The Gambler (Willow Creek #3)
by Lily Graison
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Blurb by Goodreads
Emmaline Hunt only had one thing she could call her own. A piece of land that held a secret not even her drunken stepfather knew about. When he gambles it away in a high stakes poker game, Emmaline does the only thing she can. She tries to steal the land deed back.
Tristan Avery has seen his share of bloodshed while sitting at a gaming table and knows its time to lay low when he wins a wad of cash and a piece of land. Especially after his opponent ends up dead at his feet. High tailing it out of town is his only option but things take a drastic turn when he finds a woman in his hotel room trying to rob him blind.
The botched robbery attempt is only the start of his troubles when Tristan finds his new land occupied by the same girl who tried to rob him. When he realizes he’s left her homeless, and killed her stepfather, his conscience forces him to do the right thing. Taking her to his hometown and setting her up with a new life will make up for all he’s taken from her.
But Emmaline has other plans. She wants her land, and Tristan’s money, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get them. All she has to do is convince him she’s there to stay, outwit him, find a way back home and not let a single soul know she has a gold mine bursting at the seems with untapped wealth.
Tristan Avery has seen his share of bloodshed while sitting at a gaming table and knows its time to lay low when he wins a wad of cash and a piece of land. Especially after his opponent ends up dead at his feet. High tailing it out of town is his only option but things take a drastic turn when he finds a woman in his hotel room trying to rob him blind.
The botched robbery attempt is only the start of his troubles when Tristan finds his new land occupied by the same girl who tried to rob him. When he realizes he’s left her homeless, and killed her stepfather, his conscience forces him to do the right thing. Taking her to his hometown and setting her up with a new life will make up for all he’s taken from her.
But Emmaline has other plans. She wants her land, and Tristan’s money, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get them. All she has to do is convince him she’s there to stay, outwit him, find a way back home and not let a single soul know she has a gold mine bursting at the seems with untapped wealth.
I seem to always fall in love with Lily Graison characters from their first meeting.
“You’re a girl?”
“I’m a woman, thank you very much.” She straightened her shirt and met his gaze. “And I’d be obliged if you’d get that gun out of my face.”
Tristan won a deed in a poker game. Later on while defending himself he ends up killing the owner of the deed. When he goes to check out the land he won he finds Emmaline in a beat up shack and was the one who tried robbing him of the deed in his hotel. He soon learns that was her step dad he killed and all she has left his the beat up shack and the land. He can not bare to kick her out and not let her live the way she is living in a run down shack with no protection since he killed her step dad. Her feistiness intrigues him and is finding it hard to keep is hands off her. While he tries to figure out what to do with her, he comes up with a plan to take her back to his hometown and find her a husband. He has been gone too long and find it would also be good for him to go home.
Loved Tristan as he is arrogant, bossy with a alpha male attitude but also has a sweet side to him. I loved how he truly believes he is trying to find her a husband but really deep down inside he can not bare to part with her. He is not the marrying type and knows she can find some one better.
Loved Emmaline’s character as she has a backbone and will do what ever it takes to keep her land. It is all she has left and of course she has a secret containing her land that Tristan can never know about.
It was a treat when finally all the Avery brothers are together back home. Loved seeing how Abigail, Morgan, Sarah, and Colt are doing. Holden’s book is next in The Rancher (The Willow Creeks #4). Look forward to seeing how he will finally get his HEA.
