Hold 'Em: A Gambling Hearts Romance Read online

  Hold ’Em

  A Gambling Hearts Novel

  Jacquie Biggar

  Copyright © 2017 by Jacquie Biggar

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN: 978-1-988126-12-8

  Created with Vellum

  For my Family

  The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.

  Audrey Hepburn

  Contents

  Foreword

  What Readers Are Saying

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Jacquie Biggar

  Preview My Baby wrote Me A Letter

  Foreword

  Far from the dragon lady she’d been imagining, Matt’s grandmother looked as though sugar wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Slim, tiny, with smooth unlined skin and hair that still retained much of its natural thickness and wave—though Cass had been told the chemo was taking its toll—she rolled closer and held out her hand, the wheelchair cutting a swath through the crowd.

  “So, you’re the young lass who stole my grandson’s heart.”

  Cassandra squirmed under her piercing gaze and cursed Matt for leaving her alone. She gently took the old woman’s papery hand in greeting, but when she tried to let go, Grannie tightened her grip.

  “Let’s have a look at you then,” she said as if Cass was a horse at market. Should she show them her teeth?

  “Gran, let my fiancée go, you’re scaring her,” Matt’s laughing voice came from behind Cass. She turned… and his lips grazed her cheek to take possession of her mouth.

  She froze, shocked to the core by the heat and textures bombarding her senses. His mouth stilled, then moved against hers, soft and demanding at the same time. The noise faded, taken over by the buzzing of her pulse and the encouraging murmur coming from his throat—or was it hers?

  A loud war-whoop from nearby broke them apart. Cass stared into his chocolate brown eyes and saw the same bemused arousal that she was feeling. Not good. Not good at all.

  She yanked herself out of his grasp and turned back to Grannie, ignoring the cheers for more from the crowd. “Is there some place I could get cleaned up? It’s been a long trip.”

  Grannie’s speculative gaze turned sly. “Of course, honey. We don’t stand on ceremony around here. I know how you young people are so I had Sophia put you in the adjoining suite next to Matthew. Matt, take her to your room, son.”

  “Oh, but,” Cass protested, but Matt cut her off.

  “I missed you, Gran.” He leaned down and gave his grandmother a hug filled with a little boy’s love. “We’ll let you get off to bed and talk more in the morning. I can’t wait for you two to get to know each other.” He grinned at Cassandra and grabbed her hand. “C’mon, darlin’, time to hit the hay.”

  Cass stumbled along behind him, not sure how she’d managed to fall down this rabbit hole.

  What Readers Are Saying

  The Guardian

  Who wouldn't want to be swept off her feet by a movie star? And championed by a guardian angel? Sign me up! And like any great start to a series, the ending left me reaching for the next book. Highly recommended

  Christine Hart

  I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of The Guardian. A quick, easy read that I enjoyed!. A serious topic handled not only with touching moments but a few humorous moments also. Romance, suspense, family ties, friendship, angels that aren't sure about being angels, some sad moments, some nail biter moments, and a darling dog named Sugar Bear....what more could we want? I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

  Barbara Cassata

  * * *

  The Sheriff Meets His Match

  Who could possibly be the perfect match for Sheriff Jack Garrett, the steadfast pillar of a small west coast town like Tidal Falls? Enter Laurel Thomas, a woman on the run from her past in Florida. As soon as she shows up in Tidal Falls, she turns Jack's meticulously organized world upside down with her disorganized ways, sexy looks and feisty humor. I'd been craving Jack's story every since I read about him in an earlier story in the Wounded Hearts series, and I wasn't disappointed! Ms Biggar's characters leap off the page and become family you'll be rooting for with all your heart.

  Jacqui Nelson

  I really enjoyed this romance. It has a heroine that's running around helping family, while working for the sheriff. She uses sticky notes to help keep everything straight, while the family tends to count on her to make everything right. This is full of humor and a little bit of serious in a small town type setting. I've given it a rating of 4.5*. It really made me laugh.

  Nancy Luebke

  * * *

  Twilight’s Encore

  What a captivating story. Twilight's Encore is the third book of Wounded Hearts series. This is Ty's and Katy's story, i have to say what a beautiful story!!!

  Nicole- Reading Alley

  This is a very heartwarming, suspenseful book that will have you cheering for the good guys. HIGHLY RECOMMEND and Can't wait for Book 4 in the Wounded Hearts series.

  Barbara

  * * *

  The Rebel’s Redemption

  What I loved about this story was not only the premise but how it all came together.

