Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1)

by Lori Wick

  out."

  Slater's look was telling.

  "I knew it was probably the other way around/' Cash

  confessed, knowing which of his brothers needed more

  guidance at the moment. "What happened?"

  Slater gave his brother a detailed account of the bank

  shooting, the death of Desna Frank, and Desna's funeral

  service. Cash had no trouble catching on.

  "I wonder how long he's going to fight this."

  "I don't know, but this is the most riled up I've ever

  seen him. He's still angry with me over leaving the

  Rangers, and it's not like him to carry things around. He

  left here in a huff. I hated to have him go like that. With our

  jobs, it could be the last time we ever lay eyes on each other,

  but he didn't give me much choice."

  "No, he didn't, but you did the right thing by letting

  him go. Dak is a big boy--too old to be leaving in a rage-- but to beg 385 him to stay wouldn't have been wise. He needs to see that you're man enough to make this choice and not

  just his kid brother anymore."

  "He's certainly protective. If I hadn't met Libby's

  family, he probably would have trussed me up, thrown me

  over his saddle, and carried me off."

  "So he has at least seen that you've made a life here?"

  "Yes. In fact, I think he was on his way to accepting

  that, but the service set him off. He'd even been coming to

  church with me, and he's threatened me if I let Libby get

  away."

  Cash suddenly frowned. "He also mumbled something

  about her arresting you."

  Slater took some time to explain the way he'd met Liberty,

  and then said, "You can pray for us, Cash, because her

  acting as deputy is something I can't live with."

  Every Little Thing About You 221

  "I will pray, and although I'm not an expert, I will tell

  you: You're doing well to remember that you can't marry

  her and expect to change her."

  386

  They suddenly smiled at each other, remembering that

  their mother had learned this the hard way. Charles Rawlngs

  Sr. was as independent a man as any they'd ever

  known. He raised his boys to be the same way. As much as

  he loved Virginia Rawlings, Charles was not going to be

  slowed down. If he wanted to travel, he traveled. Virginia

  was welcome to go along, but if she didn't want to go, he

  went without her. He was as faithful as any husband could

  be, but having a wife and children was not going to alter

  his lifestyle. Following in the wake of her vagabond husband,

  Virginia had seen much of the countryside.

  "So when can I meet her?" Cash wanted to know.

  "It just happens that I'm invited to dinner tonight. I

  can't stay long since I'll be on duty, but I'm sure they would

  welcome you with open arms."

  "All right. Should I leave my gear at the hotel?"

  "Not if you don't mind sharing a bed. It's fairly wide,

  and as I recall, you don't snore too loudly."

  Cash only snorted in disbelief and asked, "By the way,

  what happened to your eye and cheek?"

  387

  "I was attacked by a pair of shoes."

  Cash's right brow winged upward. "I think I need to

  hear about this."

  "You will," Slater decided swiftly, "but only after you

  meet Libby."

  Cash smiled again. It was so good to see his brother, but

  seeing him also reminded him of how little time they'd

  spent together in the last few years. For his part, Cash

  didn't care if Slater snored all night. The day, however, had

  the possibilities of dragging. He was most anxious to meet

  this woman named Libby.

  -S'

  Sr

  222 lori wick

  "When Mam has her baby, I'll help her because I'm the

  big sister. Even if the baby is a boy; Til still be the big sister."

  "I'm sure you'll do a fine job," Cash said seriously. He

  388

  was being welcomed as his brothers had, by witnessing

  Laura firsthand and falling just as swiftly in love with her.

  "Do you have a baby?" Laura wished to know.

  "No. I'm not married."

  Laura nodded seriously. "You can share ours when you

  come to town."

  "Thank you very much."

  Liberty took that moment to slip into the room. She sat

  next to Zach and whispered, "What is Laura sharing?"

  "The baby."

  Liberty's eyes became hysterically round, and Zach

  had to cover his mouth to muffle laughter. Cash chose that

  moment to look up at them.

  "Cash Rawlings," Slater began, having been waiting

  for this moment, "please meet Liberty Drake."

  "The pleasure is all mine," Cash said as he rose,

  moving to shake Liberty's hand and bending slightly over

  her, his eyes alight with pleasure.

  "You're tall/' Liberty told him.

  "Yes. Dakota got the strength; Slater got the manners;

  389

  and I'm just tall."

  Looking at those broad shoulders and the way he bent

  to catch her eye, Liberty wasn't fooled. She was still smiling

  at him when Duffy called them to the table.

  "Your brother's nice/' Liberty had a chance to say

  softly to Slater as he seated her at the table.

  "I was hoping you would think so."

  "I can't remember--are any more of you going to show

  up?"

  Slater smiled. "No. Just the three of us. Had enough?"

  "Since I haven't figured you out--yes."

  "What's to figure out?"

