Bucking the Tiger (8 page)

Caleb sat at the table with Lottie on his left and Deputy Anders to his right. The deputy was a man in his late twenties, which made him old enough to be confident in himself after collecting a few notches on his belt, but still young enough to be ruled by emotions at the worst possible time. To a professional gambler, that was the perfect age for an opponent

Anders dressed like a rancher with a badge pinned to his chest and sat in his spot as if that badge was enough to earn him free drinks. It wasn't.

Doc sat on Lottie's other side. Apart from his dapper gray suit, he wore a smile that nearly went from one ear to the other. Although Doc always looked happy and a bit anxious at the start of a game, Caleb knew the real reason behind that smile was the blond woman who circled the table like a shark.

So far, Trish seemed to be keeping her distance well enough. She moved with a swivel in her hips, and none of the other men seemed ready to complain if she drifted a little too close. Lottie warned her away with a deadly stare.

To Doc's left was a man Caleb had seen once or twice around town but hadn't yet had a chance to speak to. The man was dressed in a simple set of clothes, which didn't do much to separate him from any of the other cowboys wandering the streets of Fort Griffin. Caleb acknowledged the man with a nod before introductions were made, and that was that.

“I assume most of us know each other,” Doc said. “Deputy Anders, I must say I'm surprised to see your face. I didn't think you were the gambling sort.”

“Always up for a friendly game,” the lawman said. “Especially on the piss-poor salary I get.” That elicited a round of halfhearted laughter, which Anders soaked in like he was receiving a standing ovation.

Gesturing to his left, Doc said, “This here is Mike Lynch.”

“My game's normally faro,” Mike said with a shrug. “Thought I'd give this a try.”

“Be careful of our deputy friend, Mike,” Doc said with a friendly nudge. “He's heeled and he doesn't like to lose.”

“Gotchya.”

“Hope you don't mind losing, Doc,” Anders said. “I see you and most everyone else at this table is heeled as well.”

Doc shrugged in a way that caused the Colt under his arm to disappear beneath his gray jacket. “A man in my condition can't be too careful.”

“Or too drunk,” Caleb muttered.

Unlike Anders's earlier attempt at humor, this one got some genuine laughs from the rest of the table.

“Now, now,” Doc said. “Let's not make our guests feel uncomfortable. This fine gentleman next to Mike is Robert Taylor. I assume more proper introductions are in order?”

Those that hadn't been named just yet introduced themselves to Mr. Taylor, who took it all in with cordial nods and an offhanded greeting of his own. Like most men with a pulse, Taylor's eyes lingered on Lottie, who just so happened to be sitting directly across from him.

Taylor rose from his seat and extended a hand across the table. He wore a dark blue suit without a single thread that was out of place. Gold cuff links glittered on his wrists, and fine white silk extended from beneath his sleeve. “Always a pleasure, Miss Deno.”

“Likewise,” Lottie said with a little grin.

“Even so, Dr. Holliday is doing such a fine job of starting off a civilized game that I thought I'd continue the tradition.” As he spoke, Taylor's hand wrapped around Lottie's and didn't ease up until the last possible moment.

“I'm all for being civil,” Anders said, “but I came to play some cards. If you folks plan on talking any longer, I'll go watch them French ladies kick their skirts up.”

“From what I've seen, it looks like Doc knows plenty about paying to have a woman lift her skirts,” Caleb grunted.

Doc's eyes flashed at Caleb as a grating cough rumbled in the back of his throat. “Let's not bicker,” Doc said. “We're here to play a civil game.”

Caleb rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers as Lottie shuffled the cards and dealt.

After coughing once into the back of his hand, Doc pushed in a few chips. “I believe that's the minimum?”

“Sure is,” Mike said as he tossed in a few chips of his own. “And so's this.”

“Raise you ten dollars,” Taylor said.

As he tossed in his cards, Anders muttered, “Forget all of you.”

