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Craig shook his head. “Poker.”
“Poker?” Eve and Jared both said. Her voice came out a little stronger than she’d intended. Her sentiments echoed in the same stressed tone in Jared’s voice.
“I’ll see you and raise you two.” Craig didn’t bother to look up at anyone but Jake, he was so focused on his hand that anyone would easily believe they were playing in some championship game.
Jake scribbled something on a notepad at his side and laid his full house down on the table in front of him.
“How the heck do you keep doing that?” Craig laid his three of a kind down on the table. “How much am I in for?”
Jake didn’t glance at the paper, but confidently announced, “Two hundred and twelve dollars.”
“We didn’t leave you guys alone that long.” Jared let go of her hand and slowly walked over to the card table. “How did you lose so much so fast?”
“He’s not a little boy.” Craig gathered up the cards. “He’s a card shark in kid’s clothing.”
Kyle pulled out a chair by his wife. “You’re just a lousy card player. Deal me in.”
“Wait a minute.” Eve waved her hands in front of her before pointing an accusatory finger at her brother. “You taught him to play poker?”
Shuffling the deck, Craig shook his head. “Nope. It was the kid’s idea.”
Eve glanced in Jake’s direction and noticed him already cutting the cards.Well.
“Where did you learn to play poker?” Jared stood over Jake’s shoulder.
“My grandmother,” were the first words the little boy had spoken directly to Jared since stepping onto the gangway.
“Mary taught you?” The surprise in Jared’s gaze would be obvious to any stranger.
Jake nodded and after everyone anted up, he waited till all five of his cards were in front of him before looking at his hand. For an instant he looked much older than his young years. His grandmother had apparently taught him well.
One by one, first Jared, then she, then Paige joined them shortly after she’d come aboard. Fascinated, Eve watched as Jake won hand after hand. With every bet or fold, it was as if he knew exactly what cards the other players held. At one point she actually looked around the room to see if there were any mirrors that could be helping Jake out. Nothing.
“Too rich for my blood.” Paige pushed away from the table. “I think I’ll wait till y’all switch to Gin Rummy.” Her half sister chuckled and came to her feet.
Jared turned his wrist and checked his watch. “We probably should be heading back to the ranch soon.”
“That’s a good idea,” Eve agreed.
“Does the kid have school or camp of some kind tomorrow?” Craig glanced up from his cards.
Jared shook his head.
“Y’all should stay on the ship tonight. Then maybe I’ll win some of my money back.”
From what she could see of the notepad Jake had at his side, Craig was into the kid for over a grand. Amazing.
“Can we?” For the first time all afternoon, Jake tore his attention away from the game and with deep soulful eyes, focused on Jared. That one look and she knew it was a good thing Jared was in charge because she would probably give those doe-eyes anything they asked for.
“Maybe another time. I didn’t bring any change of clothes.”
“No worries.” Kyle refilled Jake’s lemonade. “We’ve got plenty of spare clothes for just an occasion like this. You’d be amazed how many unexpected guests drop in when you own a boat or a beach house.”
The kid’s head whipped around from Kyle back to Jared and the first grin she’d seen beamed in Jared’s direction. “Can we?”
Jared glanced in Eve’s direction. If he was waiting for her opinion, he was going to have a long wait. She considered it the grace of God that despite dysfunctional parents, she and her siblings were more or less normal. With the example her parents had set, she didn’t want to make the kind of mistakes that would render her responsible for Jake’s therapy bills when he grew up. She hefted one shoulder in a casual I-don’t-know shrug, and Jake nodded at her. “I guess so.”
She couldn’t speak for Jared, but the huge smiled that widened taking over the little boy’s face definitely made Eve want to smile too.
