by Lori Wick
barn was quiet too.
"If you've had enough," Griffin tried again, "throw the
guns out ahead of you and come out of there with your
hands up!"
Slater and Griffin were both peeking out when the barn
door slowly swung open, creaking like the stays in a tight
corset A moment later a shotgun was tossed far from the
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door, and out walked Ned. Behind him came Rush and
Possum, Critter between them. That they had landed a few
blows in his direction was obvious. He was staggering a bit
and the men on either side of him were clearly keeping him
on his feet. When Griffin, Slater, and now Price, who had
come into position, stepped out with guns drawn, they
dropped Critter on his face to put their hands in the air.
Every Little Thing About You 259
"Very nice, boys/' Griffin congratulated them. "Just
step apart a little, not too dose to the gun, and keep those
hands right where we can see them. Easy now, Critter,"
Griffin said to him as he came to his hands and knees.
There wasn't a single argument at this point, mostly
due to the fact that Critter's mouth was too swollen for
talking. The three men moved in on them, and in fairly
short order, the four Potters were cuffed and loaded into
the wagon. That was when Slater spotted him.
To the side of a small outcropping of rocks stood
Dakota. Slater told himself to stay calm, but even as he
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thought it, he felt his temper rising. It didn't help to suddenly
spot Liberty's horse.
Seeing that he'd been spotted, Dakota started toward
him. The men met halfway.
"Where is she?"
"Sitting behind the rocks."
Slater's mouth tightened. "What happened?"
"She got my gun away from me. I don't think she
would have hurt me, but knowing how much she wanted
out, Slate, I let her go. I'm sorry."
"If s not you who needs to apologize," Slater gritted,
coming around Dakota to head to the rock. He didn't know
when he'd been so disappointed and angry. They should
have had this out a long time ago, but even at that, Liberty
should have known he just wanted her to be safe. Slater
walked until he stood just a few feet from her. She was sitting
quite still, her back against the rock, and finally looked
up at him.
"I can't believe you've done this," he said quietly. "I
thought I knew you, Libby. I thought you were the one."
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"Slater," she began softly, but he cut her off with a
downward slash of his hand.
"Don't talk to me." Slater uttered the very words he
believed he would never say. "I don't want to hear any
excuses right now. I wanted to marry you, Libby, but you
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don't trust anyone but yourself. You're a law unto yourself.
I'm just now seeing that."
Liberty sat very still as he turned and walked away. She
didn't know when she'd been in such pain. In a haze of
misery, she heard the wagon start into motion and couldn't
be sure if her brother and Slater's horses had left as well.
She didn't even hear Dakota come up, but he was suddenly
there.
"I'll ride back with you, Libby/' he said.
"You don't have to, Dakota."
"I want to."
Liberty nodded. In reality she wanted to be alone, but
she saw that Dakota was offering his friendship. Liberty
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came slowly to her feet and moved toward Morton. She
had little interest in doing anything right now but made
herself climb into the saddle and turn the horse toward
home.
Riding quietly beside her, Dakota took in her white features
and searched for something to say. He hadn't actually
heard Slater's words, but it wasn't hard to guess that they
hadn't been too welcoming. It was on Dakota's mind to ask
Liberty why coming had been so important, but she looked
like a fragile piece of crystal to him right now. One move
and she might break into a million tiny bits.
"Dakota?" Liberty suddenly spoke, surprising him just
as they hit the edge of town.
"Yeah?"
"I think I'll stop by and see Duffy."
"Okay."
"Thank you for riding back with me."
"Anytime."
Liberty pulled off a little then and moved Morton to the
right side of the street. Dakota watched her stop in front of
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the office and even as she sat for a moment and then slid
out of the saddle. He wanted to leave her some privacy, so
he forced himself to turn away. Not knowing quite what to
do with himself, he went ahead to the jailhouse, thinking
Every Little Thing About You 261
he might be a help. He also thought his brother might need
someone to talk to.
^
Duffy heard the door open, but no one answered his
greeting. He had his hands full of bottles at the moment,
and then he needed to wash, so it took a minute for him to
move into the other room. The last person he expected to
see was his daughter.
"Well, Libby. Whaf s up?"
Liberty didn't look directly at him, and Duffy, ever the
kind and sensitive parent, came and sat down on one of the
chairs across from her. Only then did Liberty's eyes meet
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his.
"I've done it this time, Duffy/' she began.
"Okay," Duffy said simply, wanting her to know he
was listening.
"I went someplace I shouldn't have, and I've ruined
everything."
