Deputy at Large

by Judge Rodriguez

  Brigit approaches the table with a wide smile on her face. “Hello, Deputy. May I present Miss Andrea? She is eager to meet you.”

  Jake looks at the young girl, who is staring back at him, nervous anticipation making her tremble. He motions for her to turn around, which she does. Her hair is short, almost against her skull. Her dress is a light gray and is cut in a plain, serviceable style. As she turns slowly, the hem of the dress swirls just a little. She comes to a stop and waits with her hands folded in front of her.

  Jake gives her an apprising look and finally says, “The dress is beautiful. Your hair looks much better.”

  She looks to Brigit, who shoos the girl on silently. Andy walks up to Jake and after a long moment, demands, “Well?”

  Jake can feel his expression soften. “You’re beautiful, child. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  The steel in her spine snaps and she relaxes. “I didn’t know I could trust you. Miss Brigit swears you aren’t gonna try to hurt me. You remind me so much of my papa, I have to try, don’t I?”

  Jake takes Andy’s hands and looks her in the eyes. “I’m glad you are taking a chance to trust me, child. It fills my heart with joy.” He looks to Brigit and nods, then says, “Thank you.”

  She curtsies. “You’re welcome.”

  Sean walks in to the restaurant and whistles low once he sees Andy. He walks up to Brigit and, after a quick whispered conversation, goes back into the kitchen.

  Brigit says quietly, “I’ll be right back.” She turns and heads to the front room. Several moments later, she and Joseph both head into the kitchen.

  Whistling tunelessly to himself, John strolls leisurely into the restaurant. When he sees Andy and her clothing, he stops mid-step and Jake sees him cursing under his breath.

  Jake groans inwardly. Of all the people that could cause a problem with this, John is the one Jake is the most concerned with.

  As he comes over to the table, he is almost run over by Brigit as she rushes out the door of the kitchen with a plate of flat cakes.

  As she quickly passes him, she says quietly, “Sorry, John, excuse me.” She rushes over to the table and sets the plate down in front of Andy. She looks at the young girl and says, “It wouldn’t be right to celebrate a girl’s birthday without some kind of cake, right?”

  Jake looks on with interest as Joseph, Laura and Sean stand close to the entrance of the kitchen and watch as the food gets handed over to the young girl, interest plainly written all over their faces.

  Andy looks at the woman and with tears coursing down her cheeks, jumps out of her chair and throws her arms around the woman. She buries her face into Brigit’s dress and it sounds like the young girl is saying, “Thank you so very much,” but Jake can’t tell with the girl’s voice being so muffled.

  Jake looks at the beautiful young woman, smiles genuinely and says, “Thank you for that.”

  In response, she winks at Jake, as she hugs the young girl against her, then leans down and says, “Every girl needs to feel special on her birthday.” She pulls away and sits on her heels to look Andy in the eye, “Mrs. Mallory won’t thank us, if we let them get cold. Will she, now? So, you need to hurry up and eat them before they cool too much.”

  Andy nods, wipes her cheeks and climbs back into her chair, bows her head a moment, then starts digging into the food.

  Jake feels a resurgence of the feelings he felt last night. After a moment of careful consideration, he knows why the feelings are so strong. He would be able to give this girl something he and John never had in a father. Silently, he prays for guidance in the decision. He feels the calling even more strongly, more now than before. He makes his decision and waits for an appropriate time to announce it.

  JOHN LOOKS ON THE SCENE with a sense of dread. He’s not sure, but seeing Andy as a little girl gives him the feeling something bad is going to happen.

  He seats himself at the table without comment and watches in amusement as the young girl appears to enjoy her celebration lunch. John looks to Josh and asks simply, “Birthday?”

  Josh smirks and says, “She doesn’t know when it is, exactly, so, new clothes, new life, new birthday. I can’t have my girl go without celebrating her birthday, now can I?” He looks at her with a look of hope all over his face.

  The change in title isn’t lost at all on Andy. She stops eating and stares at the aged deputy, fear written all over her face.

