Chapter 1

Kaylee Timms shoved open the door to the back room. The raucous noise from the music and crowd behind her followed her into the room until the door swung shut behind her. Then it was the only muffled sound in the room, the three men at the table staring up at her.

Ezra Standish paused, mid shuffle of the deck and looked up at her. "My apologies, Miss, but this is a private game. You may be able to locate a lower stakes game out with the local riff raff." He gave her a quick appraisal. "Or avail yourself of any number of willing dance partners," he smiled benignly at her.

Of course Ezra Standish was going to be here. If she had stopped for even a second, she would have known that. Unlike the men she often saw him with, Mr. Standish didn't compete in any of the rodeo events. She had her theory that the rodeo stock contractor traveled with the rodeo in equal parts to oversee his expensive animals, and find high stakes poker games.

In spite of everything starting to crumble down around her, she had the wherewithal to know she couldn't bring herself to call him by his first name like she would with any other cowboy on the rodeo circuit. He may not be that much older than her, but he was one of the businessmen of the rodeo, not on her level.

In spite of her discomfort with the man who never seemed to be rattled by anything, Kylee moved forward. Everything in her was motivated by fear. Fear that she would be stranded here, fear that she wouldn't be stranded here and have to go home, fear she wouldn't make it to the next town.

She channeled that fear into taking the three hundred dollars from the pocket of her jeans and slapping it down on the table.

"Deal me in," she said, pulling out a chair opposite Ezra and holding his gaze.

It took everything in her not to move in the face of his unwavering dark green gaze. She could tell he was trying to read her. She tried to school her face into an impassive neutral. A poker face, she thought to herself, realizing she was using the old cliché in its intended setting. The thought brought a tiny, nervous grin to her lips before she caught herself and tried for serious again.

Ezra must have seen what he needed. He gave the cards another shuffle. "Well, gentlemen, if no one objects, it appears we have the pleasure of…?"

"Kaylee," she said. Of course he wouldn't know her name. He didn't hang around the fence rails to watch her in the barrel racing event like his friends did.

"Miss Kaylee's company for the duration," he finished. "Or until her funds run out."

#

Ezra kept his thoughts to himself. This was a poker table after all. No room for emotion. However, the young woman's expressive face set him on edge. Was she really foolish enough to come into a high stakes card game with every thought crossing her face, giving her opponents to have open access to said thoughts? Or was this some sort of ploy on her part?

Goodness knew he had seen his mother use that act often enough. Act the part of the damsel who didn't know the first thing about cards, throw in a little fear and vulnerability—to really garner sympathies of the men at the table—then clean them out without a backward glance.

Well, he had been there and done that with Maude more times than he cared to remember. He wasn't going to let some damsel in distress charade derail his plans to win a few choice animals from the other rodeo stock contractor on his left, or major money from the local businessman on his right.

He quickly snapped the cards from his hand to the space in front of each the would be gamblers.

The woman—Kaylee, he reminded himself—took a small breath before looking at the cards in her hand. He saw the quick flash of excitement in her green eyes and her lips quirked before she glanced at him and saw him watching. She quickly arranged her features into a comically stoic expression.

Ezra rolled his eyes and slid his own hand toward him to see what he had to work with.

The hand went quickly, with the two other men folding early thanks to Kaylee's lack of subtlety. It was no surprise then, when she laid down four jacks and eagerly took the small pile of money.

Ezra dealt again. This time the green eyes narrowed briefly in concern and her pile of money dwindled slightly.

Back and forth she went, getting enough good cards to keep her in the game in spite of her obvious tells. The two men at the table with them, however, clearly were growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of taking her money.

Landers, the bank owner, tossed his hand down and nodded to Ezra. "I'm calling it a night."

Rookman, the other stock contractor, followed suit. He lifted an eyebrow at Ezra. "Same here."

Ezra knew they questioned his judgment, staying in the game with a young woman who was clearly desperate, and clearly unskilled in the game. Well, he wasn't falling for it. He would clean her out, just like he used to wish someone would do when Maude sat down at the table to bilk whomever she could.

#

Kaylee hardly realized the other two men had left. She made an effort to slow her racing heart. Her nerves jangled like a bull rider's spurs, and it was only partly because of the cards in front of her.

She risked a look at Ezra again. His gaze was unwavering. She tried for a small, friendly smile and got a frown in return.

He studied her, waiting for the other men to leave the room, before he spoke.

"Well then, now that our companions have left us, perhaps we can raise the stakes?" He finally gave her a grin, but she squirmed at how calculating it was.

She looked at the money in front of her. It wasn't nearly enough. She had barely more than she had started with, whereas Ezra had most that the other men had left behind and a large stack of cash he had started with.

If she was going to avoid going home, this was her chance. She gave him a nod.

