Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (23 page)

Griffin's brows rose. The two men before him were so

different. One was blond with blue eyes, and the other had

black hair with eyes so black you couldn't even see the

pupils.

"And you all have the same mother and father?"

Griffin clarified.

Both brothers nodded, smiles on their faces.

"No sisters?"

"Nope," Dakota supplied, "but if you're giving up

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Laura, 111 take her."

"She's a card, all right," Griffin agreed with a small

sigh. "She's another reason not to just up and marry."

"She gets to watch it happen/' Slater supplied the

words, "if she's quiet."

"I'm not sure that's possible." Griffin's tone was dry.

"Actually, I shouldn't be surprised at how different you

two look; considering Zach and Laura are like day and

night in personality."

"Zach's a nice little guy," Dakota said, and with that the

men fell quiet. It had been a long day, emotionally and

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physically. And speaking of the children reminded them of

a little girl who no longer had a mother. It wasn't long

before all three men opted to turn in, knowing that the next

few days promised to be just as draining. On Wednesday

they would all be attending the funeral of Desna Frank.

-3-^Are

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you up to this?" Duffy asked Kate Wednesday

morning. She had been crying since she rose and hadn't

wanted anything for breakfast. She now washed the dishes

with slow, distracted movements.

Kate shrugged. "Even if I'm not, I can't stay away.

Desna was my friend, and I need to see Lloyd and Josie."

Duffy eyed her face. Her color wasn't good, and he naturally

thought of her condition.

"Stop looking at me, Duffy," she told him as she

handed him a plate to dry.

"That's like telling me not to be a doctor, Kathleen," he

replied firmly. "Now, you're not going if there's more than

grief going on here. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, but it is grief, Duffy; I know it is. That can bring

about problems of its own, but I'm not feeling that feeling

or anything like that"

To just about anyone else, those words would have

been cryptic, but to Kate, who had been expecting so many

times, and for the doctor she was married to, it made perfect

sense that she was in tune with her pregnancy. Duffy

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continued to watch her for a moment, and finally Kate

came to him. Duffy slipped his arms around her and held

her close.

"I don't want to lose you, Duff," she admitted. "I want

you here with me. When I think of Lloyd I can hardly stand

it."

Duffy pressed a kiss to her temple; he'd had the same

thoughts about her. He held her a little closer, already

feeling the baby between them. He never tired of touching

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or holding her. He wasn't a lot taller than she was, but the

difference in their heights gave him wonderful access to

her soft hair and brow, where he kissed her again.

"We should always have the attitude that we're not

staying here permanently, but there's nothing like a death

to remind us of how frail we are."

"I'm glad school was canceled. I want the children with

me."

"I'd have kept them home anyway," Duffy told her.

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"Laura told me she wants to talk to Josie, but I told her I'd

have to think about it."

"She means so well, but I'm a little afraid of what she'll

come up with."

They heard noises behind them then and weren't surprised

when Zach came forward and hugged his father

from the side. Duffy slipped an arm down to hold him.

"Where are Libby and Laura?"

"Both crying in Libby's room."

"Maybe I should go up," Kate said and moved a little,

but steps could be heard on the stairs. Sure enough, the

teary-eyed sisters joined the family in the kitchen, and 15

minutes later, they headed for the cemetery.

*gr 3Second

Corinthians 5 says, Therefore, we are always

confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body,

we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by

sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be

absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord/"

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Pastor Caron read these words to the crowd as they huddled

close against the cold wind. Rain was threatening.

"Can there ever be good news at a funeral?" the pastor

asked. "I just read verses to you that would give a

resounding yes!" Pastor Caron went on to say, "Desna

Frank was 24 years old. She was born in Dallas on May 1,

1857, to the late Henry and Lottie Jeffers. She lived most of

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her life in Dallas and moved to Shotgun after she married

Lloyd Frank in 1876. Her daughter Josie was born to her in

1878. Desna is also survived by two sisters and a brother,

all of whom live in the Dallas area.

"Desna wanted to be a schoolteacher but met Lloyd

before she completed her training. She was actively

involved in the church where she attended and was a regular

at the women's Bible study. Desna also enjoyed

attending the quilting bees that the Ladies' Legion holds

each month. She was quoted just a few weeks back as

saying, 'I love Shotgun. I hope we can raise all of our children

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here/"

Pastor Caron took a moment to compose himself. He

had just recently learned that Desna had been expecting.