  John looks on as it appears that Josh pours all his hope into his next words. “That is, if it’s okay with you, of course?”

  She continues to gaze at him a long moment longer.

  “You can keep everything if you don’t accept the adoption. This is going to be your choice and only you can choose. I won’t be offended if you say no.”

  The little girl quietly asks, “This means you wanna be my papa?”

  Josh nods slowly, then says gently, “Yes, child. I want to.”

  Tears course down her cheeks once more. “Promise me you won’t leave me like my papa did?”

  Josh shakes his head. “I can’t make that promise. I do promise I’ll do my best not to, though.”

  She looks from Josh back to Brigit, who smiles encouragingly at her. She looks back at Josh, then lowers her eyes. Very quietly, she says, “Okay. Yes. I want you to be my papa.”

  Josh’s smile is wide as he looks back at Brigit and he says, “Happy day! I think this cause for a celebration, after all. Would you mind helping get the party set up, Brigit?”

  John sees Marshal Blackwolf walk in with a sense of purpose. “Party? Oh! I love parties! What is it we’re celebrating?”

  Josh looks at the young marshal and smiles broadly. “Well, it seems like I just gained a daughter.”

  Blackwolf looks at Andy and smiles mysteriously.

  John smiles inwardly. This has to be a reminder of her own adoption by Cherokee. He wonders once more if his half-breed friend has any idea what his daughter does for a living, now.

  Josh motions to Andy and says, “Marshal Blackwolf, may I introduce you to Andrea, my daughter. Everyone calls her Andy, though. Andy, this U.S. Marshal Blackwolf. We work together, sort of.”

  Blackwolf bends at the waist and offers her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Andy.”

  With only a slight hesitation, Andy takes the proffered hand. “Hiya, Marshal.”

  Blackwolf smiles warmly at the young girl, then stands and looks at Jake. “Your daughter is beautiful.”

  Jake looks at the girl and smiles. “She sure is.”

  John watches the tender look Blackwolf is giving the scene turn to apprehension.

  Josh’s face goes white. “Oh, no. I forgot, you’re here to go to Denver with us, aren’t you?”

  The marshal glances at John, then turns to Jake, nods and says, “Yeah. I was planning on our leaving tonight.” She seems to fidget, considering her next words carefully. Finally after a moment, she seems to make her decision and continues, “But I think we can wait until morning.”

  John looks on as Brigit talks quietly to Joey, exchanging pleasantries.

  Josh looks at Andy. “I’m needing to go to Denver with the marshals. It’s best that you stay here with the Mallory’s and Brigit while I’m gone.”

  Hearing her name, Brigit turns to Andy and says, “We’ll be glad to have you. Mrs. Mallory and I will love the company that is, if you want.”

  Andy looks between the two, a welter of emotion flowing across her face. She looks at Josh and asks, “Only for a couple of days?”

  “No more than a week. I promise. A friend of mine got hurt and I have to go help him. I need to try and find the guys that did it. He deserves to know those that hurt him are being punished. Because we’re going after them, though, the trail of criminals is no place for a young girl. Sorry.”

  She gives the deputy a flat look.

  John tries his best not to snicker at her response. Oh, he’s gonna be in for some trouble once she becomes a woman.

  “Promise you will come b
ack, no matter what.”

  “I promise I will do my best.”

  She sighs and crosses her arms. The look she gives Josh makes John bite his tongue to keep from laughing out loud. “No,” she insists, “promise.”

  “Fine. I promise.” Josh sighs. “I will come back, no matter what.”

  Apparently satisfied, she nods and says simply, “Okay. I’ll stay here, then”

  John looks at his oldest friend’s expression and has to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, again. All he can think is that Josh is going to be in for an interesting time dealing with this young girl. She’s quick enough, she’s gonna be able to keep Josh on his toes.

  Joey looks at Josh and asks, “So do you think you’ll be ready to leave first thing in the morning, then?”

  Josh looks at Andy’s posture, nods, then says, “Yeah, should be able to leave right after breakfast.”

