Betting on Hope

Chapter 31



Tanner watched Hope while Baby’s heels clacked against the tile floor and the outer door opened and then clicked shut. Hope was scowling at him, her eyebrows furrowed across her forehead, her blue eyes, the color of ice, narrowed to slits. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Not good.

“Alone at last,” he tried.

Her mouth thinned.

“I missed you,” he tried again. “While I was gone.”

She crossed her legs.

“We have a date tonight, don’t we? I’ve been looking forward to seeing you. Is something wrong?”

She uncoiled from the chair, uncrossing her legs and unfolding her arms, and paced to the other end of the room.

“Is something wrong? Is something wrong? What isn’t wrong?” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

Tanner decided to go for innocence. “You mean the card game? Pumpkin—”

“Yes, the card game! The cheating, Tanner! And losing the ranch! Everything I worked for! Our lives are wrapped up in that ranch. And knowing that, even though I asked you not to, you stole it anyway!”

“You didn’t lose the ranch,” Tanner said. “You got the ranch back. I’m sorry I had to play like that. The FBI made me. It was that or twenty years in prison.”

Hope rolled her eyes. “The FBI made you? Well, that’s an original excuse, at least.”

“Even better, it’s true.” Tanner frowned. Didn’t she hear what he’d just said?

“You cheated, Tanner! I was there, remember? We played Big Julie, you cheated, what a surprise, poof! Ranch is gone.” She paused. “What do you mean, it was that or twenty years in prison? What about the FBI?”

“What do you mean, ‘I cheated, what a surprise?’” He felt a spurt of anger.

Hope backed down, resignation replacing most of the fury in her voice.

“You’re a con artist, Tanner. I googled you. You cheated twenty years ago, and you cheated last Saturday in the game with Big Julie. I don’t know who you hurt twenty years ago, but last Saturday you hurt me and my family, and we’re not coming back from that too well.”

Tanner shook his head in frustration. “I got twenty years’ probation for conning that million when I was a stupid kid,” he said, raking his hands through his hair. “That’s how you knew my name when we were introduced, right? It was big news at the time.”

Hope nodded.

“I’m still on probation for that stupid crime,” Tanner said. “I’ve got eight more months to go. I have to help the FBI with whatever gambling sting they put me on, and they put me on Big Julie. They’re trying to get him on a tax racket. I had to make sure he won, and then they arrested him. If I hadn’t helped them, I would have gone to prison for twenty years.”

Hope eyed him with hostility. “Poor Big Julie. Isn’t that entrapment, or something?”

“Poor Big Julie? What about me? Anyway, I’m sure Big Julie’s got good lawyers. Of course, I do, too, that’s why I’m not in jail, either.”

He watched with cautious optimism as Hope dropped into the sofa and put her head back against the cushions.

“Well. I guess that explains why you stole the ranch. You did what you had to do. But now the ranch is gone. My family’s uprooted. And—well, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m not seeing you anymore.”

Tanner’s heart plummeted. She understood about the probation, but she wouldn’t see him anyway? She didn’t love him at all? She didn’t even like him? Everything was truly over?

He couldn’t accept that. He didn’t believe for a minute that Hope didn’t feel something for him.

If she didn’t, she’d have ratted him out to Big Julie.

“Why won’t you see me? You have to know that I haven’t cheated in a card game in twenty years, until the game with Big Julie. Ask anybody. Ask Troy if I’ve let her down—well, except about the terrarium. Don’t ask her about the terrarium. I did let her down a little bit about that. But that’s the only thing.”

“What?” Hope asked, looking confused.

Tanner plunged on. He had to make her understand. “And your family isn’t uprooted, Hope. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Suzanne owns the ranch now.”

Hope frowned. “What are you talking about? I was there, remember? Big Julie owns it.”

“Big Julie doesn’t own it. I’ve been trying to tell you. Your mom owns it. Jack sent her a letter telling her. You didn’t get the letter?”

Hope remembered the letter from Mecklenburg and Sievers addressed to her mother that even now was lying in her bag. She picked up her bag and pulled out the letter, scrutinizing the return address.

She looked up. “This is just another of your tricks.”

“I don’t have any tricks. Call Jack if you don’t believe me.”

She fished her cell phone out of her bag, dialed, and was put through to Jack.

“Hope, you are a difficult person to reach. Did you get my letter?”

