“Poker night?” I swallowed.

“Yeah, they usually take all of my money. Cheatin’ bastards.”

“I’m going to meet your family in thirty minutes?”

He looked at his watch. “Twenty-seven minutes to be exact.”

“Oh my God, Travis!” I wailed, jumping out of bed.

“What are you doing?” he sighed.

I rummaged through the closet and yanked on a pair of jeans, hopping up and down to pull them up, and then pulled the nightgown over my head, throwing it into Travis’ face. “I can’t believe you gave me twenty minutes notice to meet your family! I could kill you right now!”

He pulled my nightgown from his eyes and laughed at my desperate attempt to look presentable. I grabbed a black v-neck shirt and tugged it to its proper position, and then ran to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and ripping a brush through my hair. Travis walked up behind me, fully dressed and ready, and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“I’m a mess!” I said, frowning in the mirror.

“Do you even realize how beautiful you are?” he asked, kissing my neck.

I huffed, scampering into his room to slip on a pair of heels, and then took Travis’ hand as he lead me to the door. I stopped, zipping up my black leather jacket and pulling my hair up into a tight bun in preparation for the blustery ride to his father’s house.

“Calm down, Pigeon. It’s just a bunch of guys sitting around a table.”

“This is the first time I’m meeting your dad and your brothers…all at the same time…and you want me to calm down?” I said, climbing onto his bike behind him.

He angled his neck, touching my cheek as he kissed me. “They’re going to love you, just like I do.”

When we arrived, I let my hair fall down my back and ran my fingers through it a few times before Travis led me through the door.

“Holy Christ! It’s the asshat!” one of the boys called.

Travis nodded once. He tried to look annoyed, but I could see that he was excited to see his brothers. The house was dated, with yellow and brown faded wallpaper and shag carpet in different shades of brown. We walked down a hall to a room straight ahead with the door wide open. Smoke wafted into the hallway, and his brothers and father were seated at a round, wooden table with mismatched chairs.

“Hey, hey…watch the language around the young lady,” his dad said, the cigar in his mouth bobbing while he talked.

“Pidge, this is my dad, Jim Maddox. Dad, this is Pigeon.”

“Pigeon?” Jim asked, an amused expression on his face.

“Abby,” I smiled, shaking his hand.

Travis pointed to his brothers. “Trenton, Taylor, Tyler, and Thomas.”

They all nodded, and all but Thomas looked like older versions of Travis; buzz cuts, brown eyes, their t-shirts stretched over their bulging muscles, and covered in tattoos. Thomas wore a dress shirt and loosened tie, his eyes were hazel green, and his dark blonde hair was longer by about an inch.

“Does Abby have a last name?” Jim asked.

“Abernathy,” I nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you, Abby,” Thomas said, smiling.

“Really nice,” Trent said, giving me an impish once-over. Jim slapped the back of his head and he yelped. “What’d I say?” he said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Have a seat, Abby. Watch us take Trav’s money,” one of the twins said. I couldn’t tell which was which; they were carbon copies of each other, even their tattoos matched.

The room was peppered with vintage pictures of poker games, pictures of poker legends posing with Jim and who I assumed to be Travis’ grandfather, and antique playing cards along the shelves.

“You knew Stu Unger?” I asked, pointing to a dusty photo.

Jim’s squinty eyes brightened. “You know who Stu Unger is?”

I nodded. “My dad’s a fan, too.”

He stood up, pointing to the picture beside it. “And that’s Doyle Brunson, there.”

I smiled. “My dad saw him play, once. He’s unbelievable.”

“Trav’s granddaddy was a professional…we take poker very seriously around here,” Jim smiled.

I sat between Travis and one of the twins while Trenton shuffled the deck with moderate skill. The boys put in their cash and Jim divvied out the chips.

Trenton raised an eyebrow. “You wanna play, Abby?”

I smiled politely and shook my head. “I don’t think I should.”

“You don’t know how?” Jim asked.

I couldn’t hold back a smile. Jim looked so serious, almost paternal. I knew what answer he expected, and I hated to disappoint him.

Travis kissed my forehead. “Play…I’ll teach you.”

“You should just kiss your money goodbye, now, Abby,” Thomas laughed.

I pressed my lips together and dug into my purse, pulling out two fifties. I held them out to Jim and waited patiently as he traded them for chips. Trenton’s mouth tightened into a smug smile, but I ignored him.

“I have faith in Travis’ teaching skills,” I said.

