When I Was Seventeen

Chapter 1 – Thursday

Sometimes the years hadn't been easy, and sometimes they'd been downright hard since Isabelle Grayson Maverick died of the fever in Little Bend, Texas. She'd left behind her two most precious possessions, her sons Bret and Bart, and the love of her life, her husband Beauregard. The three had limped through the years, clinging to each other like moss on the north side of a tree. Beauregard was a gambler of some repute and raised both boys to play the game of poker the way he did – through sheer love of the cards, and always honestly. No double deals or hideout cards, no mechanical contraptions hidden under one's coat or any of the tricks employed by most other gamblers. The Maverick reputation was for highly skilled and totally honest poker, and it was a reputation worth its weight in gold.

Bart was seventeen and Bret nineteen that summer, and while Bret had experienced more than his fair share of female attention, Bart's interaction with the fairer sex had been limited to curiosity and speculation, mostly on the female population's part. There was an incident with a girl named Cora Stampers when he was thirteen that had scared the life out of him, and he'd been shy around girls ever since. They, however, weren't shy around him. Both boys were good looking young men – Bret the darker and taller of the two, Bart lighter in color and thin as a reed. Bret had dimples that enthralled all the young ladies, and he never lacked for their companionship. Bart had eyes that the women couldn't resist – eyes that were so brown and shiny they could be described as chestnut. There was something about those eyes – 'dancing eyes' they would be called when he got older. His mother's eyes.

There were always ladies of one age or station in life around the Maverick Ranch – Beauregard, despite his unwavering love of and devotion to the departed Isabelle, was still an attractive man, and he had an assortment of lady 'friends.' Besides, he was a gentleman to all and treated each of them with the respect he believed they deserved. All of them noticed Bret, who was polite and gorgeous, and lately more and more of them had begun to see the younger brother in the same light. Bret appreciated the attention and took as much advantage of it as he dared; Bart ignored it. Until that summer.

Both brothers were riding into town on a regular basis with their father to play poker. They'd been playing in the saloons since they were both quite young and had developed into the poker players that Beauregard always knew they would be. They didn't win a lot of money by any means, but more than enough to keep them happy while they sharpened their skills. And this summer started out like any other, with one exception. Bart had taken the last test he would ever take in school – it was the first summer of never-ending freedom for him, and he was feeling just a little giddy. Maybe that's why he was more receptive to the female adulation that had begun to come his way. Especially tonight.

The Little Bend Bar wasn't the only saloon in town, but it was the favorite of all the locals, and the Mavericks had always been welcome there. Benny White, the owner of the bar, appreciated the fact that the Mavericks didn't cheat, so they never caused trouble of any kind. All three were gentlemen and the novelty of a father and his two grown sons playing poker in the same place attracted a lot of men who couldn't resist the lure of playing against any one of the three. In other words, they were something of local celebrities.

There was enough business that Benny was encouraged to hire saloon girls. Just one at first, but she stayed so busy that he eventually hired another. That's how Lolly McGee came to be employed when Bart, Bret, and Beauregard walked into the saloon this particular night.

Lolly had begun working at the LB Bar at the beginning of the week, and she'd already seen enough of the local men to know there was nobody in the town that she couldn't live without. At least, that's what she believed until the Mavericks arrived.

Beauregard came in first, and even though he was a bit older than most of the other regulars, he was still a cut above the rest of the population. Dark, dark hair turning silver, he was tall and well-built and carried himself with dignity. Not only that, he dressed well and didn't stink. Lolly thought that things were looking up.

Next in was Bret. Almost a carbon copy of his father, although a little taller and a lot younger, he had a swagger that made him a standout anywhere he went. A gorgeous smile and those killer dimples, Lolly wasn't sure her heart could stand the strain. But the parade of riches wasn't done.

Just as she was sure it was going to be a very good night, the last Maverick walked in. He was quieter and more reserved than Bret; the swagger was just beginning to develop. And he was obviously the youngest – not much older than Lolly herself, as far as she could tell. Not as tall as his brother and not built as solidly as either of the first two, there was an edge to him that the others didn't have. When he smiled he lit up the whole room, and Lolly had never seen such life in a man's eyes before. And there was no room for doubt – even though he was only seventeen, Bart Maverick was a man.

The girl thought she might faint. Who knew there were such riches in a small town like Little Bend? She was so taken with all three of the Maverick boys that she was almost beside herself. Sally June, the other working girl, headed straight for Beauregard, who greeted her with a smile and a kiss, and Sally quickly moved in on Bret. Lolly never hesitated. Before Bart could find a table and sit down she was by his side.

