[Red River Valley Brides 04] • Winning the Lady

Trish Smith had just been lost in a poker game by her no good husband, Chester. Lost to a gambler of all things. Trish couldn't believe he had done such a thing.

They hadn't been married that long, and she had refused to consummate the marriage, but she'd been a good wife otherwise.

Gil Davis couldn't believe his luck, he'd won a beautiful woman in a poker game. Of course he hadn't the slightest idea what he was going to do with her, but she looked so shocked, and indignant, his protective instincts sank in. He made a bargain with her. She couldn't get a divorce on abandonment charges for three years, so for the next three years she would be his partner at the gambling tables and she would earn 10% of anything he made. After which she could leave with a small savings to get her started somewhere else.

At the time it seemed like a good bargain for them both. Trish was good at the tables, she was quiet, beautiful and always touched his hand, so the otherw would know she belonged with him. It worked well. Neither of them suspected for a moment that they might fall in love with each, but it was happening, and that wasn't

part of the bargain.

Trish realized that she might love him, but in three years she was going to be back to square one, looking for a place to live. But three years seemed an awfully long time away!