Poker Lessons

"I told you didn't have anything to worry about." The admonishment came from Doralice and was accompanied with a knowing look.

"The day's not over yet," I said pulling several cups out of the cupboard for coffee.

The last few days had gone smoothly, suspiciously so. Jack was still a little distant, but he wasn't as jumpy as he'd been before. He still seemed to prefer Doralice's company to anyone else's, but he'd stopped staring at me like I was about to do something to him. Maudie seemed to improve too. She still cried, but the bouts only lasted three or four hours instead of the majority of the night. It was a testament to how crazy my life had become that I considered a child speaking to me in mumbled words and listening to the screams of an infant for a mere three hours a night as a suspiciously good improvement. That's the way it was though, and frankly, I was waiting for the other shoe to fall. Things just seemed to have gotten too easy over the last few days.

"What are you so worried about?"

"Pappy. And Jack." I was edgy, I'll admit it, and I was hoping those two names would clarify the reason for my nerves to my wife. If the look she gave me was any indication, it didn't.

"I know that," she said as she worked on getting a pot of coffee brewed. "But I don't understand what that has to do with anything."

We'd made it to another Sunday and me and Doralice were in the kitchen getting coffee and cake ready for the family that had poured into the house not long ago for their weekly visit. The Sunday visits had been an almost weekly occurrence since we'd gotten married. Sometimes we'd go out to Uncle Ben's and sometimes everyone came into town; since the girls were born it's been easier for our house to become the meeting place. I've always enjoyed these Sunday visits, but I particularly appreciated them now that the girls were here. Having grandparents and uncles around most of the day gave mama and daddy a nice break. For a few hours, Doralice and I didn't have to see to the girls' every little need, and it was a break we took full advantage of.

By now the whole family knew about Jack and the circumstances that had brought him to Little Bend. Of course, Maude had met Jack days ago and she'd immediately responded to him much the same way Doralice had. It was a maternal thing I guess. As for Jack, he'd taken to her almost as quickly as he had my wife. Today was his first meeting with Pappy, however and, yes, I had been and still was a little nervous about it. I wasn't concerned that Pappy would do anything specifically, but Pappy doesn't have a reputation for being the most gentle or tactful of men. As edgy as Jack still was around me, I was afraid Pappy would be overwhelming for him. So far things had gone alright, but as I'd told Doralice the day wasn't over.

I was concerned for me too. I knew that over the last few days Pappy and Uncle Ben would have pried the whole story out of Bret, and Bret would have doubtless told it complete with his bias against Dandy. Pappy's only met Jim a few times and his opinion of him isn't the best. I've tried, over the years, to tell him about all the times I've ended up owing Jim, but I think Bret has more stories to tell than I do. As a result, Pappy tends to lean to Bret's way of thinking. I figured before the day was over Pappy would have an earful for me as to how I'd gotten in this mess to begin with. Even if I was over thirty, the idea of having to endure a lecture from Pappy made me antsy.

"You don't think he's gonna have something to say about this?" I said in response to her earlier question. Things had gone so smoothly I couldn't help but feel something was about to blow up in my face, and Pappy seemed to be the perfect explosive.

Doralice gave me a funny look. "Why would he? And what can he say? It's not Jack's fault he's here."

"I know that but . . . ." I stopped.

"But what?"

I shrugged. "Don't you think I should have found out a little more about this 'package' of Jim's before I agreed to this?"

Doralice walked over and put her arms around me. "Maybe. But who would have thought that the 'package' was a child? I think you're being too hard on yourself."

"Maybe so."

"Definitely so. Now relax. Your father doesn't actually have claws, and he loves children. You've seen him with the girls."

"Yes, but I also know how he feels about Jim. I don't think he's gonna be too happy about this particular con."

Doralice shook her head. "You're worrying too much. He seems to be getting on just fine with Jack. Besides, this isn't a con."

She had a point. Whatever Jim's intentions were with sending Jack here and dropping out of sight, it seemed too far-fetched to be a con. I could think of no reason for a con like this, or any reason for Jim to con me at all. Plus I didn't think even Dandy would stoop so low as to use a child like that. It would be nice to know what was going on in his mind though.

"You know, sometimes I think you're too good to me."

"You're right," she replied with a giggle. "But I don't mind."