“Them girls are still dancing if you want to watch,” Mike offered. “It'd cost you less to watch them.”

The lawman's nostrils flared as he leaned forward in Mike's direction. “You getting lippy with me?”

Mike held up his hand and shook his head.

“Easy, now,” Caleb said in a pacifying voice that had been honed from years of running his own saloon. “We just got started. I call.”

“Me, too,” Lottie said.

Doc tossed in a card and got another from Lottie. Mike, Taylor, Caleb, and Lottie all drew two and fanned their cards in a closely guarded grip.

“Since it's good luck to play the first hand,” Doc said, “I'll bet five.”

Reluctantly, Mike matched the bet.

“Call,” Taylor said confidently.

“Since Doc's betting on his luck,” Caleb said without hiding the biting sarcasm in his voice, “I'll raise it another five.”

“Ten to me,” Lottie announced, “and another ten.”

Doc tossed fifteen into the pot while staring across at Caleb. His eyes darted over Caleb's shoulder and then he said, “Let's make the bet an even fifty.”

Mike couldn't throw in his cards fast enough. “Fifty's way too much to bet on a stinking pair of eights.”

While looking around the table, it was hard not to notice the tension crackling between Doc and Caleb. That tension flared up even more as Trish settled in behind Doc and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Fifty seems like an awful lot to bet in a friendly game,” Taylor said.

“I'm one of the friendliest sorts you're likely to meet around here,” Doc replied.

Taylor looked down at his cards and threw in enough money to cover the bet. He had yet to take so much as a dent out of the chips he'd brought with him.

Caleb looked at Doc and then at Trish. When Doc reached back to brush his hand along the side of Trish's face, Caleb bristled. “You're not going to push anyone around, Doc. I don't care what you're trying to prove or what you think you're doing,” he said, “but I won't be pushed around.”

Doc's face was pale, but had less expression than the wall behind him. “How admirable.”

“You want to see how well I know this game?” Caleb asked. “You're full of shit, Doc. You're bluffing.”

“That's not against the rules.”

“I call,” Caleb said defiantly.

Lottie had her cards facedown beneath one smooth hand. While reaching out to rub Caleb's shoulder, she looked at Doc and said, “You two need to calm down. We're not out for blood here.” Seeing that she wasn't getting much of anywhere with either man, she said, “I call, also. At least that should put an end to whatever this is that is bugging you two.”

“You heard her, Doc. Let's see what you've got.”

Clearing his throat, Doc laid down a two of diamonds, a three of clubs, then the four and five of spades. He slid the top card back to reveal the four of diamonds.

“Fours?” Caleb snorted. “You stayed in with fours?”

“Jesus Christ,” Mike said. “I could've beaten fours.”

“Perhaps,” Taylor said. “But you couldn't have beaten queens.” With that, Taylor showed the queen of spades and the queen of diamonds along with the ace of spades for a kicker.

Dropping a pair of nines onto the table, Caleb stared daggers across at Doc. “Had you beat and called you out just like I said, Doc. How's that for teaching a lesson or two?”

Doc sipped from his whiskey and lifted his glass in Caleb's direction. “You have my admiration. Unfortunately, you lost just as much as I did. Perhaps I can seek solace elsewhere,” he said while leaning back so Trish could rub his shoulders.

Although he seemed to be intrigued by the sight of Trish leaning forward in her low-cut dress, Taylor shifted his eyes toward Lottie. “What about you, ma'am?”

Apologetically, Lottie shrugged and turned over a pair of kings.

Taylor gave her a friendly nod and leaned back so he could fish a cigar from his vest pocket. “A pleasure to lose to such a fine lady. I'd only hoped to see a smile.”

She gave him one while raking in the chips and then passing the deck over to Doc.

The next few hands passed without incident as the chips made their way from one person to another. Caleb didn't miss the irony as he lost with a busted flush and managed to see more and more of his chips get taken away by Doc. Lottie seemed content to keep flirting with Taylor while Anders and Mike sparked a rivalry between themselves.

