Dude: “You piss it away?”
Jackie: “I got mad.”
Dude: “Finally met some players, huh?”
Jackie: “Cigar smokers. I lost my cool but got it back, in case you’re wondering.”
Dude, reaching over to pat her shoulder: “Let’s see how far bein spunky gets you.”
The hired dealer in his vest and bow tie finally sat down at the table and dealt each player two cards down.
Jackie peeks at her hole cards: an ace and a seven.
Dude: “Hundred thousand to open,” and throws in his chips. “If that’s okay with you people.”
Jackie and the Saudis see the bet, the Saudis quiet, not looking happy this evening.
The dealer burns the top card and deals the flop: an ace, five, four.
Jackie now has her pair.
Dude throws in chips, betting another hundred thousand.
The Saudis fold and leave the table. Done with this nonsense.
Jackie sees the Dude’s bet.
Dealer: “Pot’s six hundred forty thousand.” He deals the next card, the turn, an eight of hearts on the board.
Dude: “I’m gonna leave it up to Miss Spunky. See where she’s at.”
Jackie: “A hundred thousand.”
Dude stares at her before adding chips to the pile on the table.
‹: lang='en-us' height='0em' width='1em' align='justify'›Dealer: “Pot’s eight hundred forty thousand.” He then deals the river card face up on the table. “An ace of clubs.”
Dude: “Well, hey, we both got aces paired. You got a good kicker under there?”
Jackie: “Bet and find out.”
Dude: “I do, I don’t see you got enough to call. Hon, I don’t want to take any more your lunch money.”
Jackie, bringing a checkbook and pen from her jeans: “You want to bet, go ahead.”
Dude: “Check, I’m gonna rest here.”
Jackie writes a check to CASH and drops it in the pot.
Jackie: “Eighty thousand to you, Mr. Moody.”
Dude, pausing: “You’re a tough little girl, aren’t you?”
Dealer: “Eighty thousand to Mr. Moody.”
Dude: “What’s the pot?”
Dealer: “One million when you call.”
Dude, staring at Jackie: “A big moment in your life, huh? Waited for the river to fill your hand? It didn’t, you have to act like it did. I’m callin your bluff, hon.” Drops chips in the pot and shows his hand. “Beat two pair, aces over cowboys.”
Jackie, turning up her ace in the hole: “A set, Mr. Moody, three bullets.”
Chapter Thirty-two
If Raylan wanted to say anything to Boyd and Liz he’d have to wait for them to quit talking. He watched Jackie at the poker table looking up at Dude Moody, listening and close to smiling at him. He’d turn his head and say something to Harry and her expression would lose interest.
Boyd was telling Liz about Ms. Conlan’s end, Liz saying “Really
…?” following every word. Raylan thought Carol dying of gunshot was excessive. Ten years would’ve been more like it. Boyd, he’d have to forget about Boyd’s part in it, even if Boyd had given shotgun shells to the old lady. Raylan would be kicking a dead horse.
Now he felt involved, or wouldn’t mind lit, with Jackie Nevada, sitting there, her head bent back, looking up at the Dude. Now he was kissing her on the top of the head, the Dude bending over her, Jackie looking like she was hunching her shoulders. Now Harry was busy talking to the Dude and Jackie got up from the table and came straight over to Raylan.
He said, “I hear you beat the pro.”
“All three. You know how much I won?”
Raylan shook his head.
“A million bucks,” Jackie said.
“Come on-”
“Two-twenty from the Saudis and the rest from Dude. A million fucking dollars.”
“Took you only one game?”
“Dude was tired, thank God, or we might’ve played some more. He told me nice going, I did all right for a girl and kissed me on the head.”
“I saw that part.”
“Harry’ll put their checks in my account.”
“Were you nervous?”
“A little. But I knew I’d win.”
“How’d you know?”
“I told myself I’d hit on the river and I did.”
He’d ask about “the river” another time.
Raylan said, “So you won’t need a bodyguard. I was lookin forward to it.”
“I thought you’d want to guard me,” Jackie said, “so I won’t run off again.”
Raylan said, “I could handcuff us together.”
She was looking right at him. “And throw away the key?”
“We’re gonna have to be separated once in a while,” Raylan said, “to go to the bathroom. But being cuffed together’s a good test of compatability.”
She said, “We need to test how we get along?”
“You’re right,” Raylan said. “Tell me what you’d like to do.”
She kept staring at him.
“Go someplace and have fun.”
Raylan took a moment to see them in the Two Keys Tavern, going up to his monk’s room on the second floor. He said, “You know what tonight is where I’m stayin? Crazy Night.” He said, “You like to act crazy?”
Jackie said, “I love to act crazy.”
D elroy said to his phone, “Kennet, nobody seen him at that bar. He’s livin there, ain’t they gonna see him?”
“You think your guys are alert?” Kenneth said.
“I get ’em what they need, stand around there all night. They like to feel relaxed.”
“While they’re in a nod, the Lone Ranger comes in and goes to his room. Delroy, you continue to be your own problem. Forget the guy. God, he arrested you, that was seven or eight years ago.”
“I made up my mind,” Delroy said. “I got me a cowboy hat I stuck in a bucket of water, get it to bend and shaped the motherfucker how I like it to look. I’m on face Raylan Givens in a shoot-out at the Two Keys saloon.”
Kenneth said, “Get someone to count to three and you go for your guns? Delroy, you’re wasting your life doing street drama.”
“My hat’s black. I pull it down on my eyes… See, I don’t want him to know it’s me right away.”
“Del, you’re quite tall.”
“But I want him to know it’s me that second he recognizes my stature and I shoot him in the head. Last thing he’s thinkin about. Kennet, what’s the last thing goes through a bug’s head he hits the windshield? The bug’s ass. I’m goin down to South America or someplace after. Once I stick up a bank for travel money. Or get some chicks to do it. You know why it worked with chicks? Nobody ever seen it before.”