Duffy didn't believe that but told himself not to be too
hasty. "Can you tell me about it?" he asked gently.
"I suppose I should explain everything, but for right
now I just need you to know that I've been shot."
"Where, Libby?" Duffy forced himself to remain calm,
even as he took in her bloodless lips and glazed eyes with
new understanding.
"In the side. I think the, bullet must have ricocheted off
a rock, but even at that, it bums something fierce. I never
knew it would hurt like this." Duffy watched in amazement
as she stood. "I'm going to head home now--I just
wanted you to know."
"This way, Libby," Duffy said softly, also having come
to his feet. Letting the doctor in him completely take over,
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he continued, "I need you to come back here and lie down
on the table."
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"I should help Mam with dinner," Liberty said in a
strange voice, and Duffy knew that shock was setting in.
She did as she was told, however, and a minute later Duffy
was pushing aside her jacket and cutting away the bloodstained
shirt at her left side. He worked to tamp down
every emotion as he labored over her injury. That this had
happened to one of his own--his precious Liberty--was
turning out to be very hard.
"Oh, Duffy," Liberty gasped as he cleansed the wound.
The bullet had passed through, but it had made a mess.
Duffy didn't answer her. He was a surgeon at work
now, having to turn his emotions off almost to the point of
indifference. He cleansed and stitched, not letting himself
think about the possible infections that could set in and
what they could do, and especially not letting himself think
about who had let this happen, not letting his mind stray
461
to the woman he loved above all others or the child within
her and the way this was going to affect them both.
Almost an hour passed before the bleeding stopped. It
was not an effusive wound, but loss of blood from
someone as petite as Liberty scared him a little. She was
silent now, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. In all this
time she hadn't fainted or even closed her eyes. He had
known she was strong but had not expected her to be able
to speak so coherently.
"Are you wrapping it?"
"Yes."
"So you're almost done?"
"Yes."
"I want to go home and lie in my own bed, Duffy."
"You shouldn't move. I've got the bleeding stopped,
but you need to lie still."
Liberty shook her head. "I want you to help me home.
I ache with things I haven't told you yet, Duffy. I can't tell
you how much I need to go home."
It was the first time he'd heard emotion in her voice,
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and for some reason it scared him more than the wound.
Every Littk Thing About You 263
She was crushed about something that brought her more
pain than a bullet wound. Duffy found himself unable to
argue with her.
"Give me a few minutes," he said. 'Til help you, but
stay put for right now."
Waiting for her to nod, Duffy went out back to hitch
Cotton to the buggy. This all set, he slipped around to the
front, grabbed Morton's reins, and took him to the back. By
the time he came in the back door, Liberty was rising from
the table. She stood, her hands leaning on the surface, her
mouth open as she gasped for air.
"All right," Duffy said, thinking to save the lecture for
later. It was probably too late anyway; she most surely had
started bleeding again.
With an arm supporting her, he led her to the back
door. Not until he maneuvered her into the buggy did he
go back for his bag and to get the lamps.
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g^ -gr
The ride home was a complete loss for Liberty, For the
next several minutes she didn't know where she was or
what was going on around her. The pain had intensified,
and when Slater's face moved through her mind, she
wanted to be sick. She didn't remember the buggy jostling
her much or even the walk up the steps, but she was suddenly
in the kitchen, her mother's concerned face coming
into view.
"I just want to go to bed, Mam," Liberty said.
Biting her lip to keep from speaking, Kate moved into
Zach's view when she saw the blood on her daughter's
coat.
"Up you go," Duffy now said, not giving anything
more than a swift glance at his wife. He would explain it all
to her, but not until Liberty was in bed and his youngest
children were out of earshot.
464
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Not surprisingly--with a word to Zach and Laura-- Kate followed her husband and daughter. She told the children to stay in the kitchen and went to help Liberty settle
in.
"I want you to know/' Kate said, not looking at anyone
as she eased Liberty's jacket from her shoulders and started
on the buttons on her shirt, "that I've spent the entire afternoon
and evening giving my children to the Lord. I won't
say that I'm not upset, but I feel that God prepared me for
this." Kate turned and stared into her husband's eyes. "All
of this to sdy, I'm all right, and I don't want to be told to go
lie down."
m the process of pulling the covers down on the bed,
Duffy calmly met her gaze but did not comment. He found
Liberty's nightgown hanging on the back of the door and
brought it to the end of the bed.
