night.”
“Well, I take that as high praise,” I said, smiling.
“So Cinnamon, that sheriff boyfriend of yours any closer to catching the vandals that ruined the tree?” Dick said.
I grabbed the three replacement cards Leon slid over to me. I had a pair of twos. A pretty weak hand. It looked like I was going to have to fold or bluff.
“No, he’s out of town,” I said. “Deputies Trumbow and McHale are working on it.”
“Great,” Bob said. “A demoted sheriff and a child. Nothing’s getting solved no how.”
“I heard about that trouble you had with Trumbow a while back,” Sully said, turning toward me. “I heard that sumuvabich almost arrested you. You ever hold that against him?”
I shrugged.
“We’re not exactly buddy-buddy,” I said. “But it’s a small town and I can’t afford to hold grudges. Plus, he’s one of my best customers.”
“Ha, I bet he is,” Sully said. “I saw him walking down the street the other day. I tell you, the voters of Pohly County wouldn’t have let me get to that weight when I was sheriff.”
“That’s a crock,” Warren said. “You could have gotten away with bloody murder when you were sheriff. People ‘round here acted like you were one of them real Old West sheriffs that couldn’t be touched. Gary Cooper, is who people thought you were.”
Sully smiled, and looked down at his cards.
“Those were the days, all right,” he said. “Things sure have changed, though. A sheriff’s job’s a lot harder than it used to be. All those new rules and regulations. I’m sure you hear about that all the time, don’t you Cin?”
I shrugged.
“Daniel’s not a complainer,” I said.
“Yeah,” he continued. “It’s a whole different game these days.”
“Aw, quit whining,” Warren said. “You’re living the good life on a Caribbean island. What would you know about sheriffing today?”
“You’re always using that Caribbean line against me, aren’t you?”
“I can’t help it. You show up here looking like somebody roasted you over a fire, and I’m supposed to forget that you’re living in paradise.”
Sully laughed.
“Don’t forget, I work hard at my boat touring business. Takes a lot of money to live on the island these days.”
“Yeah, sure . You work hard in the morning, and then you spend the afternoons drinking Piña Coladas. If that’s work, then sign me up.”
Sully put two five dollar chips into the pot, and it passed to Larry. He put his cards down.
“A lawman never lies,” Larry said, shaking his head.
It went to Warren. He grabbed another brownie, stuffed it in his mouth, and stared long and hard at his hand. He looked at Sully’s wrinkled face before throwing down his cards in frustration.
“I know you’ve got something good there. You can’t lie for nothing, Sul,” he said, shaking his head. “Guess you missed that day in class.”
It passed to me. I looked at my pair of twos, weak as watered down coffee, and then back up at Sully.
His face was rigid in the easy going expression it had been most of the night, with just a hint of a smile lurking behind it.
Most had already folded, and I knew I should have too, but for some reason, maybe because I was a bad poker player, I didn’t.
I grabbed three five-dollar chips and threw it into the pile.
“I’ll see you and raise you five,” I said.
There was a hush of oohs at the table.
“I admire her guts,” Larry said.
Warren leaned over.
“Whatchya doing, Cin?” he whispered loudly. “You’re walking into a mine. He’s probably got a royal flush there.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe I’m the one with the royal flush.”
Warren saw there was no talking me out of my foolhardy decision.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Bob shook his head and folded. Shortly after, the rest of them followed suit. It was just down to Sully and me.
Sully smiled at me, placing a $5 chip plus a $30 chip in the pot.
I took a deep breath, and studied my
“Well, I take that as high praise,” I said, smiling.
“So Cinnamon, that sheriff boyfriend of yours any closer to catching the vandals that ruined the tree?” Dick said.
I grabbed the three replacement cards Leon slid over to me. I had a pair of twos. A pretty weak hand. It looked like I was going to have to fold or bluff.
“No, he’s out of town,” I said. “Deputies Trumbow and McHale are working on it.”
“Great,” Bob said. “A demoted sheriff and a child. Nothing’s getting solved no how.”
“I heard about that trouble you had with Trumbow a while back,” Sully said, turning toward me. “I heard that sumuvabich almost arrested you. You ever hold that against him?”
I shrugged.
“We’re not exactly buddy-buddy,” I said. “But it’s a small town and I can’t afford to hold grudges. Plus, he’s one of my best customers.”
“Ha, I bet he is,” Sully said. “I saw him walking down the street the other day. I tell you, the voters of Pohly County wouldn’t have let me get to that weight when I was sheriff.”
“That’s a crock,” Warren said. “You could have gotten away with bloody murder when you were sheriff. People ‘round here acted like you were one of them real Old West sheriffs that couldn’t be touched. Gary Cooper, is who people thought you were.”
Sully smiled, and looked down at his cards.
“Those were the days, all right,” he said. “Things sure have changed, though. A sheriff’s job’s a lot harder than it used to be. All those new rules and regulations. I’m sure you hear about that all the time, don’t you Cin?”
I shrugged.
“Daniel’s not a complainer,” I said.
“Yeah,” he continued. “It’s a whole different game these days.”
“Aw, quit whining,” Warren said. “You’re living the good life on a Caribbean island. What would you know about sheriffing today?”
“You’re always using that Caribbean line against me, aren’t you?”
“I can’t help it. You show up here looking like somebody roasted you over a fire, and I’m supposed to forget that you’re living in paradise.”
Sully laughed.
“Don’t forget, I work hard at my boat touring business. Takes a lot of money to live on the island these days.”
“Yeah, sure . You work hard in the morning, and then you spend the afternoons drinking Piña Coladas. If that’s work, then sign me up.”
Sully put two five dollar chips into the pot, and it passed to Larry. He put his cards down.
“A lawman never lies,” Larry said, shaking his head.
It went to Warren. He grabbed another brownie, stuffed it in his mouth, and stared long and hard at his hand. He looked at Sully’s wrinkled face before throwing down his cards in frustration.
“I know you’ve got something good there. You can’t lie for nothing, Sul,” he said, shaking his head. “Guess you missed that day in class.”
It passed to me. I looked at my pair of twos, weak as watered down coffee, and then back up at Sully.
His face was rigid in the easy going expression it had been most of the night, with just a hint of a smile lurking behind it.
Most had already folded, and I knew I should have too, but for some reason, maybe because I was a bad poker player, I didn’t.
I grabbed three five-dollar chips and threw it into the pile.
“I’ll see you and raise you five,” I said.
There was a hush of oohs at the table.
“I admire her guts,” Larry said.
Warren leaned over.
“Whatchya doing, Cin?” he whispered loudly. “You’re walking into a mine. He’s probably got a royal flush there.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe I’m the one with the royal flush.”
Warren saw there was no talking me out of my foolhardy decision.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Bob shook his head and folded. Shortly after, the rest of them followed suit. It was just down to Sully and me.
Sully smiled at me, placing a $5 chip plus a $30 chip in the pot.
I took a deep breath, and studied my
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