Just over an hour into the game, Doc was dealing and stayed in the hand until it was raised beyond the limit he was willing to go for the crap he was holding. Mike raised, and was eventually raised again by Taylor. Anders pushed in every cent he had with a glorious smile on his face.

“Ain't none of you beating what I got,” the lawman said.

“You're worse at bluffing than Doc,” Caleb grunted. “I'll raise another hundred.”

Wincing, Lottie folded her hand.

Since he was healthy enough to cover the bet, Mike did just that.

Taylor studied his cards for a good, long time. After a fair amount of shifting in his seat, he folded, despite the fact that he had more than enough chips to cover the bet.

After tossing in his wedding ring to cover the raise, Anders won the pot by showing his cards. “Full house,” he said victoriously.

“Beats me,” Caleb said.

Mike slammed his fist against the table and let out a vicious snarl. “Fucking flush and it still ain't enough!”

“What can I say?” Anders beamed. “Some of us are just luckier than the rest of you.”

The night wore on and the Beehive became packed to the rafters with gamblers, drunks, and working girls. Most of the crowd was still gathered in the back of the saloon, where all of the French dancers were onstage kicking their legs up amid a flurry of raucous music. By now, the only thing beneath their skirts was what God had given them, and every time they gave the crowd a good look, they were rewarded with yet another furious round of cheers and applause.

The front half of the saloon might have been slightly quieter, but it still had more than its share of activity. In fact, another couple of tables had been set up to take advantage of the newcomers who wanted to spend some of their money when the French dancers took their breaks.

Every sort of poker that could be played was being dealt somewhere in that saloon, but Doc and Caleb were a tough act to follow. When they weren't bickering among themselves, the pair managed to keep their stacks of chips at a fairly healthy level. Lottie was doing just fine for herself, but Mike and Anders had broken just shy of even. It was difficult for any casual observer to gauge how well Taylor was doing since his pile of money was never less than impressive. The man in the dark blue suit also did a good job of keeping his emotions in check. That became very apparent when he called a bet from Doc without batting an eye.

“Was that five hundred?” Caleb asked.

“Sure enough,” Doc said. “I believe Mr. Taylor must have a dandy.”

Anders fanned his cards after having drawn one. He looked at them again, rearranged them, and shifted in his seat. Finally, he looked around the table and set his cards down. “I think you got me beat.”

Having been dealt a nine, ten, and jack in mixed suits, Caleb had drawn two cards in the hopes of making a straight or at least a good pair. His optimism was promptly dashed by a two and three of different colors. “Take it,” Caleb said and then threw in his cards.

Lottie had no trouble raising during the first round of bets. After drawing one card, she still took a moment to think things over before moving her chips. Freshly painted nails slid up and down along the stacks of chips as the sound of baked clay knocking together rippled through the air. She locked eyes with Taylor, but did not return his smile. “Raise one fifty.”

Even though Doc had drawn one card, he had yet to look at it. Instead, he looked over to Lottie and studied her for a few silent moments. Eventually, the silence was broken by a series of coughs.

“Take a drink and make your move,” Caleb said impatiently.

As always, Trish reached down to rub Doc's chest when she saw him set down his glass. Doc took hold of her wrist and moved it away. “Save it,” he told her. “I'm in the middle of something.”

“Sorry, Doc,” Trish said.

“I said be quiet,” Doc snapped. “I need to think.”

Hearing that was enough to get Trish moving away from Doc. She moved around the table behind Mike's, Taylor's, and Anders's chairs. When she made it to Caleb, she sat on his knee and glared defiantly at Doc.

“Maybe you should leave,” Taylor said to the blonde. “It's not proper to have someone walking behind the rest of us like that.”

“I'll stay right here,” Trish snapped. “Where I'm wanted.”

Caleb slipped a hand along Trish's leg and said, “That's right. No need to go any farther.”