  LAS reviewer

  THE REBEL'S REDEMPTION (Wounded Hearts, #2) by Jacquie Biggar had me reading this romantic suspense well past my bedtime. The characters are so well written they could walk right off the page!

  Avonna-The Romance Reviews

  Preface

  In the game of love all bets are off

  When professional poker player Matthew Shaughnessy wins the pot of a lifetime, he didn't expect to land himself a fiancée.

  Cassandra Gardener is left with little choice but to play the part of a Texan's fiancée for a week if she wants to clear her father's gambling debt.

  Can two people with so much to lose win the biggest bet of all- love?

  1

  Matthew Shaughnessy tapped the two crappy cards lying face down on the table and prayed for something better. There were three men left, including him, after what had turned out to be an all-night poker match with some of the best players it had ever been his misfortune to come up against.

  The dealer kept his eyes down and slid three cards off the top with a flick of mobile fingers. Matt’s gaze circled the table, landing for an intimidating moment on each opponent. They stared back, doing their level best to catch the minutest tell—if he gave one away.

  He wouldn’t.

  The pile of chips in the middle had grown to gargantuan heights, enough to tempt even the most hardened gambler into giv
ing up his life savings.

  Matt had.

  He needed this win.

  The Arab on his right in flowing white robes, fidgeted. That was a good sign. He had shit cards too, then.

  So, it was between him and the Canadian diplomat. Interesting. The man looked confident, but his pile of chips had dropped dangerously low. This was Matt’s chance.

  He pushed everything he had left into the pot. “All in,” he growled, defying them to match his bet.

  The Arab laughed. He shoved his cards and sat back in the velvet upholstered captain’s chair. “You play well, my friend. This night is yours. I’m out.”

  Matt held in his relief, merely nodding and waiting for the Canadian to make his move. The crooning voice of Michael Bublé drifted into the private chambers. Matt glanced up, surprised. He’d been so involved with the game he’d almost forgotten they were in a high-roller room at the casino. He returned his attention to Gardener, willing him to give up, throw in the towel so they could all go home.

  Perspiration dotted the man’s brow. He used the napkin under his watered down scotch to blot it away with the air of a dying man headed for the gallows. The dealer glanced at Matt with a you-got-this gleam in his eye.

  Gardener lifted his cards one-by-one, and the expression of glee that passed over his face made Matt’s stomach drop through the floor. The vision he had of a beach vacation with a hot babe faded. Instead, he was now going to have to figure out how he was going to keep the promise he’d made to help his family out of their financial disaster. They were counting on him to save the ranch that had been in their family for over one hundred years.

  And he’d just gambled it all away.

  Dammit, he’d known he was taking a chance. Disgusted, he slugged back the whiskey, breathing through the fire as it burned its way into his roiling gut, and grabbed his cowboy hat on the back of his chair, preparing to leave the room with his tail between his legs.

  “You no play hand?” the Saudi asked, disappointment at losing his night’s entertainment clear in his expression.

  “I… I can’t.” The desperation in the Canadian’s tone arrested Matt’s departure. He eased back into his seat, hope rising faster than a Texas tornado.

  The man rolled his chips into the middle, but he was way short of the wagered amount. “Will you accept an IOU?” he begged, biting his lip and guarding those damn cards.

  Matt hesitated, loathe to win this way, but unwilling to give it away either. “House rules, man. No cash, you forfeit the game.”

  Gardener eyed the pile of chips like a starving man catching a whiff of a sixteen-ounce steak. Suddenly, he turned and dug into his jacket pocket. Matt stiffened. Was he going to pull a flipping gun on them?

  Instead of a derringer, the man held out a diamond ring, nestled in the palm of his hand. “Will you accept this as a token?”

  Matt sucked in a surprised whistle. The ring was a beaut. It boasted a large center stone, at least two carats, and was surrounded by a ring of blue fire. Sapphires. It had to be fate. How else could he account for the fact that he stood a chance of winning the bounty of a lifetime?

  “Where did you get that?” he demanded, his grip turning white where it wrapped around the arm of his chair.

  Gardener looked at the ring and shrugged. “It’s been in my wife’s family for generations. My daughter is getting married next weekend and has always wanted this to be her wedding ring. I brought it to be cleaned but got sidetracked by this game. She’s going to hate me if I don’t have it to pass on to her husband.” He tapped his cards confidently. “Good thing I don’t have to worry about that, right gentlemen?”

  The Arab crossed his arms and gazed back and forth between them, obviously getting as much enjoyment out of this turn of events as he did the game he’d just lost over a hundred-fifty grand playing.

