Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (5 page)

"I just looked away," Laura told her, working not to let

her voice quiver.

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"You did well," Kate inserted from her seat nearby.

"I'm glad you didn't pinch back."

Laura nodded and looked down at the dark bruise on

her arm. One of the other children at church had pinched

her.

"I didn't cry," Laura told them, "but I think Zach

wanted to."

"Zach loves you," Liberty put in. "He hurts when you

hurt."

"I love Zach too."

Liberty kissed her sister's soft temple and hugged her

dose. Laura had always treated Liberty like another

mother--both children did--and their mother had never

done anything to alter that

"All right, Laura," Kate instructed after she kissed her

youngest daughter too. "Will you please help me get things

ready for dinner?"

Laura nodded.

"Please take your dolls off that chair. Your brother

brought a guest today."

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32 lori wick

"Who is it?"

"You'll meet him when he gets here. Where is Zach?"

"I think he's outside."

"Please go tell him we're almost ready to eat."

Griffin and Slater, both sitting in the parlor, listened to

this last sentence in silence. Slater had not uttered a word

since Griffin had led him from the church, and Griffin had

done little more than lead him up the street, into the front

door of a two-story home, and to a satin-covered chair in a

very comfortable room, where he now sat.

Not thinking that the sheriff was inclined to visit, Slater

let his eyes roam the walls. Clearly a woman lived here.

Family pictures were displayed on tables and walls; lace

curtains graced windows and doilies sat on the arms of

upholstered furniture. And everything was freshly dusted.

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"We're ready," a female voice called from the other

room.

Griffin stood and approached Slater. "This is my

family," he told the prisoner. "I think you'd be more comfortable

without the cuffs, and I think I can trust you, but if

I'm wrong, I won't hesitate to take you out."

Slater nodded, knowing the man had no choice. Slater

only wished he had his wallet so he could lose the cuffs for

good. It was a relief to rub his wrists once they were gone,

and his enjoyment of that caused him to forget that he

might see the sheriff's sister. When he walked into the

dining room and saw her, he had all he could do not to

gawk. If he'd thought her lovely across the church, he

didn't know what to think now. Why hadn't he noticed

before the deep hazel of her eyes or the red highlights in

her hair?

"Duffy--" Griffin's voice brought Slater back. '"Ms is

Slater Rawlings. He's a guest of the jailhouse right now."

"Hello, Slater." Duffy shook his hand and took over.

"This is my wife, Kate, my daughter Liberty, my son Zach,

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and my younger daughter, Laura."

Every Little Thing About You 33

"Thank you for letting me join you," Slater said quietly,

taking the chair Griffin indicated. Heads bowed and Duffy

prayed. Slater looked up after the close, an ache in his

throat for his own family. He was glad that the bowls of

food were immediately passed.

"Will she go to hell?" Laura suddenly asked.

"What?" Her father turned to her, a spoonful of

mashed potatoes frozen in his hand as he looked at her in

astonishment.

"We didn't explain to you, Duffy," Kate put in, not

looking at Liberty, who had her hand over her mouth, her

eyes brimming with merriment. "Someone pinched Laura

at church."

"I see," Duffy said quietly, now in the same state as his

stepdaughter. He made himself finish with the potatoes

and pass them on, then turned to Laura, all the while

working to keep a straight face.

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"Did you say it was another girl?" Duffy clarified.

Laura nodded. "I can't tell names unless you tell me to,

or if s gossip."

"All right," Duffy nodded over being reminded of his

own rule. "This little girl might be lost, Laura, but not

because she pinched you. It was wrong of her to pinch you,

but she would only go to hell if she never accepted Christ's

forgiveness in her life. Do you understand?"

Laura nodded again, and Duffy went back to his food.

Slater glanced around the table and noticed the way all

the other adults were busy with their plates as well. He

watched Liberty and Griffin share a glance, but other than

Liberty's eyes sparkling, she gave nothing away. He

wished he could keep watching her. From where he sat, she

and Zach were very clear.

Griffin spoke up with a tidbit of news that Zach thoroughly

enjoyed, and that seemed to get the conversation

ball rolling. Slater remained very quiet and forced himself

not to stare or wolf down the delicious food, both of which

were strong temptations.

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34 * lori wick

"Who's for pie?" Kate asked after a time.

No one declined. An apple pie came to the table that

was so mounded with fruit that it had a hump in the

middle. Slater had decided not to speak, but after tasting

this pie, he could not contain himself; it was the best he'd

ever had.

