Shadow Ridge by Capri Montgomery Page B

exchanged information and he was sure to pick the time and place that night instead of doing it on a phone call. A phone call to set up the date would give her too much time to change her mind. He knew Freeport so setting things in motion now made more sense than letting her leave before he could secure the date.
    Freeport, tomorrow night, Bill’s Harbor -Side restaurant was his pick and she agreed to meet him there at six o’clock. He took one more look at her before stepping back and giving her some space. “I’ll walk you out.” If she said no then he would know she was ashamed of his size. But she hadn’t said no. She looped her arm in the arm he extended to her and she walked beside him with her head held high and a soft smile on her lips.
    “You’re very brazen,” she mumbled.
    “I always have been.” He looked at her soft features, admiring the view once again.
    “It’s kind of sexy,” she said as she un -looped her arm from his. “Your table’s over there and they’re starting. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
    “Yes you will,” he watched her as she walked back over to join her friends before he sat down at the table he was stationed at. There was a tall blond guy, who wasn’t quite the model, but was definitely trimmer than he was, who looked at him with a sly smirk etched on his face. “She’s way out of your league fat guy,” he said with that grin on his face that Miles wanted to knock off. Fat guy—like he hadn’t heard that before. He had heard it before, not lately because people respected him in town. His waistline was a little wider, but nobody gave him flack for it. Maybe they thought it but were just too smart to get on the bad side of the Sheriff. For some reason this guy saying it had Miles’ defenses on high alert.
    “This fat guy is going to wipe the floor with all the money you’re about to lose.” He nodded. When he said he was good at poker that was an understatement. And now he had a bigger motive to win—knock that lopsided grin off the cowboy’s face and leave with a boatload of money to show for his victory.
    Miles played hard and fast but he hadn’t been good enough to beat the cowboy wannabe. No, he had lost and something about that made him feel a surge of self anger. He wanted to beat him for no other reason than knocking that smug smile off his face.
    Miles lost money but that wasn’t the issue because he only came prepared to play with what he could lose. What he lost that was actually his money was only fifty thousand; everything else was money he had won on the previous round robin tables. He lost part of his pride and that was what pissed him off. He looked like an idiot in front of the woman he was trying to impress.
    She walked over toward him even though he was hoping she wouldn’t. “I lost,” he shrugged. “I won’t advance to the next table so I guess this is it for me.”
    “That’s okay. You had fun didn’t you?”
    “Losing?”
    She laughed. “No, playing.”
    “Oh yeah. I love this game.” He always had loved the game. His father taught him to play from the day he could hold the cards in his hand. He was a little surprised he hadn’t gone into the circuit and taken on the game full-time, but at the same time he realized his love for the game stemmed from the fact that he did it because he wanted to and not because he had to. The fastest way to tank a passion was to turn it into a necessity.
    “See, so it was worth it then.” She gave him the warmest smile he had seen come from a woman of her size, especially when it was directed at him, in a long time—if ever.
    The blond came over. “He just lost three hundred thousand dollars.”
    Bethany gasped and her eyes widened. “Oh I so couldn’t play this game. You are a brave man, Miles.”
    He laughed. “Life takes a little bit of risk. Besides, I lost what I won.” He figured that was mostly true. He only lost a little of his own money compared to what he actually had so no