Deputy at Large

by Judge Rodriguez

  Josh spins around so fast, something in his back pops with a loud crack. Pain shoots down his right leg, making it give way under him. He staggers and almost falls.

  Fawn rushes forward, to catch his shoulder and help support his weight. She guides him to the chair by the table she put the food down on and helps him sit down.

  “I’m sorry, if I offended you.” His voice is barely audible, even in his own ears.

  She crouches down, to see him at eye level. “Did you mean what you prayed?” she demands, with a fierce look in her eyes.

  Josh nods slowly. “I didn’t think anyone was listening. I’m sorry.”

  Before he can say anything else, she places a finger on his lips, shushing him.

  Even though his lower back is killing him, his right leg is both in pain and at the same time completely numb. Every nerve in his body is thrumming with energy. Every fiber of his being is singing in joy at feeling her touch.

  “Are you willing to swear on the Bible, that you meant it?” she demands, just as fiercely as before.

  Afraid he’s going to say something wrong and hurt her feelings again, he looks her directly in the eye and nods.

  He immediately loses himself in her golden-brown eyes. He’s been told that the eyes are the gateway to the soul. He knows he can tell a lot of what someone’s emotions are, by looking in their eyes.

  This, though, is something he’s never felt. He can see the shifting emotions as they pass through the golden maelstrom. There’s fear. More than he could imagine. There’s recognition. What does she recognize? There’s anger. He prays that anger isn’t directed toward him. There’s detachment. If he ever sees her look that way at him, his world will end. Then, last but certainly not least, there’s something he’s unable to put his finger on. Dare he hope? Might it be? Impossible to even consider it. But, undeniably, there it is. Desire. Desire for what? Desire to help him? Desire FOR him? Impossible. He’s a broken-down old man. No woman would ever want him, or to be with him. He knows that, now. There’s never a chance he’ll be happy.

  It feels like they stare in each other’s eyes for an eternity. Him, pouring all his fears and emotion into his. Her, he’s unsure. She could be doing the same, or could he be seeing the echoes of his own emotion, reflected back at him?

  In the hallway, he hears the clock chime seven times. Is it possible that it’s only seven of the clock? He hates to have to do it, but he breaks eye contact with her, to look at the door of the den and sees Joey entering.

  Fawn’s relaxed posture stiffens as she rocks back on her heels. She stands quickly and turns to look at the deputy.

  “I’m sorry, Marshal. I—I have duties . . .”

  Joey holds up a hand and smiles. “It’s okay. Are you alright, Uncle?”

  Josh nods. “I—I think so.” He tries to stand, but his leg still won’t support his weight. “I think there may be a problem.”

  Her eyebrows raise in alarm. “Do I need to get David to come here and look you over?”

  Though he hates to admit it, having a doctor look at him might be the best of ideas. He takes a deep breath and says, “That might be a good idea, after all.”

  Fawn turns and gives him a look of surprise as Joey nods and leaves quickly.

  Josh smiles reassuringly at Fawn. “David’s a doctor. You might say, the family doctor, as it were.”

  Fawn’s eyebrows lower as she asks, “Why didn’t you tell me you need a doctor?”

  Josh shakes his head. “I didn’t figure it out until just now.” He looks away. “Look, Fawn, I’m a broken old man. I’m no good. I have no right to claim anyone’s heart. You deserve to be with someone healthy and hale. Not some old horse wrangler that needs to be put out to pasture.”

  She shifts her weight from one leg to another and crosses her arms. “Don’t you DARE tell me who or what I deserve! Only I can make that choice.” Just to emphasize her point, she kneels down to look him in the eye, grasps his chin in her fingers and plants a solid kiss on his lips.

  He expects she was originally intending on just a solid, simple kiss. That, however, is not what happened. The kiss was intense, lingering. He felt it all the way to the core of his being.

  He’s glad he’s seated. If he weren’t, he’s certain his knees would be water and he’d most likely collapse. This is truly the first strong kiss he’s ever had.

