Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (16 page)

more fun."

Liberty laughed and stood. Slater offered her his arm,

and just a minute later they had joined a group. There was

no time for talking, something that suited Liberty fine. She

smiled and laughed as they spun around, changed partners,

stood opposite each other, and promenaded from one

end of the floor to another. They were breathless when the

set was through and only too glad to turn the floor over to

the next group.

"Hiank you," Slater said as they stepped off the floor.

"How about some water?"

"That sounds good, thank you."

They stood in line with the other couples for a chance

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at the clipper, and it was there that Slater caught Liberty

looking back at Tess. He looked as well and saw that Griffin

had joined her. Liberty's eyes took on a look he hadn't seen

before.

"Here you go, Libby," Slater said as he offered her the

ladle. Liberty drank and handed it back. She watched

Slater drink, realizing only then that she'd been distracted.

Even so, she took one more peek at Tess and her brother.

"Why don't we come over here out of the way," Slater

was saying, her hand captured in his as he urged her along.

"You might even feel like telling me whaf s bothering you."

It was said so smoothly that for a moment Liberty

missed it. When they stopped and she looked up at him,

his raised brows told her she had heard him right.

Every Little Thing About You 111

"I'm sorry I was so distracted. Slater. Did it ruin the

dance for you?"

"Not at all, but you could have told me no; I would

have understood that Tess needed you."

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Liberty was horrified to feel tears fill her eyes.

"Did you see the size of this gopher mound?" Slater

quickly asked, his hand to Liberty's arm now as he moved

her a few feet away. "They sure make a mess of things."

Liberty worked to catch her breath as he turned her

away from the gathering and chattered inanely.

"Thank you, Slater," Liberty said when she had herself

under control.

"My pleasure."

Liberty smiled a little. "Do you have a sister, Slater?"

"No, why?"

Liberty shrugged, almost sorry she'd said anything.

"You just seem to know what to say. It makes me think

some older sister influenced you."

Slater laughed. "My mother would be pleased to know

mat all of her work paid off."

"Did she keep on you?"

"On all three of us, yes. She had very definite ideas, and

woe to the son who forgot to hold the door or let a lady go

first."

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"What would she do if you forgot?"

Slater shuddered a little. "She'd give us the eye."

Liberty found this highly amusing.

"You wouldn't laugh if you could see it," her told her,

his eyes filled with dramatic fear. "She was tough."

"You poor baby." Liberty was teasing him when she

saw that Tess and Griffin were approaching. She was

relieved to see that Tess was looking more like herself, but

her heart still speculated on what the other woman had

said to her-The

four of them talked for a few minutes, but

the two walls that were built were ready to go into place,

and the walls remaining to be built needed crews of men.

Hank Hathaway was giving orders as though the barn

112 lori wick

were his, and Slater and Griffin went over to put their

hands to the task. Some of the women started to lay out the

tablecloths and set out the food, plates, and flatware. less

and Liberty joined them.

195

"Is it my imagination, or is Mr. Rawlings rather interested

in you, Libby?"

"I don't know," Liberty told her honestly, although she wished it was true. "Have you seen something that makes you think that?"

Tess smiled. "You mean, other than the way he stares at

you and then asks you to dance?"

"Oh," Liberty said quietly, suddenly at a loss.

Tess put a hand on her arm. "Oh, Lib, sometimes I think

you don't have a due."

Liberty laughed a little. "Why is that?"

"You're so busy looking for lawbreakers, you never

notice how cute any of them are or how much they watch

you."

'Tess Locken!" Liberty had a good laugh over this.

"Where do you come up with this stuff?"

Tess' jaw dropped. "Libby, it's true. I swear to you."

"Swearing, Tess? I'm ashamed of you."

Both women turned to see a smiling Dr. Duffy Peterson

behind them.

"She's been coming up with all sorts of wild notions,

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Duff," Liberty told him. "You might hear anything out of

her."

"Yes, Dr. Peterson," Tess chimed right in, hands on her

hips, a smile in her voice and eyes. "I was telling Libby

how men notice her, and she thinks I don't know what I'm

talking about."

