Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (10 page)

%r fy

"It looks good, Hank," Griffin complimented the old

man, who grunted but still managed to look pleased. He

114

slapped the horse and set the wagon into motion.

Slater watched his boss for a moment, still amazed at

how few words the man said. Some days he worked them

both like there was no tomorrow, but not on Saturday. After

a few hours of work, Hank wanted to start the weekend

early. Griffin rode up just as they finished for the day.

"Don't tell me you'll actually be a man of leisure

today," Griffin teased Slater as he stacked some large

boards against the house, his final chore.

"Well, someone has to do it."

"What in the world?" Slater suddenly heard Griffin

exclaim. He looked to find the lawman watching a man

who was backing toward them. He had come around the

corner of the house, dearly watchful, and it took him some

moments to realize Griffin was approaching from the rear.

"What are you doing, Critter?"

"Nothing!" The younger man was instantly belligerent

"And you can stop tryin' ta pin things on me I didn't do.

Just leave me be. I won fair and square!"

Griffin's gaze narrowed as he watched him stalk away.

115

He hadn't gone 15 steps before he was back to looking over

his shoulder and moving behind trees and houses.

"I think I'll check on Lib," Griffin said quietly.

"Mind if I come along?" Slater asked, his voice belying

the way his heart slammed in his chest upon the mention

of Griffin's sister.

"Not at all," was all Griffin said in return. A minute

later they both rode for downtown.

-fy

%r

Every tittle Thing About You 69

"Can you come?" old Davis Marks panted as he hobbled

into the jailhouse on Saturday afternoon. Liberty

immediately stood.

"What's up?"

"Guy with a whip. He says young Potter cheated in

cards, and he's mad. Potter made off, but this guy's still

cracking that thing and..."

116

Liberty didn't wait to hear more. Checking her gun for

bullets, she jumped into Morton's saddle and rode for the

Crescent Moon Saloon at the far end of town. Slowing as

she neared and eventually dropping off Morton's back.

Liberty moved close to the window for a look. She was

glad to see he was at the rear wall. No one else was in sight,

but the man was talking wildly, which meant the others

were probably all against the walls, a wise place to be if the

whip was as long as it looked.

Seeming for all the world to be on an afternoon stroll.

Liberty walked down the boardwalk and through the

swinging doors of the saloon. She stopped inside, her eyes

scanning the room and summing up the situation. The

afternoon was growing long, and the saloon was already

getting crowded. A good 25 customers were backed away

from the angry man, who for a moment was in profile to

her.

"I want him found," he said, his voice low as he lashed

at a chair.

"Is he looking for Critter?" Liberty asked Smiley, who

117

tended the bar.

"Yeah, but Stumpy was at the table, and he said nobody

cheated."

The man turned suddenly, his eyes scanning the room.

"Don't nobody move until I find him."

"We'll find him for you, but you have to put the whip

down," Liberty told him, taking a few more steps inside.

The man seemed to notice her for the first time. He wasn't

a big man, but the bullwhip looked to be a dozen feet long,

and even with his staggering gait, he looked like he could

70 lori wick

use it. Crescent Moon's bouncer was against one wall, a red

slash on his face and one on his arm. The only disadvantage

to Shotgun's laws concerning firearms in the saloons

was the owner's inability to protect himself or his clientele.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said, put the whip down. No one wants to fight with

you. Just put it away." Liberty's voice held authority, but it

didn't carry like Griffin's. She wasn't sure she would get

118

any response at all.

The whip suddenly cracked with terrific force, giving

Liberty her answer. Nevertheless, she held her ground.

"Do you know what I can do to you?" he started to say,

but Liberty drew and put a bullet past his ear.

"I want the whip put down," she said, her voice deadly

calm. She also heard riders but couldn't be certain that help

was on the way. She tried again. "Set it gently on the floor

and take a seat at the table there."

The man watched her suspiciously. He noticed that she

was holding a gun, but he still wasn't certain she had fired

the shot. He shook his head a little and went to sit down,

the whip still in his hand.

"What's his name?" Liberty asked of Smiley.

"I think Leonard something."

"Listen to me, Leonard," Liberty said as she

approached. "You need to drop the whip and kick it

toward me."

"You can't have my whip!" he stood with a roar as he

shouted, the whip going into action again. Liberty had

119

stayed well back, and from the corner of her eye she caught

Griffin and Slater as they entered. Keeping her target in

view, she shot the hat from Leonard's head. That man

stopped in surprise, reeling a little in his boots. He turned

in a deliberate fashion when he heard the cock of a shotgun

from his other side.

