On Friday, Nathan was heading over to the saloon for the poker tournament. Allie was sleeping over at a friend's house. Nathan did not like to gamble. But as Ned pointed out, no money would be gambled and the winner gets bragging rights. The money didn't interest Nathan in the game of poker but to outsmart your opponent. During his college years, he was an apprentice to a carpenter. One night, he invited Nathan to his poker game. Nathan protested and told the carpenter that he did not like to gamble. The carpenter told him that five percent of the game of poker had to do with money while the other ninety five percent had to do with watching your opponents. He told Nathan to watch his opponents for tells. He wanted Nathan to learn to read people. After a couple of games, Nathan was able to tell who had a good hand and who had a bad hand based on their tells. The carpenter also taught Nathan how to play chess. He wanted Nathan learn how to be one step ahead of his opponent. These lessons made Nathan become a sharper attorney.
Nathan tied Newton to one of the posts and went inside the saloon. There were a lot of familiar faces. As Nathan looked around the saloon, he spotted Elizabeth. Lucas was there and he was showing Elizabeth something in his hand. Elizabeth shook her head no. And Lucas scoffed away. Elizabeth sat at the bar. Nathan went over to sit with her.
"I didn't think I would be seeing you here." Nathan said.
"I wasn't going to but then I heard that you were going to be in this tournament so I had to come watch." Elizabeth said.
Nathan blushed.
"I hope I don't disappoint you." Nathan said.
"You haven't so far." Elizabeth said with a twinkle in her eye.
"What was Lucas showing you in his hands?" Nathan asked.
Elizabeth sighed.
"He has two tickets to see a reading by Virgina Woolfe. He would like for me to accompany him to Union City for the reading. I told him that would inappropriate being that I am a teacher and going overnight with a man who isn't my husband would cause a scandal. He was angry about my response so he tore the tickets up and walked away. I really would have wanted to see her reading because she is a woman author and I want my work to be published one day. But I don't have a ticket and I don't want to go to this reading alone." Elizabeth said.
"You're a writer?" Nathan asked.
"I write in my journal. I wrote short stories and sent them to publishers but it was rejected." Elizabeth said.
"I didn't know you were a writer. But don't give up on your writing because of a few rejection letters." Nathan said.
Elizabeth smiled.
"That is what my late husband would say. He would say look into your heart." Elizabeth said.
"So, what's in your heart?" Nathan said with a smile. Elizabeth smiled. Before she could respond, Ned brought everyone into a circle to start the tournament.
As Nathan was playing, he watched his opponents for tells. Luckily for Nathan, everyone's tells were pretty obvious. Some would smile when they got a good hand. Some would frown when they got a bad hand. Some had subtle tells. A scratch to the eyebrow or to the chin. For the most part, everyone was playing for fun. No one was taking the game seriously. Even a few women were playing. Nathan strategy was to have different tells for each hand so that no one would be able to tell which was his real tell.
Each table were given five hands to play. The top two who won the most hands would move on to the next round. Nathan kept winning hands until he was the last of the three players. One of other two players was Lucas.
As Nathan, Lucas, and a man from town sat to play in the final round, Lucas gave him a smirk.
"For a man who doesn't gamble, he sure has been lucky." Lucas said. Lucas's two goons laughed at his joke.
"Money is five percent of the game. The other ninety five percent is reading your opponent." Nathan said.
"I agree. And I am the best at reading people." Lucas said.
All three men sat down to play. Nathan needed two hands to find out Lucas's tell. One other reason that Nathan was mixing up his tells is because Lucas's goons had been watching Nathan play. No doubt that they told Lucas all of his tells. But Lucas was a hard man to read. Nathan tried to watch for tells because Lucas had a good poker face. Nathan lost both of the first hands but won the second two. The other man who was playing with them decided to bow out. Nathan figured out Lucas's tell when he had a good hand. Lucas would twitch his mouth. But he couldn't tell when he had a bad hand.
"Last round men." Said the dealer. Both men nodded their heads. The two just stared at each other. When the cards were dealed, Lucas and Nathan looked at their cards. Nathan looked at Lucas. Lucas had good cards from his tell. Nathan also had good cards and remained stoned face.