"Lovely," Ezra said. He pushed his pile of bills forward. "I propose we go all in. A sort of winner takes all end to the night."

She didn't hesitate. This was it and she wasn't going back to— She wasn't going to think about that. She would focus on tonight and getting to the next town, the next rodeo. She pushed her much smaller pile of money into the middle.

Ezra shuffled the deck expertly and quickly flipped five cards out in front of each of them.

Kaylee looked at her hand. She stopped herself from biting her lip nervously. She stopped herself from fidgeting with the cards. She forced herself to breathe.

#

He had to give the girl credit. She could put Maude to shame with her little act of vulnerability. When she glanced at him with those green eyes full of fear, it tugged at a conscience he didn't think he had anymore. He quickly cut that off before it grew into sympathy or worse. He reminded himself of Maude's perfectly practiced pout and how many times he had been the one left holding the bag when things went south.

He steeled himself against her shaking hands and laid down his cards. She had taken two new ones and they hadn't looked good, if he was to rely on her expression.

"Full house, Kings high," he said, leaning forward and waiting to see if she would act shocked that she had somehow beat him, or burst into tears until he apologized and offered to let her at least take back what she started with. Maude had used both tacks, and he wasn't going along with whichever option Kaylee chose.

She surprised him, and he didn't think that was possible. She stared at his cards, then laid down her own hand of nothing.

She pushed her chair back and nodded without looking at him. "Thanks, Mr. Standish," she said. "For letting me play."

And then she left without following through on her con. And that left him more unsettled than the actual con had.

#

Kaylee pushed out of the back room blindly. The country band and their fiddle pierced her ears and she crashed into a couple dancing.

"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled, trying to just get out of there.

Another couple in a tight embrace twirled around and nearly knocked her off her feet.

The man reached out and caught her, managing to keep her from falling outright.

She tried to get out another apology, but the man interrupted her.

"Kaylee? You alright?" Buck's voice carried over the music, his hand gentle on her arm and not letting go. He gave his dance partner a charming smile. "Little matter to deal with, then I'll be right back, Darlin'. Get us a couple cold ones?" He fished a twenty from his pocket and handed it to the buckle bunny who eyed Kaylee distastefully before flashing a tight smile at Buck.

"Sure thing." She leaned closer to him. "Don't keep me waiting too long, Buck," she said before sashaying off.

Kaylee pressed her lips together. She needed to get out of here. The crowd was swirling around them and she felt like she was going to be sick.

"What happened?" Buck was asking. "Did one of these cowboys get handsy with you? I'll—"

Kaylee quickly shook her head. "Nothing like that. It's just…it was a mistake. I…Ezra…" her words trailed off as the hopelessness of her situation started to overwhelm her. She had lost everything. She had really lost everything. Black spots started to dance in front of her eyes. She really needed to get out of here.

#

"Ezra?" Buck asked, confused. "Ezra?" He shook his head with a chuckle. "Ezra wouldn't harm a fly." Well, maybe a fly. But he'd sure try to talk his way out of it with his fancy words and double speak first.

And then he looked at her ashen face, her shaken hands and his usually amiable face hardened. "Ezra. He took advantage of you?"

The young woman shook her head, but didn't look convincing. "No, he was…he didn't…I asked him to…"

Buck couldn't reconcile Ezra taking advantage of any woman, but the sweet young thing in front of him sure wasn't putting on an act.

"I'm going to be sick," she said, rushing out of the building, one hand over her mouth.

He started to follow her, then saw JD where he sat with a couple young women, one of them probably barely out of high school.

"Yeah," JD was saying. "The rodeo circuit can be a lonely life. The open road, away from family, just wanting someone near you—"

"JD!" He barked to his team roping partner. Seeing the women staring at his abrupt interruption. He tipped his hat. "Ladies."

JD copied the hat tip and hopped down from his stool toward Buck.

Buck was seeing red. He could barely get a thought out straight. "He took advantage of that new barrel racer," he finally got out through clenched teeth.

JD shook his head. "Who did?"

"Ezra." Buck had a long fuse. He forgave a lot of things. But not harming a woman. And it didn't matter if it was a man he called friend who harmed her. Women were to be protected, admired, sure even enjoyed—especially enjoyed—but never harmed.

"Now, Buck, I can't imagine Ezra would…" JD started.

JD's words trailed off behind him as Buck strode off, long legs eating up the ground. Ezra's lack of scruples was no secret among the men he called his friends, but Buck never thought Ezra would pull a con on a woman.

He heard JD yell after him, then change directions and yell for Chris. He didn't slow down. He was just going to talk to Ezra. Just talk to his low down, connivin', yellow-bellowed, dandied up friend. His hands curled into fists as he headed for the back room he had seen the barrel racer come stumbling out of.

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