Betting the Rainbow (Harmony)

by Thomas, Jodi

  “Sure. If you’ll send me postcards of the cities you visit. I think it must be fascinating to travel the world for a living. Every time you fly somewhere new, you have to mail me a card.”

  “Fair trade. You can dream of traveling and I’ll dream of Harmony. Sometimes I think it would be heaven to look out the same window every morning until the seasons make a full circle, or walk into a room and know what’s in every drawer without looking.” He was silent for a while, then added, “When I’m all alone in a city, I think about how great it would be to walk down a street and say hello or wave at all the people. I’d know where I was, not just the name of the place, or a street number, but I’d know where I was even blindfolded.”

  “Sounds pretty boring to me.” She stared up at the stars.

  “You wouldn’t think so if you ran into a wall and door frames in the dark once a month because you forgot the layout of the room or thought you were home. I once fell off a balcony thinking I was headed to the bathroom. Luckily I was on the first-floor balcony. Unluckily, I was sleeping nude that night.”

  She laughed. “I’d pay to see that.”

  “Which one? Me falling off, or me naked?”

  “Both.”

  “You might get your chance one day, lass.”

  “Which one?” she asked, as if serious.

  “Both, probably,” he answered. “I’m a heavy sleeper who tends to walk in my sleep, and I’ve always considered pajamas extra weight in my luggage, except of course when I’m traveling to Granny’s house.”

  “You still take the long flannel footies to your grandmother’s?”

  “No, she always buys them for me every Christmas. They’re there waiting for me on the twin bed in her sewing room.”

  She giggled at the thought of Kieran hanging off both ends of a twin bed.

  He reached over and held her hand as if they’d been lovers for years. His easy conversation had done the job; she’d relaxed.

  Finally, she asked, “When will you be leaving?”

  “Tomorrow morning. I really did just come to play and check on my grandmother.”

  “Tomorrow,” she said, and before she thought, she added, “I’ll miss you.” She wanted to add that she’d miss all the could have beens too. For the first time she hadn’t acted on an attraction, and she had a feeling she’d always regret not having more time with him.

  “You won’t have time to miss me much. Remember your promise. We have a date.”

  “You still want that?” The thought of spending an entire evening alone with him and nothing happening between them sounded like pure torture.

  “You bet. I’ve got it all planned out in my mind.”

  “Wanna tell me?”

  “No, lass, ye’ll have to wait until the time is right. You made me wait long enough before saying yes to this date, so it won’t hurt you to wonder for a while.” He winked. “I used to wonder what you looked like in your underwear, but now I know. Fires up my daydreams, I can tell you that.”

  “Okay, a real date, but don’t make it too long or I’ll be married with three kids before the invitation arrives.”

  He laughed and brought her hand to his lips. The kiss was light, almost casual, but it made her want more.

  A chime sounded from the front porch. The last round was about to start.

  Time to play for her future.

  Win or lose.

  With or without Kieran by her side.

  Chapter 29

  TRUMAN FARM

  LAST ROUND OF TEXAS HOLD’EM

  DUSTI WALKED AHEAD OF KIERAN INTO THE OLD BARN THAT now served as office and packing space for Truman Apples. With the aged wood and the empty boxes lining the walls, the place smelled of apple cider. The kind folks drink hot with a touch of cinnamon, not on warm nights like this one.

  Bill stood as she neared the small square table. “I’ll be the dealer, this last round,” he said simply. “One of you will walk away the winner tonight. Good luck to you both.”

  Dusti nodded at him. He’d been the best dealer. It was only fair he deal the final round.

  She took the seat to Bill’s left. Kieran took the one to his right. The tall Scot had taken off his shirt and now wore only a T-shirt that molded to his perfect body.

  “V-neck trick, I’m guessing,” she whispered, knowing he’d be the only one to understand. He’d warned her about wearing something low cut. Said it wasn’t playing fair.