I dropped my head to her shoulder with a groan. "You know I really didn't mean to get us another kid."

"You didn't get us another kid." She pushed my head back up and gave me a quick kiss. "This is only temporary. Remember?"

I gave the best smile I could. "Sure." I was still hoping she was right, but I was starting to wonder. I hadn't said anything to Doralice, but I was getting a little nervous about the silence Jim had maintained since taking off a few weeks ago. I'd sent telegrams, complete with Jim's description, to a few of the nicer hotels in St. Louis trying to find out where he was staying. So far I hadn't received any positive news. No one with Jim's name or matching his description had been seen. It was hardly an exhaustive search, but it wasn't very promising either.

Doralice stepped out of my embrace. "Come on. They'll be wondering where we are." Picking up the tray with the cake and plates on it she started back to the sitting room and I followed with the coffee. Everyone was exactly as we'd left them a few moments ago. Maude and Bret had the girls, and for once they didn't have to fight Pappy or Ben off of either one of them. Pappy had properly carried on when he'd first arrived, but he and Ben had since taken up playing poker . . . with Jack.

The boy might have been withdrawn with me and Bret, but he didn't seem to have that problem with Pappy or Ben. He'd been as hesitant as ever when he'd been first introduced to the elder Mavericks, but the smiles had started when Pappy and Ben began calling him Master Buckley and things had only improved from there on out. When the offer of poker came up, Jack had jumped on it. He was now engaged in a game, him and Pappy against Ben, and he seemed to be doing pretty good at it. He was learning from the best of course.

"Y'all gonna stop for cake?" I asked when none of them looked up from their game.

"As soon as we beat Bentley," Pappy said casually making Jack laugh.

I wasn't sure whose behavior I was more surprised by, Pappy's or Jack's. Pappy was acting like a big kid himself and I'd never seen Jack as relaxed as he was now. I should have been grateful Pappy was behaving himself so well, and I guess I should have been thankful Jack was enjoying himself, but honestly, I was a little jealous over the whole thing. I couldn't help but envy Pappy his interaction with Jack. I could barely get the boy to string two sentences together when he talked to me, but someone who didn't know better would think Jack was one of Pappy's own. I wondered how he did it.

Doralice passed out the cake and just like Pappy said, as soon as he and Jack did beat Uncle Ben, the three of them joined us, and Pappy made sure Jack was settled in with a huge piece of cake and a glass of milk. Jack's eyes widened slightly as Pappy passed the cake over and proceeded to dig into it as though he hadn't eaten all day.

"I'd forgotten how boys could eat," Ben commented watching Jack with a smile.

"You haven't watched Bret eat lately, have you?" I asked.

Bret shot me a look before he balled up his napkin and threw it at me.

"Now, boys, behave," Doralice said in mock seriousness. "I'll not have my girls thinking it's acceptable to play ball in the house."

Bret and I looked at each other before we both turned to Doralice. "Yes, ma'am," Bret said as serious as he could be.

"We're very sorry," I added.

Doralice rolled her eyes. "Have they always been like this?" she asked Pappy.

"I'm afraid so," he told her. He looked back over at Jack who had just put his last bit of cake in his mouth. "You polished that off pretty quick."

Jack smiled sort of sheepishly. "It was really good," he told Doralice.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"How 'bout another piece?" Pappy asked.

Jack grinned. "Yes, sir."

"Is that really necessary?" I asked as Pappy started cutting Jack another piece.

Pappy shot me a look. "He's a growing boy, Bartley."

"Of course he is," I mumbled knowing that was a fight I had no hope of winning.

Jack ate his second piece of cake a little slower, and after he finished he, Pappy, and Ben went back to poker while the rest of us moved the conversation on to other topics including the girls, Maude's, and some of the local gossip. After about half-an-hour or so, Maudie started fussing. Doralice thought our girl was getting hungry and took her back to the nursery to feed her. Maude followed with Belle thinking the odds of our other daughter deciding she also needed to eat were high.

With the women gone and Pappy and Ben engaged with their newest poker buddy, I decided now would be a good time to talk to Bret alone. "Want to go out for a smoke?" I asked him as I stood.

Whether Bret really wanted a smoke or he just sensed I wanted to talk I didn't know, but he followed me out to the porch. "What's going on?" Bret asked once we were seated in the rockers with cigars.

