Lawman's Redemption

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As soon as she was gone, Hallie’s smile faded. Now that the surprise was wearing off, she knew it was silly, but she felt betrayed. She’d thought she and Brady were building some sort of friendship—thought they had some kind of connection that they lacked with most other people. He’d shared his secrets with her, for heaven’s sake.

They probably hadn’t been secrets at all. Probably everyone in town knew everything about him, and he’d just lied to her.

Lied.

The man who’d told her he was as honest as the day was long, and she’d believed him.

“Listen, Hallie…”

Jaw clamped shut, she glanced at him. She wouldn’t make it easy for him by asking questions or responding in any way. Let him get the explanation out all on his own.

“This is as big a surprise to me as anyone else.”

Her resolution to stay quiet did a quick poof! into thin air.

“You just happened to forget that your marriage to your ex-wife produced a daughter?”

His mouth thinned. “No, of course not. But…she’s not my daughter. At least, that’s what I always believed.”

“And why would you believe that? Because it was easier than being a part of her life? Because then you could go off to New Mexico and Colorado and Oklahoma and do what you wanted and never have to deal with her?”

His eyes turned cold and hard, as if they’d been chipped from a chunk of frozen sky. “I believed it because her mother swore it was true. I told you Sandra had a lot of affairs. She was convinced that one of her boyfriends was Les’s father, not me. That’s when I ended the marriage.”

“But Les uses your name. She believes you’re her father.”

“I know. Apparently, Sandra lied to one of us.” A scowl settled over his features. “I don’t think Les knows why I haven’t been around for fourteen years, and if she doesn’t, I’d rather not tell her.”

Of course not. What would it do to the mother-daughter relationship if he said, Hey, kid, you haven’t had a father in your life because your mother drove him away? Though judging from the way Les looked, Hallie wasn’t sure there was much of a mother-daughter relationship to damage.

“I didn’t lie to you, Hallie. When you asked me if I had any kids, I honestly thought the answer was no.” He reached back to rub his neck as if it ached. “Even now I don’t know…”

“But you’re going to let her stay.”

“For a while. What else can I do?”

He could put her on a southbound bus, or drag her onto an airplane, or simply call her mother and demand that she come and get her. He could even turn her over to social services. After all, a man had no obligations to his ex-wife’s child.

But if she was his child, too…

“I, uh…I can’t get off early today,” he went on, his gaze fixed somewhere around her hands, resting on the tabletop. “Reese is gone, and one of the deputies called in sick today, so we’re shorthanded. I was wondering…if maybe you could…” He drew a deep breath, then met her gaze. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

She smiled a bit. “There’s no shame in asking favors. Everyone needs help from time to time.”

“Not me.”

“Ha. You need help right now, and the reason is on her way back here.” She didn’t need to look to know that Les was returning from the bathroom. The central focus of virtually every diner’s attention was enough to tell her.

In a rush, Brady blurted out, “Will you keep an eye on her this afternoon?”

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” She watched as Les circled the next table, then pulled out her chair. “I’d be happy to.”

“Redneck goobers,” Les said as she sat down. “They should keep their looks to theirselves.”

“Aw, come on, Les,” Hallie gently chided. “If you didn’t want people to look at you, you wouldn’t dress in a manner guaranteed to make them look.”

The kid gave her a scornful look, then scanned the menu. “Jeez, did I forget to mention that I’m a vegetarian? And you bring me to a freakin’ steakhouse? Don’t you know what red meat does to your body? To say nothing of the fact that consuming animal flesh goes against the laws of nature.”

“Animals eat animals in the wild,” Brady muttered.

“Some of them even eat their young,” Hallie said with a teasing smile. “What kind of vegetarian are you? Vegan? Ovo, lacto or lacto-ovo?”

Les’s expression turned suspicious. “What do you know about vegetarians?”

“Honey, I live in California, where I used to give parties for hundreds of people with menus that allowed for every dietary restriction you could possibly think of.”

“I’m lacto-ovo. I eat ice cream. And cheese. And ranch dressing.”

“So you could have a salad, a baked potato, some veggies and dessert.”

“Yeah, I could.” Les looked from her to Brady. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Hallie looked at him, too, curious about the answer he would give.

His cheeks flushed just a little under his dark skin, and he answered with a frown, “We’re…friends.”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

His flush turned to a deep crimson blush, and he opened his mouth twice without getting any words out.

“If he is,” Hallie said, “it’s none of your business. In fact, if he isn’t, it’s none of your business.”

“I bet he isn’t. Sandra says he’s dreadfully lacking in social skills. She says he never had a clue how to make a woman happy.”

And Sandra was a deceitful, scheming, lying witch, Hallie thought snidely.

The waitress took their orders while dividing her surreptitious looks between the three of them, then returned almost immediately with drinks and salads. When the silence had dragged on interminably, Hallie nudged Brady under the table, then nodded slightly toward Les.