  She breathlessly breaks the contact off and rocks back on her heels. She considers what just happened, smirks and kisses him again. This time, it only lasts for a moment.

  She rocks back and in one fluid motion, stands. She points toward the food sitting on the table next to him and says, “I brought you hot food. If you let it get cold . . . Well, just don’t let it get cold. Alright?”

  Josh looks at the food trying to control his stomach, the pain from his leg making him feel nauseated, then turns back to her. “I will try to eat it all.”

  Her eyes narrow a moment, then widen in understanding. She cups his face with her hand and says, “Eat it only if you can, okay?”

  The concern in her voice revitalizes him. “I’ll certainly try and thank you,” he says with a grim smile.

  She nods, then says, “I need to tell the judge about this.”

  Exactly which this she’s talking about, Josh isn’t sure he wants to know just yet.

  She turns and starts to leave, then stops, comes back, gives him a quick peck on the lips. “Be back in a few minutes.” She leaves quickly by the servant’s entrance.

  Not a minute after she closes the door, John walks down the hall in front of the primary entrance, turns and looks inside the room.

  Seeing Josh seated by the table, he cocks an eyebrow and grins impishly. “So, I take it, that things are going well?”

  Josh shakes his head. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

  John laughs. “Ah! The beginning of true wisdom. You alright?” His look changes from amusement to alarmed concern.

  “Something in my back popped. I think Joey is sending for your son.”

  John takes a slow, deep breath. “If anyone can help, it’s him. Where’s Fawn?”

  “Gone, talking to the judge.”

  “Know what about?”

  Josh shakes his head in confusion. “She said she was going to ‘talk to him about this’. Which ‘this’ she’s talking about, I don’t know.”

  John nods and smirks. “Well, hopefully, David hurries up. I bet you can’t wait to get back on your feet!”

  Josh nods. “I really hope it’s something he can fix.”

  John nods sagely. “So do I. I’ll be right back, myself.” He turns and leaves his brother trying to figure out if he can actually eat his supper.

  Twenty minutes after she left, Fawn returns to the den with David in tow.

  The young doctor takes one look at the marshal and turns to speak quietly with Fawn. They chat for a moment or two, he nods, then she leaves quickly.

  David approaches Josh and says, “So, Jake, what’s goin’ on?”

  “Well, I’m sorry to say, I’m hurting real bad, Doc.”

  “Yeah? That’s what I was told. Now, what happened and what’s hurting?”

  Josh quickly explains what happened.

  While listening, the young doctor stands there, nodding and rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. He asks specific and pointed questions about the sensations Josh is feeling in different parts of his body, which Josh answers the best he can.

  David turns at a noise behind him and says, “Hello, Fawn. Did you get it?”

  She nods and holds up a bottle of brandy.

  He grins at the beautiful young Cheyenne and asks, “What did Judge Logan say? Does he have a room for him?”

  She shakes her head. “No. He doesn’t, not any downstairs. But the marshal can sleep in my bed. I’ll sleep in the kitchen.”

  Josh is surprised at both the question and the statement. “Sleep here?” he asks David.

  “It’s not a good idea to move you across town. I’m pretty su
re I know what’s wrong, but you’re gonna have to sleep off the medicine I’ll be giving you.”

  Josh nods. “I can sleep on a couch, Fawn. I don’t want to dispossess you of your bed.”

  She gives him a serious look. “I’m used to sleeping on the floor. Trust me, I’ll be fine.” She looks at David. “I take it he needs a bed more so than the floor?”

  David nods. “He needs a warm, preferably hard bed.”

  She nods and smirks. “My bed it is then. It’s close to the kitchen, so it’ll work, I think.”

  Josh looks at David. “I take it I don’t have any choice in the matter?”

  “None, whatsoever.” He motions toward Fawn. “If you don’t mind, I think I could use some help here.” He motions for her to assist him and lift Josh out of the chair by his armpits and they support his weight as they guide him out of the room. The trio makes their way to the small room off to the side of the kitchen.

  David pours a glass of the brandy, then mixes something in with it. He hands the glass to Josh and says, “Drink it all, then lay down.”

