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“Why?”
“To ask you to play cards with me.”
“You were sitting around in Nashville, bored, and decided you’d drive two hours and ask me to play a game of cards?”
He snorted. “Would you believe that’s exactly how it happened?”
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and sat down on the sofa. “Fine. We will play cards. What are we playing and what are these new rules that are supposed to help you win?”
He pulled the deck of cards from his pocket, then dragged a chair to sit opposite the coffee table from her. “You choose which game you want to play.”
“Solitaire,” she flung out at him.
For the first time since he’d entered her apartment, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed. “No Solitaire. You have to choose a game we can play together.”
“How can you change the rules to a game if I’m the one who chooses the game?”
“You’ll see. Just choose a game.”
“Fine.” She named a game.
“Good choice.”
“So what are these new rules that are supposed to help you beat me?”
“I don’t want to beat you.”
“You drove two hours to lose?”
* * *
No, Charlie hadn’t driven two hours to lose. Just being near her already made him feel like a winner.
“I’ve already told you, I’m always a winner when you and I play together.”
“Right.” Her tone was sarcastic and she rolled her eyes as she reached for the cards he held. “I’ll deal first.”
He handed her the cards, watched in silence as she dealt. When she set the cards onto the table, she glanced up at him, eyes full of expectation.
“Time for you to tell me these rules, unless you’re planning to make them up as we go to increase your odds.”
He took a deep breath and hoped this went the way he’d been rehearsing it in his head for the past two hours.
“The rules really haven’t changed so much as the stakes.”
“The stakes?”
“Winner takes all.”
“All of what?” she asked as she arranged her cards in her hand.
“Whatever he or she wants from the other.”
“But I don’t want anything from you,” she reminded him, frowning.
“Maybe you’ll think of something while we’re playing.” Maybe he’d think of something to help him win because she sure hadn’t dealt him the best hand he’d ever been given.
“Then you agree that you think I’m going to win?”