“I have a letter from Mecklenburg and Sievers, but it’s addressed to my mom and she’s not here. I want to confirm what’s in it. Can you tell me?”

“I don’t see why not. Your mother owns the ranch free and clear. Derek sold it to her for a dollar. I’m—”

Hope blinked. “Wait a second. Derek sold it to my mom for a dollar? That’s not possible.”

“Sure it is. I’ve got the paperwork right here. And believe me, a lawyer is never wrong about paperwork.”

“How did Derek get the ranch? Just two days ago it was Big Julie’s.”

“Well, after that it was Derek’s,” Jack said firmly. “The lead abatement report isn’t in yet, and we have some other conveyances to file, but I think everything should be wrapped up by tomorrow.”

“Lead abatement,” Hope said, remembering Bob. “Were those the guys who came out on Monday?”

“They were.”

“I’m glad I gave them coffee, then.”

Jack laughed. “Do you have any other questions?”

“Well, of course I do, Jack. How did Derek get the ranch?”

“It reverted to the original owner, according to federal forfeiture law, after Big Julie was arrested during the card game. That was Derek McNaughton. And Derek sold it to Suzanne, through me, for a dollar.”

“Why did he do that?”

“He realized that he hasn’t treated your family fairly for the last seventeen years, and to make up for not paying alimony, child support, and other court-ordered expenses, he decided to sell you the ranch. He’s doing the right thing here.”

“And yet, everything sounds so wrong. When did mom give you a dollar?”

“Actually, she gave me two dollars. One dollar went to Derek for the ranch and one went to me, to retain my services.”

Hope paused to think. Jack’s story was too glib and his voice was too smooth. She knew she was missing something. She just didn’t see what.

“So Jack, tell me. How did you get mixed up in this?”

Jack cleared his throat. “Maybe you want to talk to Tanner about that.”

“Maybe I want to talk to you. Are you the family lawyer, or not? We can fire you, you know.”

“Oh, no, don’t do that. You’re my most lucrative clients.”

Hope laughed. “Oh, good, we’ve retained a snotty lawyer. Send us a bill. If we have a two-million dollar ranch now, we can afford to pay it. I just want to know how we got here.”

Jack voice sounded amused. “Give it up, Hope. You want to find out what happened, talk to Tanner. I’m his lawyer, too. I can’t reveal any confidences.”

“I knew it! You guys did something.”

“The dollar that your mother gave me three days ago for legal fees is now earning me about ten cents an hour. Gotta go, Hope. My pro bono cases make me richer than you guys.”

“But Jack—”

“The letter says that Suzanne owns the ranch. Talk to Tanner. Heaven knows he’s been trying to talk to you.”

Hope closed the phone and dropped it into her purse before she turned back to Tanner, a puzzled look on her face.

“Mom owns the ranch,” she said, sounding stunned. “Evidently, we don’t have to move after all.”

“Told you,” he said, stepping closer. “Hope—”

“Stop right there,” she said, cutting him off. “Thank you for getting the ranch back. I don’t know how you did it, but I appreciate it. Very much. Don’t think that I don’t. But that doesn’t change anything, Tanner. You’re still who you are and I’m who I am and that’s oil and water. And I’m still mad at you.”

“You’re still mad?” Tanner looked incredulous. “What about?”

“Well, there’s the ranch. Okay, we got it back, but you stole it! By cheating! And you’ve always been a cheater. And cheaters never change. I learned that from the best. Look at Derek! You’re just like him. You take risks. You court danger. You come strolling in here, looking to get killed! Those Russians had guns! What were you thinking?”

Tanner started to feel optimistic again, even though Hope seemed to be just getting warmed up.

“And all that just-a-minute-pumpkin, and the I’ll-be-right-with-you-sweetie garbage!” Hope said, sounding exasperated. “Who do you think you’re talking to? You think I’m a toy for your convenience and I just keep smiling while you pull all the strings? You’re manipulative and a con artist and a crook and you don’t fool me for one minute! You’ll never stop flirting with Baby, and yes, I’m still mad at you!”

She did look really upset. Her eyes glistened and her chin trembled and he thought she was the bravest, smartest, most wonderful person he’d ever met.

He took a step closer and felt his heart swell and grow tender as he looked at her. He was helpless with desire and need and he realized as surely as he stood there in the suite that he felt something for Hope that he’d never felt for any other woman.