"Sit down," he commanded his daughter, removing
her boots after she'd lowered herself onto the mattress. He
did not slip out of the room as the rest of Liberty's things
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were removed but stayed to recheck her wound, which had
started to bleed again, and keep track of Kate's reaction
when she saw that her daughter had actually been shot.
None of this took an extreme amount of time, and after
padding the wound some more and laying an extra sheet
on the bed, Liberty was finally lying with the covers close
around her.
"I should spank you," Kate whispered as she sat on the
edge and held Liberty's hand, her eyes just now filling with
tears. "Getting yourself shot. Of all things."
Liberty only looked at her, and for a moment Kate was
alarmed.
"Liberty? I didn't mean that."
"It's all right, Mam," Liberty said as she shut her eyes.
"Ifsail right."
Kate looked to Duffy, her^xpression fearful.
"Sleep now, Lib," Duffy said, having just checked her
side one more time. "And try to lie still."
Every Little Thing About You 265
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Liberty nodded against the pillow, and Duffy, with an
arm around Kate, took her from the room. The lantern was
still burning, but Duffy left it, knowing he would be back
to check on her again soon, and probably all through the
night.
"We need to go back down, Kate, and tell Zach and
Laura what's happened. We can't leave them sitting frightened
in the kitchen."
Kate could only nod. She had said she was all right but
found herself shaking and very glad that her husband was
in charge. They arrived in the kitchen to see Zach getting a
glass of water for Laura. Kate went to help him. After she'd
kissed his cheek and thanked him, they sat at the table
where Laura was watching them with serious eyes.
"Is Libby sick?" she asked.
"Yes," Duffy told her.
"She went to help Griffin today and got hurt," Kate
filled in. Duffy had not heard the specifics but was not surprised.
Zach's little face paled. "Is she shot?"
"Yes, Zach," Duffy said. "And she hurts quite a bit, but
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I think she's going to be fine."
"Does she need water?" Laura wanted to know. "I
could give her mine."
"That's very kind of you, honey, but right now she just
needs to rest."
"Where was she shot?" Zach now asked.
"In the side. The bullet is out, and I think she'll heal
quickly, but she's going to need lots of rest."
Their little faces were so sober. Kate could see that they
were not going to eat another bite.
"Why don't we go into the living room and read," she
suggested.
The children were still nodding solemnly when Duffy
suggested, "I think we should go up and take a peek at
Libby. Sh
e might be awake, and you can tell her you're
praying for her and love her."
266 lori wick
Not for the first time, Kate thanked God for her husband's
wisdom. The children's faces brightened instantly,
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and they were swift to accompany Duffy upstairs. Kate
brought up the rear and found herself fighting tears as
Laura talked with her sister.
"We're here, Libby. You don't need to be worried anymore.
Zach and I are here to pray for you."
Liberty's eyes, which had opened at the sound of their
coming, now closed, but she smiled and moved her fingers
in a little wave.
"I love you, Libby," tenderhearted Zach said, his little
hand coming up to touch hers.
"I love you too, Zach. You too, Laura."
"Okay," Duffy said now. "Why don't you go back
down with Mam, and I'll join you in just a bit."
The children left with a final glance at their sister. It was
so hard to see her in bed. She was always the strong one.
"Here we go," Kate said, keeping her voice as normal
as possible.
As their footsteps receded in the hall and Duffy
touched her forehead, Libby opened her eyes.
"Duffy?"
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"I'm right here."
"I've been so selfish. Please don't let Mam be upset Tell
her to take it easy. If the baby doesn't make it because of
me, I'll never forgive myself."
Duffy was checking Liberty's side for bleeding, which
seemed to have stopped, and didn't immediately speak.
"We'll have to get a garment that opens on the side, Lib.
This long nightgown ends up all bunched under you."
"Duffy, didn't you hear what I said?"
"I heard," he said quietly, as he settled the bedcovers
back in place and a placed a hand on either side of her to
look directly into her eyes. "But just as I want your mother
to look after herself right now, I want you to concentrate on
getting better. You've lost a good deal of blood, and you're
not going to be jumping out of that bed in the morning."
Every Little Thing About You 267
Liberty looked up at him but didn't comment.
"I'm going to go down now and spend some time with
the kids and then put them to bed. Sleep if you can and lie
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still. I could give you something."
Liberty shook her head no.
"All right."
Duffy kissed Liberty's brow and slipped from the
room, this time turning the lantern down a bit on his way
out. He wanted to sit with her. He wanted to keep an eye
on how much she moved in her sleep. But he knew that