  Joey nods and says simply, “Of course. I don’t expect any man to be able to function on an empty stomach.” She shakes her head, dismissing the notion.

  John looks at the young marshal and tries to decipher the expression on the beautiful young woman’s face. It looks to be a combination of trying to be impassive, but tenderness and impatience are beginning to leak through her mask. John is once again reminded that Joey’s own early paternal relationship is rather similar to that of Josh and Andy.

  John motions to the chair and she shakes her head. “In a minute. I have something to take care of.” She turns, leaves, and is followed a moment later by Brigit.

  Josh looks at John with an interesting look on his face and says, “Those two seem to have quite the friendship going.”

  John smiles. “They have a lot in common. They are natural best friends.”

  Josh crosses his arms and says, “I hope Cherokee’s daughter doesn’t mind sharing her man with another woman. They seem to be close enough friends as it is.”

  John chokes on his drink to keep from laughing at Josh’s assumption. He sits there, choking and gasping for several minutes until Joey and Brigit come back.

  Joey points toward John and asks of Josh, “What’s his problem?”

  John has another coughing fit, he’s having to fight his laughter so hard.

  Josh shakes his head and says, “I’d said you seem to have quite the friendship with Brigit.”

  Joey nods and says, “Of course we’re friends. We have a lot in common.”

  “He said much the same thing. I mentioned hoping your woman, Joey, wasn’t so jealous as to allow you to have women friends, especially such beautiful ones.”

  John has another choking fit, but is still able to see the slight twitch in the corner of Joey’s eye as she waves off the deputy’s assumption. In a nonchalant tone, she says, “She doesn’t have trouble with me having women friends.”

  As Joey sits down, Brigit takes one look at John, rushes over to the bar, pours him a glass of water and brings it back to the choking man.

  John takes a moment to slowly drink the glass of water and control his choking fit. He’s surprised that Josh hasn’t seen through Joey’s subterfuge, but is glad he hasn’t been able to talk, for fear of revealing his young friend’s secret. He finds it, just too ironic the statements his old friend keeps making.

  Brigit gives John a knowing look and heads over toward the kitchen.

  Joey looks at Andy and asks, “So, today we’re celebrating your adoption?”

  Andy finishes off the final bit of her flat cakes and nods.

  “So, how old are you? Do you remember where you’re from?”

  Andy looks at Joey and says, “Eight. I guess this means today’s my birthday, too. I don’t remember much before the landrun.”

  With a final clearing of his throat, John puts his glass down and says, “Marshal, do you think you might be willing to share some of your special drink with Andy here?”

  Joey looks at the young girl and nods shortly. “Only if she would like.”

  Andy looks at Josh for confirmation, then says, “I dunno. What is it?”

  Joey gives the young girl a wink and says, “It’s called sarsaparilla. Have you had hot chocolate, yet?”

  Andy shrugs. “If that is what I drank this morning, then I didn’t like it.” She scrunches her face.

  Joey nods in acceptance. “What didn’t you like about it?”

  “Too sweet. I really like sweet stuff, but that was just . . .” A surprisingly indelicate sound emanates from the young girl.

  Joey’s smile lights up her whole face. “It’s not for everyone. This stuff isn’t quite the same kind of sweet as hot chocolate. I’ll have you try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll finish it for you, fair enough?”

  Andy nods and Joey motions to Brigit. A minute later, she returns with a glass of the fizzy liquid and sets it down in front of the young girl.

  Andy takes and experimental sip, then picks up the glass and drains it in one drink. Only after she has extracted the last drop from the glass does she sit there gasping for air.

  At the sight of the young girl’s reaction, Joey smiles again and motions for two more drinks to be brought, one for Andy, one for herself.

  Josh motions toward Joey and asks, “So do you have the warrants for the two?”

  Joey opens the inside of her vest a bit to expose some folded pieces of paper and smiles. “While you boys were cooling your heels here in Norman, some of us were working our tails off.”

  That makes John perk up. He takes another drink from his Guinness. “Did Judge Logan give you any trouble over it?”

