Here Comes Trouble Page 0,89

respect what you do, Dan, what you and your father built, but that’s your future. It’s not mine.”

“Says the guy with the fancy architectural and design degrees. Too good for us? You’ve got the money, the education—”

“Whoa, whoa. Where the hell is this coming from?” Brett was sincerely surprised, but also more than a little pissed off. “That was way out of line and you damn well know it.”

Dan ducked his head, held his hands up, palms out. “You’re right.” He lifted his gaze. “I’m just frustrated. We make a great team. And I guess I thought, despite what you said, that when you left the tables for good…” He let it trail off.

And Brett felt his heart squeeze hard inside his chest.

He thought Dan had truly understood. Had he thought, all along, that Brett was really going to come work with him? Or was he just frustrated now that things weren’t going well? Because what Brett knew, what Dan had to know as well, though they’d never spoken of it, was that on the occasions when Brett went to work with Dan, between tournaments, or when he just needed a break from the tables…Dan’s ability to find folks who wanted to hire them tended to increase exponentially. Brett was well known throughout the world of poker, but nowhere was his fame as strong as it was in his own hometown. Word got out he was working with Dan, and well, folks liked to be associated with a winner. Some approached out of curiosity, but most just enjoyed whatever it was they got out of working with a recognizable “name.”

Brett had never minded that. Though he’d never openly promoted himself or their partnership that way, lending what celebrity he had, to help Dan land the higher-end, more lucrative clients was about the only way he could share his good fortune with his childhood friend.

But, as much as he wanted to do anything he could to help, he drew the line at giving up the dream to build his own future. Not when there were too many other ways he could help that didn’t require that kind of sacrifice. It hurt him to see his friend disappointed, and in trouble, but he was feeling a bit betrayed himself.

Maybe it was the time he’d taken, or the distance he’d finally put between himself and the only life he’d ever known, but he could see more clearly now that not only did Dan not seem to have really gotten that Brett’s path was not his best buddy’s path, but he almost seemed…well, a little pissed off that Brett was going to go his own way.

And yes, that hurt. It also pissed him off a little, too.

“I’m sorry. You know I will do anything to help you out.” Brett pushed on when the mutinous expression crossed Dan’s face. “And don’t go blowing up on me, you know I don’t see it the way you do.”

“I work for what I get. I make the right choices for my business, to keep it strong and growing. And that means not being an idiot and letting you walk away. That’s why I got on a plane. I’m not here for a handout, Brett. I will never take your money. But I will take your honest work, because it’s good for all of us.”

Brett blew out a long breath and swore silently, but he didn’t look away from his one and only true friend. Dan deserved at least that much. “It’s not good for me.” He hated the pain that flashed through his friend’s eyes, but was bolstered by the anger he saw there, too. “There are other ways for me to help that allow us both to live the lives we want. If you won’t let me help you financially, there are other things I can do that are in line with your work ethic. I’m not trying to insult your pride or your integrity. But I can help you, goddammit. So let me. I can finance projects; I can do marketing for you. I’m not coming back to work for you, but there are so many other ways I can drive business your way. All of which I want to do.”

Dan didn’t say anything, and the moment spun out until it felt pretty damn uncomfortable for both of them.

Dan was the one who finally broke the silence. “You know, I never thought you had a problem. With gambling, with cards. You were more like some kind