Read Online Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips - Free Book Online Page B

her.”
    Mike muttered an expletive under his breath. “I’m sorry. All it takes is the slightest problem when a Corwin man is in love and my father loses it.”
    Derek shook his head. “He’s already lost it, Mike.”
    Mike knew. He just hated facing it because, too often as a child, he’d feared ending up like his father. As an adult, he prided himself on how well he had things together. He had a job as a cop, a career that enabled him to protect others, something he never quite felt he’d been able to do for his father. Edward fought his own demons. Mike fought other people’s, at least in a way, and remained sane.
    â€œLook, we know my father has issues.”
    â€œRight. The problem is, he’s spreading the insanity now. Gabrielle came home the other day to find red dust sprinkled outside the front door.”
    â€œIn Boston or Stewart?” Mike asked, since his cousin and his wife had a house in their small hometown village of Stewart and a Brownstone in downtown Boston. Gabrielle had lived in Boston before she’d gotten back together with Derek and they’d kept her place as a city retreat or an office in case Gabrielle was on deadline and needed peace and quiet.
    â€œStewart. But thanks for reminding me. I’m going to have to check the brownstone before I leave. I’d hate for Gabrielle to find a present from your father next time she visits.”
    â€œI’m sure your place in Boston is fine. I can’t seemy father going too far, can you?” The man rarely went into Stewart, let alone ventured beyond the town lines.
    Derek shook his head. “But you never know. The red dust was followed by a string of juju dolls across the doorway. Gabrielle said she was damn near decapitated by the fishing line he used.”
    â€œI’ll talk to him,” Mike promised. “I’ll call him tonight.”
    â€œI think he disconnected his phone line. Afraid of traveling spirits or some such nonsense.”
    Mike raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Are you sure? I just spoke to him before I left for Vegas on Thursday.”
    â€œDid you call him or—”
    â€œHe called me from his cell.”
    â€œNo wires.” Derek shrugged. “Don’t ask me. It makes sense to him, that’s all I know. I paid him a visit on Saturday and he explained to me. I told him as nicely as possible that Gabrielle appreciates his concern but she doesn’t want his spirit-invoking items left in surprise places.” Derek spread his hands in front of him. “I just don’t think it sunk in.”
    Mike nodded. “I can’t imagine it would. He’s too obsessed. I’ll see what I can do,” he promised.
    But Mike didn’t hold out much hope. Renee, Mike’s mother, had threatened to leave Edward when the craziness became too much for her to handle, and when nothing changed, she followedthrough. Since then Edward hadn’t changed, only sunken deeper into his own world.
    The waitress arrived with their burgers. While she put their plates on the table, Mike silently thought about his parents’ so-called cursed marriage.
    Renee had fallen for Edward in the early days when he’d been fairly normal. But before she’d met him, Edward had been in love with another woman, Sara Jean. And Edward’s brother, Thomas, had fallen in love with her, too. When Sara married Thomas, something in Edward died. Rumors she’d been Edward’s second choice and Edward’s own hard-to-live-with personality, which only grew worse over time, led Renee to finally leave him.
    Mike’s mother was now happily married to a doctor and living a normal life. Mike envied her.
    Mike would do what he could for his cousin and his wife, but knowing Edward, once he had his mind set on a course of action regarding the curse, nothing would change his mind.
    Mike turned his attention to lunch. “I’m starving. Long day in