  Joey shakes her head. “Nah. Once we told him it was you that brought everyone in, he said, ‘No worries. We’ll do it like he asked.’”

  John smiles and says, “Good old Logan. Josh, are you acquainted with our esteemed circuit judge?”

  The look Josh gives him is filled with daggers. “I told you before, it’s Jake.”

  Joey looks at John and asks, “Josh?”

  John nods and says in Cherokee, “Long story.”

  Josh looks at Joey, who is smiling a bit mysteriously and nods. He looks back at John and asks in Cherokee, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  John looks at his oldest friend. Once again, in Cherokee he says, “The marshal deserves to know who’s riding on this trail with us.”

  Joey looks at Josh. “Is there something I need to know here?” She looks over at Brigit and in English asks, “Would you mind making sure Andy has some Sunday best?”

  Brigit gives Joey a knowing look, leans down and asks Andy, “You want to come with me to go get some more clothes?”

  Andy finishes her drink and looks at Josh questioningly.

  He nods and says, “It’ll be alright. I’ll be alright. You can go.”

  Andy sighs, looks at Brigit and then nods. “Sure. Let’s go.” She jumps out of her chair and leads Brigit to the door of the hotel without looking back.

  Joey looks at Josh, then John and in Cherokee, says “There are some things kids don’t need to know about. Now that we’re alone, talk.”

  So, slowly in Cherokee, John explains growing up in the orphanage. About halfway through, Joey interrupts him.

  “You already told me about growing up an orphan, about your fiancé and about Josh.” She stops and stares at Josh a moment, takes a drink from her glass of sarsaparilla and says, “Oh.”

  JAKE LOOKS AT THE YOUNG marshal, trying to figure out the enigmatic young man. He seems familiar, yet he can’t put his finger on it. He sits there a moment, before he realizes both marshals are looking at him.

  So, in Cherokee, he picks up the narrative and explains how he was injured at the battle of Crecilla Monastery, his recovery and how he ended up at Ft. Reno.

  Marshal Blackwolf gets another sarsaparilla ordered and explains how Jake delivered numerous letters from Cherokee to his family, during his tenure out at the fort. He goes on to explain how Joey told him about how Jake was a good friend of her father’s and if Blackwolf ever really needed any he
lp, he was supposed to ask for it from the deputy.

  Jake is surprised at how much trust the young woman has in him, of course, but he’s even more impressed that Blackwolf was able to pick up on his identity at a glance and with just a name.

  Jake motions to Sean, asking for another beer, glad that the Mallory’s are serving something else other than that nasty stuff Sean called Guinness. He can’t understand how John is able to drink the stuff and relish in the disgusting flavor.

  As Sean comes back with his drink, Brigit comes back with Andy in tow.

  Jake smiles at seeing the two beautiful girls returning. He realizes he’s just staring stupidly at their approach, when John’s voice breaks through his reverie.

  “Is that the reason you wanted to go back with us, Marshal? To be able to take word back to his family?” John takes a long drink of his Guinness and sighs in satisfaction.

  Blackwolf nods, expression thoughtful. “Plus one of those letters was from his daughter, explaining me.”

  John acts like he’s trying to keep from spitting out his drink, choking in the process. He looks at the marshal sharply and demands, “Are you sure? Is that wise? All things considered, that is.”

  Blackwolf nods. “His family and I discussed it and thought it best.”

  Andy comes up to Jake and asks, “You guys done talkin’ about what you didn’t want me to hear, yet?”

  Jake smiles at the child’s astuteness. “Yes, child. We are. Thank you for that. One day, I will explain it all to you, I promise.”

  She nods. “I sure hope so. Can I have another drink like I had?” The hopeful look in her face makes Jake bark a laugh of genuine amusement.

  Chapter 13

  Later that evening, after having sufficiently celebrated the young girl’s adoption, both Jake and John are well into their cups and decide to crash upstairs.

  Andy begs to be allowed to spend some time with Brigit. Initially, Jake says no, but Brigit convinces him, saying that if the young girl is going to be in their care, she will need to learn how to help out.