Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (13 page)

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"I don't know. He wants me to stay quiet."

"Put it down!" The shout came from overhead, and

Liberty scrambled loose and ran, Slater right behind her.

They both heard Leonard's drunken wailing and the crack

of the whip as they raced up the alley. Liberty, knowing the

town well, ran for a ladder at the side of the bank building.

She started to climb but found herself lifted by the waist

and set back on her feet.

"Give me your gun!" Slater said in a voice that was not

to be argued with. Liberty obeyed automatically. "Stay

put!" was the next order before Slater started up the ladder.

Liberty stood in shock. It took her a moment to realize she

was not up there to take care of Griffin. Would Slater really

know what to do? All cowboys carried guns, and she had

originally found Slater with one, but did that mean he

knew how to use it? In the next moment more shouting

came to Liberty's ears, and without thought she climbed

the ladder. She had just reached the top when she heard

Griffin's voice.

"I've got him, Slater. Do you have the whip?"

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"Yes. How do we get him down that ladder?"

"We don't There's a stairway at the back here."

Liberty stepped across the roof then, and both men

spotted her.

"We've got him, Lib," was all Griffin had to say.

"Good."

Slater, on the other hand, was speechless. He could not

believe she'd come up that ladder. He opened his mouth to

say something but closed it again. Now was not the time.

They had a drunk to put in jail, but in his mind, the incident

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was not over.

'3' Sr

"I take it Leonard's moved into town, since he's still

here?" Liberty asked Griffin.

"Smiley tells me that he lives out a ways, but when he

gets lonely, he brings his whip to town for a drink."

"Smiley needs to get smart and have his bouncer take

the whip away from Leonard while he's still in his right

mind."

"I'll have to tell him," Griffin said. "In fact, I need to

head over there right now and confirm what happened.

Can you stay here for about 30 minutes?"

"Sure."

"All right. Thanks for your help, Slater. I'll be back long

enough to check on him and then I'll come home."

"All right."

Both Liberty and Slater watched Griffin leave. Liberty

walked to the cell and looked in to where Leonard was

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sleeping off his bottle before turning back to Slater. His

look gave her pause. Indeed, after seeing the intensity of

his gaze, she stopped a few paces short of the desk and

stood very still.

Slater wasn't still at all. With the reach of one long arm,

he hooked a finger in the bandana Liberty had knotted

around her neck and pulled her toward him.

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the bandana and his finger still holding Liberty captive,

Slater spoke when their faces were scant inches apart

"I thought I told you to stay put at the bottom of that

ladder."

Liberty looked hesitant before her chin rose just a little.

"Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you can handle

it"

Slater's eyes narrowed, his finger still in place.

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"All right," he began, his voice saying he would let it

go this time. "But just for the record, Liberty Drake, I can

handle a gun."

Liberty nodded, her eyes on the ones that watched her

so sternly. She stood still while he removed his finger and

even when he brushed that finger gently across her chin,

but her heart was trying to beat a hole in her rib cage.

"How long did Griffin say he would be?" Slater asked.

"Thirty minutes."

'Til stick around and walk you back.*

"All right. Slater?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you happen to be in the alley?"

Slater explained where he'd been, and Liberty worked

hard to quell an emotion she'd never before experienced:

jealousy. For a moment, all she could see was Betsy Caron's

face. Betsy was a good friend--a remarkably sweet

woman--but Liberty had a hard time seeing her with

Slater. Liberty almost shook her head. She had no right to

picture Slater with anyone. His life was not her business.

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"Did I hurt your neck just now?" Slater asked.

"No," Liberty said with some surprise. "Why did you

ask that?"

"You got so quiet all of a sudden."

"I'm not hurt. I was just thinking, and before I forget to

say it, thank you, Slater, for going up and helping Griff."

"You're welcome. I was glad to do it." I would do it all

the time if I could just figure out a way.

"Where'smywhip?" was suddenly slurred from the

cell, and both Liberty and Slater heard a thump. Investigating

the noise confirmed to them that Leonard had rolled

onto the floor. Liberty began to get the key, but Slater's

voice stopped her.