  Josh does as told, though the brandy is so bitter, he almost gags from the horrible taste. Once the last dregs are down his throat, he lays down on his back.

  David shakes his head. “Nope. I need to work on your back. Here, let me help you.”

  Once Josh is laying on his stomach, he can’t see David, but feels the young doctor’s probing fingers manipulate several areas of his lower back.

  Finally, after a couple of minutes, Josh feels his tense muscles relax, his limbs lose mobility, then he hears David mutter, “About time it kicked in.”

  A moment later, David exclaims, “Ha! Found it!” Then he hears what sounds to be a slap, immediately followed by a crack, then a sharp pain in his lower back.

  The last thought he has before the darkness consumes him is, I wonder if they’ll take my badge away from me if I can’t walk.

  Chapter 55

  John heads downstairs from Logan’s office. He and Joey were summoned up there by the old man himself, to explain certain things in their reports.

  As he reaches the foot of the stairs, he hears a noise, turns and sees David coming out of the kitchen, with a grin, shaking his head.

  John snorts. “What’s got you so amused?”

  David’s grin gets wider. “Oh, I’m just marveling at His design.”

  Of all the things John expected to hear, this wasn’t it. “Um, okay? Care to elaborate?”

  The young doctor looks at his father a moment, then shrugs. “Sure, why not? Jake popped a lower part of his spine and pinched his sciatic nerve. It’s easy enough to treat and, while painful, not particularly detrimental if caught quickly. This instance, however, is different. It forced Jake to relax his control of things and made Fawn take charge. Now they can talk as a man and woman ought, not a lawman and former slave.”

  The astuteness of the observation takes John’s breath away. Is that the reason his brother got hurt? IS it His design? More than that though, is the question of what other designs am I missing? Are the problems between Liz and me part of His design as well? “So, you think he’ll be fit to travel in a few days then?”

  David nods. “He should be fine by morning. I gave him something for the pain and popped it again, just to get things back in place. He just over-did it lately with all the hard riding. Nether of you are spring chickens anymore, you know. Both of you have to learn how to slow down a bit.”

  “Don’t lecture me, son. I’ve had an exhausting day. Speaking of being tired.” He smirks at the doctor. “How did things go with the ladies? Did they run you ragged?”

  David snorts derisively. “I love the women in my life dearly.”

  John winces. Ouch. They must have had him going in three different directions at once. “You have my sympathy. Do you think Fawn has things in hand with Josh, or should we have someone here to watch him?”

  David shakes his head emphatically. “If you value your health, you won’t get in her way when she’s dealing with him. That’s one VERY determined young woman.”

  John looks at him in alarm. “Think he might be in danger?”

  David’s laugh is good-natured. “Of anything other than losing his status as a life-long bachelor? No.”

  Now it’s John’s turn to laugh. “I think it’s time to head back to the hotel.” He motions for David to follow him upstairs, so they can collect the young deputy and say bye to the judge, before they head back.

  As they reach the closed door to the judge’s office, the door opens without prompting and John almost walks into Joey. She stops abruptly and almost squeaks in surprise. “Oh! I was just going downstairs to see how Uncle Jake is doing.”

  David steps forward. “I think the judge will want to hear this as well.”

  John smirks as he hears Judge Logan say irritably, “Yes. Yes, I do! Get in here, you lot!”

  Joey turns around and leads the way to the judge’s desk.

  As they reach the desk, Logan’s sour expression makes John grin impudently.

  Testily, the judge demands, “Well? What have you to report?”

  “I—I—I think . . .” David stammers.

  John’s pretty sure it’s the judge’s authority, plus his temper, that’s making David flounder around. Taking pity on his son, John grins widely. “My boy seems to be having a bit of trouble finding his tongue. What he’s trying to say is, ‘Because you’re such a grouch, we’ve decided to saddle you with Josh.’ Oh, and also, we’re stealing your newest servant as well.”

  David’s mouth hangs open as he stares at the Marshal.

