thought you said you didn’t play.” Liam and Spencer settled into their chairs around the felt-topped table.
“Who said I’m playing?” She asked.
“I am!” And Zach Buchanan inserted himself next to Spencer and draped an arm around her.
Spencer gave him a queenly nod across the table as two others joined the game. He purposefully raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Zach. She reached up and ruffled Zach’s wavy light brown hair. What the hell was that? JT had said he and Spencer weren’t together. But he hadn’t said anything about his little brother… the guy who knew her well enough to push her in a pool, to put his arm around her. They were obviously close, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
Spencer leaned over and whispered something in Zach’s ear as the cards were dealt. Liam didn’t like that, either.
“Game is Texas Hold ‘Em, Aces High.” the dealer said.
Bets were made. Everyone kept betting their nickel chips, for the fun of it, or because the game was just starting out. Then it was time to flip the cards over. Liam had a fairly good hand, but Zach pulled out two pair, one with aces. Spencer reached out and swept the small pile of chips over to her.
“Not playing?” Liam asked again, watching his chips being pulled toward her low cut blouse.
“Nope, just helping.”
“My good luck charm,” Zach chimed in. “She taught me how to play when I was five.”
“You were in Kindergarten,” Spencer corrected, pushing the new ante toward the center.
“You took all my allowance.”
“It was an important life-lesson.” Spencer said. “Your deal.”
It was Liam’s turn to deal. He shuffled and then reached across the green felt card table to Spencer. “Ladies’ cut.” She fluttered her eyelashes and cut the deck. Seemed like she’d done it a time or two.
Which was…fascinating. Liam played the hand.
Zach shared his hand with Spencer. For the most part, Zach made his moves independently. But there were small nudges, shared glances, a whisper here and there. Although Spencer said she didn’t play games she couldn’t win, she apparently had no objection to telling other people how to play. Correction. Telling other people how to win.
Liam had some experience at playing poker, too. A straight, three Jacks, and a pair of tens showed that. Of course, he folded a few times, as did the rest of the table, but Zach’s chips stood in the tallest tower by the end of the night.
Typical.
Liam peeked at his cards. A black six and a queen winked back at him.
Spencer rested her cheek on Zach’s shoulder. She was sleepy, nodding, barely able to keep her eyes open. He was so busy watching her face, it almost didn’t register that bets had been laid. What the hell? It was the last hand of the night. Liam shoved in half his chips.
“Well damn.” Another player pushed his two cards in, past small stacks of red and blue plastic chips. “I’m out.”
Spencer rubbed her cheek on Zach’s shoulder and slipped an arm through his. “I’ll see that,” Zach said, moving the same amount to the middle of the table.
All eyes turned to the last player. “Can’t do it,” he chuckled. “Y’all done me in.” He held up the deck. “Ready?” He dealt three more cards onto the table, face up. A queen of hearts. A six of hearts. A queen of diamonds. Liam now had three of a kind and two sixes. A full house. Not bad.
Zach raised his brows and tapped his cards. It wasn’t much of a tell, but Liam was fairly confident. He pushed in the rest of his chips.
“All in.”
That got her attention. Spencer raised her head, reviewing the cards on the table, her lips pressed together. This girl liked to play. She nudged Zach and soon Zach’s chips were added to Liam’s.
The dealer put down the turn card. Six red diamonds twinkled. It was nice to see, but it didn’t give Liam an advantage on his full house. A final card flew on the felt. An ace. Liam glanced up, Spencer’s gaze locked on him.
Her face
“Who said I’m playing?” She asked.
“I am!” And Zach Buchanan inserted himself next to Spencer and draped an arm around her.
Spencer gave him a queenly nod across the table as two others joined the game. He purposefully raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Zach. She reached up and ruffled Zach’s wavy light brown hair. What the hell was that? JT had said he and Spencer weren’t together. But he hadn’t said anything about his little brother… the guy who knew her well enough to push her in a pool, to put his arm around her. They were obviously close, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
Spencer leaned over and whispered something in Zach’s ear as the cards were dealt. Liam didn’t like that, either.
“Game is Texas Hold ‘Em, Aces High.” the dealer said.
Bets were made. Everyone kept betting their nickel chips, for the fun of it, or because the game was just starting out. Then it was time to flip the cards over. Liam had a fairly good hand, but Zach pulled out two pair, one with aces. Spencer reached out and swept the small pile of chips over to her.
“Not playing?” Liam asked again, watching his chips being pulled toward her low cut blouse.
“Nope, just helping.”
“My good luck charm,” Zach chimed in. “She taught me how to play when I was five.”
“You were in Kindergarten,” Spencer corrected, pushing the new ante toward the center.
“You took all my allowance.”
“It was an important life-lesson.” Spencer said. “Your deal.”
It was Liam’s turn to deal. He shuffled and then reached across the green felt card table to Spencer. “Ladies’ cut.” She fluttered her eyelashes and cut the deck. Seemed like she’d done it a time or two.
Which was…fascinating. Liam played the hand.
Zach shared his hand with Spencer. For the most part, Zach made his moves independently. But there were small nudges, shared glances, a whisper here and there. Although Spencer said she didn’t play games she couldn’t win, she apparently had no objection to telling other people how to play. Correction. Telling other people how to win.
Liam had some experience at playing poker, too. A straight, three Jacks, and a pair of tens showed that. Of course, he folded a few times, as did the rest of the table, but Zach’s chips stood in the tallest tower by the end of the night.
Typical.
Liam peeked at his cards. A black six and a queen winked back at him.
Spencer rested her cheek on Zach’s shoulder. She was sleepy, nodding, barely able to keep her eyes open. He was so busy watching her face, it almost didn’t register that bets had been laid. What the hell? It was the last hand of the night. Liam shoved in half his chips.
“Well damn.” Another player pushed his two cards in, past small stacks of red and blue plastic chips. “I’m out.”
Spencer rubbed her cheek on Zach’s shoulder and slipped an arm through his. “I’ll see that,” Zach said, moving the same amount to the middle of the table.
All eyes turned to the last player. “Can’t do it,” he chuckled. “Y’all done me in.” He held up the deck. “Ready?” He dealt three more cards onto the table, face up. A queen of hearts. A six of hearts. A queen of diamonds. Liam now had three of a kind and two sixes. A full house. Not bad.
Zach raised his brows and tapped his cards. It wasn’t much of a tell, but Liam was fairly confident. He pushed in the rest of his chips.
“All in.”
That got her attention. Spencer raised her head, reviewing the cards on the table, her lips pressed together. This girl liked to play. She nudged Zach and soon Zach’s chips were added to Liam’s.
The dealer put down the turn card. Six red diamonds twinkled. It was nice to see, but it didn’t give Liam an advantage on his full house. A final card flew on the felt. An ace. Liam glanced up, Spencer’s gaze locked on him.
Her face
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