Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (38 page)

Movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to

look that way. Not until that moment had she seen Slater,

who was by her side near her pillow.

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"I'm sorry, Libby," were the first words out of his

mouth. "I should have let you talk."

Liberty's hand went up and he took it.

"I shouldn't have been there. I've never been so foolish.

Slate. I just hope you can forgive me."

He kissed the back of her hand and tenderly held onto

it.

Griffin had gone to the far side of the bed, as had less,

and when they'd all caught her eye long enough to smile

or speak to her, Duffy ushered them from the room. Kate

stayed a moment longer to kiss her cheek, but the last one

to be seen out by the doctor was Slater.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said quietly to Libby. "Sleep

well."

Liberty nodded and watched him leave. She didn't

speak until his steps told her he was down the hall.

"Tell him he doesn't have to come," Liberty told Duffy.

"I can't do that."

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"Why not?"

"Because he does have to come."

Liberty blinked. "Says who?"

"Says me." Duffy bent and kissed her brow. "Go to

sleep. I'll check on you later."

Liberty didn't have much choice; she was already

sleepy. But not at any time before she dropped off did she

understand what he meant.

- 3r

"And then the little horse said he didn't like his hay/'

Laura said from the foot of Liberty's bed almost a week

after the shooting. The patient was sitting up against the

headboard, swathed with quilts and bolstered with pillows.

There had been a slight fever, but the wound was

healing fast. Weakness from the loss of blood, however,

was still apparent.

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"What did his mother do?"

"I don't know," she said, her little brow perplexed. "I'm

still figuring that part of the story out."

Liberty would have laughed, but she'd learned her

lesson about laughing too much when Laura had come in

to talk to her every day.

"Maybe she should take the hay away from him

because he isn't thankful."

Laura looked amazed. "That's good, Libby," she said

intently. "We should write that down."

Liberty had to laugh then, even though it caused her to

gasp. And as her little nurse had started to do, she came

close, careful not to bump Liberty's side, and took her

sister's hand in both of hers, praying that the pain would

go away soon. Liberty thought that if her feelings for Laura

were any more tender, she would melt into a puddle.

"Hey, Libby," Zach announced as he joined them, "I

have to go to school."

"Okay. Thanks for coming in to say goodbye."

278 lori wick

490

"I'll have a new book to read you when I get home

today."

"Great 111 look forward to it"

The little boy came over to kiss her, Liberty leaning

toward him as best she could. The kiss usually landed in

midair, but they always caught each other's smiles, and

Liberty thought about him all day once he was gone.

Zach hadn't been gone from the room five minutes

when Kate came in. She shooed Laura downstairs to eat,

pulled Liberty's curtains open, cracked the window, and

made sure Libby could reach the cup of coffee she'd just

brought in. She then took Laura's place at the foot of the

bed.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Not so well. I kept waking up and wanting to turn on

my bad side. Did I keep you awake?"

"A little."

"I do wonder when I'm going to feel like getting out of

this bed."

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"It'll come. It would seem that everyone will still be

here, so take your time."

Liberty found that comment odd, even as she realized

her mother had said it the day before.

"What do you mean 'everyone will still be here'?"

"Your brother, Tess, and the Rawlings have just about

moved in. I thought you knew that"

Liberty's mouth opened. "Mam, you can't do that! You

can't be entertaining all these people and still be taking it

slow."

"Liberty, they haven't let me do a thing. If the church

family isn't bringing something, Tess is cooking. Dakota

walks Zach to and from school every day, and unless Slater

is working or sleeping, he's here cleaning something,

trying to cook, or seeing to the kids."

Liberty was flabbergasted. She had done a lot of

sleeping, that was certainly true, but that life was being

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lived below stairs in such a surprising way was a little hard

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to take in.

"Why?" was the only word she could find.

Kate looked very sympathetic. "How else are they

going to be near you, Lib? Slater especially. He can't exactly

sit around your bedroom."

Sadness overwhelmed Liberty. She didn't want Slater

hanging around because he felt guilty. She was glad that

everyone had come and taken the burden from her mother,

but Liberty had reconciled herself to not having the life

she'd envisioned. For a moment she thought she might be

selling both God and Slater short, but that didn't seem

likely.

"How about some breakfast?" Kate asked.

"That sounds good."

Kate was gone for a long time, and when she returned

with a breakfast tray, it was also to explain that Dakota had

just been there.

