Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (14 page)

me or untrusting of me because of the way I acted."

Liberty's mouth nearly fell open, but she saw the pain

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in his eyes and knew she had to make him understand.

"You don't feel threatening to me, Slater, not in the

least. And as for the hug in the alley, I had forgotten about

it, but I can honestly tell you that I wasn't offended." Quite

the opposite were the words in her head, but she wisely held

them, along with Slater's eyes, as she looked up at him.

Slater thought he could get lost in her gaze. She was so

sweet, and unless he missed his guess, she had not objected

to the hug. Slater was on the verge of asking when the

verse came to mind. She was not his.

"I was reading in 1 Corinthians this morning about the

fact that a man shouldn't touch a woman, and I realized

what I'd done."

Liberty nodded. "I know the verses, the ones that go on

to say that each man should have his own wife and such."

Slater nodded but realized he hadn't kept reading; he

would have to do that.

"Thank you, Libby," Slater said.

"Thank you, Slater."

Slater put his hat on but still stood for a moment. He

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had to get to work--it wasn't wise to be late--but it was

certainly hard not to stay and talk with this woman.

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"Are you and Griffin still coming to dinner tonight?"

Liberty asked, working not to read anything into the look

he gave her.

"I wouldn't miss it," Slater told her before forcing his

eyes away and admitting that he had to get to work.

Take care," Liberty wished him and then watched as

he left the porch, hoping he would turn so she could wave.

He did that just before he disappeared around the corner.

Liberty went back inside, a smile on her face as she thought

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about the evening to come.

^--5*

"I have something I need to thank you for," Liberty told

Duffy over lunch that very day.

"What's that?"

"Do you remember when I told you I'd fallen into a

slump in my Bible study and prayer time?"

"Yes, I do remember."

"Well, you told me that I had lost my wonder over the

cross, and you know what? You were right."

Duffy smiled. They had been planning to go to lunch

all week and were now at the hotel, just the two of them at

a quiet corner table.

"So what did you do?"

"I began looking at those passages that cover Christ's

death, and I realized I wasn't thankful, not deeply

thankful, for the sacrifice God made on my behalf. I was

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saved when I was so young, Duffy, that ifs too easy to take

it for granted. I've been thankful and, I think, more obedient

lately because my focus has changed."

"That's great news. I've been reading in the book of

Revelation. There's so much to come, Lib, and we can't

waste a moment in sin; ifs just not worth it."

The waitress came with their lunch. They ate in silence

for several minutes, but Liberty had something more on

her mind and could wait no longer.

Every Little Thing About You 99

"Slater was over first thing this morning," Liberty told

him. "Right after you left."

"Oh?" Duffy's coffee cup went to his mouth. "Something

wrong?"

"He thought so," Liberty said, watching Duffy's brows

shoot upward.

"But you didn't?"

Liberty gave a quick rundown on what had happened

in the alley. She ended by saying, "I honestly didn't think

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anything of it, Duff. I didn't even remember it until he

brought it up, but thaf s not my biggest problem."

Duffy waited, but she didn't tell him. Finally he asked.

"Whatis,Ubby?"

"I enjoyed it," she said so softly that he almost missed it

Duffy's eyes lit with tenderness. "I'm going to say

something that may surprise you, Libby girl. I'm glad."

"Why, Duffy?"

"Because it could have scared you, and I wouldn't want

you to have that kind of memory. I don't know who the

Lord has for you, and Slater was right, he had no business

hugging you, but your response was normal. If it causes

your thoughts to wander where they shouldn't, that will be

very hard for you. But God made us to enjoy one another.

I would not have chosen for it to happen, but now that it

has, it's good to know that you'll enjoy your husband's

embrace someday."

"I think about him a lot," Liberty admitted. "You're

right, we don't know who the Lord has, but Slater is the

first man I've even been able to imagine. Is that bad,

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Duffy?"

"Not if you handle it well. You can't be in a hurry, no

matter what your emotions or body says. If God has a plan

for the two of you, He will reveal it in His time. Neither you

nor Slater should rush or push the point"

Liberty smiled at her stepfather. He was a gift to all of them. The subject shifted soon afterward to various topics--dinner that night, the barn raising on Saturday,

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and eventually the baby and how Liberty could help Kate

take it easy from time to time. The tender light in Duffy's

eyes caused Liberty to pray and ask God to let this child be

healthy and live to fill their hearts for many years to come.

