Sweet Talking Lawman by M.B. Buckner

gots any more kids?”
    “Nope, you’re the only
one.  My sister has a couple of children.  I’ll take you to meet them
one day soon.  They’re your cousins.”  He wasn’t sure exactly when
that would happen, because right now, his sister was right up there with Mesa,
at the top of the list of people he was angry at.
    “Where do you libe?” 
She couldn’t stop the questions.  It seemed they just bubbled out.
    “I live on a ranch not far
from here, with Uci.  She’s my grandmother, but she’s the one who raised
me and my sister after our mom died.”
    Her coffee bean eyes darted
to the badge clipped to his belt.  “My mom said you’re a cop?”
    He nodded.  “I’m the
sheriff.  What that means, is instead of workin’ just in town, me and my
deputies work all over the whole county.”
    “Where’s your sheriff suit?”
    “At home.  I wasn’t
workin’ today, until I got a call to come out here.”
    Just for a minute, the shock
of suddenly being flung into parenthood hit Rafe like a fist to the gut and he
leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees again.  He looked back at
the little girl sitting beside him on the bench.  “You and I’ve missed out
on a lot, not bein’ together before.  We have a lot of catchin’ up to do,
don’t we.”
    Raale nodded.  “I bets
it’ll be fun, habing a dad.”
    He leaned toward her and
bumped her little shoulder gently with his arm.  “I’m gonna make sure of
that.  Can you ride?”
    “Ride what?” she asked, her
brows arching with interest.
    “Horses.  Do you know
how to ride a horse?”
    She shook her head
negatively.  “Mr. Bob said he’d teach me, but the horses I saw at that
barn was huge .  I…don’t think I…wants to ride one of dem.  Do
you habe little horses?”
    Rafe chuckled again. 
“Nope, mine’s huge, too, but how about if I ride my horse and you ride with
me?  Could you do that?”
    She nodded.  “I guess. 
‘Cause you know how to tell ‘em what to do.  I don’t and they might not
like habing a kid trying to boss them around.”
    “I know we just met, Raale,
but I’d like to take you to meet Uci and your cousins, right now.  Would
you be afraid to go off with me if I promise to bring you back before
dark?”  He suddenly wanted Uci to meet his child more than anything.
    “But Mom wouldn’t go ‘cause
you’re mad at her?” she reasoned.
    He shrugged.  “You
wouldn’t like goin’ if she doesn’t go?”
    Raale tightened her grip on
his hand.  “She maybe won’t let me go ‘less she goes, too.”
    He nodded.  “You might
need to let me talk to her alone for a few minutes, but I’m sure she will, if
you want to go with me.”
    She nodded a timid smile
spreading her small mouth.  “You’re my dad.  I’m not a’scared to go
with you.”
    He stood up and keeping her
little hand, securely closed in his, they walked up the dock to where Jory sat
at the picnic table.
    Mesa had watched the whole
time from the cabin, her heart racing like crazy, her mind swirling with fears
and guilt as Rafe sat and talked with her…their little girl.  She knew
Rafe was furious with her, but she knew him well enough to know that his heart
was already captivated by his child.  He had always loved children and he
was good with them, so she wasn’t worried about Raale.  But she had kept
his daughter from him for over five years and that would be hard for him to
forgive.  She understood his anger.
    Then they were walking along
the dock, hand in hand, and her heart staggered at the sight.  She’d made
such a terrible mistake in not letting Rafe know that he was a father! 
She couldn’t change the past but, for maybe the first time, she wished she had
done things differently.  Raale turned Rafe’s hand loose and squatted down
to look at something in the grass that Jory was showing her as they reached the
picnic table where he sat waiting.
    Rafe walked on toward the
back door alone.  His anger at Mesa was