Page 31 of A Bride for Brodie

CHAPTER8

Several hours later, Lottie sat at the table in a private room, with one-thousand dollars in chips in front of her. The room was next to Jake’s office, so the din of the main bar room was muted. This room obviously wasn’t used very often. She didn’t smell smoke or see the blue haze on the windows that most saloons had.

She’d never played in Prescott before. Preferring to go to Flagstaff or Wickenburg. Once her father had taken her to Phoenix to play.

She wished she had her red silk dress on for distraction, but she had faith she could beat Jake’s shills. Just because he used them as such didn’t mean they were very good. In order to judge that, she would have to consider the clientele they played against.

When she’d first come into the saloon, she weighed the occupants. Miners and drinkers. They would be no challenge at all.

Seamus might have taught her the basics, but it wasn’t long before she bested him every time.

She had the perfect poker face…one of an innocent.

Joining her at the table were four men. She’d never run into them before, which was good. It gave her the advantage she needed, assuming they were good.

The sixth man to take a seat was Jake Flannery himself, as she requested.

Lottie toyed with a chip, rolling it in and out of her fingers, one-handed. “Glad you decided to play, Jake.”

He removed his suit coat and put it on the chair behind him. “It seems the day is ripe for unusual happenings. I’ve never had a lady play poker in my saloon, either.”

“Well, I’m honored then, but I don’t mind whose money I take, so let’s play, shall we? Whose deal is it?”

“Ladies, first.” Jake handed her the cards.

She accepted the cards, deftly shuffled the deck four times and then let the man to her right cut the deck before dealing everyone five cards, face down. “Ante up.”

She threw a fifty-dollar chip into the pot.

And so the game began. None of the men introduced themselves, so she gave them names.

Her first hand was a pair of eights, an ace, a ten and a two.

The man two chairs down from her, Mr. Grey, bet one-hundred dollars.

Each man called.

When it got around to Lottie, she also called the bet.

After the pot was right, she picked up the remaining cards in the deck. “Cards, gentlemen?”

To her left was Mr. James. He threw his castaway cards into the middle of the table. “Two.”

He could have three of a kind, but more likely was going for a straight or a flush.

Next was Mr. Grey. “Four.” He turned over an ace and showed the table. The only way he could take four cards was with an ace, otherwise the maximum was three.

Then came Flannery, who took three.

He’s got a pair of something.

“Two.” Mr. Smith threw his discards on top of the others.

He’s also got a pair.

“Three.” Mr. Jones tossed his cards in, too.

Lottie tossed three cards into the middle. “Dealer takes three.” With all cards drawn, she pitched the rest of the deck on top of the discards. Lottie picked up her cards. She caught the eight she was hoping for and a pair of jacks, but she didn’t let anything show on her face or in her eyes.