"He said to tell you goodbye and that he'd come back

through as soon as he could."

"I take it he has to go back to work?"

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"Yes. He wished he could see you, but I told him you'd

understand."

"Yes, I do. I appreciate how gracious he's been."

"Yes. As special as he is right now, it's wonderful to

think of who he would be if he came to Christ"

"Slater and I have talked about that very thing."

Kate took in the wistful expression that came into her

daughter's eyes and knew that it was about more than

Dakota's need for salvation. With a word about checking

on her soon, Kate made sure Libby had the Bible, pencil,

and paper she'd asked for and slipped from the room. Liberty

had not asked to be alone, but it wasn't hard to see that

this was just what she needed.

5* *3* -S*

280 lori wick

"We have to talk to you," Griffin said the next day,

coming into her room one week to the day after Liberty had

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been hurt.

Liberty looked into Tess and Griffin's faces. They

would certainly be more happy if a baby was on the way,

but she hoped that their news was good.

"We owe you an apology, Lib," Tess began. "I feel very

much at fault for waiting so long. Griffin said he's to blame,

but I've been very cowardly."

Liberty still looked between them, her face open.

"Libby," Griffin sad down in the rocker and leaned

dose. "It's been on my mind for some time now, especially

knowing how Slater feels, that I shouldn't be using you

to back me up, I felt the Lord speaking to my heart, but it

was easier to depend on you. I called on you for help with

Bernie and then thought afterward that maybe she lets

herself go just to get you to come.

"And I can't help but wonder if I had put in my vote of

disapproval about your coming last week and not left the

whole thing in Slater's hands you might have listened. I'm

sorry, Libby. I'm sorry I didn't obey the Lord and prevent

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this from happening in the first place."

"And I didn't speak to you as a friend, Libby," Tess now

put in. "I knew the way Slater felt but never asked you

about it. I'm sorry."

Liberty nodded and said quietly, "I must admit that

I've always taken the family's support as a positive sign,

but Slater's strong feelings have certainly made me think."

They fell silent for a moment before Tess said, "Are you

all right, Libby?"

1 Liberty's thoughts had turned to Slater, causing the

region around her heart to ache, but she forced herself to

nod and smile. Griffin rescued her by turning the conversation

to business.

"The circuit judge will be through in about two weeks.

The Potters are back on the farm, but they've stayed very

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quiet, especially because I told them one of their bullets hit

and could have killed someone."

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"Slater and Griffin went out to Maddie Flowers' too/'

Tess added. "Her still is gone as well."

"I can guess how she took that," Liberty said dryly.

Griffin chuckled. "I thought she would faint, but she

was quiet even when we smashed her medicinal bottles."

Liberty now laughed a little too. "And what of Davis

Mills? Any word yet?"

Griffin shook his head. "Only that the law in Austin

thinks he must have pulled a lot of little jobs and been

storing the money under his aunt's floor, since there's been

no report of a large bank holdup. He's left almost no trail,

but I plan to keep my eyes and ears open."

Liberty smiled at him, thinking he was the man to do

it. Hard as her own situation was, Liberty believed with all

her heart that her brother was a fine lawman. Shotgun was

blessed to have him.

Griffin and Tess didn't stay much longer, something for

which Liberty was grateful. She had some more thinking to

do and that, along with their visit, seemed to wear her out.

She settled against her pillow, knowing that if she had it to

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do over again, out of her love for Slater, she would do

whatever he asked.

It wouldn't come easily to me, Father. Not only am I comfortable

withagun, I'm also too quick to want to do Your job, but

I would try. I would try with all my heart. I can see now that

Slater only wanted to protect and take care of me. I wish he still

did.

Liberty fell asleep while telling God that she didn't

think she'd ever get over him.

S' "3" S'

"You're certainly in a good mood," Griffin commented

to his deputy on the first day of March.

"I am," Slater agreed.

282 LoRiWiCK

"Going to tell me why?"

"Well," he drew the word out, clearly having a fine time. "As a matter of fact, a little bird told me that a certain lady was out of bed 498 yesterday for the first time. I'm hoping

111 find her downstairs when I go by at lunch."

Griffin tried not to smile when he said, "I don't suppose

I'll get another moment of work out of you until you

see her."

"Probably not," Slater said unrepentantly, looking out