  Matt wavered between doing what he knew was right—his momma had ingrained the life lesson into his head—and grabbing the money and getting out while the getting was good.

  Aw, shit.

  He couldn’t do it. Fair was fair.

  “Throw it in there,” he grumbled, ignoring the Arab’s chuckle.

  Gardener wheezed out a relieved sigh and dropped the ring on the pile seemingly without a thought to its legacy.

  “Call,” he quipped, triumphant. He flipped his cards over in a fan proving why he’d been so damn sure of himself—a full house, jacks high.

  He rubbed his chubby hands together and reached out to pull the winning pile his way.

  A euphoric sense of accomplishment twisted Matt’s lips into their first true smile of the night. “You might want to hold up there, partner. You haven’t seen my hand yet.”

  Both men leaned forward. One with interest. The other with a growing look of dread.

  Matt displayed his cards one by one.

  Queen of hearts. Queen of spades. Two of clubs. Queen of clubs.

  Even the crooning Bublé went silent in anticipation.

  Queen of diamonds.

  Four of a kind.

  Matt had just become the proud owner of a stranger’s diamond ring.

  2

  Cassandra fed another ticket into the slot machine and mindlessly punched the button while watching the maroon carpeted stairs leading up to the private gambling rooms. A burly guard stood watch, muscled arms crossed over a bulldog chest.

  Her father had been up there so long already. She wouldn’t have even known where he was, except room service called to cancel their table at the Bengal Lounge. Apparently, he’d been unavoidably detained.

  Detained all right.

  It cost her a hefty tip but when she found out where he’d gone she’d stomped to the elevator and fumed all the way down to the main floor, determined to break up their little party. Only to get stopped by Marmaduke over there.

  The vast space swelled with the rise and fall of hundreds of tourists hoping to cash in on a big pot and get a free vacation out of the deal. Servers wandered the room taking drink orders to keep customers happy while the extra oxygen they fed into the air system left her feeling decidedly loopy. She glanced at the serviceable watch she’d bought herself with her first paycheck. Four-fifteen. As in a.m. Didn’t these people ever sleep?

  When she’d agreed to her dad and Jeff’s plan to have the wedding in Las Vegas, she’d done so with misgivings. One, she hated being away from her business, though her partner, Susan, assured her the dentist office would be fine while she enjoyed her honeymoon. And two, her husband-to-be and her father were both notorious big spenders, and she… wasn’t.

  At least she’d gotten her way with having a small, informal affair instead of the big splashy performance her dad insisted on.

  Something they could ill afford.

  Jeff’s family had offered them a place to stay while they were here, but truthfully, she preferred her own space. Even if it was a hotel room. His parents were a lot like him; brash, loud as only Italians can be, gregarious, and fun to be around. Cassandra had grown up in a quiet household, a single child to middle-aged Canadian parents. It was Jeff’s outgoing personality and warm smile that first drew her to him.

  He’d made an appointment for a cleaning, and when he walked into her dental office it was as though the sun’s rays followed him in. His charm and easygoing nature captured her heart, and since he was a dentist himself, they’d had plenty in common. They’d dated for a couple months and then moved in together over her father’s objections. He’d changed his mind though when he realized how happy she was—how in love.

  The moment Jeff asked her to marry him, the two men became best friends. Cass was pretty sure they’d spent more time chatting about wedding plans than she had. Which was fine. She wasn’t a sentimental type person anyway. But it would have been nice to have some say in the arrangements.

  She eyed the big brute again. Shouldn’t he need to take care of necessities soon? She needed to. Just then the lights started flashing on top her machine followed by a cacophony
of noise guaranteed to draw every eye in the vicinity. A winner.

  Embarrassed, her hands fell away from the machine and she rested back on her barstool. The veteran player on her left, a wizened old woman with dangly dice earrings and a flowery top, leaned over to get a look.

  “Hmm, not bad. You won a nice little pot there, girly.” Her French-tipped nails clicked on the screen. “See here? Five bells. Good for you.”

  Cassandra just wished the lights would turn off. She glanced around, desperately hoping to catch an attendant’s attention, and noticed one headed her way. Relieved, she turned and smiled at the senior. “Have you won before?”

  The woman gave her a get real look. “Do you think I’d keep coming back if I didn’t win something once in a while?”

  Well, umm. There was no good answer to that question, was there? Her smile was extra warm as the cashier stepped up and did something to the machine, silencing the racket. He took her information and gave her a token before moving on to another flashing beacon in the distance.

  “You going to keep playing?” the senior asked, greedy gaze focused on her spinning screen.