“Then what are you trying to say?” she asked.
“I’m trying to tell you that it isn’t as easy as just learning the fundamentals of the game.” He picked up his coffee cup from the table and walked over to empty it in the sink. “A website or a book can’t teach you how to recognize a player’s tell or how to conceal your own. And don’t think that’s something you can learn by reading something online. It takes practice, patience and learning to be extremely observant of the other players.”
Taylor nibbled her lower lip. She had no idea what he was talking about. What was a tell? But she wasn’t going to let her lack of knowledge deter her. Even if one of the poker websites couldn’t furnish her with a definition and show her how to recognize it, she was certain if given enough time she could figure it out.
“We don’t have to play the game tomorrow,” she said, wondering how long it would take her to find a website explaining the skills he’d outlined and then how much longer it would take to become good enough to beat him.
He smiled. “If you want to go back to California and take the time to learn how to play, we can always set up things when you think you’re ready.”
“What do you hear when I tell you something?” she demanded, propping her hands on her hips.
His frown deepened. “What do you mean?”
“Either my voice comes out at a decibel you can’t hear or you have a serious listening problem,” she stated flatly. “I told you that I’m not going back to California, unless of course the outcome of the game goes in your favor. Then I’ll hold up my end of the bargain and move. But only then.” Her confidence restored, she smiled. “You might as well accept it, Lane. I’ll be staying right here until we play that game.”
She could tell by the muscle working along his lean jaw that he wasn’t the least bit happy. But that was just too darned bad. She had every right to stay at the ranch and nothing he could say would convince her to do otherwise.
Deciding that she needed to do more research, she picked up her laptop and started toward the hall. But a sudden thought had her turning back. “You said there are several card games that fall into the poker category. Which one will we be playing?”
“Texas Hold’em,” he answered tightly.
She nodded. “Then that’s the one I’ll concentrate on learning. And at some point before the game, I’ll draw up a document with the details of our agreement. We’ll both sign it and have it witnessed by an outside party.”
His lips flattened into a line. “You still don’t trust me, do you?”
“At this point, I’m not sure whether I do or not. But I’ve always heard it’s smart to get things of this nature in writing,” she said, turning to go upstairs. “Let’s just call it insurance against either of us changing our minds about the game we’ll be playing or against a misunderstanding of what we get if we win.”
As she went upstairs to her room, she hoped there really was some kind of skill or natural talent for playing poker that she might have inherited from her grandfather. It would make everything so much easier. She could not only learn the game quickly, she might be able to hold her own playing cards with Lane and quite possibly beat the socks off of him.
She couldn’t help smiling at the thought. Nothing would please her more than to beat Lane at his favorite game. She would not only make the Lucky Ace whole again, but she would be avenging her grandfather’s lapse in judgment for betting the ranch in the first place.
As she plugged in her laptop and sat down on the bed, Taylor nibbled on her lower lip. All things considered, she probably should have turned Lane down and requested they do something else to determine who would control the ranch. But she hadn’t been willing to take the chance that he would withdraw his offer completely. And the last thing she wanted was for him to own any part of the ranch for an extended period of time.
Besides, she was intelligent and learned things quickly. It was perfectly reasonable for her to believe she had a fighting chance at winning.
* * *
When Lane went upstairs for what he knew for certain would be another sleepless night, he glanced at the closed bedroom door across the hall. He could see a narrow strip of light reflected on the hardwood floor beneath it and he’d bet every dime he had that Taylor was visiting websites, researching how to play Texas Hold’em.
If he had known that she’d never played before, he wouldn’t have suggested a poker game to decide the fate of the ranch. But when he’d given her the opportunity to call it off, she’d refused.