Free Perfect Soldier: The Complete Story (5-Part BBW Military Romance Novel) by Haley Nix

again.
    Before I knew it, it was Friday, Exam day. This was
what I head been dreading all week, two finals and then the busiest night of
the week at work. I hadn’t heard much from Colt over the past few days. He
seemed more distant, preoccupied. I suppose that was natural enough, being in
Vegas as he was.
    I tried not to dwell on it or let it distract me in
any way. I wasn’t sure where things stood with Colt, but that didn’t change any
of my plans regarding my own life. I was still focused on getting into Vet
school, and acing these exams was my top priority.
    When I showed up for the first exam, I was completely
calm and prepared. I knew I’d put in the required time studying, now it was
just time to execute. It’s strange, I’ve never felt so confident about things
before. As I sat down at my desk and began the test, my mind was in exactly the
right place.
    The hours went by quickly. When I was doing that
first exam, it was like I was in my own little world. Time seemed to stand
still for me, the answers to each question coming almost effortlessly. I
finished the last question and handed the exam in fifteen minutes early. This
gave me time to spare, time to get to my next exam, Biology, which was in a
different building all the way across campus.
    The mid-December air was cold against the skin of my
face, but I hardly noticed. I was running on adrenaline, feeling even more
confident than before as I strode across the frigid campus. Chemistry had gone
well, I just knew it. But that was also my better subject. I knew Bio would be
a more difficult test.
    A few days earlier, I might have been content with
just a passing grade in Biology. But now I was more optimistic. I wanted to
hold myself to a higher standard. I reminded myself on the walk over to remain
calm. I’d studied hard, probably harder than most of the students in my class.
It was time to put my newly acquired knowledge to good use.
    Then I received a text:
                       Good luck, Cat. You’re gonna ace it. I just know it.
    That made me smile to myself. I put my phone back
into my purse, shutting it off beforehand, knowing the professor’s policy about
no phones during tests. I’d text Colt back after the exam to let him know how
it went.
     
    ***
     
    Colton
     
    I looked down at my watch as the dealer cut the deck
and continued shuffling the cards. Cat had her exams today. I wondered how they
were going. I wanted to call, ask her about them. Offer her a final wish of
good luck. But I thought that might be a distraction. Besides, I didn’t know if
maybe she was already in an exam and would get in trouble for answering her
phone. So I decided to send her a text.
    I couldn’t wait to see Cat, especially given how
this week had gone. We hadn’t talked much lately. She was busy with her life,
and I with mine. It’s not that we didn’t want to, it just didn’t seem
necessary. Talking on the phone was a poor substitute for being together in
person. Besides, right now we had our own things to concentrate on. Chemistry
and Biology for her, and poker for me.
    I’d been winning all night, all week, actually.
Sure, I lost a hand now and again, folded countless times. But I always seemed
to stay in when the big money was around. I met so many different people that
week, some real stellar players, others quite amateur. Lots of interesting
people from all over the country came to this place in the desert, this place
of lax laws and the potential for big winnings.
    But the truth was that most of them went home with
less money than they came there with. The house always wins, or so they say. I
was beating the odds, one of the few people taking the casinos for what they
were worth. After a while, the dealers at one casino wouldn’t deal to me, so
I’d uproot and head to another. Each time I put on an act, as if I was just
some lucky fool from the Midwest, but it didn’t take them long to realize I was
ruthless as a card player.
    I went