Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (24 page)

"I don't like cemeteries, Griff."

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"Why not, Zach?"

The little boy shrugged. "They scare me a little."

Griffin nodded.

"I'm not scared now, but I'm afraid I'll think of it

tonight when I go to bed."

"Come here, Zach," Griffin invited, putting an arm

around him when he joined him in the large chair. "Do you

know one of the things I love about God, Zach? If s the way

He's everywhere all the time. Do you know what that's

called?"

Zach shook his head no.

"Omnipresent. That's a long, funny word, but it simply

means that God is everywhere 100 percent of the time. I

love that. When I have to ride into a dangerous situation, I

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know that He's with me, but that He's also where I'm

headed. When I lie down at night He's with me, but He's

also with Tess. I take great comfort in that

"And now tonight, 111 be thinking of you especially. I'll

be so glad that when God is with me, He's also with you in

your bed, and with Josie Frank where she's sleeping, and

even at the cemetery. There's no reason to fear if God is

with us, Zach, and He always is."

"Papa has told me that, but I think I forgot."

"Well, I'll pray that you'll remember it the next time

you're scared. You can pray that Josie will understand and

remember too."

Without warning or word to anyone, Dakota suddenly

stood and left the room. Zach looked to his brother, his eyes

questioning. Griffin's eyes met the younger ones.

"I think maybe Dakota could use the same prayers too,

Zach."

The six-year-old was still nodding when Griffin tightened

his arm around him and bent to give him a kiss.

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"How are you?" Slater asked Liberty as he took the wet

bowl from her hand.

"I'm all right. I'm always surprised at how much it

affects me physically. I still feel bruised all over."

"You might be in a way/' Slater surmised.

Liberty looked up at him in question.

"You move very fast when you draw, Libby. That's

bound to affect your muscles."

"I've never thought of that," Liberty said slowly. She

had just handed another bowl to Slater when Dakota burst

through the door.

"Oh/' he seemed momentarily stopped. "I, um71 mean,

thanks for lunch, Libby."

"Are you all right?" Slater asked before Liberty could

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reply.

"Yeah," Dakota answered, but he was clearly agitated.

"I've got to go."

Both Slater and Liberty watched in surprise as he

moved for the back door and left in a hurry.

"I need to see what's wrong/' Slater said, even as he

was setting the towel down and moving out the door.

Liberty didn't try to comment; she didn't want to distract

him, but she stepped away from the washtub to see

Slater catch up with Dakota halfway between the houses.

"Are you all right?" Slater asked again, this time taking

his brother's arm.

"No, I'm not all right," he gritted. "But it's nothing you

could possibly understand."

"Try me."

Dakota speared him with angry eyes. "I suppose you

thought the service was great. I suppose you agreed with

every word."

"I did, yes."

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Dakota shook his head in disgust. "What's the matter

with all of you, Slater? A woman is dead. Her husband and

baby stood there in terrible grief, and who do we hear

about? Jesus Christ! Unbelievable."

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It was cold out, but neither man seemed to notice.

Slater's mind scrambled fast for a reply, his mind praying

for wisdom.

"What did you want Pastor Caron to say, Dak? What

would you have deemed appropriate?"

"A little more about the woman herself, for starters. He

turned it into a sermon!"

"What if the woman was who she was because of Jesus

Christ, Dak?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you heard what he said. She was a changed

person because of her faith."

Dakota's eyes narrowed. Slater knew he was not happy

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with that answer, but he went on anyway.

"If I'm a different person because of my beliefs, Dakota,

and I were to die, I would want other people to know they

could have the same hope. Lloyd Frank clearly feels the

same way." Slater took a breath and said, "Maybe you

should be listening instead of criticizing."

"My life is fine," Dakota did not hesitate to clarify.

"If that's true, then why does this have you so upset? If

everything is fine, you should be able to shrug this off and

go on with your life."

Dakota's eyes became dangerously black, but Slater

held his ground.

"I'm leaving," he finally gritted out

Slater stood still as Dakota stormed away and slammed

into the house. Not until he reappeared with his saddlebags

and gear did Slater see how serious he was and follow

him to the barn to try again.

"Please don't leave like this, Dak. Don't leave in a

rage."

"I'm not angry at you, Slate," Dakota said tightly,

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throwing tack onto Eli in a hurry. "You're just a little confused

right now, and I know how that can be. I just need to

get away for a time. Maybe when I return you'll have come

down off this cloud that says your way is the only way."

