His Queen of Hearts

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Chapter Three

“Mr. Brannigan?”

Dev looked up from his desk and smiled at his secretary. “Problems, Shirley?”

“Not for you,” she said with a shake of her gray curls. “For me and the rest of us here, who knows?”

She handed him an envelope, and he glanced at the return address. Norbert Jenkins of Miami, Florida. This wasn’t the first reply he’d received since getting word out that the Devil’s Den was for sale. But the others had been corporations, and he didn’t trust how they would treat the employees who stayed. That was the most important thing to him, as much as the amount of the bid. No matter who bought the place, he wouldn’t take a penny less than what it was worth. And it was worth a gambler’s fortune.

Grabbing a letter opener, he slit open the envelope and pulled out the neatly folded paper. He scanned it quickly, interested only in the offer. When he found it, his eyes widened. It was a fair and reasonable offer he could take with no qualms.

“I’ll handle this later, Shirley,” he said, filing the letter in a drawer. “Thanks for bringing it to my attention.”

She nodded, but hesitated as if she had something more to say. He suspected he knew what it was, and to keep peace, he thought it wise to hear her out. Again.

“Is there something else?” Leaning back in his chair, he waited for the inevitable.

She nodded and took the chair across the desk from him. “You know, we really aren’t excited to see the Den change ownership. Isn’t there some way you could keep from selling it and still do whatever it is you have to do?”

He couldn’t imagine going home to the Triple B Ranch while he still owned the casino. Not that his brothers would care what he’d been doing for the past fifteen years. But he had made up his mind long ago that if and when he returned home, he wouldn’t take along any reminders of the years he’d spent away. He wanted a clean break if his brothers allowed him to stay. It was time he did more than send money and pay for legal services they didn’t know about.

His younger brother, Trey, had gone against all odds and turned their childhood home into a dude ranch. Dev hadn’t been crazy about the idea, and Chace, the oldest, had been dead set against it in the beginning. But by all reports, they were doing well.

“No one can run the Devil’s Den like you can,” Shirley said, breaking into his thoughts.

“I appreciate your loyalty, Shirley, and that’s why I’m being particular about the buyer.”

“He may not have a staff to work with, once you’re gone.”

“That’s why I told all of you that I was considering the sale.” Dev rubbed at his right eye, thinking of the handful of people who’d jumped ship at the news. He’d been afraid he’d lose more than half of his employees, but he hadn’t counted on how loyal they’d been. Many of them, like Shirley and Greg, had become a surrogate family to him. But he wanted his real family, if they’d have him.

He stood and circled the desk, stopping in front of her. “I won’t sell it to anyone who’d be a hard taskmaster. You know that.”

“Yes, I do.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket, sniffed as she dabbed at her eyes and rose to her feet. “It’s just…well, it’s like you’re divorcing us or something.”

Dev chuckled and guided her to the door. “I’ll have to remember to demand visitation.”