Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

Danny explained that they played at every big family get-together and kept track of wins and losses like other families remembered birthdays and anniversaries.

The game was actually a lot more complicated than I realized, especially since the goal changed every round. But I surprised everyone, myself included, when I won the first game. I’d had a stupendous amount of luck with my draws, but I also had a good memory for what cards people were picking up and discarding. The Carmichaels collectively groaned when Jim read out the scores and mine was highest.

“Birdy!” Danny shouted toward the kitchen. “Come in here!”

She stuck her head around the door and looked at us, wide-eyed and more than a little anxious.

“You brought us a ringer, didn’t you?” he accused. “Did you teach him how to play?”

“No, I swear! Why? What happened?”

“He won,” Jim said flatly. He may have been laid-back normally, but he

took his cards as seriously as everyone else in the family.

“He did?” Her eyes went wider still.

Anne appeared a moment later, followed by the other women.

“He won all right,” Harold said to their surprised expressions.

Anne’s grin was almost as delighted as Christy’s.

Harry groused, “No thanks to you, Dad. You fed him practically every card he laid down!”

“How was I supposed to know he was sandbagging us?”

“He probably cheated,” Rich said, although he wasn’t serious.

Harold shook his head in disbelief.

“I needed ’em too. It’s your own fault you were trying for middle runs.”

Christy looked at me like I’d just won the Pritzker Prize. Anne congratulated me with a smile and then gently herded the women back into the kitchen.

“All right, can the chatter,” Harold said at last. “Let’s see if he can do it again. Danny, shuffle and deal.” He looked at me with a mixture of amusement and genuine rivalry.

We spent the next several hours playing, and I didn’t score higher than fourth. Harold won the second game and Rich the third. They analyzed and relived each game, although never with any real anger.

“Must’ve been beginner’s luck,” Danny said to me as he shuffled for the next game.

“He never had anything I needed.”

Danny gave me a pained look. “And I was so nice to you.”

“Sorry. I play to win.