.” Mike reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Your plumber has an interesting background.”

Jason grabbed the paper, scanning the page. He didn’t have to look far. “Last job before JR Plumbing was at the Bricksville Correctional Institution.” Jason’s hands began to shake. “Are you kidding me?”

Mike shook his head. “He worked on the crew building the new wing. To do that he had to be prescreened. I ran a criminal check anyway and he’s clean. But-”

“I already know the but,” Jason said. “Bricksville is the facility where Mary Beth Perkins is currently being held.”

“Bingo. And the construction, which was recently completed, bordered the psychiatric wing of the prison,” Mike said.

Jason drew a deep breath. “I saw the wing yesterday when I went with Lauren to visit her sister.”

Mike let out a low whistle. “Visiting relatives? That’s something you only do for love.”

Jason shot his cousin a warning glare. “Let’s not discuss it, okay?”

Lauren had already decided her sister provided one very convenient barrier to any serious relationship. And now he had to go tell her their plumber friend, Brody Pittman, had ties to the same prison ward where her sister was being held. The same unresponsive sister Jason could swear had reacted to the subject of the Corwin Curse.

Coincidence?

After testing positive for drugs he knew he’d never taken, Jason no longer believed in the word.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CLARA FELT the evil before she reached the house. Poor Lauren. No wonder she’d looked so stressed and uptight. Her special herbal blend of tea would work wonders to help her relax, Clara thought. A cleansing ceremony might also fix what ailed both Lauren and the house. She’d have to judge once she stepped inside.

Lauren met Clara at the door with a warm greeting. As they entered the house, a black cat skirted past her. Clara watched him go, unfazed by superstition.

“That’s Trouble,” Lauren said, gesturing to the furry feline.

“I take it he’s earned his name?” Clara asked.

“And then some.” Lauren smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. Clara wondered if there was more than the stress of the house wearing on her. If Lauren wanted to confide, Clara would provide an opening and then a shoulder to lean on.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get over here last week like I promised but the shop got busy.” Clara shrugged off her coat and Lauren hung it in a nearby closet.

“That’s okay. We took an unexpected trip and we weren’t here. But I’m glad you’re here now.” Lauren shut the closet door. “Let’s go into the kitchen. Follow me.”

Clara did and found herself in a cheery room that defied the negative energy in the house. Yellow curtains hung on the windows, dark cherry cabinets and hunter-green granite countertops indicated the room had been recently redone. “I love cooking and this is a beautiful place to work,” she marveled.

Lauren nodded. “My grandmother didn’t spend much time in here but this was one of the few rooms she kept up. I think it was because she enjoyed having a cook prepare her meals.”

The fact that Mary Perkins hadn’t used this room much herself explained the sunny energy Clara felt in here. She’d love to spread the aura to the rest of the house.

“As promised, I brought you tea.” She pulled the canister of tea leaves from a shopping bag. “And I labeled how much to use and how long to let it steep.” She reached into the bag once more, removing one of her favorite items. “And this is an easy-to-use individual tea maker.”

The young woman’s eyes opened wide. “Clara, this is amazing. Thank you! How much do I owe you for all this?”

Clara waved away the question. “This is a gift. My idea, my pleasure.” Before Lauren could argue, Clara stood. “Let me show you how it works.”

Lauren hesitated, uncomfortable accepting gifts. She finally relented. “Thank you. I’ll heat some hot water.” She checked the kettle on the stove and turned on one burner while Clara got to work, measuring tea leaves.

“I’ll make one cup for you and one for me. Where is Jason? I think he can use some of this, as well.”

The temperature changed in the room. Warm to chilly, Clara thought, certain she hadn’t imagined the drop.

“He should be here soon.” Lauren turned her back and pulled two mugs from a cabinet.

“Problems between you two?” Clara asked, deciding she couldn’t help if she didn’t pry at least a little.