"I would leave him there. He'll be stiff in the morning,

but this way he won't fall off again and possibly hurt him-

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"All

right/' Liberty said, but she couldn't help but

notice the way he spoke. He was so confident, more so than

she would have thought he would be. Her mind recalled

the way he had climbed that ladder going to Griffin's

defense, seemingly without a qualm. Was there something

they were all missing?

"Okay, Libby/' Griffin called as he came back through

the door. "Oh, Slater, you're still here."

"I told Libby I would walk her home."

"Well, be my guest. I'm going to make sure Leonard is

settled and then head home myself."

"He fell off the bunk," Slater put in. "He's probably

safer there."

Liberty nodded. She knew that if Leonard woke and

caused a fuss, someone would just head to Griffin's house

and shout him out of bed.

"Thanks again, Slater," Griffin said.

"You're welcome."

Slater and Liberty headed out the door then, both a

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little quiet. Slater was still thinking about the way Liberty

seemed to withdraw from him just before Griffin returned,

Every, Little Thing About You 95

and Liberty was still speculating on the way Slater handled

himself. Griffin, staying back at the jail for a few minutes

longer, reminded himself not to start matchmaking when

clearly he was no expert.

Slater woke early. It was still dark out, but his body told

him he was done sleeping. Thankful for an untroubled

night, he rolled to his side, lit the lantern, and reached for

his Bible. He was still studying Nehemiah's life, wanting to

keep up with Pastor Caron, but he was also spending time

in 1 Corinthians. The early church was teaching him a great

deal. Slater was now in the seventh chapter and began to

read there. Reading verse one, he was ready to move on but

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got no further. Slater read it a second time.

Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is

good for a man not to touch a woman.

Slater felt his breath leave him in a rush. The verses

right before this had spoken of the sacredness of the body.

Because a believer was bought with a great price--God's

blood--his body was God's temple.

So what were you thinking in the alley last night, Rawlings?

You knew immediately that it wasn't a man, and as soon as you

figured out it was Liberty, you hugged her and held her as if you

had the right. Slater rolled to his back and looked at the

ceiling.

She was so soft and smelled so good, but she's not mine, Lord.

I've got to apologize to her. I've got to put things right. I can't

have intimate thoughts about her. It's wrong. You have better for

me. As You do Liberty. She was so quiet as I walked her home. I

can only imagine how offended she must have been.

Slater was sincere in his confession and planned to

make amends, but his heart was still heavy. He had a

feeling that it would be until he could go next door and ask

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to speak to the woman who occupied his thoughts so much

of the time.

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B-

"Here, let me try," Liberty said, as she worked on the

button on Zach's pants. He had to leave for school soon.

"The problem is, Zach," she continued, panting a little, "if

it's this hard for me, how will you ever get them off to use

the privy at school?"

"I don't know/' the little boy worried. "Should I

change? Do I have time?"

"Let me work the hole for a few more seconds," Liberty

suggested. "Maybe that will loosen it"

"I even soaked those/' Kate said as she put a platter of

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eggs and toasted bread on the table. "New denim pants

should be outlawed."

"Now you try," Liberty encouraged Zach.

She was still watching him as he tried to unbutton and

button his pants when his mother said he had to eat. Zach

had just taken his place at the table when Liberty heard a

knock at the door. Laura, fork in hand, began to rise.

"I'll get it," her older sister said. Liberty went through

the house, opened the front door, and found Slater on the

porch.

"May I see you a moment, Libby?" Slater said as soon

as he saw her, relieved that she had answered the door.

"Certainly. Come in."

Slater cleared his throat. "I think out here might be

better."

At a complete loss as to what could be going on, Liberty

joined him on the porch and shut the door behind her.

She watched Slater turn his hat in his hands and waited.

"I acted inappropriately last night, Libby, and I want to

tell you I'm sorry."

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Liberty's mind raced but she came up blank

"I grabbed you in the alley and should have let go as

soon as I knew it was you. I didn't, and that was wrong of

me."

Every Little Thing About You 97

Liberty had forgotten all about it, but she was suddenly

standing in his arms again. He was taller than she was, and

his arms had been very gentle. The recollection was not

unpleasant.

"I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course, Slater. Don't give it another thought."

Slater studied her eyes to see if she truly was all right

and then nodded. It was so tempting to tell her how sweet

she was and how lovely she'd been to hold, but that would

have canceled everything he'd just said.

"I hope in the future you won't be afraid to be around