"You're Bart Maverick, aren't you?" She'd heard the stories about the family but had chalked them up to local lore.

The young man ducked his head and blushed. "Yes, ma'am," he answered shyly.

Lolly stuck out her hand and grabbed his, shaking it up and down. "I'm Lolly McGee. I'm new here. You gonna play poker tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am," the answer came back.

"Wanna have a drink with me first?"

Maverick turned darker red, if that was even possible. "No, ma'am. I mean no, ma'am, I don't drink."

"Not at all?" Maybe it was some kind of religious thing, Lolly thought.

"No, ma'am. I don't like the taste."

"You don't drink nothin' at all?"

"Coffee."

"Well, then, how about havin' a cup of coffee with me 'fore you get started?"

The young man looked like he'd be happier crawling into a hole than sitting down with her, but he nodded and in a barely audible voice answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Lolly turned towards the bar to order but saw that Ray Ames, the ever-present bartender, was already on his way to an empty table with two cups of coffee. Lolly almost snorted with laughter; this would be a first. Then she noticed that both of the remaining Mavericks had coffee cups sitting next to them. An entire family of teetotalers!

"You got any bad habits at all?"

For just a moment the shyness was broken, and Bart grinned. "Smoke cigars."

"I'm surprised. How long you been playin' poker?"

"My whole life," Bart answered. "Been playin' here in the LB Bar since I was ten."

"Against all these men?" Lolly asked, sure that the answer would be 'no.'

"Yes, ma'am. Beatin' 'em most of the time, too."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in September."

Lolly giggled. "Then it's time you quit 'ma'am'n' me. I'm still sixteen."

"You are? You don't . . . I mean, I wouldn't have guessed that."

"You are a shy one, aren't you?"

"Sorry." His cheeks flared red again.

"Don't apologize. I think it's sweet." She looked him right in the eyes and smiled, and to her surprise he smiled back.

"You do?"

"Yes, sir, I do. Well, one cup a coffee is enough for me. You go ahead and find you a game, but next time you come in you have a cup a coffee with me, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am . . . Lolly."

They both got up from the table. She went back to the bar and he sat down at a poker game. Before she knew it closing time had come and gone, and with it the Mavericks. But Bart gave her a shy glance and a smile before they left, and she smiled back.

Monday

Four days later was the next time she saw him, and on Monday night it was just the two brothers that came into the saloon. They were dressed more casually but still like gentlemen, and when Bart followed his brother in those chestnut eyes were scouring the bar. He must have been looking for Lolly because as soon as he saw her he blushed and lowered his eyes. She walked right up to him, hooked her arm through his, and guided him to an empty table. Ray brought over two coffees, and the two of them sat quietly for almost five minutes before anything was said.

"Good evening, Mr. Maverick."

"Good evening, Miss McGee."

"Are you here to play poker tonight, Mr. Maverick, or are you here to see me?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am. To play poker, I mean. And to see you." He blushed again.

"That's good. That you're here to do both. Your father didn't come with you tonight?"

Bart shook his head. "No, ma'am. He's got a lady friend in town that he visits sometimes. That's where he is."

"Just one?" Lolly had done some investigation of the Maverick men, and Beauregard's reputation was fascinating. He was quite the ladies' man before he married Isabelle Grayson, but by all accounts he remained completely faithful to his wife until long years after her death. Now that his boys had grown into men he had resumed his bon vivant ways, with the understanding that every woman was to be treated like a lady and he would never marry again.

"Yes, ma'am, just one. At a time." Bart made a joke and gave her a small grin, and Lolly laughed and touched his cheek. He pulled back from her as if she'd set his skin on fire and set his empty coffee cup down on the table.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked, concerned that maybe she'd accidentally scratched him.

He shook his head and started to get up from the table. "I have to find a poker game."

"Will you stop and see me before you leave tonight?" She might have been pushing things a little fast, but life was too short to hesitate. She liked this young man. He was clean and polite and beautiful to look at. And from the way he reacted to her she'd bet an entire week's wages that if he slept with her, she'd be his first. That thought intrigued her.

He blushed one last time. "My brother will never let me live it down if I do."

"I'll never let you live it down if you don't," she assured him.

That's how Lolly managed to give Bart a goodnight kiss on the cheek as he was leaving. And yes, he blushed.