One of the twins clapped his hands together. “Hells yeah! I’m going to get rich tonight!”

“Let’s start small this time,” Jim said, throwing in a five dollar chip.

Trenton dealt, and Travis fanned out my hand for me. “Have you ever played cards?”

“It’s been awhile,” I nodded.

“Go fish doesn’t count, Pollyanna,” Trenton said, looking at his cards.

“Shut your hole, Trent,” Travis said, glancing up at his brother before looking back down to my hand. “You’re shooting for higher cards, consecutive numbers, and if you’re really lucky, in the same suit.

The first hand, Travis looked at my cards and I looked at his. I mainly nodded and smiled, playing when I was told. Both Travis and I lost, and my chips had dwindled by the end of the first round.

After Thomas dealt to begin the second round, I wouldn’t let Travis see my cards. “I think I’ve got this,” I said.

“You sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure, Baby,” I smiled.

Three hands later, I had won back my chips and annihilated the stacked chips of the others’ with a pair of Aces, a straight, and the high card.

“Bullshit!” Trenton whined. “Beginner’s luck sucks!”

“You’ve got a fast learner, Trav,” Jim said, moving his mouth around his cigar.

Travis swigged his beer. “You’re makin’ me proud, Pigeon!” His eyes were bright with excitement, and his smile was different than I’d ever seen before.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“Those that cannot do, teach,” Thomas said, smirking.

“Very funny, asshole,” Travis murmured.

Four hands later, I tipped back the last of my beer and narrowed my eyes at the only man at the table that hadn’t folded. “The action’s on you, Taylor. You gonna be a baby or you going to put in like a man?”


“Fuck it,” he said, throwing the last of his chips in.

Travis looked at me, his eyes animated. It reminded me of the expressions of those watching his fights.

“Whatdya got, Pigeon?”

“Taylor?” I prompted.

A wide grin spread across his face. “Flush!” he smiled, spreading his cards face-up on the table.

Five pairs of eyes turned to me. I scanned the table and then slammed my cards down. “Read ‘em and weep, boys! Aces and eights!” I said, giggling.

“A full house? What the fuck?” Trent cried.

“Sorry. I’ve always wanted to say that,” I said, pulling in my chips.

Thomas’ eyes narrowed. “This isn’t just beginner’s luck. She plays.”

Travis eyed Thomas for a moment and then looked to me. “Have you played before, Pidge?”

I pressed my lips together and shrugged, displaying my best innocent smile. Travis’ head fell back, bursting into a barrage of laughter. He tried to speak but couldn’t, and then hit the table with his fist.

“Your girlfriend just fucking hustled us!” Taylor said, pointing in my direction.

“NO FUCKING WAY!” Trenton wailed, standing up.

“Good plan, Travis. Bring a card shark to poker night,” Jim said, winking at me.

“I didn’t know!” he said, shaking his head.

“Bullshit,” Thomas said, eyeing me.

“I didn’t!” he said through his laughter.

“I hate to say it, Bro. But I think I just fell in love with your girl,” Tyler said.

“Hey, now,” Travis said, his smile quickly fading into a grimace.

“That’s it. I was going easy on you, Abby, but I’m winning my money back, now,” Trenton warned.

Travis sat out for the last few rounds, watching his brothers try their hardest to regain their money. Hand after hand, I pulled in their chips, and hand after hand, Thomas watched me more closely. Every time I laid my cards down Travis and Jim laughed, Taylor cursed, Tyler proclaimed his undying love for me, and Trent threw a full-blown tantrum.

I cashed in my chips and gave them all one-hundred dollars once we settled into the living room. Jim refused, but the brothers accepted with gratitude. Travis grabbed my hand and we walked to the door. I could see he was unhappy, so I squeezed his fingers in mine.

“What’s wrong, Baby?”

“You just gave away four hundred bucks, Pidge!” Travis frowned.

“If this was poker night at Sig Tau, I would have kept it. I can’t rob your brothers the first time I meet them.”

“They would have kept your money!” he said.

“And I wouldn’t have lost a second of sleep over it, either,” Tyler laughed.

Thomas stared at me in silence from the corner of the room.

“Why do you keep starin’ at my girl, Tommy?”

“What did you say your last name was?” Thomas asked.

I shifted my weight nervously. Travis, noticing my unease, turned to his brother and put his arm around my waist. I wasn’t sure if he was doing it in protective reaction, or he was bracing himself for what his brother might say.