“Hope,” he said. “I love you.”



The churning anxiety, fear, rage, and hurt that Hope had been feeling for four long days and especially the last hour all shrieked to a halt, poised quivering to resume their mad rush through her heart but waiting for a signal to go.

“What?” Hope asked, wondering if she’d heard him right.

Tanner took another step closer.

“I love you. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I can’t help it. I want to be with you, I want to marry you. I’ll wait if you’re not sure. But I’m sure.”

Hope’s emotions still quivered on the brink. What? He loved her? He wanted to marry her? She wasn’t sure she could even speak to him again, and he was talking about marriage? This conversation was moving way too fast, and in a direction she hadn’t anticipated.

“I’m so sorry about the ranch, I’m sorry about everything. You’ve had a really rough couple of weeks, but I’ll make it up to you.”

Hope watched him take another step closer. One more step and he’ll kiss you, and then you’ll forget everything that made you mad.

Suddenly that didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Tanner stepped closer and picked up her hand, lacing his fingers between hers. Her heart kicked up a notch.

“Are we square, Hope? Can I do something else to make everything right? Because this really is all for nothing if I’m not square with you.”



Hope rubbed her forehead. She felt unstrung. All her life—or at least since Derek left them—she’d made plans. She thought things through, made plans, and carried them out. She knew what she thought about things. Knew what would happen if she broke her rules.

Chaos. Heartbreak.

That’s what would happen if she lost her discipline.

Now, it turned out, she hadn’t known anything after all. She’d lost control of events, and yet the worst hadn’t happened. She’d gotten involved with a card player, and she was still in one piece. Tanner hadn’t ripped her off. Somehow, the ranch was theirs. Tanner had made that happen. She didn’t know how, but he had.

She felt her defenses crumbling. She remembered how just a few minutes ago she thought that if she survived being held hostage by the Russians she’d tell Tanner she wanted to take a risk with him.

What kind of risk was it? Getting involved with a card player seemed like a huge leap of faith to her, but Tanner hadn’t let his daughter down. Except evidently, about the terrarium—whatever that was about. But he’d raised Troy by himself and done a great job from what she could tell.

“We’re not square,” she said, but with less energy, her heart thundering in her chest. “I don’t know anything! About you, or what happened, or anything.”

“You’re unsure, I understand that,” Tanner said. “And I upset your world view. But you can count on me. I’ll never let you down. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Ask me anything you want. We have all the time in the world. We can go slow.”

He raised her hand, his fingers still interlaced with hers, and kissed her palm. The gesture, so gentle, so tentative, made Hope’s heart lurch and her breath catch in her throat.

“Well, okay,” she said, “but we don’t have to go that slow.”



Special Agent Roy Frelly of the FBI was standing near the elevators that led to the suites, doing his job, when Tanner Wingate and that blonde stepped out of the elevator. They looked as happy as pigs at a corn roast. Wingate’s arm was around the blonde’s shoulders, and they were gazing at each other with goofy smiles on their faces as they headed for the exit.

Special Agent Frelly was a little disappointed that in the last week before his well-earned retirement, he’d been unable to command the SWAT troops to bring down the Russian mobsters. Still, they’d made a routine arrest, which should earn him a bonus or at least a citation, and that alone could command very high fees in private security work if he chose to pursue that post-retirement option.

He turned in satisfaction to the new guy he was showing around, another troublemaker, who would replace Wingate as a security advisor when they cut Wingate loose. The new guy was staring after the couple with a look of yearning on his face.

“She’s just as beautiful as her mother was at that age,” Derek McNaughton said.



“You each get a phone call,” the FBI clerk said to the five alleged Russian mobsters. The Russians, Jack Sievers, and Baby all gathered in the federal detention center for the Russians’ processing.

“I want to call my wife,” Johnny Red said.

“I want to call my lawyer,” Yakov said.

“I want to call my broker,” Markov said.

“You have a broker?” Johnny Red asked.

“I wand do gall by docdor,” Igor said through his broken teeth.

“I want to call Esperanza,” Alexei said.

Four sets of eyes swiveled to look at him.

“The maid.” Alexei blushed. “Remember? The one who helped us with Big Julie. We have a date tonight. I’ll have to cancel.”

“I might be able to get you out of here in time,” Jack said.



