Page 18 of Power Play Pursuit

I cross my arms. “Really?” Okay. I’ll admit his one-liners and unapologetic flirting are flattering, but this is just plain weird. “I have a hard time believing that.”

He blows out a breath. “Why else would I be here?”

“You’re following me.”

He looks taken aback, then laughs. “Absolutely not. I’ve never seen you here before, and I’ve been coming for years.”

I blink back, stunned. Is this for real? “Wait. Years? What is this, some kind of a mandatory charity thing you do for the team?” Or community service to pay for his constant outrageous flirting. But I keep thatone to myself. No need to throw the dog a bone.

“What? No. My grandma used to be a resident here. What areyoudoing here? If anything, you’re the one followingme.”

I scoff. “My grandmaisa resident here. Lois Bowen,” I say, nodding toward her.

His eyes light up. “Oh, you’re Lois’ granddaughter! I knew there was something familiar about her. I’ve heard you’re a good poker player, Elizabeth. We’re going to have some fun today.”

He walks over to the table where Bill and Grandma are still sitting, and they both greet him like a long-lost friend, hugging him in turn. What on earth is happening?

Grandma stands up and shuffles over to me. “Do you know James? He’s a great kid. Ah, Martha and Esther are back. Let’s get back at it. James can join us.”

“Wait. How do you even know him?” I ask, my eyes still trained on James, who’s now chatting and laughing with Martha.

“He’s the boy I told you about. Apparently, he visits quite often.”

My eyes stretch wide. “Boy? James Adler is no boy! He’s a,” I stammer, sputtering. “He’s a hockey player!”

She waves ahand in dismissal “Anyone under forty is a kid to me, sweetheart. And is he really a hockey player? I didn’t know that. Is he friends with your ex?”

I set my lips in a tight line. “Nope. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“I knew there was a reason we got along so well,” she says with a chuckle, and I can’t help but smile. Grandma was never a fan of Lucas, and being as outspoken as she is, she never hid it from me—or him, for that matter. Frankly, it’s a mystery why I stayed with him for so long when literally everyone around me disliked him. But in my defense, I was in love. Or at least, I thought I was.

“So, it’s really over with him this time?” she asks.

I nod, wringing my hands. “It is. I moved out. Living with my friend Marissa for now.”

“Good,” she says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Now, let’s go play some cards.”

We walk back to the table, and I end up sitting between Grandma and Martha, right across from James.

The fact that he’s a regular here becomes immediately clear. He knows everyone by name, he talks with them like they’re old friends, and he even asks them about their doctor’s appointments.

Even through his glasses, his eyes seem to see right through me. I have a feeling it’s going to be tough to fool him with my poker face.

9

"You won’t be flirting your way into my chips."

James Adler

I calmly gather the cards, but my heart is still racing like I’m dribbling a puck across the ice. Elizabeth Bowen is here, at the Golden Age Nursing Home, and I can’t help but feel like the universe is on my side. This is the last place I expected to run into her.

I shuffle the deck with a little flair, more for show than anything. I like to keep my pals entertained, especially Martha. She always smiles like I’ve just pulled a rabbit out of a hat when I do the bridge shuffle.

“All right, folks,” I say, distributing the cards. “Let’s see if anyone can take down Esther. She’s still the Golden Age poker champion to beat.”

Esther cackles, waving a wrinkled hand. “Don’t get your hopes up, sweetheart. I’ve still got some tricks up my sleeve.” She winks at me, and I grin. This woman is all of five feet tall, but when it comes to poker, Esther plays like she has nothing to lose—which, at age ninety, is probably true.

Bill, seated to my left, squints at his card numbers through thick glasses, muttering something about the “government” under his breath. Martha, next to him, hums softly, seemingly unconcerned with her hand. But Lois is laser-focused next to Beth, her poker face locked in. Must run in the family.

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