Book Read Free

Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1)

Page 13

by Lori Wick


  wanted to go to church all the time. He was, however,

  gaining a glimpse of why Slater wanted to stay in this

  210

  town. Dakota thought he might stick around himself.

  "Hello," Griffin suddenly called as he came througji

  from the kitchen. "Any food left?"

  "Oh, Griff." Kate shook her head at him. "As if I would

  let you starve on the one day you let me feed you."

  Griffin smiled before kissing his mother's cheek, taking

  a seat, and serving himself. He was in the midst of telling

  120 lori wick

  them what had happened downtown when someone else

  came in the back door.

  "Doc! Doc!" the man cried frantically.

  "In here," Duffy said calmly but started to rise.

  Pat Brewster came panting to the doorway, his face a

  mask of fear. "Meg's pains have started. Doc, can you

  come?"

  "I'm on my way," Duffy told him.

  "I'd better get back," Pat panted, suddenly whipping

  the hat off his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Peterson," he said to

  Kate.

  211

  "It's all right. Pat. Tell Meg I'm thinking of her."

  "Thank you, ma'am."

  In the next few seconds Pat left and Duffy grabbed his

  bag, kissed Kate, took a hug from Laura, and made his way

  from the room. The diners had all fallen silent.

  "My Papa's going to make a baby be born," Laura said

  after a moment The pride in her voice made the rest of the

  room smile.

  ofo

  'vie

  "was laura serious about your handcuffs?" Dakota

  asked much later that day as both men rode on horseback

  along the creek line. The men had spent most of the afternoon

  with the Petersons. They were still there when Duffy

  returned to announce that he had delivered a healthy baby

  girl.

  "I'm afraid so," Slater replied, shaking his head with

  212

  regret. "I told you I went to jail."

  "True, but why would the sheriff take you to his

  mother's house?"

  Slater gave him a rundown and watched Dakota's

  brows lift. He didn't have to say it. It was written all over

  his face: Were these people real? Since Slater believed their

  actions were all spiritually based, he was glad when

  Dakota didn't press him over answers he wouldn't believe.

  "Do you think Libby will like being a Ranger's wife?"

  Dakota asked.

  "You'll have to ask her when you propose," Slater

  replied calmly, not rising to the bait.

  "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

  "Well, then she knows some other Ranger, because I

  turned in my badge."

  The look Dakota sent him was dark, and not just from

  the color of his eyes. He looked ready to begin a lecture but

  turned away, his eyes on the water.

  "How long do you plan to keep this up?" Dakota

  asked, his voice soft.

  213

  Slater sighed. "I'm not on vacation, Dak."

  121

  122 lori wick

  "Then what would you call it?"

  Slater weighed his words and spoke, a slight edge to

  his voice. "I don't know where all of this is going to lead,

  but rare are the times in my life when I've felt such a peace.

  I felt a peace when I told Brace, and I felt a peace the first

  Sunday I sat in that church and was taught from the Word.

  1 don't think I can tell you how much I needed that. If you

  have peace right now, I'm glad for you, and I will welcome

  your questions, but badgering me will stop, Dakota. I'm

  staying here right now, and thaf s the end of it. If you stay

  around, you'd better know one thing: I'm not going to have

  you constantly on my back."

  Dakota nodded but kept silent. Lately Slater had

  become very even-natured. He hadn't been as a child, so

  214

  there was no missing the change. It wasn't often in the last

  two years that he grew angry or overly passionate on an

  issue, so when he did, his family had learned to listen. It

  was on Dakota's mind to tell Slater that he would go along

  but that his eyes would be open. He changed his mind.

  Why would he want to threaten his brother? Much as he

  disagreed with his decision, the idea was ludicrous. They

  eventually turned and rode silently back toward town. No

  tension lingered between them--they cared for each other

  too much for that--but each brother wondered what the

  future would bring.

  S'-%r

  "Hey, Griff," Liberty said softly as she followed Griffin

  out the door.

  "Yeah?" He turned while still on the porch. The sun

  was falling fast, but they could still see each other well The

  already visible moon was full.

  "Did you see Tess today?"

  "Not to talk to. Why?"

  215

  Liberty opened her mouth but hesitated.

  Every Little Thing About You 123

  "What's the matter?" Griffin asked, his voice telling her

  he wanted an answer.

  "She was having a pretty hard time at the barn raising

  yesterday. I just wondered how she was today."

  "Was it something to do with me or her family?"

  "Some of both. She didn't talk to you?"

  "Not a word."

  Liberty nodded, saddened by the fact. She wanted to

  help her friend--she wanted to help Griffin--but the situation

  seemed impossible.

  "What did her family do?"

  Liberty explained the way they had backed out of

  coming and how lonely she felt.

  "How did my name come up?" Griffin asked, no censure

  in his voice.

