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“Because there’ssomethinghappening at that table. I could see that much. I could tell right when I walked in.”

“Would you stop?” she replied, laughing a little. “She’s a tourist, Bridgette. I’m not a one-night stand kind of gal, and she’s leaving, so we’re just two new friends having a drink. Now, we’rethreenew friends having a drink, okay?”

“She’s hot, huh?” Bridgette noted.

Melinda nodded and said, “Yes, she’s gorgeous.”

“And you’ve been hanging out?”

“A few times, yes. There’s more to it than that, but she’s here for some family stuff, too.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry. I was just a little surprised when I saw the two of you there. No one’s done anything wrong here, though. I was a wuss and didn’t talk to her. You, apparently, weren’t, and you got at least a friend out of it, so that’s good,” Bridgette said.

“Come back to the table, and let’s have a drink together. Maybe Kyleisinto one-night stands. You and she can…” Melinda couldn’t finish that sentence because the thought of Bridgette and Kyle having sex made her stomach rumble and her heart pound.

Her face must have shown as much because Bridgette laughed wildly, red hair kind of swaying as she did.

“Yeah, you’re definitelynotinto her or anything.”

Bridgette ordered a drink while Melinda stood there and turned toward Kyle, who was still watching the pianos and drinking her beer. She just met this woman, but there was something about Kyle that had Melinda smiling just staring at her. Then, Kyle looked down at the table and her phone, so Melinda worried that she’d need to go soon, and now that Bridgette was here, they wouldn’t get any more time alone together. When Kyle looked up from her phone, she foundMelinda’s eyes and smiled warmly at her. Melinda smiled back, enjoying these few seconds of their connected gazes.

“Hey, Jolie texted and asked if I’d go to the casino with her,” Kyle said when they both arrived back at the table. “Are you interested in finishing this round and walking over?”

Melinda looked at Bridgette and then back at Kyle.

“I’m not much of a gambler.”

“Me neither. But I’m thinking about watching her lose her own money,” Kyle said. “That could be fun.” When Melinda sat back down across from her as Bridgette pulled over a chair, Kyle asked, “Is it a stupid tourist thing to do, so you don’t want to go?”

“No, we go sometimes,” Bridgette said. “But Melinda is a chicken, so she sticks to penny slots mostly.”

“As if I have a ton of money to be gambling away.”

“Do you want to watch my sister losehermoney at the tables?” Kyle asked.

Melinda laughed and replied, “Sure. Sounds like fun. Bridge?”

“Yeah, I’m in. I’m exhausted, though, so I might not last long.”

“Me neither,” Kyle said. “Honestly, I kind of want to go there just to make sure I can get her back to the hotel safe later.”

“Is she not being careful?” Bridgette asked.

“No, she is, but she’s made new friends that I don’t know, and I’m the older sister, so even though she’s an adult, it will always be my job to protect her.”

“That’s sweet,” Melinda noted. “I wish I had an older sister who would’ve protectedme.”

There was a moment where they just looked at each other again, and Melinda thought that those moments seemed to be happening a lot tonight. In fact, she wasn’t sure Kyle had given Bridgette so much as a short glance or two since she’d arrived because she’d been giving Melinda all of her attention. And maybe that wasn’t very polite, but Melinda didn’t care. She loved being the one Kyle looked at like that.

CHAPTER 11

“You’re here!” Jolie said excitedly the moment she saw Kyle approach the table. Then, she stood up and hugged her as if she hadn’t seen Kyle in weeks. “My new friends are here, too.” Jolie motioned toward three women who were sitting down at the blackjack table next to her.

“Hi,” Kyle said, waving at them. “Are you drunk?”

“Definitely,” Jolie said, giggling. “But I thought you’d be here a long time ago, so I had another drink, and now, I’m tipsy.”

“How much have you lost, exactly?” Kyle asked.