The Devaney Brothers: Ryan and Sean: Ryan's Place

He dreaded the prospect of going inside and getting caught up in the kind of teasing camaraderie he’d witnessed when the family had helped out at the homeless shelter. That kind of situation always made him uncomfortable. It caused him to feel more alone, more like an outsider than ever.

He sighed and looked down to find Maggie regarding him with sympathy.

“It will be okay,” she reassured him.

“I’ll stay long enough for a cup of coffee. That’s it,” he said. “That was the deal.”

“That was the deal,” she agreed, leading the way to the kitchen door.

Inside—to his surprise, given the late hour—they found bedlam. Six people were sitting around the kitchen table, poker chips piled in front of them, making enough noise for twenty.

“You cheated,” Katie accused her father, barely sparing a glance for Maggie and Ryan as they walked in.

“He most certainly did,” one of Maggie’s brothers agreed.

Garrett O’Brien rose to his feet, practically quivering with indignation. “The day my own children accuse me of cheating is a sad day, indeed.”

“Oh, sit down,” Nell ordered. “You did cheat. I saw you myself.”

Garrett—most of the fight drained out of him—turned to Ryan for support. “Can you imagine a man’s own wife saying such a thing?”

Ryan grinned, his nervousness dissipating. He could imagine Nell O’Brien saying whatever she wanted to whomever she wanted and expecting to be taken seriously. “Well now, I imagine she’s a woman who always speaks her mind,” he said cautiously, not sure exactly how welcome his opinion might be.

“And always truthfully,” Katie added. “Pull up a chair, Ryan. These guys are just about tapped out. We need deep pockets to join the game.”

Ryan felt Maggie’s gaze on him.

“Are you willing?” she asked. “Can you stay for a bit?”

Ryan weighed his reluctance against the prospect of a few good poker hands. “I can stay.”

“Bring the chairs from the dining room, then,” Garrett said. “We’ll push over to make room. Maggie, get the man a beer.”

“Coffee would be better,” Ryan said. “I have to drive back into Boston after this.”

“Nonsense,” Nell said. “Not when there’s a perfectly good guest room that’s unoccupied tonight.”

“We’ll debate that when the time comes,” Ryan said, refusing to commit to staying under this roof, especially with the tempting Maggie just down the hall.

Maggie set his coffee in front of him, then slipped onto her own chair right next to him and leaned closer to whisper, “That’s the last act of kindness you can expect from me. When it comes to poker, I play a take-no-prisoners game.”

“Listen to her,” her brother Matt said. “Our Maggie liked to stay up and play with Dad’s cronies as she was growing up. Dad allowed it because she split her winnings with him.”

Ryan laughed, regarding Maggie with new respect. “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see if you’ve lost your edge, now won’t we?”

“Trust me, there are some things a woman never forgets,” she retorted, dealing the cards with quick, professional efficiency.

Ryan drew a scowl from Maggie and hoots from her family when he won the first hand. When it was his turn to deal, he made an elaborate show of allowing her to cut the cards. “For luck,” he declared.

“Thank you,” she replied, though there was an edge to her polite tone.

“I believe you misunderstood,” he said as he dealt. “The lucky cut was for my benefit.”

“Oh, my, he’s a smug one,” Garrett remarked happily.

“With good cause, I’d say,” Katie said when she threw in her hand.

Nell, John and Matt followed suit, as did John’s wife. Garrett added his cards to the pile with a muffled curse.

Ryan leveled a look into Maggie’s eyes. “It looks as if it’s just you and me.”

Her gaze never wavered. “I’ll see your bet and raise you a dollar.”

“Uh-oh, our Maggie has that glint in her eyes,” Matt said. “Watch yourself, Ryan.”

Ryan was already all too aware of the dangers he faced anytime he was around Maggie. This card game was just the tip of the iceberg. “I’ll see your raise and call you,” he said, watching her expectantly.

“You’re absolutely sure you want to do that?” she asked. “There’s still time to take it back.”

He nodded. “My bet’s on the table.”

“Okay, then.” She fanned her cards out on the table. She had a full house, jacks high.

“Very nice,” Ryan complimented her.

She smiled and reached for the pot. “I thought so.”

He placed his hand on top of hers. “Just not nice enough.” His own full house had kings high.

Maggie frowned as he scooped up the money.

Ryan leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “Don’t pout. I told you luck was going to be with me.”

Matt winced. “Oh, brother. You’ve really done it now, Ryan. You’ve won and, worse, you’ve gloated about it. She’s going to be out for blood.”

Maggie gave them all a serene smile. “I am, indeed.”

Ryan thought they were joking, but to his amazement Maggie took the next four hands in a row. He regarded her with amusement. “Feeling better now?”

“Much,” she said, a satisfied gleam in her eyes.

“Why do I have the feeling this game has gotten personal?” Katie inquired. “I think I’ll just slip off to bed while I still have two cents to my name.”

“And I have to be getting home before my wife disowns me,” Matt chimed in.

John exchanged a look with his wife. “I guess we’re out of here, too.”

Within ten minutes, the entire room had been cleared. In the silence that followed, Ryan stared at Maggie.