  "Oh, Griff." Liberty sounded annoyed. "Sometimes I'm

  such a dolt. I told Tess that maybe someday she'd have a

  216

  family of her own. She was already upset. I don't know

  what I was thinking." Liberty stopped and then admitted,

  "Then she told me some of her most recent thoughts. I

  wanted to sob for her."

  Griffin could see that she didn't want to go on, but he

  had to know. 'Tell me, Ubby," Griffin said, his voice indicating

  he was at a loss in the whole situation.

  "You won't thank me, Griff--not if it hits you as hard

  as it did me."

  Griffin gave a mirthless laugh. "Sometimes I think a hit

  is just what I need. Please tell me."

  Liberty looked up at him. "She said she was glad for

  your family's sake that you were alive, but where she's

  concerned, you might as well be dead."

  Griffin could barely find air to fill his lungs. He put his

  hands on his sister's upper arms, harder than he intended,

  and brought her up dose.

  "Did she really, Libby--did she actually say that?"

  A small cry broke Liberty's voice. "I'm sorry, Griff. I'm

  so sorry."

  217

  124 lori wick

  Griffin slowly let go of his sister, his arms dropping to

  his side. What a fool he'd been. All this fear of leaving her

  when he'd already abandoned her. He looked over to see

  Liberty staring at him, tears caught on her lower lids.

  "Did I hurt you?"

  "N
o/' she replied, shaking her head. "Not at all. I just

  feel so bad."

  "I've got to go see her/' Griffin said, his voice still

  stunned. "I'll talk to you later."

  "Okay."

  Griffin was ten steps off the porch when he turned and

  ran back. He hauled Liberty into his arms and hugged her

  tightly.

  "Thanks, Lib/' he whispered.

  Liberty stood still long after her brother moved out of

  218

  sight. Her heart in her throat, she prayed that God would

  give Griffin wisdom and that Tess would just keep trusting.

  % %r

  "Well, Griffin," Mrs. Locken said with a smile, "come

  in.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Locken/' Griffin said as he removed

  his hat, ''but could I possibly see Tess here on the porch?"

  Mrs. Locken smiled. This man had never done anything

  to make her worry, but it was a cold evening.

  "Tess is in the kitchen, Griffin; you won't be disturbed

  in there."

  "Thank you," he said softly as he crossed the threshold.

  The house was warm, and with his heart trying to jump

  into his mouth, he began to perspire.

  "Just go on through, Griffin," the lady of the house

  invited. "Tess is working on a pie."

  Griffin greeted Mr. Locken as he passed through the

  living room, but he only waved his hand and kept the

  219

  newspaper to his face. His legs feeling weighted, Griffin

  made his way to the kitchen at the back of the house. Who-

  Every

  Little Thing About You 125

  ever had built this home had not spared in space. It was

  roomy and comfortable. The dining room was dim, but

  more light peeked from under the closed door to the

  kitchen. Griffin pushed open the door without knocking,

  standing just inside until Tess looked up from her work.

  "Well, Griffin," she said in surprised delight.

  In just a few strides, Shotgun's sheriff covered the distance

  between them and took Tess' flour-covered hand in

  his.

  "Marry me, Tess," he barely managed through suddenly

  dry lips.

  Tess closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She then

  smiled into his worried gaze and said, "Just name the date,

  Griffin, and 111 be there."

  "Oh, my wonderful Tess," the sheriff breathed as he

  220

  drew her gently into his arms. "I love you so."

  "Oh, Griffin." Tears were coming now, and Tess could

  not stop them. "I never thought..." she began.

  "I know," he said as he moved back and smoothed the

  hair from her brow. "I just didn't understand until Lib told

  me what you said."

  Tess wasn't long in catching on. "It was horrible of me."

  "It wasn't," Griffin said emphatically. "It was horrible

  of me, but to be honest, I really thought I was doing the

  right thing. Now I see that you're right: I might as well be

  dead for you if I'm going to keep us apart."

  Tess couldn't take it. She sobbed into his shirt front and

  couldn't stop, even when she heard the door open again.

  "I'm sorry," Griffin said, turning to see Mrs. Locken. "I

  didn't know she would cry."

  "What is it, Griffin? Has something happened?"

  "I asked her to marry me."

  As though he was watching the scene all over again,

  Mrs. Locken began to cry too. She and Tess came together

  in a hug and then laughed at each other's teary faces.

  221

  "I'm sorry," Mrs. Locken told Griffin. "You can't have

  bargained on both of us sobbing all over the place."

  '

  **'

  ^ 5-

  V

  v

  s

  ii

  v rf

  if'

  126 lori wick

  "Well, I left my sister in tears when I came over here,

  and something tells me my mother will do the same."

  "So Libby knew?" less asked. "What did she think?"

  "No, she didn't know, but she told me what you'd said

  and that was upsetting."

  222

  Tess briefly explained the conversation from the day

  before, and Mrs. Locken hugged her again.

