Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (29 page)

Feeling that she had little to lose, she decided to try. She

thought she might have just gotten it when the door

opened.

Without a word from her captor the sewing implement

was plucked from her hand, and she looked up into

enraged features.

"The thought of trussing you up is abhorrent to me, but

if that's what it takes to keep you quiet, I'll do it. You must

understand that I won't let anything stop me from leaving

here. Now this is my last warning."

The door dosing once again, Liberty let her shoulders

slump. This was such a mess. How long would it be before

she was missed at home? Quite possibly hours. Her mother

knew what Mrs. Tobler was like and would assume that

she'd wanted her to stay all day. Liberty worked to keep

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her head clear, but it was getting hard. For the first time

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since she could remember, she wanted to panic.

Stretching out on her side, she prayed and tried to calm

her heart. She thought of every verse that would come to

mind, going slowly over the words and even singing

hymns in her heart. While mentally going through the song

she was supposed to play in church on Sunday morning,

her fingers moving over imaginary keys, she must have

fallen asleep. She hadn't planned to do that, but the door

was suddenly opening again and she'd heard no footsteps.

"I have to take care of this now/' her jailer began by

saying. "I won't have your death on my mind."

Liberty stared at him as he set a basket, presumably of

food, and a jug beside her.

"You'll have to eat sparingly, but you won't starve."

"You can't be serious!" Liberty said in outrage, coming

awake in a hurry. "You can't leave me in here."

"I don't think it, will be long. Aunt likes her home too

much. She should be back any day now."

Liberty had come to her feet, causing Davis to back

away a little.

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"If I die," she said fiercely, "it'll be on your head. Don't

try to tell yourself anything else!"

"You'll be fine," he said with an irritating confidence,

the door starting to dose. "And don't forget," he immediately

opened it again to say, "I will tie you up if you make

a single noise."

Liberty had never known such frustration. To be this

helpless was maddening. She made herself sit back down

and take slow, even breaths. Bumping the jug, she realized

she was thirsty. She'd missed lunch, but as soon as she'd

had a drink, her mind went back to obtaining her freedom.

It might take some time, but she would come up with a

plan.

-3--5

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"And then Mam fell asleep during her sandwich,"

Laura told Griffin. Knowing he would have to work late,

he had stopped by the house and found her home with

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less. "She was tired."

"What did you do?"

"I just sat there beside her."

"That was nice of you. Did Libby get you the milk you

wanted?" /

"Libby wasn't home. She's been at Mrs. Tobler's all day

getting a new dress. She didn't even come home for lunch

or to help Mam start dinner."

Griffin's entire frame stiffened. Mr. Saint, Mrs. Mills,

and Mrs. Tobler had been on his mind since he'd started

making plans for that night. But this news about Liberty

could not wait that long.

"I need to head out for a little bit," Griffin rose and said.

"I'll check back with you, Tess." He gave her a swift kiss.

"All right," Tess said calmly, thinking of the little girl

next to her. But she knew something was wrong and began

to pray.

"'Bye, Laura," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"'Bye."

Griffin tried not to run. He debated going all the way

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to the Hathaways' to get Slater but decided to swing by the

office instead. His heart slowed with relief to see Arrow out

front.

"I need you" was all he said, his head going swiftly

inside and back out again. Slater was fast to respond, and

on the way to the Mills', Griffin gave him the news.

"I hope it's just an uncomfortable hunch that doesn't

pan out."

"You and me both," Slater agreed. Hunch or not, it

needed to be checked. If Liberty was there and they didn't

follow this lead, they would never forgive themselves.

In the next few seconds Griffin told Slater what he

wanted to do. They had given Davis Mills the benefit of the

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doubt earlier that day and knocked on the front door.

Griffin was not going to make that mistake again.

Sr

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Liberty listened to the noise of doors opening or furniture

moving, she couldn't decide which. She did know one

thing, however--if he was moving furniture, that meant

that the hole was covered and he was getting ready to

leave. Even if he had the gun with him again, Liberty was

not going to take this lying down. The pointed-heel shoes

in her hands, she launched her assault against the door

with a vengeance.

"Let me out! Do you tear me? I said, GET ME OUT OF

HERE!"

Liberty continued to shout, kick, and beat against the

door until her hair flew in her face and her throat felt raw.

She screamed for all she was worth, and when the door

was opened, she attacked the man with the shoes, her arms

swinging in a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand.