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L-S'"

%r

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Slater knew there was much more to chapter 7 than the verse he'd

read that morning and the one now, but for the moment he

stopped.

It was late at night, and he had just gotten home from

next door and an evening full of good food, fellowship, and

fun. Liberty Drake was one of the most special women he'd

ever met She was bright and talented. Slater smiled when

he remembered her at the piano. She was compassionate

and caring--he smiled again over the way she helped

Duffy with the kids so Kate could put her feet up. And the

whole family had made him feel welcome, even when

Griffin had to leave right after dinner to go on duty.

At the moment, Slater was never more glad that he had

saved himself for marriage. His parents, although not

believers, were very moral people and had strong convictions

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on the subject. Respect for women and future mates

was instilled from a young age. Slater had been unbelievably

tempted over the years to throw it all away, but he had

not. Even though his faith was new, he did not regret his

actions in that area of his life.

Sometime after midnight, Slater woke to find the

lantern still burning. He blew it out, realizing he must have

fallen asleep while praying. It took a moment to remember

what had been on his mind. Liberty floated back into his

consciousness just before sleep, and right after he told the

Lord he would talk to Him in the morning.

5--3r

Every little Thing About You 101

Liberty knew that being called to the saloon on a Saturday

before noon was nothing to worry about. Saturdays

didn't heat up until evening, and mornings were especially

quiet, stemming from Friday late-nighters. For these reasons,

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Liberty walked into the Brass Spittoon with confidence,

a confidence that died as soon as she spotted him.

Like the last time, the room was sprinkled with regulars.

The gun-toting stranger stood out like a sore thumb. And he

was big--big and dark--making him look all the more

menacing. Liberty approached, praying for calm and for her

own safety, and stood next to the table until he looked up.

"Excuse me, sir," she began politely, I'll need you to

surrender your firearm to me. Shotgun has outlawed

firearms in the saloons and after dark."

Liberty steeled herself when his hand instantly went

down to his side. All he did, however, was set his side arm

on the table and keep his hand on top of it. It seemed to be

going fine until he didn't move his hand. Black eyes

weighed Liberty, and with more calm than she felt, Liberty

stared right back. This was the reason she knew the exact

minute his gaze shifted behind her.

"You're going to get yourself shot," she said in a voice

that was measured and in control, "as well as whoever

you're looking at behind me, if you don't gently push the

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gun across the table."

The dark man did just that, his touch light, his eyes

back on Liberty.

"Thank you," she said simply. "Do you have any

more?"

"No, ma'am/' he replied softly.

"You're welcome to pick this up at the jailhouse later

today. It's a block and a half down, on this side."

The black-haired, black-eyed man nodded, and Liberty

glanced at the man at the table with him, his crooked-tooth

smile in place.

"Well, at least ya didn't haul this one away."

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Liberty shook her head. "As always, you're a big help,

Lance."

The man only cackled, and Liberty turned to go. She

glanced around but didn't see anyone who appeared to

know the stranger. Realizing there was still a chance that

he could be ornery enough to pull a hidden gun or a knife

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and get her from the back, she made herself walk away. He

had certainly looked big, without even standing up. She

spoke with Gordie before going back to the jailhouse, all

the time hoping Griffin would be back before the man at

the table came looking for his gun.

"Did that really just happen," Dakota Rawlings asked

his brother the moment he exited the saloon, "or did I

imagine the whole thing?"

Slater smiled. "At least you didn't get thrown in jail."

Dakota's look was shrewd. "Meaning you did?"

Slater nodded, and Dakota's gaze narrowed a bit more.

"Why didn't you come inside?"

Slater shrugged. "You didn't seem to need me."

Again, this response was carefully weighed as Dakota's

eyes narrowed. "Where can we talk?" he asked bluntly.

"You mean, where can we go so you can give me the

third degree and then lecture me?"

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"That about sums it up," the older Rawlings said

without apology.

Slater had all he could do not to laugh, but he didn't

think Dakota, his senior by just one year, was in the mood

for levity. Slater turned and started down the boardwalk.

Dakota moved to untie a huge black horse at the hitching

post and then followed slowly behind his brother.

Dakota missed little. His experience with the Texas