"This is excellent," he said quietly.

"Libby made it/' Kate said, smiling down the table at

her.

Slater welcomed a reason to look at her, but she was not

looking his way. He stared for several bites of pie, and she

eventually looked up, but he couldn't read her expression.

Regret knifed through him. She wouldn't see him as anything

more than a two-bit drifter, and he had no one to

thank but himself. It was almost a relief to have the meal

end and Griffin tell him they had to be on their way.

^* 3'

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"If you'll give me my wallet, I'll get the ten dollars for

you."

Griffin looked at the man he'd just uncuffed and

nodded. He went to the safe, opened it, and removed the

rest of Slater's things. The moment Slater had his wallet, he

settled things with Shotgun's sheriff. He then began to fill

his pockets with his possessions.

"Where will you head from here?" Griffin asked after

he'd sat on the desk, his legs dangling down the side.

Slater looked to the window. "I don't know. I like

Shotgun, especially the church. Maybe I'll stick around."

Griffin nodded. "What took you so long to decide?"

Slater shook his head. "Stubborn-mule pride, and I just

quit my job. Ten bucks is a lot of money."

"What do you do?"

Slater looked him in the eye. "I was a Texas Ranger

until last month."

Every Little Thing About You 35

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Griffin's brows rose as a dozen more questions rolled

through his mind. When did a man question and when did

a man leave a person his privacy? Griffin thought of one

safe inquiry.

"Did the church service this morning have anything to

do with your decision?"

"It had a lot to do with it. There's nothing like hearing

about Nehemiah's qualities to make me see how short I

am."

"I felt that same way."

Slater threw his saddlebags over one shoulder and

started to say thank you. Griffin cut him off.

"Have you got a place to sleep tonight?"

Slater's mouth quirked. "You mean other than the

woods?"

Griffin smiled. "I live next door to my mother and

Duffy. You're welcome to one of the bedrooms.''

Slater nodded. "Thank you."

"If I'm not there when you get in, use the back door and

take any bedroom upstairs."

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"I'll plan on that"

"One more thing," Griffin said. "The hotel gives a full

plate of food for 15 cents. It's not fancy, but if s always hot

and filling."

Slater's hand came out. "Thank you, sheriff."

"You can call me Griffin."

Slater nodded, shook the man's hand, and went to the

door. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, the sun shining, but

the breeze was cool as he walked down the street. Slater

held his expectations at bay, but on the way to church that

morning he thought he'd spotted a bathhouse. It might not

be open, but he had to give it a try. If that didn't work, he'd

get Arrow from the livery and ride out until he found a

deep spot in the creek.

"that you, slater?" griffin called when he heard the

back door open after 8:00 that night.

"Yeah. I couldn't tell if you were here or not."

Griffin appeared at the doorway, a lantern in his hand.

He set it on the kitchen table, noticed Slater's slicked-back

hair, and grinned.

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"If I'd known you were looking for a bath, I'd have told

you to use my tub."

Slater shook his head. "The bathhouse was closed, and

I couldn't find any privacy on the creek. I had to wait until

after dark. That water is cold."

"Come on through here," Griffin invited. He led the

way to the living room where he'd been cleaning a gun.

This room had gas lighting that cast a warm glow to every

corner but didn't penetrate the dark curtains over the windows.

The house had looked dark and deserted when

Slater rode up. He had taken the liberty of stabling his

horse in the back and letting himself in.

"How far did you ride up the creek?"

"About a mile. It's pretty country."

"I think so. Did you get some supper?"

"The hotel. I'm not crazy about lamb, but I've had

worse. By the way, do you live alone? Should I be watching

not to scare the life out of someone?"

"No, I'm on my own. This was Duffy's mother's house.

I moved over when she died."

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"Duffy's not your father?"

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38 lori wick

"No. My father died when I was a kid. Mam married

Duff about two years later."

"And had Zach and Laura."

"Yeah," Griffin smiled. There was little that got to his

heart faster than his little brother and sister. He suddenly

remembered Laura's question at the table and chuckled.

Slater had thought of it too. "Unless I miss my guess,

she's something of a character."

"Laura? Yes. She makes me laugh every time I talk to

her."

"I thought your sister would choke."

"Libby's like another mother to Laura but with very

little discipline; Mam and Duffy see to that. It's the same

with Zach."

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"He seems like a bright young man."

"He's better read thart some adults my age. He has a

sensitive heart too."