Texas Bluff. Linda Warren

passed by Brady on his way to a chair. “Stay cool,” Brady murmured under his breath.

      Jake’s eyes caught his, as did Cole’s, both saying the same thing. He wasn’t sure what his friends thought he was going to do. Evidently they thought he was as wild and crazy as he ever was. But there was something about being shot out of the air like a clay pigeon that changed a man forever. Of course, he used jokes and ribbing to hide those scars.

      But he was mature enough to handle a game of poker with Danny Howard. Now he had to prove it.

      “Tournament play, no limit and a fifty-dollar buy in, boys,” Jake said. “Let’s see some money.”

      Each player slapped money onto the table and collected their chips.

      Jake, the host, gathered the cards and shuffled them, dealing each player two hole cards. The betting started to Jake’s left and they settled in to play Texas Hold ’Em. After a round of betting, Hap and Ron were left playing the hand.

      Hap called Ron’s bet.

      Jake laid three cards, the flop, face up on the table.

      Studying the cards, Ron made a thumping sound with his chips on the table. After a moment he placed a bet.

      Hap raised it.

      “Call,” Ron said.

      Jake dealt the fourth card, the turn card.

      Hap took his time, twirling a chip between his fingers. He had the perfect poker face, no emotion whatsoever. Suddenly he mucked his cards.

      “Hot damn,” Ron yelled. “I knew you didn’t have a damn thing.” He guzzled his beer.

      The evening wore on, with a lot of cursing and a lot of yelling, mostly from Ron. The man could not hold his liquor and by the fourth hand he was out. As were Harold, Cole and Hap.

      Jake shuffled the next hand and dealt the hole cards. By the end of the betting, it was Danny, Ed and Brady in the hand.