Your Ranch...or Mine?

“I have this letter Ben left with me just before he went to California last fall,” Cole said slowly, interrupting Lane’s thoughts. “I was instructed to give it to both of you together. Would you like to see it before or after the game?”

“After,” Lane said decisively. “It might be upsetting for Ms. Scott and I’d rather not have either of us distracted by whatever it says.”

His friend nodded. “Can’t say that I blame you.” Cole paused a moment, then went on as he tucked the envelope into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “I was left with the impression that Ben knew he wasn’t going to make it back from his trip to California and he wanted to be sure the two of you were clear about his last wishes.”

Lane couldn’t imagine why Ben had included him in something that should have been a personal letter to his granddaughter. But then, there were a lot of things that Lane hadn’t understood about the man. He knew for certain that Ben had had more than enough money on hand to cover his wager last fall. But instead of betting the cash, Ben had chosen to put up half of the Lucky Ace. It hadn’t made sense then and it didn’t make any more sense to Lane now.

“Ms. Scott has arrived,” Cole’s secretary said through the intercom.

“Mr. Donaldson and I will be right out,” Cole answered. He looked at Lane. “Are you ready to get this show on the road?”

Rising to his feet, Lane nodded. “The sooner the better.”

As they walked out of the office into the reception area, he immediately spotted Taylor, sitting poised on the edge of a chair as if she was ready to bolt for the door. She looked nervous and if the dark circles under her eyes were any indication, she hadn’t been sleeping any better than he had. But God, she looked good to him. It was all he could do to keep from crossing the room to take her in his arms.

“Taylor,” he said, touching the wide brim of his hat and giving her a nod.

“Hello, Lane,” she said, her tone cool.

An awkward silence followed until Cole cleared his throat. “If the two of you are ready, I’ll show you to the VIP room and you can get started with your game,” he announced.

As they followed the casino owner through the main floor to the private room, Lane gave her a sideways glance. “Are you doing all right?”

Staring straight ahead, she nodded. “Couldn’t be better.”

Her false bravado made him want to give her a hug of encouragement. He managed to resist. She wouldn’t welcome the gesture and he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep it friendly. What he really wanted to do was pick her up and carry her off to some place private where she would have to listen to his explanation—before he kissed her until they both collapsed from lack of oxygen.

When they entered the room, he held her chair for her to seat herself before he found his own place across the table from her. “Good luck, Taylor,” he said, smiling.

“As you told me when you taught me how to play, luck has nothing to do with it,” she said, throwing his words back at him. “Whoever has the better playing skills will decide the outcome of the game.”

“But even highly skilled players make mistakes,” he advised. “That’s when you need to give your opponent the benefit of the doubt.” He wasn’t talking about playing poker and he could tell from the slight widening of her eyes that she knew it.

As they continued to stare at each other, Cole spoke up. “Edward will be your dealer today. There will be a five-minute break every hour until the game is finished. I’ll be the observer and verify the results of the game.” Taking his seat at the table to watch them play, the man added, “Good luck to both of you.”

Lane knew the game wouldn’t take long enough for them to reach the first break. He had a plan and as soon as he knew he held the winning hand, he intended to execute it.

Fifteen minutes later, he glanced at the hold cards he’d just been dealt, then at the three flop cards lying faceup on the table. The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

“Your bet, Taylor,” he said, calmly.

Watching for the slightest show of one of her tells, he knew immediately when she hesitated with her bet that she was calculating the odds of her having the winning hand. It was all he could do to keep from smiling.

When she placed a small bet, she smiled. “Your turn.”

“All in,” he said, shoving his entire stack of chips into the pot. He had won more chips than she had, but that was part of his plan. If she matched his bet, it would set her up for the game to be over with the next hand.

As he watched her, Lane was proud that Taylor wasn’t nibbling on her lower lip as she tried to decide if she should match his bet. But from the cards he held and the cards showing on the table, he knew she had nothing to worry about. “All in,” she finally said, shoving all of her chips into the pot.