Carly Phillips - Lucky Break

“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.

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.

“Fundamental disagreement is more like it.” Lauren leaned against the counter, hands braced on either side.

She carried her burdens like heavy baggage, Clara thought sadly. “No two families are alike. At their core, all people are different.” She offered the only words of wisdom she could.

“Especially our two families.”

The teakettle signaled the water had boiled and Clara took control, preparing two cups and setting them down on the table.

Clara lowered herself into a chair across from Lauren, whose tension hadn’t eased. “Relationships aren’t simple. They take work.”

“What Jason and I have isn’t a relationship,” she said without looking up.

In an attempt to soften the words to come, Clara placed her hand over Lauren’s. “Who are you lying to? Me or yourself?”

Lauren shook her head, no anger showing in her expression. “I’m not lying, just facing reality.”

A reality that could be changed, if the young woman wanted to make the effort. “Take a sip of tea. It will help you relax,” Clara urged, nodding at the mug.

Lauren took a long sip of tea and a genuine smile eased over her face. “This is delicious.”

“Thank you. Now let me ask you something. What about the power of positive thinking?”

Skepticism crossed Lauren’s face. “What about it?” she asked warily.

“I believe it’s life changing. Life affirming. Look what it did for Edward and me.” Clara’s belief was born of experience. All she could do was impart her wisdom and hope Lauren understood.

POSITIVE THINKING, Lauren thought. The concept wasn’t a new one. It had brought her to the precipice of something big in her career. But reality dictated there were too many burdens for it to succeed between Lauren Perkins and Jason Corwin.

But Clara’s excitement was tangible and Lauren looked up, really seeing the other woman for the first time. Her eyes sparkled. Her cheeks flushed pink. And her skin glowed.

Lauren had been so preoccupied with her own problems she hadn’t noticed the changes in the other woman.

“What’s going on?” Lauren wasn’t just curious-she genuinely liked Clara and cared about her.

“Edward asked me on a date!” Clara exclaimed, her joy obvious.

Lauren smiled. “That’s great news! It’s a huge step for him, isn’t it?” She vividly recalled the distraught man Jason had led to the car after Edward had discovered a Perkins and a Corwin were working together. The same man who’d hidden in his house for years, driven away from human contact by fear of the curse her ancestors had placed.

Clara held Lauren’s gaze as she spoke. “His medications are finally working. He’s seeing the world more clearly and it’s a beautiful thing! I waited years to see this happen.”

Lauren’s heart filled. “I’m so happy for you, Clara. I understand how long it’s been and what a difficult road.”

“But I never gave up on him. I never lost hope even when we were apart. I just waited for a sign that the time was right for us.” Clara wrapped her hand around the warm mug.

Lauren took another sip of the tea. As Clara said, the brew was working to relax her. “I’m not trying to burst your bubble or be a downer, but even hope has its limitations. I don’t mean for you and Edward, but for others.”

Clara shook her head. “Only if you allow it to.” She reached for the Crescent Moon shopping bag. “I have a few more items for you. There are candles to put around the house and a dream catcher to place over your bed. And this is something new.” She handed Lauren what looked like a sterno log.

“What is it?”

“It’s for the fireplace. When burned, it releases positive energy into the room. Used in this house, it will be cleansing,” Clara explained.

Lauren didn’t know how much she believed Clara’s claims, but a little good energy certainly couldn’t hurt. “Thank you. I’ll give it a try.”

The older woman nodded. “While you’re at it, try thinking more positively about your own life. About Jason and the things you want. Whatever you put out in the universe, you will get back.” Clara rose from her seat. “And now I have to get back to the shop.”