and nine from the board combined with her own jack and ten to give her a straight, beating the chip leader’s three queens.
Hope was up by fifty thousand dollars.
A thrill of joy bloomed in her chest and spread through her bloodstream, going straight to her head. She’d done it! She’d won fifty thousand dollars in four hours. She’d won! And the ranch—well, her stake in Big Julie’s game, anyway—was that much closer. Maybe she could do this after all.
She managed to keep her expression neutral. “Thank you for the game,” she said to the table, standing up and shaking hands all around, tipping the dealer. “I’m sorry I have to leave for another appointment.”
As she rose, gathering her chips and bag, she turned and saw the uncles and Tanner Wingate, standing just outside the card room, all watching her and grinning.
“Way to go, Hope!” Marty said.
“Bing-bing-bing!” said Sharp Eddie Toombs.
“Yowza,” said Isaiah Rush. “Bobby Olsson. Good going!”
“Hell of a game,” Pete Wisniewski said.
“We knew you could do it,” Weary Blastell said.
“That was an astonishing display of card mastery and concealment, comparable only to play seen at the highest echelons,” Jim Thickpenny said. “You are to be congratulated on your outstanding performance.”
Hope walked over to them, beaming. She could feel the bounce in her step.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said, hugging first Marty and then going down the line, hugging each uncle in turn. When she got to Tanner, she hesitated.
“You’re not going to hug me?” he asked. “I helped.” He was smiling, and she knew he was teasing, but for an instant, she thought she saw something else reflected in his brown eyes.
Hope put her arms around him and hugged him. My first mistake today, she realized.
Tanner was tall, a lot taller than she was, which was way too appealing. And he had broad shoulders and well-defined muscles. And his back, as she put her arms around him, was warm, the fabric of his blue chambray shirt smooth under her fingers. Even after a long day in the casino, he still smelled fresh, like soap and mint. With her head pressed against his chest, she could hear the steady thump of his heart. His hands were big and strong around her, holding her close. His thumbs circled slowly on her back, gently feeling out the bumps in her spine. She liked it. It felt hypnotic. She could feel his cheek resting against her hair. She liked that, too. It had been a long time since she’d broken up with her last boyfriend. He’d been smart with a dry sense of humor, but he’d had no sense of the physical.
Tanner had a great sense of the physical.
The thought flooded her mind with panic.
No, no, no! No physical! No distractions! No card players! No broken hearts!
With an effort, Hope lurched away, feeling her own heart pound in her chest, knowing she looked flushed.
“Little Hope?” Sharp Eddie asked, looking confused. “Are you all right?”
“What’s wrong?” Tanner asked, dropping his hands, a question in his eyes. Those melting brown eyes, darker than the very best chocolate. Why hadn’t she ever noticed what color his eyes were?
“That was an incredible bluff,” Weary said. “That your hand was worse than it was. All that checking so he’d stay in the game.”
“Learned from the best,” Hope said with an effort, smoothing down her hair.
Marty took her arm and led her toward the cashier’s window. “Whaddid I say, Little Hope? You played a fantastic game. Fantastic. Never saw anything like it, except that one time out here years ago. Well, and then that time in Atlantic City, during the hurricane. And then at that private party out in Teaneck—but never mind that. I knew you could do it. Now, bank your winnings. You don’t want to walk around with all that money. You have just enough time before you go upstairs for your shopping trip.”
Hope had regained her equilibrium. “I’m all right, Marty,” she whispered as she handed in her chips.
“Of course you’re all right, and you just won a lot of money, too, so we’ll be celebrating with you or without you,” Marty said cheerfully as they stepped away from the cashier’s window. “Now you go shopping and when you come back we’ll go to the Chinese buffet for supper and celebrate before you play tonight.”
“Okay,” Hope said. She gave him a little grateful squeeze. “Thanks, Marty.”
She and Marty had paused in the hallway leading to the elevators, and Hope smiled at the uncles