Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1)

by Lori Wick

  Lloyd, but Liberty hung back until they were almost all

  gone. Griffin was close by, Dakota and Slater behind him.

  "I'm sorry I didn't get there in time, Lloyd," Liberty

  said, tears coming without invitation. "I can't tell you how

  sorry."

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  "It's not your fault, Libby. I'm just glad no one else was

  hurt."

  Tears fell as she nodded and shifted her gaze to Josie,

  who was standing next to some of Lloyd and Desna's

  family. As she watched, Laura came up to the other little

  girl.

  "Hi, Josie. Mam said you can come and play with me.

  Do you want to come and play sometime?"

  Josie nodded and Laura gave her a hug, one that the

  younger girl returned.

  "We'll plan on that," the woman next to Lloyd now

  said. She was Desna's sister.

  "Call on us," Griffin told him, his hand extended in

  friendship. "We'll do whatever we can, Lloyd."

  "Thanks, Griff."

  It was time to move on, but Liberty didn't want to. She

  stood in momentary indecision. Since she was ready to

  leave, Laura made it a little easier. She took Liberty's hand

  and even turned away. They hadn't gone ten feet when the

  five-year-old stumbled over the uneven ground and nearly

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  fell. Slater was suddenly there, scooping her up to sit on his

  arm and taking Liberty's hand in his own.

  "If I had just been a little faster," Liberty said quietly.

  "Don't do this to yourself." Slater's voice came softly to

  her. "It won't help to go over it again and again."

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  Liberty turned her head to look up at him. It was too

  easy to forget that he would know that. The news about his

  past job was still so foreign. Dakota seemed like a Texas

  Ranger, but for some reason Slater did not. A moment of

  disquiet filled her. Was he capable of being Griffin's

  deputy? Had Griffin known what he was doing, or was the

  decision made in the heat of emotion? On top of these

  upsetting thoughts, Liberty abruptly realized how warm

  and solid his hand was and how confidently he'd taken

  over with Laura. Even amid her doubts about his serving

  as deputy, Liberty still thought him the most wonderful

  man she'd ever met.

  "Here you go/' he said gently, helping her into Duffy

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  and Kate's wagon.

  "Come and have some lunch," Kate invited Slater, her

  eyes taking in Griffin and Dakota as well.

  "You're welcome to come by the house for lunch,"

  Duffy cut in, his voice mild, "but your hostess will be lying

  down."

  Kate's hand went to her mouth, and she looked away.

  She was just holding on, and her husband knew it.

  "Do you want company, Lib?" her brother asked.

  She nodded yes. It wasn't hard to guess that she found

  that easier than being on her own. The wagon pulled away

  then, and the men moved to their horses. Once at the

  house, her husband seeing to the task of settling Kate

  upstairs, all hands joined in to help with the meal. It was

  light fare, and because her mother was not with them, Liberty

  was committed to acting as normally for Zach and

  Laura as she could. Neither one of them had eaten a good

  breakfast, and she determined to see food into them now.

  Slater was feeling the same way about Liberty, and Dakota

  watched it all in silence. Not until the meal was over and

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  he was in the living room with Zach and Griffin did he start

  to relax. It didn't last long, however, as the little boy began

  to talk with his brother.

  "I don't like cemeteries, Griff."

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  "Why not, Zach?"

  The little boy shrugged. "They scare me a little."

  Griffin nodded.

  "I'm not scared now, but I'm afraid I'll think of it

  tonight when I go to bed."

  "Come here, Zach," Griffin invited, putting an arm

  around him when he joined him in the large chair. "Do you

  know one of the things I love about God, Zach? If s the way

  He's everywhere all the time. Do you know what that's

  called?"

  Zach shook his head no.

  "Omnipresent. That's a long, funny word, but it simply

  means that God is everywhere 100 percent of the time. I

  love that. When I have to ride into a dangerous situation, I

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  know that He's with me, but that He's also where I'm

  headed. When I lie down at night He's with me, but He's

  also with Tess. I take great comfort in that

  "And now tonight, 111 be thinking of you especially. I'll

  be so glad that when God is with me, He's also with you in

  your bed, and with Josie Frank where she's sleeping, and

  even at the cemetery. There's no reason to fear if God is

  with us, Zach, and He always is."

  "Papa has told me that, but I think I forgot."

  "Well, I'll pray that you'll remember it the next time

  you're scared. You can pray that Josie will understand and

  remember too."

  Without warning or word to anyone, Dakota suddenly

  stood and left the room. Zach looked to his brother, his eyes

  questioning. Griffin's eyes met the younger ones.

  "I think maybe Dakota could use the same prayers too,

  Zach."

  The six-year-old was still nodding when Griffin tightened

  his arm around him and bent to give him a kiss.