"Dandy," I commented dryly.

"Dandy?"

"Yeah."

Bret sighed. "What's he done now?"

"Oh, nothin' new but . . . ." I sighed and tried to figure out how to voice my concerns without getting Bret worked up. "Honestly, Bret, I'm startin' to get a little nervous about this situation with Jack."

"Jack? What do you mean nervous?"

"I've sent some telegrams out to St. Louis; you know to see if I could find out where Dandy's stayin'. I haven't heard anything positive from any of them. I'm startin' to think he's not there."

"Does that surprise you?"

I wanted to be upset by the question, but in all fairness, I couldn't. Bret had a point. Was I really surprised? The answer was no. As much as I didn't want to think that, if I was honest that would be my answer.

"I figure if he wanted you to know where he was he would have told you," Bret continued. "I guess this means you have no idea when's he's comin' back?"

"Do you think he is comin' back?"

Bret looked over at me, clearly surprised. "You don't?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"Comin' from you, yeah. I mean, that sounds like me, but you were so sure this was all above board. You've changed your mind?"

I got up from my rocker and leaned against the porch rail. "I don't know."

"You're afraid he means to leave Jack here. Permanently, I mean."

"Yeah," I said softly finally admitting out loud what I'd been thinking for days. "But what would be his reason? Why send him to me if he didn't want him?"

Bret scoffed. "It's Dandy, Bart. He wouldn't need much of a reason."

"This is a child we're talkin' about, not some scheme."

"Exactly. Can you imagine him with a child?" I think he actually shuddered a bit.

I smiled ruefully. "No, I can't, and this whole situation is bizarre, but I can't see him stooping so low as to abandon a child like this. There's no reason for him to." Bret looked confused so I did my best to explain the jumble of thought that had been running endlessly through my head the last few days. "The lawyer said Jim never questioned the claim he was Jack's father. If he didn't want him, wouldn't it have been easier just to deny him and forget about it? Could it really be proven Jack belongs to Jim?"

Bret shrugged. "He looks just like him. Poor kid."

"But is that enough? Is there really a way anyone can make a man take care of a child?"

Bret seemed to think about that. "I guess you have a point," he finally said. "But this is Dandy. He's never cared about anybody but himself, and I've never known him to do anything that didn't benefit Dandy first and foremost. You ever wondered how he might use Jack to his advantage?"

"Yes, but I haven't come up with anything. And maybe it's not about that at all. Maybe Jim wanted him because . . . because he belongs to him."

Bret looked at me like I'd just grown another head. I couldn't really blame him. Given Bret and Jim's past, suggesting Jim had agreed to take Jack simply because he wanted him was ludicrous. But having a child changes a person; I'd learned that the first time I'd seen my girls. It was a love like I'd never felt before, a love Bret didn't understand yet, couldn't understand. Even if we were talking about Dandy Jim Buckley, he was a man, and he had as much right to experience that change as any other father.

I shook my head. "You don't understand, Bret. You don't know how they change a person. Even Jim has the right to love his child."

Bret slowly nodded. "I'll buy that. True it's hard to imagine Buckley caring about anyone but Buckley, but I'll buy it."

I could hardly believe it. Bret Maverick was giving Jim Buckley the benefit of the doubt. I was thinking I needed to write the occasion down somewhere, record it for posterity, but Bret's next words stopped me cold.

"But if that's the case, where is he?"

That's what was eating at me now. Honestly, everything that Bret and I just said had gone through my mind at least once since Jack had arrived. It made no more sense now than it did then. "I don't know." I turned back to look out into the yard, wishing I had an answer to even one of my questions. Was this a scheme? How could I find Jim? Had he abandoned his son? Did he love his son? Too many questions and no answers.

Bret stood and walked over to the edge of the porch and leaned against one of the posts. "Bart, have you . . . considered what you're gonna do if he doesn't turn up?"

I looked at Bret and offered a weak smile. "I'm tryin' really hard not to." As stressful as things had been the last several weeks that was something I didn't want to consider, much less discuss with Doralice. On the occasions the thought did come to mind, I just brooded over it silently for a minute before I turned my thoughts in another direction.

Bret smiled. "Fair enough. Think of it this way; Dandy's like a bad penny, he always shows back up."

"I hope so," I told him. "I certainly hope so."