“Angela—” Jack said. “Can you work late tonight?” He stuffed a sheaf of papers into his briefcase and glanced up at the distracting blonde vision who sat next to him on the plastic chairs in the FBI building. Every time he looked at her, he felt dizzy.

“Call me Baby,” Baby said. “Everybody does.”

“Baby.” Jack tested the name. “How about if I just call you that in private?”

Baby tilted her head at him, speculating. “In private?”

Jack nodded. “Over dinner? To discuss the case.”

Baby smiled fondly at the lawyer next to her. Tanner was right. Jack Sievers did need to have more fun.

“A girl has to eat,” she agreed. “Do we have to discuss the case?”



Big Julie asked for a second brandy manhattan from the flight attendant, and when she brought it, he tasted it with deep satisfaction. Everything was gonna turn out all right. The only bad thing was that he’d had to cut Baby loose. He’d miss her, but Marilyn put her foot down, and with her father’s health still good, well—. If Big Julie knew anything, it was when to fold a hand that couldn’t win.

On the upside, the Russians had been arrested, so that was the first thing. He and Marilyn were flying first class back to New Jersey where, Big Julie was confident, his lawyers could straighten everything out. They were already working on it. His people were talking to their people, and of course, he’d have to pay off some people. But the lawyers said that if he just paid the back taxes and the fines—and maybe some rather large gratuities—he could stay out of the slammer. So that was the second thing.

But that led to the third thing.

Ten grand here, ten grand there, it added up. Big Julie wasn’t broke, but he wanted to stop paying lawyers and cops and snitches and start putting some money in the crawl space in the ceiling again, where it belonged.

“This is gonna tie up our cash for a while,” he told Marilyn, who sat on the window side.

“I know,” Marilyn said. She turned from the window and smiled at him serenely.

“That means we’re gonna hafta tighten the belt,” Big Julie said. “I’m sorry, honey, but—”

“It’s all right,” Marilyn said, patting his knee. “I’ll give up the gym membership. I know other—better—ways to exercise.”



The next day Hope and Faith threw a lunch party at the ranch. Kenji cooked, with help from Faith, Suzanne, who’d taken the day off from the Bluebell Café, and a one-handed Amber. Hope showed Tanner, Jack, and Baby around the ranch while the others fixed lunch, and by the time the uncles drove up in a shiny rental minivan, everyone was hungry.

They sat outdoors on picnic tables stretched end to end across the shaded patio. Marty focused on smothering his chili with cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream before he turned to Suzanne.

“Now that you own the ranch free and clear,” he asked, “what are you planning to do?”

“Do?” Suzanne asked, puzzled. She spread some butter on her cornbread muffin and took a satisfied bite.

“You could retire,” he said. “For example.”

“Enjoy the fruits of your labors,” Weary Blastell said, helping himself to salad.

“Play a little poker,” Pete Wysniewski said, tasting his beer.

“Go out line dancing,” Isaiah Rush said.

“Bing, bing, bing!” Sharp Eddie said.

“Enjoy the leisured pursuits to which you are entitled and which you have long necessarily denied yourself,” Jim Thickpenny said.

“I couldn’t retire,” she said, shaking her head. “We still need income. I still have expenses.”

“You could make plans,” Jack said.

“What kind of plans?” Suzanne asked.

Jack shrugged. “Big Julie’s buyer wanted to put a destination resort on your property. If they could do it, you could do it. If you wanted to.”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

“Oh, I don’t see how we could,” Suzanne said.

“It would take capital investment,” Hope said thoughtfully.

“Could we have an organic restaurant?” Faith asked Kenji.

“It would be fun!” Amber said.

“We know some investors,” Marty said.

Hope turned to him doubtfully.

“Legitimate investors,” Marty said, without heat.

“On that note, I have something for Suzanne,” Jack said. He opened his briefcase and took out a large, fat, cream-colored envelope with an embossed return address.

“A copy of the deed,” Jack said. “For your files.”

A letter from a law firm, Hope thought. A good one.

“Oh, thank you,” Suzanne said. “Everybody. Really. I never thought—everybody did so much. We can never repay you.”

“You call us when you’re in trouble,” Marty said. “That’s what family is for.”

“You always got our markers,” Sharp Eddie agreed.

Shortly after that, the party broke up. Kenji drove back to work. The uncles left in their minivan to go to the airport, promising to come back to Vegas for next month’s big Hold ’em tournament. Amber, Faith, and Suzanne went inside to research desert resorts with organic restaurants on the Internet.