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  "How are you?" Slater asked Liberty as he took the wet

  bowl from her hand.

  "I'm all right. I'm always surprised at how much it

  affects me physically. I still feel bruised all over."

  "You might be in a way/' Slater surmised.

  Liberty looked up at him in question.

  "You move very fast when you draw, Libby. That's

  bound to affect your muscles."

  "I've never thought of that," Liberty said slowly. She

  had just handed another bowl to Slater when Dakota burst

  through the door.

  "Oh/' he seemed momentarily stopped. "I, um71 mean,

  thanks for lunch, Libby."

  "Are you all right?" Slater asked before Liberty could

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  reply.

  "Yeah," Dakota answered, but he was clearly agitated.

  "I've got to go."

  Both Slater and Liberty watched in surprise as he

  moved for the back door and left in a hurry.

  "I need to see what's wrong/' Slater said, even as he

  was setting the towel down and moving out the door.

  Liberty didn't try to comment; she didn't want to distract

  him, but she stepped away from the washtub to see

  Slater catch up with Dakota halfway between the houses.

  "Are you all right?" Slater asked again, this time taking

  his brother's arm.

  "No, I'm not all right," he gritted. "But it's nothing you

  could possibly understand."

  "Try me."

  Dakota speared him with angry eyes. "I suppose you

  thought the service was great. I suppose you agreed with

  every word."

  "I did, yes."

 
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  Dakota shook his head in disgust. "What's the matter

  with all of you, Slater? A woman is dead. Her husband and

  baby stood there in terrible grief, and who do we hear

  about? Jesus Christ! Unbelievable."

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  It was cold out, but neither man seemed to notice.

  Slater's mind scrambled fast for a reply, his mind praying

  for wisdom.

  "What did you want Pastor Caron to say, Dak? What

  would you have deemed appropriate?"

  "A little more about the woman herself, for starters. He

  turned it into a sermon!"

  "What if the woman was who she was because of Jesus

  Christ, Dak?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, you heard what he said. She was a changed

  person because of her faith."

  Dakota's eyes narrowed. Slater knew he was not happy

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  with that answer, but he went on anyway.

  "If I'm a different person because of my beliefs, Dakota,

  and I were to die, I would want other people to know they

  could have the same hope. Lloyd Frank clearly feels the

  same way." Slater took a breath and said, "Maybe you

  should be listening instead of criticizing."

  "My life is fine," Dakota did not hesitate to clarify.

  "If that's true, then why does this have you so upset? If

  everything is fine, you should be able to shrug this off and

  go on with your life."

  Dakota's eyes became dangerously black, but Slater

  held his ground.

  "I'm leaving," he finally gritted out

  Slater stood still as Dakota stormed away and slammed

  into the house. Not until he reappeared with his saddlebags

  and gear did Slater see how serious he was and follow

  him to the barn to try again.

  "Please don't leave like this, Dak. Don't leave in a

  rage."

  "I'm not angry at you, Slate," Dakota said tightly,

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  throwing tack onto Eli in a hurry. "You're just a little confused

  right now, and I know how that can be. I just need to

  get away for a time. Maybe when I return you'll have come

  down off this cloud that says your way is the only way."

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  Slater had no idea how to reply. He believed with all of

  his heart that God's Son was the only way, but clearly that

  was the last thing he could say right now. Dakota mounted

  Eli and said goodbye, leaving Slater standing by the small

  barn. As he watched him ride away, Slater thought it most

  fitting that it had finally begun to rain.

  "I brought you some soup," Liberty said as she entered

  her mother's room.

  "Thank you, dear." Kate sat up and reached for her

  robe; the room was chilly.

  "Did Zach and Laura eat lunch?"

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  "Yes. I think I got quite a bit into them."

  "And what about you?"

  Liberty chuckled. "Slater kept pushing food my way.

  He must have had the same plan I had for the kids."

  Kate took a sip from the mug of soup and watched her

  daughter. Ablush had stolen over her cheeks, and her eyes,

  which had a dreamy light in them, had gone toward the

  window.

  "You're falling for this man, Libby," her mother said.

  "I think you're right." Liberty bit her lip and met her

  mother's eyes. "I didn't know I could feel this way about

  anyone, Mam. I think he's wonderful."

  "Are you going to be able to move slowly?"

  Liberty nodded. "I do have feelings, though, ones I've

  never experienced before. I also have a lot of questions. We

  haven't talked about when he came to Christ, and he said

  he'd get back to me about why he left the Rangers."

  "Cover all of it, Lib. I can't give you better advice than

  that."

  "When did you and Duffy find time to talk?"

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  Kate smiled. "It wasn't easy. I had two children and he

  had a busy practice, but we made it work. I also listened to

  the people who were close to me. If someone I loved and

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  trusted had felt any doubts, I would have slowed down or

  stopped."

