Part 1 (1/2)

GAMBLING ON A HEART.

Colton Gamblers.

By SARA WALTER ELLWOOD.

To D'Ann Lindun, amazing writer, fantastic critique partner and good friend. Thank you.

Acknowledgements.

Thanks to everyone who has helped make this book possible.

My friends and critique partners, D'Ann Lindun and Martha Ramirez, thank you for your wonderful critiques.

My amazing editor, Piper Denna, thank you for believing in me and for your guidance.

Foreword.

The Colton Gamblers.

In 1865, three disillusioned first cousins return from the battlefields of the defeated South to find their home in East Texas a shambles. Determined to make a new start, they head west. In the cowboy town of Dallas, Texas, they decide to pool the few silver dollars they have between them and enter into a poker game. With their gamble, they win over 100,000 acres of good gra.s.sland in Central Texas. Over the next century and a half, their descendents build a fortune in cattle and oil, but as time goes by, greed erodes their family bond.

These are the stories of the eighth generation gambling on love and bringing back the bond of family....

Chapter 1.

”Have either of you seen Bobby?” Tracy Parker all but barked, and immediately la.s.soed the irritation. She might have a ton to do, but taking her c.r.a.ppy mood out on her brother and father wasn't fair. ”Lucinda needs him next for pictures.”

She dragged her feet up the wide front porch stairs of the Victorian house at b.u.t.terfly Ranch, feeling like the whole state of Texas was on her shoulders. And everyone knew Texas was bigger than the world.

She glanced at the groom, her brother Dylan, who sat in a cane rocker beside their father. Each of them had a gla.s.s of sweet teathe drink of choice in Central Texas on a hot August Sat.u.r.dayin their hands.

”Check inside. He has to be around here somewhere.” Dylan looked too at ease to be getting married in less than an hour, with his Stetson pulled low over his forehead and his legs stretched out and ankles crossed, showing off his custom crocodile boots. He pushed his Stetson back and smiled. ”You need to take a chill pill, sis. You're more nervous than I am.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. ”Someone has to take the wedding seriously.”

”I am. I'm marrying the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and in February, I'm going to be a father. It's the happiest day of my life.”

The sudden burn in her sinuses didn't surprise her. She was so not going to start bawling. Today had to be perfect for Dylan and Charli, the type of wedding she would never have. Not wanting to think about her own messed up life, she hugged Dylan and smiled at her father. She shook her head at the picture her cowboy brother and city slicker father made sitting together drinking tea.

As she entered the coolness of the house, she heard the television on in the living room and headed in that direction.

Bobby sat on the couch flipping through channels. The s.h.i.+rttail of his Western s.h.i.+rt hung outside his creased new jeans. His vest and bolo tie were nowhere in sight.

Her eleven-year-old son looked up as she entered, and scowled. ”I wanted to go with Dad this weekend. He was gonna take me to the Rangers game.”

Tracy took the TV remote from his hand and turned off the flat screen. She tossed the controller into the basket on the coffee table, then clasped her hands in front of her. ”It's more important to be here at Uncle Dylan and Aunt Charli's wedding. Your dad can take you to a baseball game any time. What's going to happen today will only happen once.”

He rolled his eyes and gave a longsuffering sigh. ”Right. If you say so. But I still think it's all dumb. Dad doesn't think they'll last longer than a year.”

She took another deep breath to calm her temper. Losing it now would only prove disastrous. d.a.m.n her ex-husband. Why would he say such a thing to a boy? ”Bobby, this wedding is not stupid. Uncle Dylan and Aunt Charli love each other and want to share their special day with the people they love. Which includes you. Now, let's go out before they wonder where we are.”

His jaw was set in the irritating reminder that he was Jake Parker's son through and through. His hazel eyes flashed with defiance. ”I still think all this wedding c.r.a.p is stupid. You and Dad didn't stay married and neither did Uncle Dylan and Aunt Brenda.”

She put her hands on her hips and glared at her son. ”Robert Allan Parker, if you don't get off that couch right this minute, I'm grounding you for a month.”

With a glower, he slowly pushed himself up to get off the couch, mumbling, ”Dad wouldn't make me do this.”

”Well, I'm not your father.”

”Tracy, the photographer is getting impatient. She needs Bobby ASAP,” a familiar deep voice drawled behind her.

She turned to Zack Cartwright standing in the doorway, unsmiling, handsome and tall. He seemed taller than he had been back when he was eighteen. As a saddle bronco rider, he'd stood loose and relaxed. Now, he was all perfect posture. The Marines. The same thing had happened to Dylan after he'd joined the Army.

She forced herself to meet the midnight blue gaze of the only man she'd ever loved. ”Thank you.”

Zack wore the same Texas tuxedo as her brothertight new blue jeans, white Western s.h.i.+rt, vest and custom boots. But the silver belt buckle was his own. A trophy from his rodeo days. He held his tan Stetson in his hand at his side. She tried not to notice how the stubborn curl of his golden blond hair fell over his tanned forehead. He'd always had that lock, but back when she'd run her fingers through his thick hair, it had been a lot longer.

She slammed a lid on the memories. The past couldn't be changed.

Bobby sulked beside her. ”I hate getting my picture taken.”

Zack turned with the thumb of his free hand hooked on a belt loop. ”Today isn't about you, now is it? Today is your aunt and uncle's day, and they want pictures of you.” He nodded his chin toward the archway. ”Now, go out there and do what Mrs. Hudson tells you to do.”

She shooed Bobby toward the door. ”Go.”

Zack put his hand on Bobby's shoulder to stop him as he pa.s.sed. ”Where's your tie and vest? And tuck in your s.h.i.+rt.”

He looked over his shoulder at Tracy, then up at Zack. ”You ain't my boss.”

”No, I'm not, but we are on the same team out there. You have to walk your grandma down the aisle and stand beside me with your uncle. That's a pretty important job. And I can't imagine you'd want to embarra.s.s your uncle and aunt or your momma.”

Her heart stumbled over a beat when his gaze connected with hers.

With another glare at her, Bobby huffed and crossed the room to where he'd dumped the tie and vest. After tucking in his s.h.i.+rt, he headed out of the room.

Once the front door slammed behind Bobby, she flopped down on the couch with an exasperated sigh.

Zack tapped his hat against his lean leg and looked everywhere but at her. ”He's got quite an att.i.tude.”

She laughed, but didn't feel any mirth. ”You don't know the half of it. Things have really gotten worse the past couple of months.”