Timber Creek (Sierra Falls 2)

He caught up to her, keeping pace as she strode back across the field to the house. She was so tense, so quick to jump to conclusions. It struck him that he’d never seen her easy with any man. It was as if the situation had tilted, and suddenly he saw her in a new light. “Look, Laura. I don’t know who the jackass is who hurt you—”

She spun on him. “Nobody hurt me. ” But the pain that flashed in her eyes put the lie to her words.

“But I’m not out to,” he finished.

“You will if you finish this stupid hotel. ”

“I don’t think we’re talking about the hotel. ”

She sputtered, but when no words came, she turned and made for her car. “Just look into the water thing,” she shot at him, going at a brisk trot now. “And I will, too. ”

“We’ll figure it out. ” Emphasis on we. He slowed and let her go. There was no winning this particular battle—but he wasn’t about to cede the war. “Good-bye, Laura. ”

For now.

Seventeen

Rob had a theory. Seven Stud was so named because seven was roughly the number of hours that could go by without his needing a break. Ever since his last big loss with the game, it’s been Texas Hold ’Em for him, but he decided tonight was the night to get back up on that Seven Stud pony.

And tonight he’d gone upscale, hitting the tables at Aura, a fancy resort casino on the Reno strip. Some day, after he hit it big, he’d bring Helen here. Maybe have a second honeymoon. She could sun herself by the pool. He’d rent them one of those cabanas, and people would serve her frosty drinks with frilly umbrellas.

Aura was a classy joint. When you were on the casino floor, it was all you could drink free on the house, though he knew not to drink too much at the tables. When he did, he stayed away from beer and wine—too potent. But they watered down the liquor at these places, so his habit was to nurse a Jack and Coke, one per hour. He never got buzzed, and with those lowball glasses and all that ice, he always made it about seven hours before he needed to get up.

Helen had looked so sad when he left tonight. He wished he could tell her he did this for them. For her. But she wouldn’t understand. All she could think about was the kids and the chores, while he had bigger concerns. Someday she’d understand. When he hired her a regular sitter and she got to cut her hours at the tavern, his plan would become clear, he had no doubt about that.

He’d known the moment he first saw her that she was the one for him. Even as a teenager, she’d been something else, with her sexy red hair and those curves—good Lord, those curves—any Hollywood starlet would envy them. He’d seen how other men looked at her. He knew he had to step up his game if he was going to be good enough for curves like that.

Which meant he had another mistress to consider, and at the moment, she wasn’t anything like the queen of hearts. What he longed for was the three of clubs, the card that would complete a straight flush, prettier than any queen.

The dealer doled out the last cards. “Down and dirty. ”

A master at the poker face, he schooled his features. Three, three, come on three. He hadn’t seen any yet, which was unusual for Seven Stud. So many cards showing, and none of them threes.

His hole card was placed before him with a crisp flick. Rob rubbed his buffalo nickel for good luck. Rubbed the card. Peeked up at the corner. An eight.

His poker face shattered. “Shit. ” Nada. And with a measly deuce, jack, six showing, he couldn’t even make a reasonable bluff, not when the young cowboy across from him was showing a pair of aces and his Colgate smile. “Fold. ”

He’d been up for a while, but that last pot brought him back down to a hundred, and one lone Benjamin was definitely not going to do it. He needed more cash to get his mojo going, and that was exactly why he’d come to Aura tonight—their generous credit program.

He headed to the cashier and flashed his platinum Aura Player’s Rewards card. “I need a marker. ”

The woman was a tiny thing, with chipped purple nails and a tag that read:

Aura Resort Casino

~ A Fairview Property ~

Hello my name is

THUY

He gave Thuy a killer smile, willing her to recognize him. She must have because there was a quick buzz-buzz, the gate clicked open, and a suited thug appeared to escort him to the back office.

It wasn’t his first time back there, not by a long shot. He stole a surreptitious glance at the secretary’s name tag. Sheryl, it looked like.

She swiped his card. “Good evening, Mister Haskell. What can I do for you?”

“I need a marker. ”