Lonesome Ryder: Lonesome Ryder / Restaurant Romeo. Carol Finch

poker and beer went together like peanut butter and jelly.

      “Gimme two,” Duff requested as he puffed his stogie and squinted at his hand of cards.

      “You bet, slick. The dealer takes one.”

      While Laura dealt the cards, Wade lingered by the kitchen door, feeling like an outsider in his own home. Earlier, while he was eating alone in the living room, he’d heard Duff and Laura jabbering and laughing and he’d turned an unbecoming shade of envy green because he wasn’t in there enjoying her company when he really wanted to be.

      Duff, he noticed, had gotten all gussied up to join Laura at the table for dinner. You’d have thought the old coot was on a date, considering he’d shaved the stubble off his face and ironed his striped Western shirt and jeans.

      Wade smiled in amusement as he watched Laura emulate Duff’s gestures and puff on the cigar she had clenched between her teeth. Well hell, he just couldn’t take this feeling of isolation another minute. He was going to limp in there and invite himself into the game. With Duff as a buffer he could share an enjoyable evening with Laura without doing something stupid—like kissing her senseless the way he wanted to.

      Laura glanced up when Wade rounded the corner. He barked a laugh when she gave him an one-eyed squint, her poker face intact, her stogie tilted at a jaunty angle. “Better have your ATM card handy if you want to join in this game, ace,” she drawled playfully. “This is high stakes, y’know.”

      Wade’s gaze dropped to the stack of pennies on the table then he hobbled over to retrieve what was left of the whiskey he’d poured down his gullet the first night Laura arrived.

      “Duff says beer suits poker better,” Laura informed him.

      “I’m sticking with Daniel’s.” Wade filled two glasses. “What’s up with this need to learn to play poker, Seymour?”

      She shrugged casually. “I’ve led a sheltered life up to this point, so I’ve decided to broaden my horizons and Duff is helping me. Are you in on this hand, Ryder? Or do you want to sit there and nurse your whiskey?”

      “I’m in. What’s the game?” Wade awkwardly parked himself in a chair while Duff dealt the hand.

      “Seven card stud, stud,” Laura replied, grinning playfully around the stogie clamped in her teeth. “Duff’s teaching me a variety of games tonight.”

      “She’s beaten me at half of ’em, too,” Duff said. “Even for a beginner, this little gal is dang lucky at cards.”

      Wade took a quick peek at the two cards in the hole, then watched Duff deal four cards face up. He darted a glance at Laura’s exposed hand and he nearly choked on his booze. Three aces stared back at him. His accusing gaze swung to Duff who wore a wry grin. The old rascal was cheating. He had to be. He was letting Laura win to ensure she had a good time.

      Sure enough, Laura breezed through the first two hands and collected all the pennies. After fifteen minutes of one incredible hand after another, no matter which game Duff suggested, Laura raked in the winnings.

      “Go ahead and play without me,” she insisted as she snuffed out her stogie. “I left a load of laundry in the dryer and I better remove it before everything wrinkles.”

      She leaned over to give Duff an affectionate peck on the cheek before she strode off. When Laura kissed Duff, Wade swore the old man died, right there in his chair, and went straight to heaven. Wade glanced over his shoulder, noting the sly smile on Laura’s lips—and he realized the woman was far cleverer than he’d given her credit. He’d bet his last penny that she’d purposely invited Duff to the house to treat him to a home-cooked meal and harmless female companionship, before luring in Wade so he could enjoy their company. Since Wade had made it clear he wanted to keep his distance from Laura, she’d ensured that he didn’t spend all his evenings alone. Frank, who was sprawled on the living-room floor, catching a few Zs, was another example of her wily strategy.

      “That’s some woman,” Duff murmured as he dealt a hand of seven-card stud. “I can’t figure out why you wanted Quint and Vance to think she wasn’t doing her job…unless…”

      Wade squirmed beneath Duff’s gimlet-eyed squint. “Unless what?”

      “Unless you’re afraid of getting too attached to her,” he said perceptively.

      “Are we going to play poker or gab?” Wade asked.

      “I can do both at once.” Duff picked up his cards and gave them a quick look-see. “If I was thirty years younger you wouldn’t see me trying to drive that perty little gal away.”

      “Well, you’re not, so act your age and ante up.”

      Duff chuckled as he flipped a penny toward the center of the table. “Gonna play your hand close to your vest, are you, boy? Okay, fine. You do that. But you need to know that Frank and I are perty attached to that little gal.”

      No kidding. Wade would’ve sworn his loyal cow dog would never defect to the enemy camp. They’d worked cattle together for years and Frank often rode shotgun in the pickup when Wade made trips into town. They were best buddies. But it was evident that Frank was allowing a woman to come between them.

      “You should see Frank follow at that gal’s heels when she ventures outside,” Duff went on. “She always takes time to give him a pat on the head or scratch behind his ears. She must’ve picked up some dog treats in town because I saw her slip one to Frank while she was running water in the cattle tank for me after supper.”

      Swell, thought Wade. His dog was suffering a bout of puppy love and so was Duff. Quint and Vance thought Laura was the perfect temp help who could do no wrong. The whole world was ganging up on him.

      Despite how hard Wade tried not to get emotionally attached, he liked having Laura around. Worse, he’d actually missed her when she’d gone to town and he’d sat there in his chair, ears pricked, listening for the sound of her car zooming down the graveled road.

      “You gonna bet or sit there staring into space, boy?” Duff prompted.

      “Depends on whether you’re going to cheat the way you did while Laura was in the game,” Wade flung back.

      Duff grinned unrepentantly. “I just wanted to show her a good time during her first experience at poker. So shoot me.”

      “Don’t tempt me.” Wade tossed a penny on the table.

      Duff snickered as he called the bet. “Maybe you oughta just shoot yourself and put yourself out of your misery. Knowing you, it’d be easier than admitting you actually like having that little gal around. And just so you know, I may be old, but I ain’t blind. I’ve seen the way you look at her when you don’t think anyone notices, so don’t bother denying it.”

      Wade scowled sourly when Duff laid his winning hand on the table. “Damn, sometimes you just can’t win for losing.”

      Duff gathered up the beer cans and tossed them in the trash. “You’ve got a win-win situation going here. Don’t screw it up, son. Give yourself a chance at happiness.”

      With that parting advice Duff walked out the back door to return to his cabin. Wade’s shoulders slumped. He reached for his whiskey and took a sip, wishing the taste of liquor could curb the thirst that had been tormenting him. He wanted to feel Laura’s lush mouth beneath his again, to feel her shapely body brushing against him. But he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop with a few kisses.

      Afraid. There was that word again. The more he thought about it, the more he thought Laura might be right. He was afraid. Not of women in general, but afraid of her. Afraid his self-control would slip and his suppressed feelings for her would come pouring out. Afraid of this ever-growing attraction. Afraid of the pleasure he derived from being with her—and not just in bed. He could’ve accepted and acknowledged the sexual attraction. It was a given. It was these deeper feelings that really had him worried.

      Wade knocked back another drink,