Her name was Connie Walker, and she was probably somewhere around thirty-five. Dark hair and darker eyes, she was almost too good to be true. Tall and slender, with a walk that made men turn around and stare, she was a widow with a young daughter named Casandra. She was lookin' for a full-time position where she could keep Casandra, but was willing to take whatever she could find. Ellie was so impressed with her that she offered to take care of the little girl while Connie worked. And Connie was so happy to have found someone that didn't curl up their lip when they saw the child, that she took the job, just during the day, for now, she thought.
Of course, Beau had to approve her, which took all of about five seconds. Or until he'd seen her. In all fairness, he did sit down and talk to her, and he liked what he heard, as well. Abby had decided that she was gonna take a job that made her an offer in Dallas, and for once everything seemed to work out perfectly. Connie moved into the spare bedroom at Beau's house, and Casandra stayed there with her. The child was an absolute delight, and soon she was calling Beau 'Uncle.' Joseph took to Connie right away, and it reminded Beau of his early years when Lily Mae was practically 'mama.'
Abby decided that she would come home every other weekend to help Benny with his ranch, and when she did she stayed with Maudie. When the house was finally liveable she moved some of her personal possessions in there. The rest of her 'stuff', as she called it, remained in the boardinghouse she was living in on the south side of Dallas.
Beau's life had settled into a peaceful routine. After what he'd been through he deserved some peace. Bret and Ginny had him and Joseph over for supper regularly, and when we had anything going on at our house, we invited them. He went out riding with Maudie every day and became a frequent visitor to Dandy Jim's house. As a matter of fact, it was Beau who resuscitated the Friday night poker game, with me, Bret, Beau, Jim and Lucien. Once in a while Benny joined us, but most Friday nights he was workin' on his ranch. It wasn't long before Lee asked if he could come, and Lucien told him sure.
Patterson was a surprise. He played poker the way he lived his life; quietly and close to the vest. He had an excellent poker face, and I spent weeks lookin' for his tell before I found it. Beau's poker was rusty; that was to be expected, given how long it had been since he'd played. Bret and Jim and me were the usual winners, with Lee taking a pot more often than he should.
There was something about the young man that fascinated me, and the first time Belle came home on Christmas break, he fascinated her, too. I was afraid that she was vulnerable and could get hurt if she didn't watch herself, but for the time being it was just a friendship. I was sort of glad when she returned to college and her studies. I really liked Lee, but Belle had been too damaged to get involved in another romance this quickly. As for Lee, after Belle left he never talked about her, and in a way that disappointed me. I know, I couldn't have it both ways. But in every way Lee was the perfect boy for Belle.
He was only slightly older than her, and it was obvious that he'd received more of an education than just the local school. I tried to find out more about him, but all I could learn was that he'd been orphaned early in life and spent his formative years living with the reverend over in Claytonville.
He was determined to make something of himself. Like Benny, he wanted his own place when he was older. Yet he liked the idea of livin' in Little Bend proper. I encouraged him to take his time before he made up his mind. I also reminded him that if he lived in town he'd have a lot of ridin' back and forth to do, which could cost him precious time at the ranch. He thanked me for my advice and went back to work.
Finally, the day came when Benny gave his notice to me and Lucien. Abby had taken off from work that week and she, Beau, Ellie and Ben helped him move in. I gave him six head of horses as a reward for all his hard work, three of the Criollo/Arabians and three mustangs. Ben and Ellie gifted him with two milk cows and a half dozen chickens. Bret bought him a rooster. Pappy presented him with half-a-dozen pigs and a plow. Maudie and Belle went in on two bags of wheat seeds. Lucien gave him a shiny silver dollar. Jim furnished him three baby goats. Beau hired a farmer to help him plow and plant the wheat, and bought him a bull and two heifers, as well as two steers. I was happy to see him realize his dream but sorry to see him go. He would be missed on a daily basis, but had a standing invitation to come to dinner on Sunday to every house on the ranch, including Dandy Jim's.
Lee wasted no time stepping into the spot that Benny vacated. He took over most of Benny's duties while retaining his own. "Damn, that boy works himself day and night," Lucien remarked the next time I saw him.
"Has he said anything to you about havin' a place of his own?" I asked.
"Nope. Not a word," came Lucien's reply. "Say, boss, has he talked to you about Belle?"
I had to laugh. "Nope, not a word. Why?"
"You know they write to each other?"
"I did not know that. Does he talk to you about Belle?"
"A little. More than anything else, but that's not sayin' a lot. Maybe he don't talk to you because you're her daddy. And the boss."
"Maybe."
Next time I heard from Belle I asked her about Lee. "We're just friends, Pa. Don't get worried on me. Mama already knows we write to each other."
So I went to Doralice. "What's this that you know about Belle and Lee writin' to each other?"
"That's all I know, that they write to each other. She writes to a lot of people besides you and me and Lee. She writes to Maudie and Abby, too. The girl's got nothin' to do but study and write. Did you know she's been writin' columns to the Little Bend Gazette? Ain't you been readin' the paper?"
I must admit, I hadn't been. "What are they about?"
"All about her life at college. What it's like for a small-town girl to go to the city for college."
Belle had gone to San Antonio for college. I looked for the latest edition of the Gazette and found it on the counter in the kitchen. Evidently, I was the only one that didn't know about her writing. But that was the typical scheme of things around here. I settled in at the kitchen table with the paper and a cup of coffee.
Dear Folks Back Home:
Hi, it's me again, Belle Maverick, and I'm here to give you an update on life in the big city for a small-town girl. Everything moves so fast here compared to back home. I must say, I prefer our speed to what I experience here. People hurry everywhere, from shop to shop, from one class to another, even when they go out to eat. Yes, people do a lot of that here. Even eating Is done in a hurry. I miss Little Bend and the house I grew up in, but I especially miss my twin sister. This 'dorm room' is a small and lonely place, with none of the warmth and laughter I experienced growing up. I can't wait for spring break so I can go home and visit for a few days.
But in the meantime . . .
That wasn't all she wrote, but I had worked hard all day and my eyes and attention span were failing me. Even the coffee wasn't gonna keep me awake. So I decided to go upstairs and take a nap before supper. And that's just what I did.
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