Duffy turned such a surprised face to Liberty that that

woman shook her head.

"No, Duff," she began. "Don't join Tess and tease me

about this."

Duffy looked a little more stunned, his brows rising

slightly, as he saw that his stepdaughter was quite serious.

Every Little Thing About You 113

"Duffy?" Liberty began, her face now showing that she

was very confused. Duffy put a hand on her arm.

"We'll have to get back to this, Lib. All right? Don't give

it any more thought right now."

Liberty's eyes went back and forth between the two of

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them, their faces reminding her how much they cared. This

was a subject she would need to know more about, but

Duffy was right. This was not the time or place.

"Hi, Tess. Hi, Libby," Laura greeted them as she

arrived. "Did you dance yet?"

"I did/' Liberty said, glad to have the subject changed.

Her mother was coming, Zach in tow, and all hands fell to

food preparation as Duffy went to help the men. In no time

at all dozens of people would be gathering to eat. Time for

small talk had ended.

fy *3r

"My brother is in town," Slater told Griffin when he

had the chance.

"He is? That's great."

Slater nodded, his face thoughtful.

"Is it great, Slater?" the lawman asked sensitively.

"It is," Slater agreed, "but he came looking for some

answers, and I know he won't like everything he hears."

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"Well, let me know if I can help."

"Thanks, Griffin."

"Oh, and don't hesitate to have him stay at the house

for as long as he needs."

"Okay."

"Where is he, by the way?"

Slater nodded his head toward a large, dark man some

30 feet away who was driving nails into the wood with one

blow. Griffin, surprised that he was even there, stared at

Dakota for a moment and then turned his attention back to

Slater.

"Was your brother in the saloon earlier today?"

l .-

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Slater smiled. "Yep. Libby was ready to put him away,

but he gave up the gun."

"She said it was some big guy with dark hair. Does she

know he's your brother?"

"No. I'm not sure how long hell stick around or how

much hell want to become known. He moved away from

me the moment we arrived. Actually, I was surprised that

he even came here today. I'm going to invite him to everything

but let him make the choice/' Slater chuckled, "not

that I could do much else."

"Is he older than you?" Griffin thought Slater might

have said but couldn't remember.

"Yes, but not by as much as it looks. Do you want to

meet him now or later?"

"Later is fine. Be sure and tell him that Mam and Duffy

are expecting us after church tomorrow."

"I'll do that. I'll be very satisfied if he joins me for either

one." This said, Slater went back to work, his heart asking

God to let Dakota stay long enough to have contact with

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folks who could make such a difference in his life.

*gr

"When did you meet her?" Dakota asked the minute

they were in the door that evening.

"Who?"

"The woman you're going to marry."

Slater blinked. "You spent too much time bending over

a hammer today, Dak. Get some rest."

"Not until you tell me."

"How can I tell you when I don't know what you're

talking about?"

"I'll tell you what I'm talking about. You arrive and

every female under 25 comes crowding around. They look

at you as if you've just dropped from heaven, but do you

ask one of them to dance? No. You leave them all for the

Every Little Thing About You 115

small, dark-haired beauty who wanted to put me in jail this

201

morning."

Slater was speechless. Dakota had perfectly described

the scene. So why had the younger Rawlings thought mat

no one would notice his special interest in Liberty Drake?

"I haven't asked Ubby to marry me, not even close,"

was all Slater could think to say.

"What's her name?" Dakota pressed him.

Slater closed his mouth. If Dakota wasn't going to stay

in town long, he wasn't sure how much he wanted to share

with him.

"You can meet her tomorrow," Slater finally said, "if

you're sticking around that long."

Dakota's eyes narrowed. Slater had always held

Dakota in high regard, and Dakota respected Slater in

return, but if Dakota ever wanted the upper hand, he knew

just how to get it. Having his younger brother refuse him

anything or not answer a question took some getting used

to.

"I take it she goes to your church."

"Yes, she does, but thaf s not where you would meet

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her. Griffin and I go to lunch at her parents' home on Sundays."

