Chapter 7 – Waiting for Dark

The next morning found Beau sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee with Bret and Bart, just like the old days. Except it was six o'clock in the morning and they hadn't been up all night playing poker.

"This is extremely odd, you know," Beau pronounced.

"What, bein' up this early?" Bret wondered.

"No, the three of us being together like when we were much younger."

"Have you taught Benny the land business yet?" That question came from Bart as he poured another round of coffee.

"No, and I'm not going to. He's not cut out for it. I was hoping . . . "

Lily Mae walked in with a plate full of sweet rolls. "Don't let me interrupt you, Beau. I can tell there's somethin' on your mind, ain't there?"

"Ah, Lily Mae, you know me too well. Bart, Bret, I was hoping that you might consider letting Benny stay here on the ranch for his last year of school. And spend the time learning what he can from the two of you."

Bret and Bart exchanged looks. "Of course he can," Bret answered, "but why would he want to?"

"It's a long story, but what it amounts to is Dani is dead set on makin' a sissy out of him. The boy wants to be outside, on a horse, not cooped up inside somewhere like his mama wants. He doesn't want to learn the business . . . and I don't blame him. I'd like nothing more than to be running a saloon again . . . those were the happiest working days of my life, in Montana at the Four Mavericks. Don't get me wrong. I love Dani and the life we have in Baton Rouge . . . but I'd rather do almost anything but what I'm doing."

Bart spoke up first. "I'm sorry to hear that, Beau. I know you were real good at the saloon. Why don't you try to get back into one and see what happens?"

"My wife would have a fit. No true gentleman works in a saloon."

"Sorry that you're not here in Little Bend, cousin. Bart could give you a job at Maude's." Bret said it with a smile, but he was dead serious.

"Any chance of you comin' back home?" Bart inquired.

"None. And I would like to go into town tomorrow and see Maude's. Think we can do that?"

"Sure."

"And talk some more about my son."

"Any time you want to. Bret, what time's our buyer comin' today?"

"Sometime after lunch, the telegram said."

"Alright, let's get these ponies ready, shall we?"

Beau perked up considerably. "Can I help?"

"Of course you can. Let's see what we can do in the barn."

The three men, so alike and yet so different, made their way out the back door. Lily Mae sighed, knowing that Beau wasn't exactly a happy man right now, and thanking her lucky stars that Bret and Bart seemed to be.

XXXXXXXX

Harry Cannon was the rancher from Plainview that came to check the stock that the Mavericks' had available for sale. He seemed like a nice enough fellow . . . tall and a bit on the heavy side, with dark brown hair and freckles. He was looking for quarter horses that were part anything that would give them stamina, and he'd heard good things about the foals coming out of the B Bar M. He toured the ranch with the brothers and was interested in half a dozen of the two-year-olds, and two or three of the yearlings.

He stayed for supper with the family and then sat down with Bart, Bret and Doralice to work out the final prices. All totaled, the purchase came to something just over fifty-five hundred dollars, and he promised to be back the next afternoon with the cash.

Ever since they'd moved to the ranch, Little Beauregard made it a habit of saying goodbye to the horses that were being sold. He asked Abby and Belle to walk outside with him. It was a lovely evening, cool and crisp, and they readily agreed. Benny and Maudie had already decided to take a last ride for the night and were in the barn saddling Zanzibar and Colton. "You get to do this every night?" Benny asked.

"Only during the summer," Maudie answered. "Rest of the time it's too cold, or there' too much homework, or it's too dark, or any other excuse momma can find."

"Doesn't she want you to go out by yourself?"

"Nope." Maudie climbed on board Zanzibar. "Only time I can go out is when I go with . . . poppy."

"You do that a lot?"

"Oh yeah. Poppy loves for the two of us to go out as often as possible."

"Just the two of you?" Benny asked.

Maudie shook her head and her hair bounced. It was a delightful effect and resembled a golden halo. "No, anybody that wants to go along is welcome. Most of the time it's Beauregard, or Gracie, or both. She's a good little rider, and Uncle Bret lets her go with us at least two or three times a week. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she and Beauregard are best friends. Usually when he rides, she rides."

"But he's willing to let us go out by ourselves tonight?"

"Sure. We're grown up enough to do that."

"Maudie . . . I never asked you, but how old are you?"

"Ten, almost eleven. What about you?"

'Wow, she's younger than I thought. But that's okay, she seems older than Abby.' Benny swallowed and told her. "Fourteen."

Maudie nodded and looked rather solemn. "That's about what I figured. You seem so . . . mature."

"You do, too."

The girl giggled. "Well, let's take our mature butts out of here before it's too dark to leave."

They mounted their horses and headed out of the barn. Abby, Belle and Beauregard waved at them as they rode out. Spreckles and LuLu watched them go, heading northeast into the woods. The horses weren't the only ones watching them.