Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (17 page)

mother's house?"

Slater gave him a rundown and watched Dakota's

brows lift. He didn't have to say it. It was written all over

his face: Were these people real? Since Slater believed their

actions were all spiritually based, he was glad when

Dakota didn't press him over answers he wouldn't believe.

"Do you think Libby will like being a Ranger's wife?"

Dakota asked.

"You'll have to ask her when you propose," Slater

replied calmly, not rising to the bait.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Well, then she knows some other Ranger, because I

turned in my badge."

The look Dakota sent him was dark, and not just from

the color of his eyes. He looked ready to begin a lecture but

turned away, his eyes on the water.

"How long do you plan to keep this up?" Dakota

asked, his voice soft.

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Slater sighed. "I'm not on vacation, Dak."

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"Then what would you call it?"

Slater weighed his words and spoke, a slight edge to

his voice. "I don't know where all of this is going to lead,

but rare are the times in my life when I've felt such a peace.

I felt a peace when I told Brace, and I felt a peace the first

Sunday I sat in that church and was taught from the Word.

1 don't think I can tell you how much I needed that. If you

have peace right now, I'm glad for you, and I will welcome

your questions, but badgering me will stop, Dakota. I'm

staying here right now, and thaf s the end of it. If you stay

around, you'd better know one thing: I'm not going to have

you constantly on my back."

Dakota nodded but kept silent. Lately Slater had

become very even-natured. He hadn't been as a child, so

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there was no missing the change. It wasn't often in the last

two years that he grew angry or overly passionate on an

issue, so when he did, his family had learned to listen. It

was on Dakota's mind to tell Slater that he would go along

but that his eyes would be open. He changed his mind.

Why would he want to threaten his brother? Much as he

disagreed with his decision, the idea was ludicrous. They

eventually turned and rode silently back toward town. No

tension lingered between them--they cared for each other

too much for that--but each brother wondered what the

future would bring.

S'-%r

"Hey, Griff," Liberty said softly as she followed Griffin

out the door.

"Yeah?" He turned while still on the porch. The sun

was falling fast, but they could still see each other well The

already visible moon was full.

"Did you see Tess today?"

"Not to talk to. Why?"

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Liberty opened her mouth but hesitated.

Every Little Thing About You 123

"What's the matter?" Griffin asked, his voice telling her

he wanted an answer.

"She was having a pretty hard time at the barn raising

yesterday. I just wondered how she was today."

"Was it something to do with me or her family?"

"Some of both. She didn't talk to you?"

"Not a word."

Liberty nodded, saddened by the fact. She wanted to

help her friend--she wanted to help Griffin--but the situation

seemed impossible.

"What did her family do?"

Liberty explained the way they had backed out of

coming and how lonely she felt.

"How did my name come up?" Griffin asked, no censure

in his voice.

"Oh, Griff." Liberty sounded annoyed. "Sometimes I'm

such a dolt. I told Tess that maybe someday she'd have a

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family of her own. She was already upset. I don't know

what I was thinking." Liberty stopped and then admitted,

"Then she told me some of her most recent thoughts. I

wanted to sob for her."

Griffin could see that she didn't want to go on, but he

had to know. 'Tell me, Ubby," Griffin said, his voice indicating

he was at a loss in the whole situation.

"You won't thank me, Griff--not if it hits you as hard

as it did me."

Griffin gave a mirthless laugh. "Sometimes I think a hit

is just what I need. Please tell me."

Liberty looked up at him. "She said she was glad for

your family's sake that you were alive, but where she's

concerned, you might as well be dead."

Griffin could barely find air to fill his lungs. He put his

hands on his sister's upper arms, harder than he intended,

and brought her up dose.

"Did she really, Libby--did she actually say that?"

A small cry broke Liberty's voice. "I'm sorry, Griff. I'm

so sorry."

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Griffin slowly let go of his sister, his arms dropping to

his side. What a fool he'd been. All this fear of leaving her

when he'd already abandoned her. He looked over to see

Liberty staring at him, tears caught on her lower lids.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No/' she replied, shaking her head. "Not at all. I just

feel so bad."

"I've got to go see her/' Griffin said, his voice still

stunned. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay."

Griffin was ten steps off the porch when he turned and

ran back. He hauled Liberty into his arms and hugged her

tightly.

"Thanks, Lib/' he whispered.