"And Griffin is the one who owns this house?" Dakota

asked as he gestured to the room in general.

"Yes."

"How is he tied into this Libby woman?" ^

Slater opened his mouth but shut it again. Finally he

said, "Why don't you come tomorrow and find out?"

Those dark eyes narrowed in his direction again but

nothing more was said. Griffin came in a short time later,

met Dakota Rawlings, and then took himself downtown to

check on the Saturday night activity. Both Slater and

Dakota turned in without another word on the subject

w~ " S'*

116 lori wick

Slater didn't know when he'd been so distracted. Never

in his wildest dreams did he think that Dakota would be

203

sitting next to him in church. His presence caused Slater to

listen with new ears. Things that made complete sense to

him caused him to wonder if Dakota had a due. His

brother had not seemed overly intrigued or even resigned,

but fairly early that morning he had come to Slater's room

and asked when he needed to be ready for church. Slater

was glad that he had some time alone after telling him. He

spent that time praying, thanking God for His work, and

asking Him to soften Dakota's heart.

"I want you to pay close attention to Nehemiah's

prayer life," Pastor Caron instructed now. "Almost a dozen

times the verses tell us that Nehemiah engaged in prayer.

I'm just going to point out a few. He goes to God in prayer

starting in chapter 1:4, and then while he's talking to the

king in 2:4. Chapter 4 has several verses on the subject; 6:9

is a prayer, and the book ends with a plea to God from

Nehemiah." Pastor Caron went back and read those verses

before pausing and meeting the eyes of his congregation.

"As I've been saying for weeks now, this man teaches

me so much. Is he teaching you? Are you trying to serve

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God without talking to Him? Are you forgetting that after

we believe, He is with us always? How many of you can

spend hours in someone's presence and not utter a word to

him?"

Slater had to stop himself from smiling. Thinking that

if Hank Hathaway were present he could raise his hand, he

forced himself to concentrate on the sermon.

"If your goal is to grow and to serve the Lord, you've

got to be praying. I don't know that any of us will be called

to do something as huge as Nehemiah did, but no matter

what your task, God is standing by to help you. He doesn't

want to just observe; He delights in the prayers of His children

and wants to give you the power and strength to succeed."

Every little Thing About You 117

Slater felt Dakota shift beside him, and for a moment he

thought he might rise and leave. In an effort to accept

God's will in his brother's life, no matter what it was. Slater

prayed and steeled himself for the worst, but nothing came

of it. The service ended and Dakota headed right for the

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door, but not a mention was made of the service. Slater

found him by the horses, asked him if he wanted to go to

the Petersons', and took his quiet nod as a yes. Tempted as

he was to question the older man's look, Slater held his

tongue, praying all the way down the street.

fy

"Zach can read," Laura told Dakota, leaning from her

chair to make sure he could hear. "He goes to school."

"Does he?" Dakota's words were soft, his tone warm.

The change had come over him as soon as he met Laura

Peterson. "Do you go to school?"

"Next year. I'll be big then."

Dakota smiled, learning swiftly what many already

knew: Laura was a heartwarmer.

"Is your horse the big black one?"

"Yes, it is."

"He looks like you," she announced.

"Laura!" Zach's shocked voice could be heard as he

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entered the room.

"Oh," Laura's eyes widened. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

She had learned what Zach's looks meant. She

wasn't sure what she had said, but her brother was looking

horrified.

"That's all right," Dakota reassured her. "I guess Eli

and I do look alike."

"His name is EH?" Her face showed her disillusionment.

"I was hoping it was a girl."

Dakota smiled before exchanging looks with Slater,

who was glad to sit back and take this all in.

118 * lori wick

"I'm glad you don't have handcuffs on/' Laura proclaimed.

Dakota blinked at her. "What?"

"Slater did when he first came."

This got another shocked tone out of Zach, even as

Dakota turned compelling eyes onto his brother. Laura

simply sat back and shut her mouth. The last time she had

said too much she experienced a visit to the pantry with the

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wooden spoon. Laura had only just made her wise decision

when Liberty came through the door.