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Slater had no idea how to reply. He believed with all of

his heart that God's Son was the only way, but clearly that

was the last thing he could say right now. Dakota mounted

Eli and said goodbye, leaving Slater standing by the small

barn. As he watched him ride away, Slater thought it most

fitting that it had finally begun to rain.

"I brought you some soup," Liberty said as she entered

her mother's room.

"Thank you, dear." Kate sat up and reached for her

robe; the room was chilly.

"Did Zach and Laura eat lunch?"

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"Yes. I think I got quite a bit into them."

"And what about you?"

Liberty chuckled. "Slater kept pushing food my way.

He must have had the same plan I had for the kids."

Kate took a sip from the mug of soup and watched her

daughter. Ablush had stolen over her cheeks, and her eyes,

which had a dreamy light in them, had gone toward the

window.

"You're falling for this man, Libby," her mother said.

"I think you're right." Liberty bit her lip and met her

mother's eyes. "I didn't know I could feel this way about

anyone, Mam. I think he's wonderful."

"Are you going to be able to move slowly?"

Liberty nodded. "I do have feelings, though, ones I've

never experienced before. I also have a lot of questions. We

haven't talked about when he came to Christ, and he said

he'd get back to me about why he left the Rangers."

"Cover all of it, Lib. I can't give you better advice than

that."

"When did you and Duffy find time to talk?"

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Kate smiled. "It wasn't easy. I had two children and he

had a busy practice, but we made it work. I also listened to

the people who were close to me. If someone I loved and

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trusted had felt any doubts, I would have slowed down or

stopped."

"Do you and Duffy have doubts about Slater?"

"Not doubts, but we do want you to go slowly. We

think Slater is wonderful. We're delighted that he's taking

the deputy's position, but that doesn't mean he's the man

God has for you."

Liberty nodded. "I think about what Tess said too--

you know, about my never noticing male attention before.

Maybe all I'm feeling is a first-time infatuation."

"That's what time will determine, dear. Give yourself

lots of it."

Liberty stood and kissed her mother's cheek.

"Send the kids up, will you, Lib? I want to see how

they're doing."

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"Will do. Are you up to coming to the table for dinner?"

"I feel up to it, yes, but Duffy may come home and

order me back to bed. I'll be down in about an hour."

"All right."

Zach and Laura were already in the hallway when she

left the room, their little faces anxious.

"Can we see Mam, Libby?" Zach asked.

"Yes, Zach. She was just asking for you."

Liberty smiled as they raced down the hall and heard

her mother's cry of delight. Again she prayed that God

would allow this fifth child to come safely into their world.

"So HE JUST STORMED OFF?" Griffin asked.

"Yep. He's fighting what he's hearing, I'm sure. That's

not like Dakota, but then I guess I did a good deal of

fighting myself."

"What do you suppose brought it on?" Tess asked; the

three of them were at the sheriff's office the next day.

''The funeral," Slater said, filled her in, and went on.

"He's not a man who cares how other people live as long

as they obey the law, so this is a surprise. I haven't had

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hope until now."

"Zach and I were talking in Mam's living room yesterday

when he left so suddenly."

"What were you discussing?"

"God's omnipresence."

Slater nodded.

"I find it so interesting that he wanted Pastor Caron to

talk more about Desna," Tess said. "Do you remember

what you pointed out to me, Griff, about the way the disciples

wanted to talk about themselves when Jesus mentioned

His death?"

Griffin nodded. "It's the same today. You talk about

Christ's work on the cross, and most people start telling

you how good they've been. They want to talk about themselves,

not about Christ's death for their sins."

Slater's brows rose. That was exactly what he did for a

time, but he eventually got so miserable that all the fight

went out of him.

"Do you think he'll come back?" Griffin now asked.

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"Yes, but probably not for a time. I know he thinks I

need to get my head on straight. I'm not real anxious to

have him return, knowing there will probably be another

confrontation."

"Maybe not/' Tess put in. "Maybe hell run into the

man who led you to Christ, and he'll have an impact"

"I only hope and pray that it happens," Slater said sincerely.

"Oh, there's Ubby," Tess exclaimed, spotting her across

the street. "Maybe shell come over."

Slater's head whipped around at the sound of that

name, and he was out the door so fast the other two almost