Margie started coughing on her tea.
Junie frowned.“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothin’, Junebug,” Margie managed, slinging an arm over the girl’s shoulders and steering her toward the living room.“C’mon.Let’s see if we can find them Uno cards you were askin’ after.”
Meanwhile, Nash had dropped into a batter’s stance and was flashing Cassie a shit-eating grin.“Nathanial Walker,” he whisper-shouted.“Get your ass out here!”
Cassie didn’t miss a beat.“Watch it,Nathanial,” she said, turning toward the living room.“I know Margie’s got a bat around here somewhere.”
By the time the house finally settled, Charlie was out cold in Margie’s recliner—mouth open, snoring hard enough to rattle the damn thing.Margie was in the kitchen, seated at the table with the Polaroid in one hand and an Irish coffee in the other—the same place she’d been since Cassie handed off the photograph.
Nash sat on the sofa, his phone gone dark in his hand, wondering what alternate universe he’d accidentally stumbled into.Of all the things he’d never expected to see in his life, his kid running a two-person gambling racket with Cassie Berry was right at the top of the damn list.
In the middle of the room, Junie sat cross-legged on the rug, bottom lip tucked between her teeth, eyeing Cassie like a tiny general over a colorful fan of Uno cards.Cassie, lounging on a stack of cushions with her legs tucked under her, acted like she wasn’t paying the least bit of attention—right up until Junie’s hand drifted toward the draw pile, trying to steal a card off the top.
“Nice try,” Cassie said dryly, without looking up.
Junie froze with the card half-lifted.“I was just—”
“You were gonna pocket that and pretend you didn’t draw,” Cassie finished for her.
Junie’s mouth fell open.“No, I wasn’t!”
“You were also gonna ‘forget’ to pay the fine too—weren’t you?”Cassie tapped the pot—a hefty pile of loose change and wrinkled bills.
Junie blinked.
Nash blinked too, because apparently there were fines in Uno now—or whatever the fuck version Cassie kept inventing as she went.They were on game six.Hell, maybe seven.He’d stopped keeping track somewhere around game three—right around the time Junie had started treating his pockets like an ATM.
“Cheating is a dollar,” Cassie said.“Trying to cheat is also a dollar—because you didn’t even do it well.”
“And Junie,” she continued.“Never just steal off the top.Wait till you’re supposed to draw—like when I hit you with a Draw Two—then sneak an extra.”She tapped her temple.“If you’re gonna do it, do it smart.”
Nash shook his head, eyeing Cassie with amusement.Cassie, like the pro swindler she was, pretended not to notice him.
Junie slapped the stolen card back onto the pile with a huff.“Dad,” she said tragically, as if she hadn’t been cleaning him out all night.“I need a dollar.”
“This is it,” he said, handing Junie the last bill in his wallet.“For real this time—I ain’t got shit left.”
Junie snatched it and shoved it into the pot with an angry little flourish, but her grin broke through anyway—the kid was having the time of her life.
Two rounds later, Junie was down to three cards—eyes bright, practically wiggling with excitement, while Cassie had…a whole lot more.And she was still drawing.One card.Two.She dragged the moment out, shuffling her hand like she was thinking hard, when Nash knew damn well she wasn’t.
“Ha,” Junie crowed, slapping down a card and already dragging the pot toward herself.“I win—I’m rich!”
Cassie tossed her cards away with a dramatic sigh.“Dammit, Junie.You finally beat me.”
“I beat you because I’m better than you now.”
“That’s a bold claim from someone who just got caught cheating.”
“I wasn’t cheating,” Junie said immediately.Then hesitated.“I was…doing it smart,” she finished, tapping her temple.
“Jesus Christ,” Nash muttered.“All right, Junebug.I’m officially broke and it’s gettin’ close to bedtime.Go tell Margie good night.”
Junie’s face fell.“Dad!I’m not even tired.”
“You’re tired,” he said firmly.“I’m tired.Now go.”