  He shook his head. “There’s just no breeze in here to cool off.” Then, she swore he blushed.

  “I’d never pull that trick.” She fought down a laugh. There was something about a redheaded man blushing that was so hot.

  Gray eyes met hers. “You don’t have to, lass. I could look at you in jeans and a flannel shirt and forget what planet I’m on.”

  Now it was her turn. She felt her cheeks warm.

  “Let’s play poker,” Bill said. “I’m starting to feel like more of a chaperone than a dealer.”

  As the cards were shuffled, Dusti stared at Kieran, wanting him to look at her again, but he kept his head down. Even when the first two cards were dealt, he didn’t look up. It was almost as if she now sat alone.

  She thought of all the ways he’d been able to read her. In the earlier games of the tournament, she’d tried hard not to widen her eyes when she got a good hand or lick her lips when she was nervous bluffing. Only this time it wouldn’t matter, because he wasn’t watching her.

  It occurred to her that he didn’t want the advantage. Even though he’d told her he’d be playing to win, he planned to simply play the cards dealt this time. It bothered her that he’d thought to be so considerate, almost as much as it irritated her that she wouldn’t even have considered returning the favor. Kieran O’Toole was a better person than she was, but then she’d always be near the back of that line.

  Her mother’s favorite saying was, “Why can’t you be good like Abby?” But the way Dusti saw it, the angel-in-the-family part was already taken, so she contented herself in trying out all the other roles.

  Dusti forced the images of being bad, really bad, with Kieran from her mind. She had a game to play first. There would be time with Kieran later, even if she had to track him down.

  Round after round flowed in the evening air. A dozen men stood watching. The music had stopped, but Dusti could hear the muffled voices of people cleaning up the food and drinks. The fund-raiser had been a great success. The library would have its remodel, and one ticket to Vegas waited for the winner.

  One ticket into the biggest pot around. One chance to change her life.

  Dusti concentrated, weighing every fold, every call, every bet. She could almost hear him in her head. Don’t fidget. Don’t play with your chips. Don’t give your opponent any advantage.

  Only now she was playing with Kieran. Only Kieran. He probably knew a dozen signs that he hadn’t even mentioned to her, and she didn’t really know him at all. For all she knew he’d been bluffing from the moment he’d walked up to her in Buffalo’s Bar.

  Play the game, she reminded herself. Play to win.

  She knew Kieran was doing the same thing because he was giving away nothing. He never looked at his cards more than once. His raises were steady and planned. No wild bets or plays to make her nervous or try to corner her into doing something she might regret. Straight poker.

  Half an hour passed. Bill asked both if they needed a break. Dusti shook her head and looked up at Kieran. He did the same without looking back at her. She might as well be playing with a total stranger. He seemed all focused on the game. If he had one thought in his head besides poker, she couldn’t read a thing.

  Bill passed her a pocket pair. Two cards face down. Two aces.

  Dusti fought not to smile. The best two cards she could have. Her effort to remain totally still didn’t matter, he wasn’t looking
at her anyway. Yet, she fought to keep from dancing in the chair.

  She had more chips than he did. She’d been winning more hands lately. Her luck had just gone from good to great. This could be the last hand if she played it right.

  Bill turned the flop. A four of hearts, a seven of clubs, and an ace of diamonds. Excitement shot through her, almost making her jump up and hug Bill. She had three aces.

  The first round of betting began. He raised her. She hesitated as if thinking about folding, then met his bet. There was no way she’d fold, but he didn’t need to know just how good her pocket cards were.

  Bill turned another card and lined it up with the others. A seven, giving her a full house. Three aces and two sevens. Even if he had a seven or four in the pocket, he couldn’t win.

  Kieran didn’t move. She raised, tripling the bet. To her surprise, he stayed in.

  The last card, called the “river,” flipped on the table. Another four.

  Now two pair were showing on the table. Even if he had another seven or a third four, he couldn’t beat her.

  She tripled the bet again, knowing this would put him very low on chips.

