Wild Weekend by Susanna Carr Page B

hair as he thought about her goal. The odds weren’t good for this dream, but he understood it. After all, he was babysitting an emerald to pay for a trip to Indonesia. “If you want to win money, try something different.”
    “No, I give up.” She turned and strode away from the row of slot machines. “Win money was my backup goal in Vegas. I’ve wasted too much time on something that isn’t going to happen.”
    Travis hurried to catch up with her. “Now isn’t the time to give up. It’s the time to adapt. Change course,” he encouraged her. “Try blackjack or roulette. Throw some dice.”
    “Those games are too expensive,” she said.
    “Too expensive to fulfill one goal?” Travis never allowed anything to get in the way of accomplishing a dream. There were times when he took a gamble and failed, but he wasn’t afraid of losing it all. He knew he could recover and start over.
    “Yes,” she said definitively. “I don’t want to go all in.”
    “You should try it once,” he insisted. “The adrenaline rush makes it all worth it.”
    “I’ve gone all in before,” she said as her expression darkened. “Gave it everything I had. Sacrificed more than I should and it still hurts. I haven’t recovered.”
    Travis had a feeling she wasn’t talking about gambling.
    “No more slot machines,” Christine stated with determined cheerfulness. “Let’s go to the Mirage and see the white tiger exhibit. I know it’s not as exciting as zip-lining, but we might come up with an idea while we’re there.”
    “I’m already having fun.” And it was true. He enjoyed being with Christine. He didn’t miss the rush of an extreme sport or fight the need to keep moving. Instead, he wanted to linger, stay in one place and gain Christine’s full attention.
    “I know you said I don’t have to pay you, but I still—” Christine bumped into a tall, thin man. “Oh, excuse me.”
    “I’m sorry. Are you all right?” The man had a faint accent that Travis couldn’t place. He frowned as he noticed the man’s baseball cap and sunglasses.
    Travis immediately recognized him. It was Underwood, dressed casually and keeping his head down as he boldly made contact. Underwood expertly slid his hand across Christine while pretending to hold her steady. Underwood’s hand splayed against her wrist bag in a classic pickpocket move.
    Travis grabbed her hand, blocking Underwood from completing the theft. Travis’s stealth move revealed his training, but he had no choice in the matter. His protective instincts had kicked in and he wasn’t going to allow this man anywhere near Christine.
    He knew Pitts would be nearby. One glance in Underwood’s sunglasses and Travis saw the guy right behind them. He and Christine had to get out of there before Pitts and Underwood discovered the emerald in his shirt pocket.
    “Let’s go,” Travis told Christine as he quickly pulled her away. He needed to find a spot that had heavy security.
    “Sorry!” she called out to Underwood over her shoulder. “Wow, I swear that guy came out of nowhere.”
    That was close. He should have predicted it, but he was taken by surprise that they had gone after Christine. Why did they think she had the emerald? Unless it was a move to distract him so Pitts could pick his pockets.
    Travis’s hands shook as he escorted Christine to the entrance. He realized it wasn’t adrenaline flowing through his veins. It was fear. He had placed Christine in danger. What if Pitts or Underwood had a weapon? How would he have protected her?
    This babysitting job was over. He was returning the emerald to Aaron immediately. “I have to make a call before we go,” he said to Christine.
    “Sure,” she said as she headed directly to the slot machine by the entrance. “I’m going to give this one more try.”
    “So much for quitting,” he said with a smile. He turned around and scoped out the casino. Dressed like the other weekend tourists, Pitts or Underwood couldn’t