The Gentle Season — Dia Hunter

High Stakes

Nicodemus Turner was in a bind. Not only had the handsome gambler just found out that he had a daughter he'd never met, but in order to get custody he had six months to become a proper father and marry. And while Nick was head-over-heels in love with his best friend Alewine Jones, the stubborn lady freighter didn't take kindly to the notion of a wedding. The solution: a poker game where the prize was a full house.

Nick was Aly's closest companion, her best fishing partner, and he could make her insides go mushy with one lingering glance. That still didn't mean she would up and marry him just like that -- poker game or no. But that mushy feeling came back every time she brushed Nick's hand or looked into his eyes. Suddenly Aly realized that Nick had won more than her hand, he'd won her heart.