  “All in,” he said. “Call.”

  Dusti smiled and turned over her aces. For the first time in the game, he looked straight into her eyes, but he wasn’t smiling, he was staring as if memorizing her face.

  “Very nice, lass,” a tired Scottish voice said. “You got me beat.” He tossed his two cards toward Bill.

  She knew she should be a good sport and shake hands, but she squealed and jumped up to hug him.

  He pulled her close and whispered, “I must be one great teacher. I just didn’t plan on you beating me.” His words were stilted, almost rehearsed. “Beginner’s luck. We’ll have to play again sometime.”

  As he turned her loose, folks watching surrounded her. Hugging, patting her on the back. Telling her dumb things like they couldn’t believe a woman won.

  Dusti’s eyes filled with tears as Abby broke through the crowd and held on to her. “You did it, little sister. I’m so proud of you.”

  “We’re almost there,” Dusti added. Tonight had been the easy part. Vegas would be ten times harder. Anyone who could afford a thousand-dollar buy-in would know how to play. The hard poker was yet to come.

  Just stay in the game to make one of the paying spots, she reminded herself. In a month they’d have the tuition for nursing school. By fall, Abby would be in school again.

  Abby cried, which only made Dusti cry harder.

  No one but Kieran saw the dealer pick up the cards he had tossed on the table. Bill turned them face up as he put them on top of the deck.

  Two fours.

  Bill glanced up, a question in his stare.

  Kieran shook his head.

  Bill’s nod was so slight, no one but an expert poker player would have noticed it. The old man slipped the deck back into the box.

  Two fours. The only hand in the deck that could have beaten three aces and two sevens.

  Bill grinned. “Over four-thousand-to-one odds of making that four of a kind.”

  Kieran answered in a whisper, “I guess it just wasn’t my night.”

  He moved into the crowd, smiling as if he’d been the winner tonight and not the one who’d lost.

  Chapter 30

  TRUMAN FARM

  NOAH WOKE UP ON THE COUCH IN REAGAN’S OLD PARLOR. She’d updated some of the furniture and lightened the room with beautiful antiques, but the pictures of all the dead Truman relatives were still hanging on the walls, spruced up in new frames. That was his Reagan. She liked the feeling of having family close, no matter how ugly they were.

  His Reagan. His Reagan?

  He closed his eyes and listened to voices coming from the direction of the dining room. The fight. Reagan’s hurt look. The stupid things he’d done. All drifted back into his brain like smoke from a dying fire. If wishing he were dead shortened life, Noah figured he had a matter of minutes before he stopped breathing.

  The voices kept interrupting his self-hatred.

  “Why’d you bring him here?” Rea snapped in anger.

  “I don’t know.” Big’s deep voice sounded almost whiny. “My nose was bleeding. It’s hard to think when you’ve turned into a human faucet. I knew Ester was still here and she’d fix me up, so I just headed your direction. I wasn’t thinking about Noah folded over my shoulder. I just wanted to get to her.”

  Reagan sounded frustrated. “But why’d you bring Noah back here? Couldn’t someone else take him somewhere else? Couldn’t you have just left him in the dirt? Hank would have taken him home.”

  “Hank said I knocked him out, he was my problem. He wouldn’t even let us in his truck. Said we’d bleed all over it. He drove off without even waving good-bye. Downright unfriendly, if you ask me.”

  “Oh, forget it, Big. When he wakes up I’ll have someone drop him off at a McAllen’s door. One of his cousins will have to take him in, because he’s NOT staying here.”

  Noah decided he’d be wise to stay unconscious for a while. It might be his only way to survive on Truman land.

  “How’s your nose?” Rea asked more softly.

  “I think it’s about stopped bleeding. I can’t believe he busted my nose. I always thought my nose was my best feature and now it’ll probably point toward my left ear,” Big whined. “I swear if he hadn’t pushed me, I planned to let him hit me till he got tired. But, hell, Rea, he sure knows how to get on a man’s bad side.”