She found herself subdued, arms locked at her sides in

a tight grasp. It happened so swiftly that for a moment she

couldn't breathe. When she did find her breath, she looked

up into Slater Rawlings' face.

"Oh, Slater," Liberty whispered. "Did I hurt you?"

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Slater smiled, but the answer was clear: His cheek was

bleeding and one eyelid was already beginning to swell.

"Are you all right?" was all he wanted to know.

"Yes. Oh, Slater," she cried again.

"What happened here, Libby?"

It was Griffin. Liberty hadn't even seen him. For the

first time in her life, Liberty began to babble. Both Griffin

and Slater listened to words like "dirt mounds, money

sacks, water jug, derringer, front door, key, shoes," and so

on. They both tried to take in the sequence, but she kept

changing directions on them, all the time gesturing to the

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room and pointing out the dust that lay in thick layers on

the furniture.

"Take her home/' Griffin said. "Ill make a final check

here and with Mr. Saint, then see if the neighbors spotted

anyone."

Liberty told herself to offer her services, but Griffin had

looked at her strangely. It was then that she realized this

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had been more upsetting than she first thought.

"I'm sorry," she heard herself say.

Griffin hugged her. "We're just glad you're all right."

"I should be helping you."

Griffin shook his head. "I'll be by later and we'll talk

about it, okay?"

Liberty nodded, and Slater took her by the arm. She

was shocked to see it was almost dark out. Why had she

thought that just a few hours had passed? And when had

she left Mrs. Tobler's to head home?

"Here we go," Slater said, and Liberty looked up to see

that he'd brought his horse close to the step and was

reaching for her. Liberty automatically lifted her arms, and

a moment later she was sitting across the front of Arrow's

saddle. Slater's arms came around her to hold the reins,

and Liberty let herself relax against him. Actually, she gave

no thought to what she was doing. She just didn't have the

strength right now to sit up straight.

"Slater?"

"Yeah?"

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"He took the floor apart and had bags of money buried

in the dirt."

"In the living room?"

"Yes. He wouldn't let me out of the closet." She sighed

a little. "I thought about you."

"Good thoughts?"

She nodded against him, and Slater had everything he

could do not to tip her head back and kiss her. It was so

nice to have her close.

Every Little Thing About You 215

Liberty's full weight was leaning against Slater by the

time they arrived at the house, and for an instant he wondered

if she might have fallen asleep. She wasn't asleep,

but he had to steady her on her feet once they dismounted.

"Well, Libby," her mother said as soon as they both

walked in the kitchen door, "Mrs. Tobler must have been

sewing with a vengeance."

Liberty shrugged a little as her mother got a better look

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at her.

"Is Duffy here, Kate?" Slater asked.

"In the living room reading with Zach," she answered

while taking in the marks on his face. "What's happened?"

The next hour was spent explaining and checking

wounds. Liberty changed clothes and ate with the family,

but her disappointment over Slater not staying was keen.

He'd gone back to check on Griffin.

When Griffin learned that no one had seen a thing, he'd

gone back to the office, searched through the wanted circulars,

and filled out a report, readying it completely to be

mailed thenext day. He'd also gone back to the house and

checked out what Liberty had told Slater about the living

room floor, but there was nothing else he could do. Davis

Mills had to be miles out of town by now, and Shotgun's

sheriff had to leave it at that. He only hoped that Mrs. Mills

would return soon and not be buried under her own living

room floor.

%r

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"All this time, Duff--" Kate said after they were in bed

that night. "All this time I thought if Libby wasn't in law

enforcement, she'd be safe, and here she gets grabbed just

trying to check on Mrs. Mills. I can't help but wonder what

things are coming to."

"If s like we've talked about before, Kate. Don't expect

things to get better. It won't happen."

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Kate nodded. Sometimes Duffy's logical mind infuriated

her, but not now. She needed to think clearly, or she

would never let Liberty out of the house again.

"I'm so glad Griffin and Slater were there, Duffy, so

very glad. I don't know if I could lose my Libby. I don't

think I can."

Kate's first tears flowed. She had wanted to cry when

she heard what happened but held herself in check, trying

to be strong for her daughter, who still looked a little

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shocked and confused during dinner.

"She's always been the calm one, Duffy," Kate sobbed.

"She looked just like a lost child, and then I saw Slater's