“I should have been here every day, telling you how I feel every day. I don’t want to lose you, Savannah. Please tell me I haven’t. At least agree to play me for the chance to win a second chance. I promise not to blow it this time.”
She straightened, wiped at her tears, then picked her cards up again and nodded.
“Okay?” he asked, not exactly sure what she was agreeing to.
“Let’s play cards, Charlie.”
He picked up his cards, looked at his still sorry hand, then nodded. He might not win this game, but he was determined to spend the rest of his life trying to win the love and respect of the woman sitting across from him.
Without another word, they each took their turn, studying their cards carefully before each move.
Finally, prior to Savannah laying down her discard, she met his gaze. “So, if you win this game, you get a second chance with me?”
He nodded.
“And if I win?”
“Did you ever figure out what it was you wanted?”
She nodded, then tossed out a card.
The card she tossed fitted perfectly into Charlie’s hand. One more card and he’d be able to lie down. He wasn’t sure how he’d pulled his hand together, but with each round things had improved.
“Care to share what that is?” he asked as he discarded.
“If you want to know,” she said as if it were no big deal as she drew then tossed another card. A card that went perfectly with the card she’d previously tossed down.
The card Charlie needed to be able to lie down and win the game.
His gaze dropped to the discard pile, then he glanced up at her. “It’s not like you to toss away cards you need.”
“I don’t need those cards,” she denied.
“No?” He arched his brow at her. “Let me see your hand, Savannah.”
She frowned. “I thought you said you wouldn’t cheat.”
He turned his cards up on the table, revealing them, but he didn’t declare himself the winner, even though he was.
And not just at the card game.
Her gaze dropped to his cards for a brief moment, then she smiled. “You win.”
“Because you cheated.”
Her lips twitched.
“Let me see your cards, Savannah.”
She slowly flipped her cards over. Recalling the cards she’d tossed her previous few plays, he shook his head. “Cheat.”
“I didn’t cheat.”
“You didn’t win when you should have.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to win at cards.”
“Since when?”