  “I think he’s about on everyone’s bad side.”

  “I don’t care. My nose hurts.”

  “Well, how do you think Noah’s going to feel when he wakes up and finds out you knocked him out? Half the population of Harmony saw you carry him in here. The town hero just went down with one punch.”

  Big laughed. “I told him I didn’t want to fight, but he kept calling me names. If he wakes up mad, you want me to knock him out again?”

  “No. It probably wouldn’t do any good, but I’m not nursing him. I think Hank was right. You knocked him out. You got to take him with you when you leave.”

  Noah cringed when he thought he heard the smack of a kiss.

  “Don’t look so unhappy about it. I love you, Big,” Reagan said. “Take him home with you, would you? Or, drop him at Angel De La Cruz’s place. They used to rodeo together, maybe he’ll take him in.”

  “Might be a good idea. The only difference in Angel and Noah is Angel was smart enough to get out while he had some brains left. Course, he does get that funny look in his eyes now and then like he’s thinking of running with the bulls or something crazy like that.”

  Noah heard another smack.

  “Thanks, Big,” she said.

  “I know, I love you too,” Big answered. “But I got to tell you, it ain’t easy being your friend. Noah’s not good enough for you and I wouldn’t mind seeing him gone, but I hate seeing you look so sad. Want to tell me what he did this time?”

  “Nope. You’ll find out soon enough. In this town secrets are like morning glories, they come out with the dawn. When you find out, you’ll probably go looking for him to hit him a few more times.”

  Big’s answer came fast. “If you say so, I might as well go pound on him a few times before he wakes up. I plan on sleeping late in the morning with my Ester cuddled up close. I figure that’s about as near to heaven as I’ll ever get.” He laughed. “She’s a great cuddler, Rea.”

  “I know, Big, you’ve told me before. She’s one lucky woman to have you. Maybe you should go on home. If you beat on Noah, much as he deserves it, you might make your nose start bleeding again, and that would cut into cuddling time.”

  “You’re right.”

  Noah only heard parts of the conversation from then on because they moved to the kitchen. He knew they were probably eating pie. Reagan made
the best pies in Texas. He wished he could join them, but he doubted he’d be welcome.

  He wasn’t sure how it happened, but in the few hours he’d been home, he’d managed to mess up every relationship in his life. Rea hated him, Big wanted to beat on him, and his sister and Hank probably wouldn’t answer their door if he knocked. Hell, even Harley at the bar wasn’t speaking to him. With his luck the Red Hat ladies would clobber him with their purses if he stepped on the porch.

  Slowly, he stood and picked up his hat. Without a sound, he walked out of Reagan’s house. In the night he slipped away from all the people still milling around and caught a ride back to town. He could think of nowhere he wanted to be, so he crawled into his pickup and went to sleep thinking tomorrow had to be a better day, because this one was running on being the worst he’d ever had.

  At dawn he had a headache, with bruises running along his left jaw, and his ears were still ringing. Noah figured he’d have to get better to have the energy to die.

  After drinking a cup of coffee with friendly Harley, who didn’t say anything but “That’ll be a buck,” Noah drove over to his parents’ house and picked up all the camping equipment he could find. Of course, they were gone. They were always gone. Since they got back together, life had been one long honeymoon for them. Half the time Noah swore they forgot they even had kids.

  By noon, he’d set up camp next to the falling-down remains of what had once been his great-grandfather’s house. The land should have gone to his brother, Warren, but after Warren was shot in the line of duty as a highway patrolman, Noah’s father lost all interest in the small ranch. He deeded it to Noah when Noah turned eighteen.

  For a few years Noah tried to keep it up, even ran a few head of cattle on it, but he wasn’t home enough and soon the place went to ruin. The north wall of the main house had fallen in and Noah guessed wild animals were living in what had once been his bedroom. If his family found out, they’d probably adopt the hogs and saw him off the family tree.