That your sister is as crazy as your grandmother was, Jason thought, and immediately realized he’d boxed himself into a corner. At first he’d been upset she’d sold her car instead of taking his money. His initial reaction had been all male ego. He could admit that much.

But when he stepped back, he knew that there was more to it. He’d wanted Lauren to see the truth. That unlike the house, which would bring her a return, investing money in her crazy sister was the equivalent of throwing it away. But he couldn’t say that without hurting her and putting a wedge between them.

“Well? Are you going to explain?” She tapped her foot impatiently.

This was what he got for reacting to her news without thinking things through. Big mistake. Now he owed her an answer that wouldn’t set her off.

“I’m just saying that the doctors are treating Beth’s mental breakdown, but the fact remains that the things she did were…criminal. Just like your grandmother.” He tried not to wince at his own description, which was painfully accurate.

“And you don’t think I realize that?” Lauren’s voice cracked as she spoke. “But she’s my sister. My baby sister, and she’s not as strong as she looks. She was weak enough to be manipulated by my grandmother, and I’m responsible for that.”

He hadn’t seen that one coming. “How do you figure?” he asked, and braced himself for her reply.

She walked over to the mahogany bookshelves and picked up a small framed photograph he’d never noticed before. This was one room she hadn’t tackled yet because she liked spending time in here and he realized why. It was the most personal of all the rooms, with the fewest reminders of her grandmother’s position as mayor and her abuses of power.

Lauren handed him the photograph.

Two adorable young girls stared up at him. Lauren, the taller older sister, had her arm protectively around her younger sister’s shoulder.

“How old were you here?” Jason asked.

She glanced at the picture. “I was eleven and Beth was six. We were always close, until the summer I turned eighteen and took off. She never really forgave me for abandoning her, and when she came to live with my grandmother, she turned to her completely.” She drew in a ragged breath. “That’s why it’s my fault. Because I left her to be manipulated by my grandmother.”

He grasped her shoulders. “So you could live your life! You aren’t her mother, you’re her sister. You had every right to break away when you did!”

Lauren pulled out of his grasp. “I abandoned her to a crazy woman.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Which makes me equally responsible for the choices Beth made.”

Jason shook his head in frustration, disagreeing with her words. He desperately wanted to hold her, but her shoulders were so stiff he was afraid she’d break if he touched her again.

“I still say it wasn’t your responsibility. And even if you feel it was, how could you know what your grandmother was capable of?”

Her eyes were sad. “It doesn’t matter. She relied on me and I let her down. So whether or not she’s sick or as crazy as my grandmother, I need to be here for her now, in any way I can. If that means selling my car for cash to pay her lawyer, so be it.”

Jason realized there was no arguing with her. She was bound and determined to see this situation through distorted lenses. He was equally determined to get her to see she wasn’t responsible for her sister’s choices.

“You don’t understand, do you?” Lauren said “Well, I’ll show you in person. Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“You said you wanted to go with me to visit my sister. Now’s your chance. Oh. If it isn’t obvious, I need you to drive, so let’s move it.”

She started to walk out of the room, then paused and turned back. “Why aren’t you coming?”

He closed the distance between them. “You took me by surprise, that’s all. After our conversation, I didn’t expect you to suggest a visit.”

She shrugged. “You know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.”

As he followed her out of the room, a serious foreboding shook him. Hard.

THEY MADE the hour’s trip to the Bricksville Correctional Institution in near silence. By the time Jason found himself standing outside Beth’s door, he had a newfound understanding of what Lauren had to endure each time she visited. And a growing respect for her for doing it without complaint.

“Hi, Beth,” Lauren said as they entered the room, her voice high-pitched and deliberately cheery.

Beth Perkins lay in bed staring straight ahead. As Lauren had described, she appeared fragile against the white sheets.

Jason hadn’t known Beth well. Like Lauren, he’d been gone by the time Beth had come to live with her grandmother in Perkins, and he had only a vague recollection of her from the summer he’d met Lauren. Her crimes, however, were as much town lore as the curse, and he was well versed in those. According to rumors, beneath the fragile surface was a core of steel and no heart. Because he loved Lauren, he wished he could believe differently. Because he was a Corwin, he found it incredibly hard.

“Beth, I brought a visitor.” Lauren eased herself into a chair beside the bed and took her sister’s hand. “This is my friend Jason.”

Lauren had insisted that they wouldn’t introduce Jason by his full name to avoid upsetting Beth.

For Lauren’s sake, he’d agreed.

Jason watched Beth carefully.

She had no reaction to the introduction. She stared straight ahead at an invisible point in front of her, something he’d expected. Lauren told him Beth never did more than blink and she was right.

He couldn’t help but be curious about this woman who was capable of setting fire to a building full of innocent people in order to further her own personal goals.

Jason had personal experience with a woman who had her own agenda. Katrina wanted her lover to win gold and she’d manipulated Jason so he could do it. The only reason Jason hadn’t seen through Katrina’s act earlier was that he’d been thinking with his dick and not his brain. She was a former gymnast, and the tricks she’d done in bed defied description. He’d confused sex with love and that mistake had led him to this point. He was a contractor-a decent enough occupation-but since losing his Olympic dreams, he looked into the future and didn’t like the emptiness he saw.

He pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on Lauren, who lovingly stroked her sister’s hand. Lauren had wanted him to come here and see the fragile woman Beth had become. Jason acknowledged that fragility.

