"Slim, what's a godfather?" Mike was cuddled in Slim's arms one evening six weeks later. So much had happened since that fateful week. The most important thing was that Mike was finally, legally, Slim's and Jess's son.
Slim smiled and ran a hand through the blond curls and tucked the boy a little closer. He glanced over at Jess. The twin blue orbs met and were held by the invisible thread that had joined them long ago.
"The easiest way is to remember what a father is," Slim began.
"That's easy!" Mike exclaimed. "A father takes care of his family. He makes sure that they are safe and have plenty to eat."
"Well, we certainly do that, uh Slim," Jess teased. He was stretched out in his rocker and looked totally content. "Think carefully Mike. What else does a father do?"
"Well," Mike said seriously, "you and Slim make sure that I know how much you love me. You show me how to do things and when I make a mistake you make sure that I know you're not mad at me, just what I did wrong. When you tell me to go to my room, you're trying to protect me and you always explain things to me afterwards."
"Who are you and what have you done with our son?" Jess shook his head in mock despair. "Pard, this boy of ours is plenty smart uh?"
"Yeah," Slim replied and then added "I guess he's got us down pat, Pard."
"I still don't know understand?" Mike squirmed on Slim's lap, "If I have you both, why do I need a godfather, whatever that is?"
Slim sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He tried again. "Tiger," he started, "Jess and I are closer than brothers. We've been through a lot together and we think alot alike , we both know that we need someone else to step in every once in awhile to help us take care of you, the ranch and now Daisy. That week that I had to leave you with Mort was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I worried a lot about how you were doing and how you were feeling. That's one of the reasons why I wired Jess at the fort. I knew you'd be safe but," his voice trailed off.
"Tiger, Slim can worry the size of Texas," Jess spoke up. "But," he added, "he and I trust Mort because in a lot of ways he's been like a father to us too."
"Really?" Mike asked, sitting up straighter.
They both nodded and Slim added softly, "after Jess, there's no one I trust more. So after Jess got back and we were waiting for Judge Henry's letter, we talked about a godfather for you. The only man we wanted was Mort. The. Only. One."
"And you already know what a godfather does, you've seen him in action all this time," Jess nodded.
Mike thought back to the week he had spent with Sheriff Mort. He had explored Laramie and learned about blacksmithing, work done at the livery and helped out at the general store. Mort had given him a lot of candy sticks and read to him. They had played some fun games and he had been able to come home to do some chores. He had taken time to listen to him. Sometimes, he could hardly remember his own Pa. He felt guilty about that but with Slim and Jess he had been given a second chance to have a father, well two fathers and he was what Aunt Daisy called, "blessed."
"Do you think he'll say yes?" Mike asked, looking up at Slim. Both men smiled at him in return.
"We sent him a letter, Mike. We asked him to come to dinner tomorrow night. We got a reply this afternoon."
As Mort rode toward the Sherman ranch the next day, his thoughts drifted back to the extraordinary letter, an invitation really, to be part of Mike's life. It was an honor, to be sure and he was so thankful for the second chance. Any reservations he had disappeared when Mike wrapped his arms around him and declared that he was the luckiest boy in the whole world because everyone in his family had been given a second chance to have a loving family and he got to have to have three fathers!
Author's Note: My thanks to Calico West and Cory Lynne (for information on Mort) for their invaluable assistance during the writing of this story. I also want to thank all of you who read and commented. /p
MS