Page 13 of Calling His Bluff
She laughed. “I’m just inviting some new friends over for a friendly game of poker a few nights a week. I don’t need a license since the “house” won’t be taking a cut. I’ll take donations for the refreshments, and I can win enough to pay for expenses.”
He didn’t know what to say. Josephine was one hell of a poker player. She could pull this off. But she had two angry Armstrongs after her—not to mention possibly the person behind her being in Oregon to begin with.
This time he worried she was in over her head. “So let me see if I have this right. You’re using yourself as bait.”
She looked at him with wide-eyed innocence as she pretended to pout. Damn, but he wanted to kiss that pout right off her lips.
“Admit it, it’s a good plan,” she said. “And right now those are the only cards I have to play.”
“Anything is a better plan,” he said. “The person you have to fear the most might show up for your poker game, and you won’t have any idea who they are until it is too late. Tell me you haven’t gotten any more notes.”
She shook her head, but he had a feeling she was holding out on him. “What option do I have?” she asked, anger growing in her eyes. “I can sit around and wait, or I can smoke out whoever might have a problem with me. It isn’t like they’re going to shoot me in front of the other players.”
He hoped not, but he’d learned to never count on much of anything when it was a gamble.
“Either way, I won’t be sitting around waiting for someone to make a move. I wager it will flush out the Armstrongs.”
“You really think they’d come to one of your poker parties after losing so badly? If they did, from what I’ve found out about them, they would rob you and the other poker players before shooting them.”
She didn’t argue. Josephine knew anything could happen, but wasn’t that part of her personality? Uncertainty was what made compulsive gamblers tick. But the golden rule hadalways been to never gamble with more than you could afford to lose.
Josephine was gambling with her life.
“Then I’ll be at the games,” he said emphatically and touched a finger to those lips as she started to argue. “You’re good at spotting trouble and so am I. Two of us at the table increases our odds.” It was a good argument, and he was glad when he saw her accept it.
“Fine. But I can’t have you fleecing my guests.”
He gave her an offended look. “You set the rules. I’ll abide by them.” Unless someone tried to kill her, then he would do whatever he had to do—no holds barred. “When’s the first game?”
“As soon as possible.” She grinned at him. “When backed in a corner, I always asked myself, What would Aunt Clara do?”
He groaned. “Sometimes I question your choice in role models.”
She laughed, making a light glow in her brown eyes for a moment before she asked, “What are really doing out here, Jack?”
He hated that the light in her eyes had dimmed. “After seeing that article and then coming here and finding a man watching the shop, isn’t it possible I’m worried about you for good reason?”
“That’s all it is?” she asked quietly.
Jack chuckled. “You think I’m trying to win you back?”
“That would be funny since you never had me to begin with,” she said and started to turn away.
He caught her arm and swung her back and into his embrace and kissed her, knowing it could be a mistake. She didn’t participate, instead stood rigid in his arms, but as the tip of his tongue began to tease her lips open, he felt her begin to weaken. Her body softened slowly until it molded against his, her lips parting to let him enter. For a few minutes of bliss, he felt as if there might be hope.
Her cell rang like a wake-up alarm. She quickly stepped back, shaking her head at him as if he’d tricked her into something she hadn’t wanted to do. He could still taste her as he watched her check her phone.
“Maybe some other time then,” he said as she answered the call. That had been some kiss.
“My gambling equipment is on the way,” she said sounding as breathless as he felt as she disconnected. “You should probably go.”
“You sure you don’t want me to wait around and help you with the furniture?”
He saw her hesitate but only for a second.
“I thought you were going to find the Armstrongs and make sure they aren’t a threat,” she said.
He grinned. “It’s almost as if you don’t trust yourself if I stay.”