But if she came out of her state, would she change?

He leaned against the wall, watching as Lauren updated Beth on the progress they’d made in the house.

“We’re so close,” Lauren said. “The walls are patched and painted, thanks to Jason. The floors need buffing, but that will come last, after all the work is done. It was all coming together except…” Lauren’s voice trailed off and she turned to Jason.

He nodded, encouraging her to continue. There was no reason not to tell Beth about the fire. It was in a contained area and the damage would hopefully be fixed soon.

“We had a little incident.” Lauren drew a visible breath. “A fire. But no one was hurt,” she said quickly. “We…I mean, I wasn’t even home when it happened. The fire started in the electrical box, but the fire department came quickly and only one small area was damaged. Luckily there wasn’t much smoke damage. As soon as the insurance adjuster shows up, hopefully tomorrow or the next day, I can start fixing the area, so the fire shouldn’t hold up the sale.” Lauren’s voice was forcefully optimistic.

Jason knew she was determined to finish in time but he was nowhere near convinced they’d meet the deadline.

“Oh! I have interesting news,” she went on. “In my cleaning, I found an old diary. At first I thought it was Grandma’s, but it wasn’t in her handwriting and it was too old.”

A muscle twitched in Beth’s jaw.

Jason wondered if he’d imagined it. He glanced at Lauren, but she wasn’t looking at her sister’s face as she continued talking. “I think the diary belonged to one of our ancestors.” She held on to her sister’s hand. “You’d be fascinated. It talks about all sorts of history, like the curse…” Her voice trailed off and she stared down at the bed. “I shouldn’t have mentioned that,” she said softly.

“Don’t worry.” Jason sought to reassure her. “I’m sure she’s not processing.”

Lauren glanced at Beth, then jumped up. Her eyes flamed with disbelief. “Hey! Quiet with that kind of talk. I’ve been talking to her for the past year because the doctors said she might eventually respond to something I said.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

Jason groaned. Stepping closer, he wrapped his hand around her shoulder and pulled her against him, whispering in her ear. He tried not to allow his body to react to her familiar, fragrant scent.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That came out wrong. And you’re right. I don’t know anything about this…situation. Go on.” He jerked his head toward the woman in the bed. “If this is a subject she’d enjoy, keep talking.”

Appeased, Lauren nodded and sat down beside her sister again, picking up where she’d left off. “The diary mentions an offering. A woman I know-she’s Wiccan-she read from a book and explained how offerings are something people use to place a curse.” Lauren glanced down as if to gather her thoughts. “If only you were able to talk to me, I’m sure you’d have some great theory about what it could be.”

To Jason’s shock, Beth’s eyes began to move rapidly. Almost as if in response to Lauren’s words. But it can’t be possible, Jason thought.

He remained silent, deciding to observe more.

“The diary also mentioned the heart of the house,” Lauren continued. “I keep wondering where that could be?”

Beth gripped the bedrail harder, her knuckles turning white.

Uneasy, Jason glanced at Lauren, but she was still staring down at the floor. She must have long grown used to talking to herself.

“I really need to look into our family history,” Lauren said, surprising Jason. “I know our family founded the town. The original Perkinses were shipping magnates, right? So what could they have had of value to use as an offering? Unless it wasn’t of monetary value but emotional?” She swiveled in her chair until she faced him. “Maybe I’ll research curses, too. Or at least I can ask Clara what she thinks.”

Jason enjoyed how her cheeks flushed pink whenever she was excited about a topic. Or when she was excited about him, he thought wryly at a completely inappropriate moment.

A sudden gurgling noise interrupted them and Jason redirected his gaze. Beth’s eyelids were fluttering like crazy, her jaw twitching.

“Beth?” Lauren looked up and began stroking her sister’s cheek.

Her sister calmed down, silent once more.

“The doctors said there can be periods where she’ll act like she’s coming out of it, but it’s just the body responding to stimuli,” Lauren said sadly.

Jason frowned. He didn’t see it quite the same way. From no reaction to boring topics to an extreme reaction at mention of the curse. Coincidence?

Very odd, Jason thought.

And extremely curious.

HOW COULD HER SISTER be with him, Beth wondered.

And how stupid did Lauren think Beth was?

She’d introduced him as Jason. No last name. As if Beth wouldn’t know everything about the current generation of Corwins. Beth recognized the snowboarder from his photographs. The ones in the portfolio she and her grandmother had compiled.

It was obvious from the way Lauren and Jason Corwin looked at each other that their relationship was more than just business.

Again.

Apparently Lauren thought she could tempt fate twice. Beth had looked out for her sister the first time, turning Lauren’s personal diary over to their grandmother when she’d made the mistake of sneaking around with Jason Corwin when she was only seventeen. But now that she was locked in here, there was nothing Beth could do to protect her sister this go-round. Beth barely remembered not to shake her head in disgust and frustration. Some people never learned.

Jason Corwin and his failed Olympic bid were living, breathing proof that the curse was still in effect, striking any Corwin man who fell in love. And wasn’t that what the first Mary Perkins had intended when she’d used diamonds as an offering? So why would Lauren want to be the woman on the receiving end?

Nothing in the curse protected a Perkins. Because no Perkins worth their name would get involved with a Corwin man. Perkins women chose their men carefully, used them and kept or disposed of them depending on need. Like Beth’s current lover.