  Liberty's look was pointed, but Slater had no time to

  question her.

  Every Littk Thing About You 223

  "So tell us, Cash," Kate began, "how large is your

  ranch?"

  That started the conversation ball rolling, and in seemingly

  no time at all, Slater said he had to get to work,

  390

  thanked his host and hostess, and stood.

  "I'll walk you out," Liberty offered after Cash told him

  he would see him that night at the Hathaways'.

  Slater stopped on the porclj, turning to Liberty as she

  came out and shut the door.

  "So whaf s to figure out?"

  "What?" Liberty questioned right back.

  "Thafs right. What?"

  Liberty laughed. "I think next time I'll keep my mouth

  shut."

  "Don't do that. 111 never find out."

  Liberty could hear the smile in his voice. There was so

  much she wanted to say but found her mouth empty.

  "Griff will be looking for me/' Slater spoke when she

  didn't. "I'd better scoot."

  "Okay. Thanks for coming.''

  "Thank you. Take care of Cash for me."

  "We'll do that."

  Slater hesitated. There had been one advantage about

  working construction: Come darkness, you had to quit

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  Seeing no hope for it, he bid Liberty goodnight and went

  on his way, asking himself when he was going to have time

  to get to know this woman better.

  "It was nice of you to show me the way, Ubby," Cash

  said as they walked toward the Hathaways'. "If s too bad

  Slater couldn't be with us."

  When Liberty didn't ans
wer, Cash pressed her a little

  more.

  "You do wish Slater could join us, don't you, Libby?"

  "I wouldn't have believed it!" she exclaimed suddenly.

  224 lori wick

  "What?" Cash asked from some distance over her

  head, his voice indicating true confusion.

  "Your Texas Ranger brother was something of a matchmaker

  too. I wouldn't have thought it could run in the

  family."

  392

  Cash hooted with laughter, but just as soon as he found

  his breath, he tried again.

  "What did Dak learn?"

  "No more than you're going to."

  "Come on, Libby," he coaxed, having swiftly fallen into

  easy familiarity with her. "Just a hint."

  Liberty stopped in the street and looked up at him,

  dark as it was.

  "What is it you want to know?"

  "Just how you feel about Shotgun's deputy. Nothing

  more."

  "Is that all? Well, if I had known that..."

  Liberty began walking again/-and Cash fell into step

  beside her.

  "In case you haven't noticed, Dak and I think a lot of

  Slater," he said after half a block. "Watching him with you

  makes us care about you as well."

  Liberty stopped suddenly, her heart coming to her

  throat.

  "What do you see when he's with me?"

  393

  "Ah, Libby," Cash replied, his voice gentle. "He'll have

  to tell you that."

  Cash heard her sigh in the dark.

  "Going to finish walkingme to the house now?"

  "I already did. That's the Hathaways' right there."

  Cash looked toward the trim two-story and back to his

  companion. "Well, thank you, Libby. I appreciate your

  showing me."

  "You're welcome, Cash. I'm glad you can stay a few

  days. It should be fun."

  "Indeed."

  Every Little Thing About You 225

  "Goodnight," Liberty said and started away, coming

  to a stop only when Cash fell into step beside her. "Where

  are you going?"

  "I'm going to walk you back," Cash said simply. "I

  can't let a lady walk all the way home after dark. And

  besides," he added outrageously, "I just might get some

  information out of you yet."

  394

  They started back toward the Peterson house to the

  sound of Liberty's laughter.

  gr

  "Oh, you're cold. Have you been outside?" Tess asked

  as Griffin climbed into bed late Friday night

  "Yes. We had to check out a disturbance at the Potters'

  --one that turned out to be nothing at all--and

  Maddie Flowers kept us standing on her porch until she

  was completely dressed."

  "And all for nothing."

  "Yes. The Potters must have started early in the day,

  because everyone but Rush was passed-out drunk."

  "What had Mrs. Flowers wanted?"

  "She said she heard noises, and this time we thought

  we'd catch them in the act. It was dead quiet by the time

  we arrived, and she was ready for bed."

  Tess laughed at his disgruntled tone. Griffin kissed her.

  "Your man is freezing in the cold, and all you can do is

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  laugh."

  Tess chuckled again.

  "If I wasn't so tired, I'd kiss you again," he threatened.

  Tess only snuggled close. "There's always the morning."

  Griffin sighed "and talked to himself. "It's like you've

  known for some time now, Griff, you should have married

  the woman the moment you laid eyes on her."

  226 lori wick

  Tess chuckled softly this time, thanking God as she

  often did that He had brought her husband home safely

  one more time.

  gl-%r

  kay/'

  Liberty said to her small charges the next

  morning, "we're going into the general store next. Josie,

  you stick close to Laura, and both of you remember to look

  with your eyes, not your hands."