Liberty stood still long after her brother moved out of

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sight. Her heart in her throat, she prayed that God would

give Griffin wisdom and that Tess would just keep trusting.

% %r

"Well, Griffin," Mrs. Locken said with a smile, "come

in.

"Thank you, Mrs. Locken/' Griffin said as he removed

his hat, ''but could I possibly see Tess here on the porch?"

Mrs. Locken smiled. This man had never done anything

to make her worry, but it was a cold evening.

"Tess is in the kitchen, Griffin; you won't be disturbed

in there."

"Thank you," he said softly as he crossed the threshold.

The house was warm, and with his heart trying to jump

into his mouth, he began to perspire.

"Just go on through, Griffin," the lady of the house

invited. "Tess is working on a pie."

Griffin greeted Mr. Locken as he passed through the

living room, but he only waved his hand and kept the

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newspaper to his face. His legs feeling weighted, Griffin

made his way to the kitchen at the back of the house. Who-

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Little Thing About You 125

ever had built this home had not spared in space. It was

roomy and comfortable. The dining room was dim, but

more light peeked from under the closed door to the

kitchen. Griffin pushed open the door without knocking,

standing just inside until Tess looked up from her work.

"Well, Griffin," she said in surprised delight.

In just a few strides, Shotgun's sheriff covered the distance

between them and took Tess' flour-covered hand in

his.

"Marry me, Tess," he barely managed through suddenly

dry lips.

Tess closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She then

smiled into his worried gaze and said, "Just name the date,

Griffin, and 111 be there."

"Oh, my wonderful Tess," the sheriff breathed as he

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drew her gently into his arms. "I love you so."

"Oh, Griffin." Tears were coming now, and Tess could

not stop them. "I never thought..." she began.

"I know," he said as he moved back and smoothed the

hair from her brow. "I just didn't understand until Lib told

me what you said."

Tess wasn't long in catching on. "It was horrible of me."

"It wasn't," Griffin said emphatically. "It was horrible

of me, but to be honest, I really thought I was doing the

right thing. Now I see that you're right: I might as well be

dead for you if I'm going to keep us apart."

Tess couldn't take it. She sobbed into his shirt front and

couldn't stop, even when she heard the door open again.

"I'm sorry," Griffin said, turning to see Mrs. Locken. "I

didn't know she would cry."

"What is it, Griffin? Has something happened?"

"I asked her to marry me."

As though he was watching the scene all over again,

Mrs. Locken began to cry too. She and Tess came together

in a hug and then laughed at each other's teary faces.

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"I'm sorry," Mrs. Locken told Griffin. "You can't have

bargained on both of us sobbing all over the place."

'

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"Well, I left my sister in tears when I came over here,

and something tells me my mother will do the same."

"So Libby knew?" less asked. "What did she think?"

"No, she didn't know, but she told me what you'd said

and that was upsetting."

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Tess briefly explained the conversation from the day

before, and Mrs. Locken hugged her again.

Ready for a lighter subject, the older woman said, "Tell

me, Tess, a big wedding or a small affair?"

Tess looked at Griffin. "I don't care, just as long as I

become Mrs. Drake."

"Oh my, Tess," her mother complained. "You'll have

me going again. Come. Lef s go tell your father."

The next few minutes went much better than Griffin

could have anticipated. Mr. Locken actually put his reading

material down long enough to smile at his daughter, congratulate

the both of them, and ask about the date, something

that would have to be considered. One of Tess'

brothers even came home from downtown and heard the

news as well before going off to his room. When Griffin

was finally ready to leave, Tess walked him onto the porch.

"I won't sleep tonight," Tess said, "and that means I'll

have bags under my eyes. If I see you tomorrow, you'll

change your mind."

Griffin laughed. "That's not going to happen."

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Tess could only stare at him. "I love you, Griffin."

"I love you, Tess, so very much. Thank you for helping

me see what I'm missing."

Tess nodded, "We have to trust For all we know, something

could happen to me."

"I hope not," Griffin said softly. "I hope we're still

gazing into each other's eyes 30 years down the road."

All Tess could do was smile. It was the last thing Griffin

saw before he turned and headed for home--not home

exactly but more like the house next door, where just as he

suspected, his mother, joined by his sister, cried when they

heard the news.

Every Littk Thing About You 127

" *3^

The man working with Hank Hathaway when Slater