Read Online Breaking the Rules by Melinda Dozier - Free Book Online Page B

Kelly walk to the kitchen, her hands clenched into fists, then she wrapped her arms around herself. When she glanced at Colin, he gave her a reassuring grin. She sighed and looked around the room — anywhere but at the table. Then, she walked around the room, away from him. She straightened a picture frame on the wall and continued staring at it. He didn’t like that she was so unnerved. Colin wanted to make her feel comfortable. So, with a smile, he said, “Sit down and join us.”
    â€œHey, this is a man’s game,” Tim groaned.
    â€œCan it.” Colin answered back. He smiled softly when Hope eyed him again. “I bet Hope could out win us all.”
    She looked around at the men’s faces, all staring her down. He could see her rationalizing the situation in her head. What else was she going to do? Straighten all the pictures around the house? Sighing, she rubbed the edge of the empty chair at the table, then shrugged and sat down. “I guess I could try one hand.”
    Colin cleared his throat. “Um, you ever played before?”
    â€œI know a little bit. Come on, you can let a woman play, can’t you?” She sat up straight and frowned.
    Good for her, Colin thought, not letting these dopes run her under the bus.
    â€œThen let’s get this game going.” Colin sent a warning glance toward Tim before he could speak up. He passed out the cards to the players.
    â€œSo, Hope, you’re a school principal I hear?” Scott broke the silence. “How do you like that?”
    She arranged the cards in her hand. “I love it. This is my first job as principal, but I was an assistant in Virginia before coming to Harbor Bay.”
    Colin stopped what he was doing. “I didn’t know that.”
    Smiling at him, she added, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Colin.”
    â€œI bet.” He laid out a ten-dollar bill for the first ante.
    Hope’s eyes grew. “You guys play with real money?”
    Colin laughed and Tim moaned, “You said you wanted to play.”
    She grabbed her purse and fished inside, pulling out some money. “I have to put ten dollars, right?”
    Tim set his money down. “That’s right.”
    She laid money in the middle of the table and picked up her cards. “So, Scott, what do you do?”
    â€œI’m a doctor, too. It runs in the family.” He shrugged.
    â€œWhat kind of doctor are you?” Hope placed one card face down on the table and nodded to Colin. “One,” she mouthed.
    â€œI’m a cardiologist like our dad.”
    Colin listened to them talk back and forth, figuring each other out. Scott had heard about Hope from Jason. After the Friendly Games Morning Jason blabbed on and on about Ms. Robinson this, Ms. Robinson that. Then he produced the photos on his Blackberry, which formed tons of questions from Scott and his wife, Sarah. Who was the principal? Why were they paired? How did they end up eating lunch together? Too many questions and Colin didn’t know how to answer since he was also trying to figure Hope out. He only knew that Hope told him they couldn’t be more than friends. Friends who had fun, he reminded himself. So, let the fun begin.
    â€œSo, Hope. How was your week?” Colin butted in.
    â€œGreat.” She grinned at him and then looked away. She was doing a good job avoiding his gaze. He wouldn’t let her.
    â€œJason had a lot of fun on Saturday. I want to thank you again.”
    â€œWhere is Jason, by the way?”
    â€œHe doesn’t like poker, so I sent him to the slot machines at the casino instead.” This got a snicker from her.
    â€œThere’s the laugh I’ve missed.” He beamed at her and this time her mouth twitched with amusement.
    â€œVery funny.”
    â€œI’m on call, so he stays with his grandparents in Tampa on those weekends.” He folded his cards down. “I’m