  Logan’s look darkens. “I should hold you in contempt of court for your tone.”

  John nods, now smiling widely. “Except we’re not IN court, so you can’t.”

  Now, it’s Joey’s turn to stare in shock at him.

  “Fine, I won’t hold you in contempt. Instead, you’re trespassing.”

  John starts laughing raucously. “If you have us arrested, we won’t tell you anything about what’s going on with Josh.”

  Logan drums his fingers on the desk for a moment, considering his options, before finally saying, “Well? I’m waiting.”

  John chuckles again. “Alright. I’ll be nice.” He sighs. “Josh really does need to stay the night. We’ve gotten him a bed and him in it. David, here, assures me he’ll be fine tomorrow.”

  Logan nods, reaches in the drawer of his desk, pulls out a bottle and several glasses. He offers each person a drink, which only John accepts.

  Once the drinks have been poured, Logan looks at John and asks, “Now, what is this about Fawn?”

  John nods. “Yeah. David is probably the best one to tell you about that.” He looks at his son and says quietly, “Don’t be afraid. You won’t get in trouble. It’ll be alright.”

  David’s eyes narrow at his father a moment, then he addresses the judge. “I needed someone to keep an eye on him, in case he reacts to the medicine I gave him. So, Fawn has appointed herself to be Jake’s nurse. It’s her bed he’s sleeping in, while she sleeps in the kitchen.” He shakes his head. “She didn’t give me any kind of choice in the matter.”

  Logan sighs in resignation. “You said he should be fine tomorrow?”

  David nods. “As long as you don’t plan on him walking across town or riding across the territory, he’ll be perfectly fine. What did you have in mind?”

  Logan sits back in his chair, and finishes his drink. “I thought all of you would enjoy being able to attend services. You haven’t had the chance to, since you went on the trail after Richard’s gang. Since tomorrow is Sunday, it’s the perfect opportunity to attend to it, don’t you think?”

  David laughs. “You don’t give much chance to say no, now do you?”

  “Ask your father. He can tell you.” He grins at John.

  John nods. “If you wouldn’t mind having your carriage pick us up, we can be here ready to go by nine,” he replies in a tone that indicates he’s not askin
g.

  Logan looks at him steadily. “Will one of you be willing to drive it? Goerg will be driving my other one, the one that has everyone from the household in it.”

  John nods. “Of course. If it’s needed, I’ll drive it. I expect Josh will want to ride with us.” He smiles a bit grimly. “I didn’t think the church would appreciate us all riding our horses over there after all.”

  Logan nods, then sighs, his face twitching, indicating he’s thinking on something for a moment. “I’ll see you around nine of the clock tomorrow morning, then.”

  Everyone turns and leaves the old litigator sitting in his office chair, musing on only God knows what.

  During the carriage ride back to the hotel, John quickly and quietly describes the dreams as he was told about them by Josh. Of course, he doesn’t go into much detail, but he lets them know about their existence.

  Joey asks why Josh chose to trust his brother with this information, even after all this time.

  To which John’s only reply is, “I didn’t give him much of a choice.”

  He looks off into the distance a while then grins. “That’s one thing about Josh. I’ve always been able to know when he was lying to me. Just like I expect he knows much the same about me. I just hope he allows things to develop on their own with Fawn, rather than trying to force them.”

  David smiles. “I get the feeling she won’t let him force anything. She may be the one pushing for things to happen, before it’s all said and done with.”

  Quietly, Joey asks, “What happened to her feeling defiled, unclean?”

  David looks at her a moment and cocks his head curiously.

  John nods. “Yeah. She was a prisoner of Major Arbuckle’s for only God knows how long. That’s not our story to tell, though. So, it’s a good idea not to ask any more.”

  Understanding lights in David’s eyes. “Oh. Oh, my.” He laughs nervously. “I had no idea. Does Jake know?” John nods. “Wow. Well, I’m sure that His plans include them both healing each other. I don’t think The Almighty would bring them together otherwise. All I can say is, ‘In His time, all things will happen.’”