  "Do you and Duffy have doubts about Slater?"

  "Not doubts, but we do want you to go slowly. We

  think Slater is wonderful. We're delighted that he's taking

  the deputy's position, but that doesn't mean he's the man

  God has for you."

  Liberty nodded. "I think about what Tess said too--

  you know, about my never noticing male attention before.

  Maybe all I'm feeling is a first-time infatuation."

  "That's what time will determine, dear. Give yourself

  lots of it."

  Liberty stood and kissed her mother's cheek.

  "Send the kids up, will you, Lib? I want to see how

  they're doing."

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  "Will do. Are you up to coming to the table for dinner?"

  "I feel up to it, yes, but Duffy may come home and

  order me back to bed. I'll be down in about an hour."

  "All right."

  Zach and Laura were already in the hallway when she

  left the room, their little faces anxious.

  "Can we see Mam, Libby?" Zach asked.

  "Yes, Zach. She was just asking for you."

  Liberty smiled as they raced down the hall and heard

  her mother's cry of delight. Again she prayed that God

  would allow this fifth child to come safely into their world.

  "So HE JUST STORMED OFF?" Griffin asked.

  "Yep. He's fighting what he's hearing, I'm sure. That's

  not like Dakota, but then I guess I did a good deal of

  fighting myself."

  "What do you suppose brought it on?" Tess asked; the

  three of them were at the sheriff's office the next day.

  ''The funeral," Slater said, filled her in, and went on.

  "He's not a man who cares how other people live as long

  as they obey the law, so this is a surprise. I haven't had

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  hope until now."

  "Zach and I were talking in Mam's living room yesterday

  when he left so suddenly."

  "What were you discussing?"

  "God's omnipresence."

  Slater nodded.

  "I find it so interesting that he wanted Pastor Caron to

  talk more about Desna," Tess said. "Do you remember

  what you pointed out to me, Griff, about the way the disciples

  wanted to talk about themselves when Jesus mentioned

  His death?"

  Griffin nodded. "It's the same today. You talk about

  Christ's work on the cross, and most people start telling

  you how good they've been. They want to talk about themselves,

  not about Christ's death for their sins."

  Slater's brows rose. That was exactly what he did for a

  time, but he eventually got so miserable that all the fight

  went out of him.

  "Do you think he'll come back?" Griffin now asked.

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  "Yes, but probably not for a time. I know he thinks I

  need to get my head on straight. I'm not real anxious to

  have him return, knowing there will probably be another

  confrontation."

  "Maybe not
/' Tess put in. "Maybe hell run into the

  man who led you to Christ, and he'll have an impact"

  "I only hope and pray that it happens," Slater said sincerely.

  "Oh, there's Ubby," Tess exclaimed, spotting her across

  the street. "Maybe shell come over."

  Slater's head whipped around at the sound of that

  name, and he was out the door so fast the other two almost

  didn't see him move. Griffin and Tess' eyes met, both

  people smiling in delight.

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  *3r

  "I think the pink calico/' Liberty said to Miss Amy.

  "The one with the small flowers."

  "Six cents a yard," Miss Amy quoted as she laid it on

  the counter. "I just got this in."

  "And the navy flannel?"

  "Eleven cents a yard" was the price as this bolt came

  down from the shelf.

  "Thank you. I need to see a little of the blue-striped

  ticking too."

  "That goes for twelve cents a yard."

  "Okay. Thanks, Miss Amy. I'll look these over and do

  some figuring."

  "Okay. I've got a special on buttons. There're some red

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  ones that would be nice if you want that navy flannel for a

  shirt"

  "Okay." t,

  Liberty was fingering fabric and working sums on her

  paper when Slater approached. He said nothing but stood

  at her shoulder and watched her work. Without warning

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  Liberty's head came up, and she swung around to look at

  the buttons. What she encountered was Slater's chest.

  "Hello," he said quietly, a smile in his eyes.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

  "I saw you," he told her warmly, and watched as she

  smiled, bit her lip, and dropped her eyes.

  "How did you know I was in here?"

  "Tess is across the street talking to Griffin. She spotted

  you."

  Liberty nodded.

  "What are you shopping for?"

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  "Mam gave me a list of things. Zach needs a shirt, and

  two of Laura's dresses are rather short."

  "Nothing for yourself?" Slater asked, wishing he could

  purchase something for her, something as lovely and feminine

  as she looked right now.

  "Not today."

  "How are you doing, Libby?" he suddenly asked so

  seriously that Liberty wanted to lay her head against his

  shoulder and cry.

  "Why did you ask me that?"

  "Because with a list like that, it sounds as though your

  mother knew you needed to get out."

  Liberty nodded. "She probably did."

  "Is your mother feeling better?"

  "Yes. She's up and around, and Duffy has stopped