“For the love of God, just shit or get off the pot!” Anders groaned.

“Here's Lottie's one fifty and another three besides,” Doc said as he pushed in a good amount of his chips.

“Fine by me,” Mike said as he called the bet.

Taylor kept his cards on the table and used the edge of his hand and his thumb to bend them back so he could take another look at them. After the French dancers let out another wave of yelps from the stage, Taylor nodded and separated a few neat stacks from the rest of his chips. “I call, Holliday. Time for the moment of truth.”

“The kings seem to like me tonight. The sevens are warming up to me as well,” Lottie said as she showed a pair of each.

“Jacks don't quite live up to those kings, Lottie,” Doc said with a drawl that had become as smooth as the expensive whiskey he'd switched to hours ago. “But these aces hold up just fine.” With a subtle move of his hand, he spread his cards out to show two pair of his own.

Lottie gave a tight-lipped smile, but still nodded gracefully.

Mike's eyes snapped back and forth between Lottie's and Doc's cards. “Don't get too excited just yet,” he said. “'Cause I got three eights, which is enough to bury all four of them pairs.”

“My, my,” Doc said. “Look who's learned how to play.”

“Up yer ass, Doc,” Mike said jokingly.

“This is all very entertaining,” Taylor said. “But I believe this round goes to me.” Without another bit of fanfare, Taylor laid down three tens. “I must say, you had me quite worried, Holliday.”

“That's a fine bit of playing,” Doc said. “You shouldn't be worried about a thing.”

For the first time all night, Taylor's stack had noticeably changed in size. Unfortunately for everyone else at the table, it had done so thanks to all of their chips adding to the pile. Doc poured himself several fingers of whiskey and downed it all in two swigs. When he refilled his glass, his hand was trembling just a bit.

“Maybe you should ease up on that stuff, Doc,” Caleb said.

“And maybe you should mind your own damn business,” Doc snapped.

As the deal was passed around the table, the cards started moving more toward Lottie and Taylor. Anders was making increasingly bolder bets, and when he lost, Mike didn't hesitate to rub his nose in it.

Taylor dealt the cards and the deputy beside him hastily went for his chips.

“That all you pushing in?” Mike snapped. “With all the big talk you've been doing, I had you pegged as a real professional.”

After taking a quick look at his first couple of cards, Anders doubled his bet. “How's that grab ya?”

Mike shrugged and shook his head.

As Caleb sifted through the mess he'd been dealt, he felt Trish's hand slip between his legs. Her fingers drifted close to a spot that was very distracting, but Caleb managed to toss in enough chips to call before he started losing his breath.

Lottie folded and excused herself from the table.

When Doc looked at his own cards, he did so by merely flipping them up with the corner of his thumb so he could take a quick glance. “Call,” he said in a scratchy voice.

Mike held his cards and got to look at them for about a second and a half before Anders spoke up.

“Come on, asshole.” The deputy taunted him. “You wanna talk big, you'd best make the play to back it up.”

Letting out a sigh, Mike shook his head and worked a few kinks from the back of his neck. His eyes were on Caleb and Trish for less than a second. When he looked back at Anders, Mike smiled and raised the bet by four hundred dollars.

Since he was sitting behind a wall of money, Taylor didn't shock anyone when he called. That left the next move solely up to Anders.

“What's the matter?” Mike teased. “I thought you were the lucky one.”

Anders nodded and pushed in a call of his own.

As much as it pained him to do so, Caleb called as well.

When it was his turn, Doc didn't even touch his cards. “I need a refill,” he said while taking hold of the half-full whiskey bottle. “I suppose I'll have to pass.” As he stood up to leave, Doc flipped the cards so they landed perfectly on top of the pile of deadwood.

At the draw, Anders took two cards. Caleb drew two in the hopes of filling in a straight, but only got a few more mismatched numbers to add to his collection. When Taylor looked at him expectantly, Mike waved him off.

“I'm fine just the way I am,” Mike said in a voice that was solid as stone.

