Love, Diamonds, and Spades (Cactus Creek #2)(11)

His words served as the electric jolt she needed to fry the heated web she’d somehow allowed herself to get caught in, as he confirmed the one thing she’d heard about him in town that she wasn’t a fan of. “You gamble?” she asked as casually as she could.

He laughed. “I’ve never played a slot machine in my life.”

A tiny bit of hope glimmered in her belly. Maybe—

“That’s barely gambling,” he continued. “Now poker? That’s a different story. I’m always up for a game of poker.” Grinning, he added, “It isn’t really gambling unless skill and stakes are involved.”

The disappointment she felt crushing her lungs was a little startling. A musician she could deal with. A gambling musician like her ex? Hell no.

“I’ll see you around, Rylan.” She’d put the full frost of her iciest wicked witch of the west tone in that one sentence.

But instead of leaving, he stood there silently studying her for a moment.

“I won’t push,” he said gently. “But one day, I hope you’ll tell me why you thought you hated me as much as you did at first glance…why you’re trying to convince yourself to hate me right now.”

Damn, that sounded terrible. “I didn’t…I’m not…”

“Don’t. Honey, it’s your right to be cautious, to have doubts. Just like it’s my job to give you reasons over time not to doubt me, to prove to you and continue to show you that I’m different from what history has taught you to know and expect. No one has any right to expect that you start with a clean slate with all the trust in the world for a stranger until they’ve earned it. If any man tells you different, give me a call and I’ll set him straight.”

Holy hell.

“And Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

“I gamble, yes. But never for money.”



*



“YOU BIG LUG NUT! You haven’t even asked her out on a date yet?

Rylan continued unloading his truck, unsurprised that Dani was here in his driveway poking into his business. “Why hello to you too, my favorite little meddling brewmaster. To what do I owe the honor of your exasperated presence?”

“Quinn just told me you haven’t asked her out.”

Interesting. He didn’t know the two mortal enemies had turned into BFFs. “She’s right, I haven’t.”

“Why on earth not?”

“She doesn’t want me to.”

“Oh, yes she does.”

He stilled. “Did she say that?”

“Well, no. Not in so many words.”

He resumed packing up his truck. “Dani, she’s a single mom living in a new town with a newly relocated business. She’s too busy to date. Simple as that.” He frowned at her. “You haven’t been hounding her have you? The woman looks exhausted nearly all hours of the day. You know I love you and most of the times, your meddling ways, but I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t bother Quinn, especially not where I’m concerned.”

“Wow. You really like her.”

“Yeah, I do,” he sighed. “But that doesn’t change anything.”

“Ry, it changes everything. You haven’t been even remotely interested in anyone since Lacey.”

“Leave it alone, Dani.”

Damn. He didn’t mean for that to come out so harshly. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, babe. Just… Don’t bring up Lacey. Please.”

She paused, then asked gently, “I’ll stop after this, I swear. But, as your friend, I need to know. Are you still hung up on her?”

“I’m not hung up on Lacey.”

“Because we’d all understand if—”

“I’m not.”

He knew what everyone thought. That Lacey had left him broken-hearted. He’d been broken down back then, yes, and his heart had been put through the ringer, most definitely. But not in the way everyone thought. No one knew what the end of their relationship had been like. It had messed with him. Bad.

One thing Dani was right about was that Quinn was the first person he’d been interested in since Lacey. At first he thought it was because she was the exact opposite of Lacey. The farthest thing from a wilting daisy. No, his little hellcat was more like…a venus fly trap.

Maybe that’s what started it all, why he’d gravitated toward her.

She was strong. Not like Lacey. She’d never put him through what Lacey had.

Or vice versa.

Studying him for a beat, Dani nodded as if believing him at face value. “Okay, if that’s not it, then why won’t you give Quinn a chance?”

“I’m not chasing after someone who doesn’t want to be chased.”

“Well what if she did want to be chased?” she asked.

“Then she wouldn’t be the right woman for me.”

Dani groaned in aggravation. “You’re not making any sense.”

His merciless little meddler.

“Look, sweetie, I like her. Part of the reason why I like her is because she doesn’t play games. I’m not going to play games with her either. We’re friends. I visit her sometimes to make small talk and she pretends to hate it when I do. I bug her until she wants to smack me. Then we rinse and repeat. It’s…just how we are.”