One of the doors beside the fireplace opened almost immediately and a young woman stepped out. The first thing Devlin noticed was how far along in her pregnancy she seemed to be, her belly rounded and protruding. The second thing he noticed was how lovely she was with her long dark hair, deep brown eyes, and beautiful smile. There was a glow about her, one that reflected happiness and contentment. Her smile widened as she leaned into Rafael for a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Rafael, so nice to see you!”
“You, too, Damita. You’re looking well.”
Her hand moved to her belly and her eyes lit up. “This one doesn’t let me rest,” she said, but there was no anger or frustration in her tone. Quite the contrary, she seemed to be happy about it.
“Damita, this is Marshal Devlin Goodrich.”
The woman extended her hand and shook his. “A pleasure, Marshal. Please,” she gestured toward the table in the kitchen which was covered with a pristine white lace tablecloth. Several candles, unlit, made a small circle in the middle of the table, surrounding a vase filled with fresh flowers. “Make yourselves comfortable. I just finished making sopapillas. They might still be warm.”
“I hear you play chess.” Devlin addressed Alfonso as he took his seat.
Alfonso visibly brightened. “I do. Every chance I get. Do you play?”
“Why don’t you stop by the Marshal’s Office the next time you’re in town and we’ll play a game or two.”
“I would like that. How about tomorrow?”
Devlin laughed. He liked this man. “Tomorrow would be fine.”
“Here you are, gentlemen,” Damita placed a plate of freshly made soft pillows of fried dough sprinkled with sugar in front of them then turned away. She brought small plates and silverware next, then coffee cups emblazoned with pansies, the color of the flowers reminding him of Tresia’s eyes.
She poured coffee, then set the coffeepot down on the table, and took a seat.
“So, Marshal, tell us a little about yourself,” Damita said, a look of expectancy on her face.
“There isn’t much to tell, really. My daughter and I came here from Albuquerque.”
“Wait! I’ve read about you in the newspapers.” Alfonso interrupted. “You’re the one who brought in Big Bill Cassidy.”
Devlin stiffened, the coffee cup halfway to his mouth. He didn’t know whether to be proud or disappointed that Alfonso knew of his reputation. Part of the reason for coming to this small town was to forget everything that had happened before. He couldn’t do that if everyone kept reminding him of what he’d done. At least, none of the newspaper articles about him at that time mentioned Hannah or Avery, and for that, he remained grateful. He looked Alfonso in the eye and said, “I am.”
“His partner, too! What was his name?” Alfonso’s eyes closed for a moment as if searching his memory. They flew open a second later as he snapped his fingers. “Burdette. Smiley Burdette. That’s it. So glad you brought those men in.”
“I am as well,” he said, then took a sip of his coffee. He most definitely did not want to talk about this with people he didn’t know very well. Hell, he didn’t want to talk about it with people he did know well. If everyone forgot about it, he could, too, though he knew that was a lie. He’d never forget what chasing down Cassidy had done to him. Or Hannah. Or Avery.
He forced himself to relax then changed the subject. They spoke of mundane things—the things one speaks about when getting to know one another—and the rest of the visit was pleasant. No one mentioned Big Bill Cassidy again or his partner, Smiley, two of the most loathsome criminals who’d ever roamed New Mexico and occasionally crossed over into Arizona or Texas, especially when evading the law.
“Thanks for the coffee and the sopapillas, Damita, but we need to head out.” Rafael finished his coffee, licked some sugar from his fingertips, then rose from his seat. “More people for the Marshal here to meet.”
“My pleasure, Rafael.” She started gathering the dishes from the table. “It was lovely to meet you, Marshal.” She smiled at himas she touched his arm lightly. “I’m glad you’re here, especially since Alfonso has someone to play chess with.”
“Hey!” Rafael glanced at her, seeming to be offended though he wasn’t. “I play chess.”
“You do, but no offense, not very well.” Alfonso replied good-naturedly as he rose from his seat and walked them to the door.
The deputy said, “That’s true. Marshal Kimball was just starting to teach me when he decided to retire.”
“Where you headed next?” Alfonso stood in the open doorway as Damita joined him.
“Montaña del Trueno.”
Alfonso smiled. “GiveTiaEvie and Jake our best, and if you should see Teddy, tell him he owes me a rematch.”
“I’ll remind him.” Rafael promised, then glanced at him. “You ready?”
“I am. It was a pleasure meeting you both.” He shook hands then followed Rafael outside to their waiting horses.
“Nice people,” Devlin said shortly after as they rode beyond the gate.