"Put the whip down, or I'll take your arm off," Griffin

said, his tone telling everyone in the room that he meant it.

Slater had moved around and was coming at him from

Every Littte Thing About You 71

behind. When he drew close enough, he stepped on the

whip and waited. He certainly hoped the man would do as

he was told. It wasn't fun to shoot any man. It was

extremely hard to shoot a drunk, when your heart told you

he would act differently when sober.

"I want my whip," the man said pathetically, and Slater

was close enough to see it go loose in his grasp. He

removed the whip gently, the man having never seen him,

and stepped back against the wall, where he began to wind

120

it into a circle. Griffin moved toward him, and Liberty

repositioned herself in case Leonard had more tricks up his

sleeve. Griffin was cuffing him when Slater reached her

side.

"Are you all right?" He dropped his head slightly to see

her face beneath the brim of her hat.

Liberty blinked in surprise. "I'm fine."

Slater nodded, but his heart smarted a little in his chest.

Did no one ever check with her? Was she ever frightened

or rattled? He had all he could do not to shake his head. He

would be treating this woman like a precious flower, not

like a gunman. He stopped the judgment going on in his

mind. It wasn't his place. He didn't have all the facts. He

was also out of time. Griffin was taking the cuffed man

away. After taking the whip from his hand and thanking

him, Liberty followed in her brother's wake.

$-

-

"And

121

I hope yall can join us at the picnic," Pastor

Caron said after the closing prayer. "If you've never joined

us at one of our fellowships, just ask and someone will give

you directions to the Millers'. We picnic on the creek at the

back of their place. We'll gather for a blessing under the big

oak tree in about 30 minutes. I hope you can all come."

Slater stood, his Bible going under his arm and his hat

in his hand. He smiled at the two young ladies who kept

looking back at him and then moved out the door, wishing

72 lori wick

Every Little Thing About You 73

Griffin could have been there. Griffin said his mother usually

made plenty, but not expecting to be on his own, Slater

felt very awkward in just assuming he was welcome to

their food.

"Slater," Zach piped up, suddenly speaking from his

side.

122

"Hi, Zach."

"Papa asked me to tell you that you can come with us."

"Oh, thank you, Zach. I'll do that."

The little boy smiled up at him, and Slater saw Griffin's

dark eyes.

"You can come with me, and I'll show you the wagon."

"All right."

Slater passed a group of young ladies--others had

joined the two who had smiled at him after the service-- and he would have been blind not to see their interest. Even if he had been blind, he would have still heard

someone say his name as he walked away. They all looked

sweet--nice girls--but his mind was elsewhere at the

moment.

"Thank you, Zach," Duffy said as soon as he and Slater

neared. "We weren't sure if you knew the way."

"Thank you, sir. I was hoping Griffin would get here,

but I don't see him."

"Maybe he'll join us later."

"We need to go by the house, Duff/' Liberty reminded

him.

123

"All right. Laura, are you sitting down?"

The little girl's seat landed fast "Yes."

"Is your mother still not well, Libby?" Slater asked

from the seat beside her. The wagon had one wide seat. The

younger two children were in the back.

"She is feeling better but still tired. She was ready to

come, but Duffy put his foot down."

"You make me sound like an ogre," Duffy said, his

hands controlling the reins.

"I think the word Mam used was beast, Duffy; never

think of yourself as an ogre."

Duffy shook his head. For all Liberty's rather quiet

ways, she could be quite a card.

She was also a good cook, and the food they brought

from the kitchen not many minutes later smelled wonderful.

"Gingerbread?" Zach asked after peeking into the

basket.

"Yes, just like you asked me."

"Thanks, Lib."

"You're welcome, Zach."

124

Brother and sister shared a smile, and watching them,

Slater thought he might have missed something by not

having a sister.

"The Millers have water in their backyard," Laura told

Slater. "They can get wet anytime they want."

"That sounds fun," Slater responded as he turned to

talk with her. "Will you get wet today?"

"If I'm lucky," Laura said in all seriousness and turned

back around.

Slater faced forward again, his shoulders shaking a

little. "Has she always been so profound?"

"No," Liberty told him. "She couldn't talk until she was

two."

Smiling to himself, Slater suddenly knew just where

she'd picked up her charming wit.

5-2Jr

-5^

"What a privilege this is, Father God," Bill Miller