Unruly Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

they had the same shaped eyes – I had jumped to a huge conclusion that they were some kind of – what? Couple? Lovers? – when it had never occurred to me that they might be siblings. Apparently I was a ginormous idiot. “I just assumed,” I finished lamely, a hot flush burning my cheeks.
    “All this time you’ve been thinking we were ... eugh! I don’t even want to finish that thought.” Annalise laughed as she handed me her glass so she could break open a bag of chips to up-end in two big melamine bowls. She put one on the table for the players and then another on the side table by the sofa.
    The man next to Gage, the helpful back thumper, took one look at the cards he’d been dealt and folded, tossing them on a table with a shake of his head. “You’ve the luck of the devil,” he moaned as Gage put his hands around the small pile of poker chips, pulling them to his side of the table.
    “Can’t deny it,” grinned Gage with a broad smile that would melt an igloo. The good-natured man got up and freed his seat for another player and came over to stand by Annalise. Her whole face lit up as she looked up at him.
    “Meet Beau,” she said and Beau, who looked more like a Butch with his bulging arms barely restrained by a check shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had on blue jeans with worn patches over the thighs, and his blond hair was cut close to the scalp. He reached over and pumped my hand. “Beau just got out of the Marines and has moved back to Wilding,” added Annalise.
    “Welcome home,” I said, wincing a bit as he crushed my hand in his strong grip.
    “It’s good to be back,” said Beau and I noticed that he had gently looped his arm around Annalise’s waist. A-ha! Good job I had had my explanation before I’d seen that or I would have been thought they were having an affair. That would have been mortifying, not to mention completely confusing.
    “We’ve missed Beau over these past few years,” Annalise added, her eyes still fixed on him.
    Beau looked at her fondly and I wondered if there had been some history between them. “I was glad to come back and find Annalise still here.”
    “Couldn’t keep away,” she murmured.
    It seemed that Beau was a popular guy, judging by the reactions he was getting from the room. He was by no means my type, if there was such a thing, but he was broad and tidy looking with an amicable personality that matched his easy smile. For a big man, he seemed gentle around Annalise, who was rather petite, and I liked that. Annalise seemed to bring out a sisterly quality in me and with her easy nature, I liked to see people being nice to her.
    “Why don’t you play a game?” suggested Annalise signalling Beau’s vacated chair at the table.
    “I don’t know the rules,” I admitted, feeling like a lame ass. So far, this evening was excruciating for me even if I was trying. I felt like I was stood on the edges of fun, not quite able to lean forward and grasp the feeling. I felt like my social ineptitude was rolling off me in waves, but I put my game face on anyway so I didn’t disappoint my friend.
“Gage,” she called. “Did you know that Stella cannot play poker?”
Gage sat back and looked at me. “Get out. Everyone can play poker.”
“I can play Gin Rummy,” I confessed weakly.
Gage rolled his eyes. “That is a game for retirement folk. Come over and I’ll teach you the basics then we can have a game.”
    I looked to Annalise and Beau for my get out clause but they were busy making eyes at each other, so I just nodded and took up the spare chair. Seeing that I was a newbie, the other players made their excuses and headed into the kitchen for beers. I looked after them, feeling uncomfortable. “Now I feel like I’ve ruined the game.”
    Gage shook his head as he shuffled the deck. “They just couldn’t accept that they were all out of chips. They’re probably on the first step of drowning their sorrows right now.”
    “That