I welcomed them and asked for Player cards, though I should have remembered they didn’t have them. For some strange reason they didn’t want their gambling tracked by big brother.
The third player folded, and the regular glowered at the player who’d pushed all-in. “I can’t do it,” he said, and tossed his cards my way.
I gathered them up and switched out the deck.
When I moved the button, the regular ranted. “These chips are bad. I want a refund, Miss Stephanie. It isn’t me, and it isn’t the cards. It’s the chips this casino gave me.”
I wondered if this old codger had lost it, but smiled. “Well, you’re welcome to take your chips to the cashier’s cage, sir.”
He grinned at me. “I’m just messin’ with you. It’s the only fun I get to have at this table today.”
I shook my head and dealt the next hand. Har and Brute had both paid their blinds rather than waiting on the button to pass them. The man who pushed all-in raised pre-flop and Har was the only person to call.
The flop was a mixed bag of suits with only one face card. Har checked and his opponent bet fifty dollars. In response, Har pushed all-in. The man hesitated and after a few moments he folded.
Har collected his chips, and it looked like he did something funny before he laid out a chip as a tip to me.
“A tip for my dealer, in exchange for her hand,” he said with a wide smile.
I looked down and resting on top of the chip was a rose-gold engagement ring with a huge round diamond. It was a ring unlike any I’d ever seen. When I raised my eyes to his, he smiled huge. My jaw dropped open.
“You’re proposing to me while I’m at work? And in front of all these people?”
He chuckled. “Yep. Cards brought us back together, baby. Not big on romance, this is as good a place as any.”
It took all my control to hide my smile. As it was, my heart was pounding so hard, I figured everyone could hear it.
We’d visited the beach every chance we could, and recently I suspected he had something on his mind while we were there. I’d expected him to pop the question on one of our sunset outings. Not in my wildest dreams did I expect this.
Yet, he was right. Cards absolutely brought us back together and it took serious balls to propose in such a public venue.
Case in point: the other men at the table had stood up as though there were a huge all-in hand playing out. That always drew a crowd. When the men from other tables saw what was really happening, I heard murmurs, which drove more men to our table. The growing attention brought my manager to my back, and he chuckled.
“You can’t put that in your tip box, Stephanie,” he said.
I looked over my shoulder. “I know that.”
Brute said, “You gonna make the man wait all day? He’s on pins and needles here, Steph.”
My eyes shot to Brute. “He’s not on pins and needles.”
After all, I’d been wearing his property patch for the past year. My answer was a foregone conclusion.
I looked at Har. “I don’t even get a bended knee. What’s that?”
The regular at the table answered, “It’s poker is what it is. I think it’s brilliant. He’s all-in, Miss Stephanie.”
Har’s eyes twinkled with a hint of humor and a wealth of sincerity. He held the gorgeous ring out to me.
“You gonna marry me, Stephanie?”
“Yes,” I whispered, slipping my finger into the ring.
The men erupted in cheers. When Har came around to kiss me, the catcalls were loud, and so high-pitched my ears hurt, but in a good way.
When he walked back around the table, Charlie tapped me on my shoulder. “Boss says you get the afternoon off. Grab your tips and get outta here, Stephie.”
EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE afternoon off, Har demanded we celebrate at a restaurant inside the casino. This meant after I had changed out of my uniform, the two of us and Brute went for a late lunch. We had eaten and our plates had been cleared.
Brute left to use the restroom, and Har wasted no time making out with me at the table. I didn’t feel comfortable making out in public. Even though we were in a secluded corner, I could see the bar from our table which meant anyone at the bar could see us.
When Har let me come up for air, I glanced toward the front and my brows furrowed. “Did you invite your sister to witness your ‘brilliant’ proposal?”
He looked confused, then followed my eyes to where Corinna stood looking through the restaurant.
“I didn’t. Can’t imagine why she’s here.”
A hostess showed her to a small table. Moments later Brute sauntered back into the restaurant, noticed Corinna, and sat down opposite her.
“That’s weird,” I muttered.
A server approached their table, but Corinna shook her head and the server left. I couldn’t bear to watch any more of their exchange because I suspected it would be difficult for both of them. My eyes wandered to the bar, and I noticed a buxom blonde watching Brute intently. Then she shook her head and turned away.
“We need to get out of here, baby,” Har said at my ear.
I shook my head. “Not until Brute comes back.”
He chuckled. “It’s not our business.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Corinna and Brute stand. He gave her a light hug, and she left. Brute gave Har and me a chin lift, then sauntered over to the bar. Not far from the blonde who’d been watching him.
“He is not,” I muttered.
“Not what?” Har asked.
I watched him talking to the woman at the bar, and it didn’t take a lip reader to know she’d asked about his conversation with Corinna. It was oddly fun to watch the
