Page 1 of Cursed Luck
Chapter 1
Did luck play a part in falling in love?
If so, Edward Broderick was screwed because the one thing he wasn’t was lucky. At least, not for himself. Those in his life would argue the opposite, but he knew the truth.
Leaning against the kitchen counter, Edward raised his glass of whiskey to his lips and sipped. He scanned the room as the smooth liquid slid down his throat. His brothers, James and Junior, laughed at something one of their wives said in one corner. Farther over, Max and Carter focused on whatever Katia, Max’s fiancée’s daughter, said, and Brandy grinned at Ethan and Serena as her husband, Ryan, rocked a sleeping Gia in his arms.
There was no doubt in his heart or mind that he loved his family. Maybe it was proof enough he was not as unlucky as he believed himself to be. He had a large family, and they had always been close, but he never quite fit in. As one of seven, he always found himself the odd man out, but he did not resent any of them for it. They didn’t even realize they did it, but in all truth, Edward was a loner and liked it better that way.
His gaze returned to his baby brother and the man’s bride. Everyone was together celebrating the couple’s union at their home. It was another beautiful wedding in one of their yards with their closest family and friends.
He had never seen Ethan so happy, and he was thrilled for the newlyweds. Serena was a gorgeous bride, an ethereal beauty floating down the aisle toward Ethan. Their vows were simple and powerful, exactly like the two of them.
Edward could not have orchestrated a situation in which his brother would have found a better woman. Or, for that matter, any of his siblings. They had been matched well, and in time, each pair would make their way down the aisle.
Everyone but him.
Love was not in his cards. He understood his purpose, and on most days, it didn’t bother him. He was accustomed to the random hookups or arrangements with women in his life. Seeing his family glow with the sort of love his parents had shared calmed the inner turmoil within him.
Since learning the truth behind his mother’s death, he’d struggled with attending their weekly family dinners. Some of his excuses were legit. His work sent him away often, but not nearly as much as he led his family to believe. It was something his older brother, Junior, would have figured out rather quickly if he cared to really check in on him.
At the bitter thought, Edward tossed back the last of his whiskey and slipped out into the yard. Most of the guests had left, but the bar he had gifted them for the wedding was stocked and the bartender well-tipped.
“What can I get you, sir?” the man, dressed in a tux, asked.
“Another of the Johnny Walker, please,” he muttered politely as he dropped a twenty into the tip jar.
“Hey,big spender,” a throaty voice sang.
He startled and turned to see who’d joined him. “Excuse me?”
A gorgeous woman wearing a long, flowy dress with a plunging neckline laughed and waved a hand. “Nothing, I’m just kidding around,” she replied, her voice rich and seductive.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what was happening. “Kidding about what?” he asked, a warmth spreading through his body.
All kidding left her face as she tilted her head to the side. “Me singing Shirley Bassey’s ‘Big Spender’?”
The frown tipping down her lips did nothing to mar her pouty mouth. Edward slipped a finger behind his collar and tugged. Why did he feel suddenly warm? His eyes roamed the large yard and to where a group of Serena’s witch friends sat, wondering if someone was behind the abrupt heat.
“You know what? Forget I said anything,” the woman said with another wave of a hand. “Can I please have a coke with a lemon in it?” she asked the bartender.
Returning his attention to her, Edward found she had moved closer to the bar and dismissed him entirely. Edward had never been so confused in his life. She sighed with displeasure as she fiddled with the napkin the bartender had set down.
He admired her sun-kissed skin and wondered if he had ever seen such a pretty skin tone. Before he could take in the dip of her waist, she dropped a dollar’s tip into the glass jar and thanked the bartender.
“What just happened?” he muttered to himself, ignoring the muffled chuckle behind the bar.
Turning on his heels, he watched her move toward the group, her hips swaying in a tempting fashion with each step she took away from him. It was seductive and left him with the need to follow her. His gaze dipped to her feet, and he couldn’t stop the surprise from blossoming inside his chest at her barefoot state.
Instead of returning to the kitchen—or worse, following her—he moved to the hanging egg chair in the corner of the patio. He loosened the tie around his neck and unfastened the top three buttons of his shirt before sipping his drink.
Still puzzled by the woman and their interaction, he studied her from his perch. She exuded confidence and held court like a queen with her subjects. Her kind, intelligent eyes took in the others and sparkled with amusement at whatever they were discussing.
“Don’t you break my chair,” Serena teased, drawing his attention away from the group.
Flowers dotted her mass of red hair, which was pulled behind her into a loose braid. Her wedding dress flowed around her like a cloud. “Are you calling me fat?” he asked, his brows knitting together.
Serena laughed. “Not at all. But whether Ethan hooked it up properly is yet to be seen,” she said with a finger pointing toward the patio’s ceiling.