  Ready for a lighter subject, the older woman said, "Tell

  me, Tess, a big wedding or a small affair?"

  Tess looked at Griffin. "I don't care, just as long as I

  become Mrs. Drake."

  "Oh my, Tess," her mother complained. "You'll have

  me going again. Come. Lef s go tell your father."

  The next few minutes went much better than Griffin

  could have anticipated. Mr. Locken actually put his reading

  material down long enough to smile at his daughter, congratulate

  the both of them, and ask about the date, something

  that would have to be considered. One of Tess'

  brothers even came home from downtown and heard the

  news as well before going off to his room. When Griffin

  was finally ready to leave, Tess walked him onto the porch.

  "I won't sleep tonight," Tess said, "and that means I'll

  have bags under my eyes. If I see you tomorrow, you'll

  change your mind."

  Griffin laughed. "That's not going to happen."

  223

  Tess could only stare at him. "I love you, Griffin."

  "I love you, Tess, so very much. Thank you for helping

  me see what I'm missing."

  Tess nodded, "We have to trust For all we know, something

  could happen to me."

  "I hope not," Griffin said softly. "I hope we're still

  gazing into each other's eyes 30 years down the road."

  All Tess could do was smile. It was the last thing Griffin

  saw before he turned and headed for home--not home

  exactly but more like the house next door, where just as he

  suspected, his mother, joined by his sister, cried when they

  heard the news.

  Every Littk Thing About You 127

  " *3^

  The man working with Hank Hathaway when Slater

  landed on the job the next morning was one of the biggest

  men Slater had ever seen. A vague remembrance of

  224

  someone lifting a horse from the creek passed through his

  mind even as he went forward to see if he still had a job.

  "I'm Slater Rawlings," he said as he put out his hand to

  the stranger.

  "Price Hathaway," the huge man said in return, just

  before he engulfed Slater's hand in a gentle grip. "I hear

  you've been fillin' in."

  "Yes," Slater said congenially, even as his heart sank. It

  sounded as though he was no longer needed.

  "I've been in Austin," Price informed him.

  "I'd heard that. How was it?"

  An odd light flickered in the larger man's eyes. "Not

  like I thought."

  "Did you make friends there?"

  "I thought I would, but I didn't"

  Slater ached a little for this gigantic young man. He had

  the face and eyes of a boy, and maybe the heart of one too.

  "What do you want Slater to do, Pa?" Price turned and

  asked.

  "Same as always," the older Hathaway grunted, not

  225

  bothering to look up.

  Price turned back to Slater with a huge grin. "Pa's as
r />   informative as ever."

  Slater smiled before he went for a hammer. He came

  back and began to stack and organize the lumber. Right

  now they were building a house. It wasn't long before Price

  was working beside him.

  "You ever been to Austin?" the young Hathaway

  asked.

  "I have, yes."

  128 lori wick

  "It's big/' he said with awe. "I had heard that, but I

  wanted to see for myself."

  "Did you get work there?"

  "I tried, but nothing panned out."

  "What did you want to do?"

  "I wanted to build houses--big, fancy ones--but

  everyone I met told me I should be in the saloons. I finally

  ran out of money and had no choice. I was hired right

  226

  away."

  Slater took in the pained look on his face. Yes, he was

  the perfect size for a bouncer but clearly not a rough individual.

  The combination would not have worked.

  "How'd you get home?" Slater asked as he began to

  place a board against the studs and nail it into place. Price

  worked on a plank of his own.

  "I finally saved enough to go. They actually owed me

  a little more pay, but I wanted out."

  Slater wanted to ask if it was nice to be home, but the

  pain on Price's face was too raw.

  "Where is that saw I asked for?" Hank called.

  Unlike Price's last communication with his father, this

  time he didn't smile. His look was clearly longsuffering as ,

  he turned to help his parent. Slater watched the two of

  them for just a moment, wondering what the week would

  bring.

  s--3- Sr

  "I'm here for my gun," Dakota told Liberty as soon as

  227

  he opened the office door.

  Liberty laughed as she stood and took the weapon

  from the wall cabinet.

  "I really am sorry," she said as she handed it over, eyes

  brimming with pleasure.

  "You look sorry," he teased back and then shook his

  head. "It wasn't a very nice welcome to your fine town."

  "That's true," Liberty had to admit.

  Every Little Thing About You 129

  "Think of my feelings. You've got some patching to

  do."

  Liberty laughed again. "All right, I'm very, very sorry."

  Dakota shook his head. "That won't do. Nothing short

  of lunch with me will help."

  Liberty's mouth opened in surprise, and she gave an

  incredulous laugh. He was certainly smooth, but she was

  not going to agree. When her features were composed once

  again, she told him plainly, "I'm going home to have lunch

  with my mother and sister. You're free to join us, but that's

 

‹ Prev