  Little heads bobbed in agreement, and Liberty watched

  396

  as her sister, an old pro at shopping, led Josie down the

  aisle that displayed the toys. When she saw that they were

  safely ensconced, she began on her list. So much had been

  on her mind lately. She could still feel herself in that closet;

  Desna Frank's funeral often came to mind; the Lord was

  showing her new things in the book of Romans; she was

  still trying to sort out Slater's feelings on her wearing a

  badge--and then there was Slater himself. It was a relief for

  her mother to ask her to shop.

  "We've got to stop meeting like this," a soft voice whispered

  in her ear.

  Liberty couldn't stop her smile as she turned to see

  Slater at her shoulder.

  "How are you?" he asked warmly.

  "I'm fine. How about yourself?"

  "Better all the time."

  Liberty smiled into his eyes, her thoughts very loving,

  and then caught herself.

  "We had fun with Cash last night," she said, pretending

  to be interested in the set of bowls on the shelf.

  397

  "He said he enjoyed it too," Slater answered as he

  studied her profile. He thought her nose turned up in the

  most adorable way. "He said a very pretty lady escorted

  him home."

  Liberty laughed. "Did he tell you he escorted her right

  back?"

  Every Little Thing About You 227

  "He didn't have to. I would have been surprised if he'd

  done anything else."

  Liberty shook her head. "I think the mold was broken

  after the Rawlings boys were born. I've never known such

  manners."

  "I'll teU Mother next time I write."

  "How often do you hear from her?" Liberty wondered

  aloud.

  "Every few months."

  "Are they pleased with what you're doing here? I

  mean, do they wish you'd settled closer to them or the

  ranch?"

  398

  "They know that we're Texans through and through,

  but my mother would like to see us more often."

  "Not your father?"

  Slater smiled. "He loves us, but that man is an adventurer.

  As long as we write and tell him what we're doing

  and what we've seen, he's happy."

  The thought crossed Liberty's mind that his father's

  feelings might change if there were grandchildren

  involved. She thought about saying so and then realized

  how embarrassing that would be.

  "Are you blushing?" Slater asked without thinking,

  causing Liberty to turn even redder.

  Slater's manners kicked in at that point and he turned

  away, only to see Laura and Josie coming toward him.

  "Hello, girls," he said quietly. Much as he wanted to

  question her, he turned away to give Liberty a chance to

  compose herself. "How are you today?"

  "This is my friend Josie. She likes toys too."

  "I think toys are pretty fun. Did you have a favorite,

  Josie?"

  399

  "Is the deputy in her ?" a man's voice called from the

  door, and Slater turned away to answer. The three females

  didn't hear why he was needed. Liberty
was tempted to

  follow and see if she could help, but she would not leave

  the girls in anyone else's care, not with Josie along. They

  228 lori wick

  went on with their shopping before heading to Duffy's

  office for a visit. Liberty, never knowing where her sister's

  mind would head, was glad that Laura waited to talk to her

  until they were gone from the general store, their purchases

  wrapped in neat brown paper.

  "I want to tell you something but not have you be

  shocked/' Laura said as they neared Duffy's office door,

  Josie going in ahead of them.

  "I'll do my best not to be shocked/' Liberty told her,

  already wanting to laugh.

  "I hope you marry Slater."

  "Why do you hope that?"

  "So you can protect each other with your guns."

  400

  Liberty only smiled, leaned close, and kissed her soft

  cheek.

  "Now, can I tell you something?"

  Laura nodded yes.

  "Thank you for not saying anything in front of Slater or

  anyone else. As long as you always talk quietly to me about

  Slater, without everyone listening, I won't be shocked.

  Deal?"

  "Deal."

  The two joined Josie in Duffy's office, and he was

  delighted to have them. Liberty, on the other hand, spent

  some time looking out the window that gave a view of

  Main Street. She could hear the girls' chatter and Duffy's

  soothing replies, but her mind was elsewhere; namely, on

  why Slater had been called away. It was all Liberty could

  do not to head home, change, and go to his aid. That he

  wouldn't thank her for this did not enter her mind. She

  only knew she wanted to protect and be with that man.

  S- 3' ^

  401

  Slater and Cash made their way up to the Petersons'

  front door. Ready as they were for Sunday dinner, they

  moved slowly. They had the rest of the day together, but

  Every Little Thing About You 229

  Cash was leaving in the morning, and they didn't know

  when they would see each other again.

  "I knew from your letter, Slate, that you were growing

  in your church, but it was good to be here and see it firsthand.

  Pastor Caron does a fine job."

  "He's taught me a lot. Griffin has too and probably

  doesn't even know it"

  "It will be great to give such a good report to Grandma,

  but I know that Dakota is not going to be happy with me.

  He'll want to have heard that I came here and straightened

  you out."

  "Tess Drake said something to me one day that was a

  big help with that. She said that Dakota might run into the