"Sorry Grant. Better luck next time." Lucas said. He showed his cards, it was a straight. Everyone gasped.
Lucas looked around proudly.
"You're right Lucas, those are some good cards. But mine are better." Nathan said. Nathan presented his royal flush.
Everyone cheered in the saloon. Lucas looked at the winning hand with his mouth hanging wide open. After looking at the cards, Lucas went over to his goons and scolded them. Everyone was congratulating Nathan on his win. He saw Elizabeth away from the crowd and she mouthed good job at him. He smiled at her.
Lucas walked over to Nathan and shook his hand.
"Nicely played Grant. But remember, there are more hands to be dealt." Lucas said. Nathan knew Lucas was talking about the lawsuit.
"Indeed." Nathan said.
After shaking his hand, Lucas went back into the kitchen.
People started leaving the tournament. Nathan saw Ned starting to clean up.
"Ned, I need to make a phone call, is your store opened?" Nathan asked.
"It is. Go ahead and make your call. And congratulations again!" Ned said. Nathan smiled and went to make his phone call.
A week later, Nathan rushed over to Elizabeth's house before school started. Nathan knocked on Elizabeth's door.
Elizabeth answered the door.
"Nathan?" Elizabeth said surprisingly.
"Do you have your lessons plans for the next two days?" Nathan asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said.
"Can I see them." Nathan said.
"Why?" Elizabeth asked.
"Please, let me see them." Nathan said. Elizabeth went inside and brought out a folder.
"I'll take those." Nathan said grabbing the lesson plans.
"Nathan, what is going on? You are acting like a crazy person." Elizabeth said.
Nathan pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket.
"Here you go." Nathan said. Elizabeth took the envelope and opened it up. A smile formed on her face.
"A ticket to the Virgina Woolfe reading?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Lucas isn't the only person who has connections. And I called the family law attorney who represented my case, she has a ticket to the reading too and would enjoy your company." Nathan said.
"Nathan. This is sweet. But I don't have anyone to watch Jack." Elizabeth said.
"Rosemary and Lee have offered to take care of him." Nathan said pointing to Rosemary's house. Rosemary waved from her window.
"I don't know what to say." Elizabeth said.
"I hope you say yes because the stagecoach leaves in an hour." Nathan said.
"In an hour? Who will teach my class?" Elizabeth asked.
"Florence. With your lesson plans of course." Nathan said holding up the folder.
Elizabeth smiled.
"I better go get ready." Elizabeth said. Nathan nodded and Elizabeth closed the door. Lee came outside with coffee and the two chatted about sports and the weather. Finally, Rosemary came out to join them. Not long after, Elizabeth came holding Jack.
"I'm going to miss him so much." Elizabeth said about Jack.
"The two days will fly by." Rosemary said.
"And I can look in on him if you want." Nathan said.
"I think he would like that." Elizabeth said.
Lee got into the car. Elizabeth started walking toward the car but stopped. Nathan walked over to her.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked.
"This is my first-time leaving Jack alone for more than half a day. Am I doing the right thing?" Elizabeth asked.
"Elizabeth, if you don't want to go, don't go. It wouldn't hurt my feelings. I thought you would want to enjoy this special opportunity but I know how special your son is to you." Nathan said.
"What if something happens to me along the way?" Elizabeth asked.
Nathan smiled.
"Luckily for you, my attorney is a Mountie's wife and you will have a Mountie escort the whole way." Nathan said.
"Really? How can I ever thank you?" Elizabeth asked.
"By enjoying the reading. By finding out what is in your heart. Being inspired to write." Nathan said.
Elizabeth smiled.
"Thank you, Nathan." Elizabeth said.
"And don't worry, I'll check in on Jack." Nathan said.
Elizabeth nodded. She went into the car and they drove off.
"You are something else, Nathan Grant." Rosemary said walking over to him.
"Just being a good friend." Nathan said.
"The last friend who did something special for her became her husband." Rosemary said walking back into her house. Nathan blushed at Rosemary's comment.