For an instant he wanted to sob with the loss of both lives.

Almost a minute later he took a breath and continued.

"I had a long talk with Lloyd yesterday. He talked to

me about Desna, a woman he'd known and loved for more

than six years. Lloyd is confident, as am I, that Desna is

indeed present with the Lord. Lloyd was with Desna the

day they both realized they needed a Savior. He told me all

about the camp meeting where they both sat, hungry for

the truth about eternity, and how they needed to fill the

ache inside, an ache that was spiritually based. Both Lloyd

and Desna were saved that day.

"I didn't know Desna before she and Frank moved to

Shotgun and began attending the church where I pastor,

but we spoke many times, and on several occasions she

told me about her life. Frank wanted me to talk about

Desna today, but also to let you know that you can have the

same hope in Christ that she had.

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"I don't say that Desna is in heaven because she was a

good person. Those of you who know me know that I

would make no such claim. She's in heaven today because

she repented of her sin and accepted God's Son as her

Savior."

Every Little Thing About You 169

Taking in the words as best she could, Liberty stood

very still at the graveside. She felt like her insides were

crumbling, but she didn't want to break down. She was

thankful beyond what she could express that her friend

was in heaven, but Lloyd's pale face and Josie's confused

eyes were almost too much to bear. When the service

ended, many people went forward to have a word with

Lloyd, but Liberty hung back until they were almost all

gone. Griffin was close by, Dakota and Slater behind him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there in time, Lloyd," Liberty

said, tears coming without invitation. "I can't tell you how

sorry."

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"It's not your fault, Libby. I'm just glad no one else was

hurt."

Tears fell as she nodded and shifted her gaze to Josie,

who was standing next to some of Lloyd and Desna's

family. As she watched, Laura came up to the other little

girl.

"Hi, Josie. Mam said you can come and play with me.

Do you want to come and play sometime?"

Josie nodded and Laura gave her a hug, one that the

younger girl returned.

"We'll plan on that," the woman next to Lloyd now

said. She was Desna's sister.

"Call on us," Griffin told him, his hand extended in

friendship. "We'll do whatever we can, Lloyd."

"Thanks, Griff."

It was time to move on, but Liberty didn't want to. She

stood in momentary indecision. Since she was ready to

leave, Laura made it a little easier. She took Liberty's hand

and even turned away. They hadn't gone ten feet when the

five-year-old stumbled over the uneven ground and nearly

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fell. Slater was suddenly there, scooping her up to sit on his

arm and taking Liberty's hand in his own.

"If I had just been a little faster," Liberty said quietly.

"Don't do this to yourself." Slater's voice came softly to

her. "It won't help to go over it again and again."

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Liberty turned her head to look up at him. It was too

easy to forget that he would know that. The news about his

past job was still so foreign. Dakota seemed like a Texas

Ranger, but for some reason Slater did not. A moment of

disquiet filled her. Was he capable of being Griffin's

deputy? Had Griffin known what he was doing, or was the

decision made in the heat of emotion? On top of these

upsetting thoughts, Liberty abruptly realized how warm

and solid his hand was and how confidently he'd taken

over with Laura. Even amid her doubts about his serving

as deputy, Liberty still thought him the most wonderful

man she'd ever met.

"Here you go/' he said gently, helping her into Duffy

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and Kate's wagon.

"Come and have some lunch," Kate invited Slater, her

eyes taking in Griffin and Dakota as well.

"You're welcome to come by the house for lunch,"

Duffy cut in, his voice mild, "but your hostess will be lying

down."

Kate's hand went to her mouth, and she looked away.

She was just holding on, and her husband knew it.

"Do you want company, Lib?" her brother asked.

She nodded yes. It wasn't hard to guess that she found

that easier than being on her own. The wagon pulled away

then, and the men moved to their horses. Once at the

house, her husband seeing to the task of settling Kate

upstairs, all hands joined in to help with the meal. It was

light fare, and because her mother was not with them, Liberty

was committed to acting as normally for Zach and

Laura as she could. Neither one of them had eaten a good

breakfast, and she determined to see food into them now.

Slater was feeling the same way about Liberty, and Dakota

watched it all in silence. Not until the meal was over and

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he was in the living room with Zach and Griffin did he start

to relax. It didn't last long, however, as the little boy began

to talk with his brother.