“I brought you a present from LA,” Tanner said to Hope when everyone had disappeared. “In all the excitement yesterday, I forgot to give it to you.”

“A present?” Hope asked. “What is it?”

Tanner sat down on the porch swing and, reaching for her hand, tugged her down with him. He took a long, narrow box from his pocket and handed it to her.

Hope opened it. A chunky silver charm bracelet lay on a bed of white cotton.

“Oh,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.” She took it out to look at it more closely.

“It’s personalized,” Tanner said. “For when you play cards.”

Hope dropped her hands in her lap and turned to him, resolution in her eyes.

“I can’t play cards anymore,” she said. “I realized—”

“What?” Tanner asked, confused. “Why not?”

“I was turning into Derek,” Hope said. “And I won’t be like him.”

Tanner stared at her in astonishment.

“How are you like Derek?” he asked. “You’re not like Derek. What do you want to do right this minute?”

“Right now?” Hope asked, her turn to feel confused. “Sit here. Talk to you. Watch the sun go down. Maybe go for a ride. What do you mean?”

“Do you want to go to a casino and play cards?”

“Well, not right now. But—”

“So you’re not addicted to playing cards, like Derek. Do you feel like abandoning your family?”

Hope rolled her eyes. “Well, no, but—”

“Stealing Amber’s share of the cookbook advance?”

Hope looked shocked. “Of course not!”

“Okay. You’re not like Derek, and you won’t turn into Derek if you enjoy playing cards, Hope. You could be professional, if you want to. You’re good enough. You’re better than I am probably, although it kills me to say so. Playing cards well doesn’t turn you into Derek. Lots of card players are honest, upright, fun-loving people.” He pointed his finger to his chest.

Hope laughed. “Well, I’m not sure—”

“I am,” Tanner interrupted. “Trust me. You can have fun in a card room and not be a jerk or an addict. And—when you decide to play cards again—the bracelet might help keep you focused on the game.”

Hope looked into his eyes, warm with love and confidence. She felt something in her heart soften and melt. When she looked in his eyes, she felt his confidence reflected back in her. Felt her old fears dissipate.

“I won’t let you down,” Tanner said softly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’d never let you turn into Derek. I mean, eeeew.”

Hope laughed, a deep, full-throated laugh, letting her head drop back on his shoulder.

Tanner put his arm around her and pulled her tight.

“So, look at your bracelet. For when you play cards, or even when we go out on a date.”

Hope turned and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“Thank you for a beautiful bracelet,” she said. Then she held it up to look at it more closely.

“What—that’s a pumpkin!” She fingered the small charm. “Tanner! What if someone figures out—” She looked at him, laughing but pleased and a little embarrassed, too. “But it’s fantastic. So much detail.”

“I thought it was you.” Tanner grinned at her.

“Who ever thought I’d be a pumpkin?” Hope asked, as she examined the next charm. “What’s this one? It looks like a potato.”

“It is a potato. I couldn’t get a bowl of potato salad. Of course you don’t need fake potato salad, because you have me. This is just a reminder.”

Hope felt herself turn pink, but she shook her head in mock resignation. “You are very bad,” she said.

“What? I make great potato salad,” Tanner said.

“It’s not polite to brag about your potato salad,” Hope said primly, but she was laughing again. “And this is a vase. Don’t tell me. A Ming vase.”

Tanner grinned. “They didn’t have a Park Ranger, either,” he said. “Crummy jewelry stores.”

“And this last one is—a pair of handcuffs?” Hope blushed even pinker.

Tanner leaned over and kissed her.

“So that when I’m bad you can punish me,” he said.

“You seem to be bad most of the time,” she said, trying to keep her voice stern, but that was hard when someone had their arms around you and was nibbling your ear in a most distracting way.

Tanner leaned back and stroked her face, his hand so gentle on her cheek that she shivered, his eyes so alive with love and heat and pride that she thought she’d fall into them just to steady herself.

“If anyone can reform me, I bet you can,” he said. “But it’s a big project. What are the odds?”

“Not good.” She shook her head in mock resignation. “It would take a long time. Maybe a lifetime. And we’d have to get started right away.”

“A lifetime,” Tanner said, pretending to think about it. He nodded. “Well, I’ll take that risk. I’ll go all in. If you will.”

Hope smiled. “You bet I will.”