Taylor nodded approvingly and took three cards for himself.

“Two hundred,” Anders said quickly.

Caleb took a few moments, which was just long enough for him to feel another couple of rubs on the inside of his thigh. After a glance up at the blonde sitting on his lap, Caleb got a little wink from Trish in return. After that, he tossed in his cards. “I better not wager any money on this load of garbage.”

“Not until you get some more blood flowing above yer belt, huh?” Anders sneered.

“Exactly.”

Mike chuckled along with everyone else and took a look at Trish for himself. The blonde was wriggling on Caleb's lap and only looked across the table for a moment before shifting all of her attention back to him.

“You want a woman, go get yer own,” Anders snarled. “Bet or fold “

Without taking his eyes off what Trish was showing him, Mike shoved in some chips. “That should be another four hundred.”

Looking at his cards, Taylor seemed reluctant to look away. All he needed to do was glance back and forth between Mike and Anders to change his mind. “I like the way these look,” Taylor said as he lowered his cards and added them to the top of the deadwood pile, “but not enough to get in between you two.”

Anders nodded quickly and stared a set of holes through Mike's face. “You been trying to pull this shit on me all night long. Make it another four hundred.”

Before all of Anders's chips were even in the middle of the table, Mike fixed him with an answering glare and waved at all his money. “Whatever I got left, it's in the pot.”

The deputy flinched as if he'd been jabbed in the stomach. The longer he thought about what had happened, the sicker he looked because of it. Before too long, the muscles in his jaw tensed up and the corner of his mouth started to twitch. “You're cheating,” he wheezed.

“One way to find out,” Mike replied in a steady voice.

After pulling in enough breaths to fill his lungs with the smoke from other men's cigars, Anders looked at his cards and then looked back at Mike. He looked over to the seat next to him, only to find Caleb with his face pressed against Trish's neck and the blonde giggling quietly in his ear.

Counting up his money, Anders muttered to himself and threw his cards away as if they'd bitten his fingers.

Mike nodded and raked in the sizable pot.

Leaning forward, Anders reached out to slap one hand down flat upon the pile of chips. His other hand drifted to the vicinity of his gun as he growled, “I want to see your cards.”

“What?” Mike asked.

Taylor scooted back a bit, but remained in his chair. “I'm afraid I'll have to side with Mr. Lynch,” he said. “There's no cause for him to show you what he was holding.”

“Stay out of this,” Anders snapped without taking his eyes from Mike. “This is between me and him. I'm not asking for my money back, but I want to see what he was holding.”

“Why?” Mike asked.

“Because I want to make sure you weren't cheating.”

That brought Caleb back into the conversation in a heartbeat. “That's a serious accusation. Why do you think Mike was cheating?”

“Because he knew how that hand was gonna end before the cards were even dealt.”

Even though Mike was smaller than Anders and had both hands reaching for the middle of the table instead of being anywhere near his gun, Mike held his ground without one hint of letting it go. “It's called confidence and knowing how to play,” Mike said. “Perhaps you should look into it.”

Choking on an obscenity, Anders stood up and knocked his chair behind him.

“Hold on, now,” Caleb said as he got Trish off his lap and shuffled her to one side. “If you saw him cheating, let us know. Until this last hand, I've been getting soaked a whole lot more than you.”

The longer he went without saying anything, the more it looked as if Anders was about to chew off his own tongue. Finally, he forced himself to say, “I didn't see him cheating, but I know he did.”

“You're not broke,” Mike said. “You've got more than half of what you came here with, so just take it and be on your way.”

“I'm a lawman. You can't get away with this.”

“This is just poker,” Mike pointed out. “It doesn't respect any law.”

Since there wasn't anything else left for him to do, Anders turned on his heel and stormed away from the table.

“Why don't we all stretch our legs and cool off?” Caleb offered. “I'll round up Lottie and Doc. Where the hell did they get off to, anyway?”