Marty Smith was born in Accident, Maryland, and his whole life reflected it: he missed the game-winning free-throw junior year, got chicken pox twice in grade school, even lost his mother to cancer. To break this supposed curse, he fled Accident as soon as he graduated high school.<br><br>Now, ten years later, Marty must face his past when he's forced to care for his suddenly-immobile father. Marty knows his close-minded hometown hasn't changed, but seeing an old classmate named Colten Williams makes him wish things were different. The more time he spends with Colten, the more he wants to stay. Accident isn’t so bad when viewed through Colten’s eyes.<br><br>Or is it just the curse lulling him into a false sense of security before it pounces again?

The Accident Curse

My phone vibrated in my pocket, still on silent from overnight. I dug it out and was happy to see Colten’s picture staring back at me. I’d snapped this adorable shot of him at the Pirates game. My finger slid the button to answer and I lifted it to my ear.


“Not too much better, honestly. I’m at the doctors with Dad right now.”


“Maybe you should have them check you out too.”


“I don’t think they have a cure to what’s wrong with me.”


“You feel like coming over today? I gotta start getting Lola Belle ready for the fair this weekend. If you don’t have plans on Saturday, I’d love for you to come down with me.”


“You know I don’t have plans,” I told him. “Let me get Dad back home and I’ll be right over.”


I smiled and thumbed through Dad’s discarded hunting magazine.


Dad emerged twenty minutes later with an exuberant expression on his face. He held up a slip of paper for me to see.


Chapter 37