From Sneers to Cheers Anthea's Ascent novel Chapter 11

Nanson had been on a losing streak, the dice rolling against him time after time at the craps table. It was his eleventh roll, and the murmurs around him in the crowded casino were all betting on big.

“Eleven times, man! It's got to be big this time!” the crowd buzzed, throwing their chips onto the 'big' side of the table.

Nanson's hands shook as he reached into his wallet, pulling out his last three hundred bucks. His forehead was slick with cold sweat as he wrestled with the decision.

“Come on, Nanson! Go big! You've been down on your luck for too long, buddy! Follow the crowd, and you can't go wrong this time!” a voice from the crowd encouraged him.

It had to be big this time.

As Nanson was about to lay his money down, someone gently took the money from his grasp. Anthea’s soft voice cut through the din, “We're betting small. Let's go for a three, a one, and a four.”

“Are you messing with me?” Nanson turned to see Anthea, her eyes calm, giving nothing away.

Someone from the crowd added fuel to the fire. “Oh Nanson, you'll be stripped down to your boxers after this one!”

“That's not my bet! I wanted big!” Nanson protested.

“The bets are locked in, buddy,” the croupier said firmly, pressing Nanson's hand down. “House rules.”

Resigned, Nanson drew back his hand and shot Anthea a glare. “You'll pay for this, kid!”

As the croupier lifted the cover, the dice revealed their numbers. Three, one, and four. Small.

A surge of disbelief washed over Nanson. He hadn't misheard, had he?

“We won, Uncle Nanson,” Anthea said, her tone even as before.

They had won.

“Holy smokes! It's small!” The crowd was a mix of groans and curses.

“We won! We freaking won!” Nanson couldn't contain his excitement as he grabbed Anthea's hand. “What's the call for the next roll?”

He finally believed Anthea had some magic touch.

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