ringing, and Stone began maneuvering the chair through the snow toward the back door as Preston reached for the phone again. "No more calls tonight," he said, and the phone chirped as it was shut down.
"Won't your dad get mad at you?" Stone asked as he walked backward, dragging the chair to the steps. If he'd done something like that to his father, there'd be hell to pay.
"Probably, but I can't stand it anymore. He just has to face reality."
Stone tilted the chair back and maneuvered Preston into the house while Jasper held the door. Coats were slipped off and snow stamped off boots and wiped off wheels before they entered the kitchen.
The house was filled with voices and laughter. Jasper walked toward the living room with Preston gliding behind him and Stone bringing up the rear. "Hey, guys, you remember Jasper,"
Geoff's voice boomed above the din. "And this is Stone, and the guy with his own seat is Preston." Greetings were exchanged all around, and room was made at the tables for the three of them.
"I've never played before." Stone didn't quite know what to do.
"No problem." Geoff sat down next to him. "Just watch for tonight, and next week you can join in if you want to."
Stone took a seat, and Preston wheeled himself up next to him. "Have you played before?"
Lumpy, one of the farm hands, asked as he shuffled the cards.
"Sure, deal me in." Stone watched as Preston passed over some money.
"The game's seven-card stud, so ante up and let's see if I can win my money back." Lumpy began dealing, and Stone watched until Preston, of all people, leaned toward him and showed him his cards. Stone moved closer and couldn't help inhaling the man's clean, earthy scent. "The trick is to not let any sort of expression cross your face, so the other players don't know what kind of hand you have."
Stone saw that Preston had a little of everything and watched him bet before more cards were dealt. He wasn't sure what Preston was doing, but watched closely as more cards were turned over. He had no idea what all the words meant, but appreciated that Preston kept explaining the terms as they went along. "We'll bet twenty." They were playing for dimes, but they were serious enough that you'd have thought big money was at stake.
Stone watched as a number of guys folded their hands. He tried to keep his expression level even as he wondered what Preston was doing. As far as he could tell, the man had nothing.
"Call," Geoff answered and threw in some chips. More cards were dealt, and again Preston bet. Stone saw Geoff's confidence begin to waver just a little; then he threw in his cards, and Preston pulled the money toward him with a big smile. "What'd you have?"
"Gotta pay to see 'em." Preston smiled up at him and Stone smiled back, and the cards passed to the next person. Preston leaned to Stone and whispered softly in his ear, "That was a bluff." Stone nodded and felt a tingle up his back as Preston went back to playing. As the evening wore on, they played and laughed as the pile of chips in front of Preston grew larger. "Stone's gonna take this hand for me."
"Are you sure?" Excitement warred with nervousness as the cards were dealt to him and he picked up a pair of sevens. That seemed to be good, and when another one appeared face up in front of him, he had to keep himself from smiling. He placed a small bet and it got raised. He called, and more cards were dealt. He bet again and a few people dropped out, but Geoff and Joey stayed in. Geoff raised him, and he began to get nervous. Preston had backed away from the table and wasn't looking at the cards. "Do what your gut tells you."
Stone raised the bet, and both Geoff and Joey called. "Three sevens." Stone grinned as Joey threw in his cards.
"Sorry." Geoff set down a pair of nines to go with the one he had showing.
"Wait, Stone." Preston pointed to the table. "You have a full house, sevens and tens."
Geoff smiled. "Yes, you do," he said, and he pushed the pot toward him.
Stone
"Won't your dad get mad at you?" Stone asked as he walked backward, dragging the chair to the steps. If he'd done something like that to his father, there'd be hell to pay.
"Probably, but I can't stand it anymore. He just has to face reality."
Stone tilted the chair back and maneuvered Preston into the house while Jasper held the door. Coats were slipped off and snow stamped off boots and wiped off wheels before they entered the kitchen.
The house was filled with voices and laughter. Jasper walked toward the living room with Preston gliding behind him and Stone bringing up the rear. "Hey, guys, you remember Jasper,"
Geoff's voice boomed above the din. "And this is Stone, and the guy with his own seat is Preston." Greetings were exchanged all around, and room was made at the tables for the three of them.
"I've never played before." Stone didn't quite know what to do.
"No problem." Geoff sat down next to him. "Just watch for tonight, and next week you can join in if you want to."
Stone took a seat, and Preston wheeled himself up next to him. "Have you played before?"
Lumpy, one of the farm hands, asked as he shuffled the cards.
"Sure, deal me in." Stone watched as Preston passed over some money.
"The game's seven-card stud, so ante up and let's see if I can win my money back." Lumpy began dealing, and Stone watched until Preston, of all people, leaned toward him and showed him his cards. Stone moved closer and couldn't help inhaling the man's clean, earthy scent. "The trick is to not let any sort of expression cross your face, so the other players don't know what kind of hand you have."
Stone saw that Preston had a little of everything and watched him bet before more cards were dealt. He wasn't sure what Preston was doing, but watched closely as more cards were turned over. He had no idea what all the words meant, but appreciated that Preston kept explaining the terms as they went along. "We'll bet twenty." They were playing for dimes, but they were serious enough that you'd have thought big money was at stake.
Stone watched as a number of guys folded their hands. He tried to keep his expression level even as he wondered what Preston was doing. As far as he could tell, the man had nothing.
"Call," Geoff answered and threw in some chips. More cards were dealt, and again Preston bet. Stone saw Geoff's confidence begin to waver just a little; then he threw in his cards, and Preston pulled the money toward him with a big smile. "What'd you have?"
"Gotta pay to see 'em." Preston smiled up at him and Stone smiled back, and the cards passed to the next person. Preston leaned to Stone and whispered softly in his ear, "That was a bluff." Stone nodded and felt a tingle up his back as Preston went back to playing. As the evening wore on, they played and laughed as the pile of chips in front of Preston grew larger. "Stone's gonna take this hand for me."
"Are you sure?" Excitement warred with nervousness as the cards were dealt to him and he picked up a pair of sevens. That seemed to be good, and when another one appeared face up in front of him, he had to keep himself from smiling. He placed a small bet and it got raised. He called, and more cards were dealt. He bet again and a few people dropped out, but Geoff and Joey stayed in. Geoff raised him, and he began to get nervous. Preston had backed away from the table and wasn't looking at the cards. "Do what your gut tells you."
Stone raised the bet, and both Geoff and Joey called. "Three sevens." Stone grinned as Joey threw in his cards.
"Sorry." Geoff set down a pair of nines to go with the one he had showing.
"Wait, Stone." Preston pointed to the table. "You have a full house, sevens and tens."
Geoff smiled. "Yes, you do," he said, and he pushed the pot toward him.
Stone
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