"I think we're ready to eat," she announced.

The children scooted from the parlor on this note, but

both men stood on her entrance, Slater ready to do the

honors.

"Libby, this is my brother, Dakota. Dakota, this is Liberty

Drake."

Liberty's eyes told the men that she was thinking fast,

even while she heard Dakota say, "I've been wondering

what you would look like for a long time."

"Dakota," his brother warned, but Liberty only looked

confused. A moment later, still not having heard what

Dakota said, she made the connection she'd been working

through her mind.

"Oh, my," she said softly. "I didn't know." Indeed, Liberty

was shocked. With his hat off, a freshly shaved face,

and warm eyes, Dakota took some moments to place.

"It's all right." Dakota came to her rescue. "You were

just doing your job."

208

Liberty suddenly bit her lip. "I did the same thing to

Slater," she admitted on a laugh, relieved when the men

joined her.

"Did Slater say the name was Liberty?" Dakota asked

after she invited them to follow her to the dining room.

"Yes."

"Born on the Fourth of July?" Dakota asked, his eyes

not missing a thing.

Every Little Thing About You 119

Liberty laughed again. "As a matter of fact, I was," she

told him, all the time causing Slater to wonder why he had

never asked.

"Here you are," Duffy said as they entered. "I'm sorry

we didn't get to do more than meet you, Dakota. Did Laura

do a good job as hostess?"

"Yes." Dakota told the truth, but Laura's eyes darted to

their guest and swiftly away.

"Do we need to talk, Laura?" her father asked quietly.

"I shocked Zach two times," she admitted.

209

Duffy's hand came to his mouth, but he managed,

"Well, did you say you were sorry?"

"I think so." She looked on the verge of tears, and

Slater, feeling free to do so, stepped in.

"She handled it very well, as did Zach."

"Thank you, Slater," Duffy said with a nod. "Good job,

children." He smiled at both of them before bowing his

head. "What a privilege it is, Father, to gather around this

table to eat, and also to have Slater's brother join us this

day. We thank You for all Your blessings, from the food to

the warm shelter You have lovingly placed over us. In Your

will and timing, we ask that Griffin's business downtown

will go smoothly, so that he may join us for dinner. In Your

Son's holy name I pray. Amen."

The bowls were passed, and in an instant, Dakota was

experiencing what Slater had experienced the first time he

sat at this table. He hadn't heard anything too disagreeable

from the preacher that morning, but he didn't think he

wanted to go to church all the time. He was, however,

gaining a glimpse of why Slater wanted to stay in this

210

town. Dakota thought he might stick around himself.

"Hello," Griffin suddenly called as he came througji

from the kitchen. "Any food left?"

"Oh, Griff." Kate shook her head at him. "As if I would

let you starve on the one day you let me feed you."

Griffin smiled before kissing his mother's cheek, taking

a seat, and serving himself. He was in the midst of telling

120 lori wick

them what had happened downtown when someone else

came in the back door.

"Doc! Doc!" the man cried frantically.

"In here," Duffy said calmly but started to rise.

Pat Brewster came panting to the doorway, his face a

mask of fear. "Meg's pains have started. Doc, can you

come?"

"I'm on my way," Duffy told him.

"I'd better get back," Pat panted, suddenly whipping

the hat off his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Peterson," he said to

Kate.

211

"It's all right. Pat. Tell Meg I'm thinking of her."

"Thank you, ma'am."

In the next few seconds Pat left and Duffy grabbed his

bag, kissed Kate, took a hug from Laura, and made his way

from the room. The diners had all fallen silent.

"My Papa's going to make a baby be born," Laura said

after a moment The pride in her voice made the rest of the

room smile.

ofo

'vie

"was laura serious about your handcuffs?" Dakota

asked much later that day as both men rode on horseback

along the creek line. The men had spent most of the afternoon

with the Petersons. They were still there when Duffy

returned to announce that he had delivered a healthy baby

girl.

"I'm afraid so," Slater replied, shaking his head with

212

regret. "I told you I went to jail."

"True, but why would the sheriff take you to his