Mike exhaled hard. At least he wasn’t alone. That made Mike feel better.
“What made you think about it now?” his cousin asked.
Mike shrugged. “Amber mentioned it and I’m thinking she’s got a point. But so do you, when you asked if he’d even go. Getting him there won’t be easy.”
A loud crash sounded from the small boathouse followed by a shout. “I caught an intruder!” Edward yelled.
Mike and Derek did an about-face from the house and ran to see what kind of trouble Edward was causing now. They approached to find that Edward stood outside the boathouse door, gesturing wildly with one hand. In the other, he held his skunk, which was never far away.
Mike’s heart pounded in his chest. “Dad, put that animal away and tell us what’s wrong.” Mike tried to get a look into the storage area, but Edward blocked the way.
“Someone’s inside. I didn’t get a good look, but I’m gonna get him now.” He turned and picked up a large stick. “I’m going in.”
Mike put a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Let me take a look inside first,” he said, easing Edward out of the way.
Derek held Edward back as Mike slipped into the boathouse. It looked like it was going to be another one of those days…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AT FIRST GLANCE, Mike didn’t see anything unusual inside the old boathouse. And he sure as hell didn’t see anyone.
“Hello?” Mike called.
“Mike? Is that you?” a familiar voice asked.
“Thank God you’re here,” Jason said. “I came around back looking for your father. I couldn’t find him, so I went into the boathouse to see if he was in there. I tried to talk to him, but he pulled a goddamn skunk out on me like a weapon. I’ve been hiding in here so I wouldn’t get sprayed.” Jason rose to his full height from the corner of the room.
Mike swore under his breath. “It’s safe now,” he said. “It’d have been safe anyway. The skunk has been descented.”
“What the hell?” Jason stepped forward.
“Don’t ask,” Mike muttered.
Amber was right about Edward needing help. This kind of behavior couldn’t continue.
For now, though, he was worried about his cousin. “What are you doing here back in the States? Aren’t you supposed to be overseas training or qualifying or something?” His cousin was a United States snowboarding champion, headed to the next Olympics and destined for gold.
“I take it you haven’t heard the news?” Jason asked.
“Apparently not. What’s going on?”
Jason groaned and ran a hand through his long hair. “I tested positive for steroids at the World Championships. I probably won’t even be eligible to qualify for next year’s Olympics.”
Mike stared at his cousin, certain he’d heard wrong. “You don’t do drugs. How did this happen?”
“What’s going on in there?” Edward called, interrupting.
“Everything’s fine. I’ll be out in a second,” Mike yelled back and turned to Jason again. “Go on.”
“I got suckered by a woman I thought I could trust. I was set up.” His voice held all the exasperation he must be feeling.
“You fell in love, didn’t you?” Edward leaped in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. “Didn’t you learn nothing from me? Your father? Your uncle? No, you let the curse get the best of you, too.” He asked and answered his own question in the voice of a raving man.
“You’re still sneaking up on people, I see. Hello, Uncle Edward. Where’s your pet skunk?” Jason asked, ignoring the subject of the curse like all good Corwin men.
“Outside with that crazy woman,” Edward said.
“What crazy woman?” Jason asked.
Mike inhaled, the musty scent of his surroundings suddenly becoming more than he could take. “Let’s move this outside.”
“Can we go into the house?” Jason asked. “I’ve got the press stalking me. My father’s home is the first place they’ll look. So I thought I’d stay with Uncle Edward. Nobody would think to look for me here.”
Apparently Jason had come up with the same solution Mike had for Amber, which in Mike’s opinion, made this place a less appealing hideout for both of them.
“I’ve got more company than I know what to do with. All uninvited, I might add,” Edward piped in. Mike didn’t need to see his father’s face to know he scowled as he spoke.
Jason cleared his throat, an unspoken request for an explanation.
“It’s a long story,” Mike told his cousin. “And when you walk out the door you’re going to meet those visitors. But don’t worry. We’ll keep your presence under wraps.”
Mike’s cell phone vibrated in his back pocket. A quick check told him it was a Texas number.
The man’s timing sucked, Mike thought. He let the message go to voice mail, planning to deal with it as soon as possible.
As they stepped into the sunlight, a scene of chaos unfolded. Clara held the skunk and chided Edward, while Amber and Gabrielle surrounded Mike and Jason, demanding answers and introductions. Derek, arms folded across his chest, could only watch in horrified fascination.
“Quiet!” Mike finally yelled, silencing everyone.
All eyes locked on him.
“We need to take this inside. Now.” His voice was a command and everyone followed him up the grass, through the back door.
But there was no escaping the fact that something needed to change. His father’s once-quiet house had turned into a refuge for people running from their troubles. Edward couldn’t handle it and since Mike had helped cause the problems, it was up to him to find to find a way out of this mess. God help him.
AS AMBER WATCHED Mike handle his family, she learned more about her husband. Like her, he was a people person. He knew what made each person tick and how to give them what they needed to calm them down.
He started by sending his father to the garage, instructing him to clean up the boxes and make room for Amber’s car inside. She knew it was busywork, but it kept the older man away from the people and chatter inside, which clearly overwhelmed him. Before Clara could join Edward, Mike asked her to make tea for all the guests, sending her to the kitchen, far from the garage. Clara enjoyed taking care of people and hurried to please Edward’s son. Gabrielle, clearly fascinated by the other woman, offered to help.
And though Amber preferred to stay with the men and find out what had happened to Mike’s famous snowboarding cousin, she didn’t think Mike would want her intruding. “I’ll help Clara and Gabrielle in the kitchen,” she said, turning to leave the Corwin men alone to deal with their family issues.
“Amber, wait.”
At the sound of Mike’s voice, her heart picked up rhythm. “Yes?” She glanced back over her shoulder, meeting his gaze.
“Would you mind sticking around?” He gestured to the family room where his cousins had settled into their own seats. “You’ve got a clear head and I think you might be able to help.”
His words caught her by surprise. “Of course I’ll stay.”
