<h4>Chapter 4 - Three Men and a Jackpot</h4>


    Sunday morning arrived bright and clear, filling Charlie''s beach house with a calm,zy atmosphere. After yesterday''s big wins, spirits were high. n, however, looked a bit restless, sipping his coffee nervously as he nced between Charlie and me.


    "Two more yoff games today," Charlie announced enthusiastically, settling onto the sofa with a fresh cup of coffee. "We''ve got Vikings versus Rams and Titans versus Colts. Any magical predictions today, Jake?"


    I hesitated slightly, trying to recall details from my previous life''s memories. Unlike yesterday''s games, today''s matchups hadn''t stood out particrly clearly in my mind. No special blowouts or memorable ys came to me, only the vague knowledge that the Rams and Titans would advance.


    "Nothing exact," I admitted honestly, "but I''m pretty confident the Rams and Titans will both win."


    Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Pretty confident? That''s it? No magical scores this time?"


    I shook my head apologetically. "humm, put that Viking and Rams will have more than 70 points in total."


    Charlie scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. That will give us great odds."


    n looked up sharply, setting his mug down with a loud clink. "Wait, you''re not seriously considering another big bet, are you?"


    Charlie shrugged casually. "Why not? We''re ying with house money now, n."


    n shook his head firmly. "Forty grand isn''t house money. It''s a lot of money."


    I leaned forward, addressing n directly. "Dad, Uncle Charlie said we''d split the money evenly, right? That means twenty thousand is mine. I''m thinking we take thirty grand from our winnings—fifteen thousand each—and put it on thisbined bet."


    n paled visibly. "Thirty thousand dors, Jake? That''s absolutely insane! You can''t just throw away money like that."


    I held my ground calmly. "Dad, it''s my money. And I believe it''s a smart bet."


    Charlie nodded enthusiastically, backing me up. "Come on, n. Trust the kid''s instincts. He got us this far."


    n sighed deeply, clearly torn between caution and the allure of the potential winnings. "What kind of return are we talking about here?"


    Charlie grinned mischievously. "We''ll get about eight times our bet. That''s nearly a quarter million dors, n."


    n''s eyes widened dramatically, and for a moment, he seemed to lose the ability to speak. "Eight times? Are you serious?"


    "Completely serious," Charlie replied, grinning broadly. "Jake hasn''t been wrong yet."


    n hesitated, clearly struggling internally. After a long pause, he sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead anxiously. "Fine. If you''re both so convinced... I''ll throw in five thousand of my own."


    Charlie looked pleasantly shocked,ughing loudly. "Now that''s the spirit, n! Wee to the dark side."


    n groaned softly, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "If we lose this, you both owe me big time."


    Charlie picked up the phone eagerly, cing ourbined thirty-five thousand dor bet. As he hung up, he shed me an approving smile. "All set, gentlemen. Now we just sit back and enjoy the games."


    We spent the afternoon nervously glued to the television, each y carrying enormous weight. The Rams took an early lead, eventually securing a victory. Tension filled the room during the Titans and Colts game, which was far closer than we''d expected.


    With mere minutes remaining, the Titans edged ahead with ate touchdown, securing their narrow victory. We leaped up simultaneously, screaming in celebration.


    "We did it again!" Charlie shouted, pumping his fists in the air. n stared at the television in stunned disbelief, slowly sinking into his chair.


    "I can''t believe this," n whispered, running his hand through his hair. "Did we really just win almost three hundred thousand dors?"


    Charlie threw an arm around n''s shoulders,ughing joyfully. "Believe it, n! Jake is officially our golden goose."


    n finally cracked a broad, genuine smile, looking over at me with pride mixed with amazement. "Jake, I don''t even know what to say."


    I grinned back at both of them, feeling incredibly satisfied. "Don''t worry, Dad. You''re going to get used to winning."


    Charlie chuckled warmly. "I could definitely get used to this lifestyle."


    Charlie soon popped open a bottle of expensive champagne he''d been saving, pouring generous amounts into three sses (but I didn''t take it). n, initially hesitant, soon found himself swept up in the joyful atmosphere. After a couple of sses, n wasughing freely, his usual stress entirely forgotten.


    "Who knew gambling could be this much fun?" n joked, slightly slurring his words, which made Charlieugh even harder.


    "See, n, I always told you to rx and trust your instincts," Charlie teased.


    n shook his head, smiling widely. "Maybe you''ve been right all along, Charlie."


    Eventually, n and Charlie began singing old songs loudly and off-key, their arms thrown around each other''s shoulders. Watching them, I couldn''t help butugh, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected moment of family bonding.


    After a while, Charlie dropped onto the sofa beside me, pulling me into a warm, slightly drunken hug. His eyes softened as he grinned at me proudly.


    "Jake, you''re the best thing that''s ever happened to us," he said sincerely. "I love you, kid."


    I felt warmth spread through me, smiling as I hugged him back. "Love you too, Uncle Charlie."


    n stumbled over, joining the embrace. "And don''t forget me! I love you too, son!"


    We allughed again, genuinely happy, united by a bond stronger than I''d ever imagined possible