Every Little Thing About You Read online

right, Libby," Kate Peterson, Liberty's mother, said

  as she adjusted the candles on the table and moved the

  basket full of biscuits. "I think that just about does it. Duffy

  is carving the meat."

  "I'll put the gravy in the blue boat just before we sit

  down."

  "Good. Where are Zach and Laura?"

  "You sent them out to wash."

  16 lori wick

  22

  "Oh, that's right. Some days I think my head has rolled

  off my shoulders and I haven't noticed."

  "It's still there, Mam/' Liberty smilingly told her.

  Kate smiled back and said, "I think I'll have you run a

  plate of food over to your brother."

  "He's at the jail with a prisoner."

  "Oh, who did he bring in?"

  "I brought him in, and his name is Slater Rawlings."

  Kate was instantly alert. Since Griffin's deputy had

  moved across state a month back, Liberty had been filling

  in. It was not the first time, nor was it an ideal situation, but

  at times a matter of life and death.

  "Everything all right?" Kate asked her daughter.

  "Yes. He's new to town and didn't know the rules. He

  hesitated, and I felt I had no choice but to lift his weapon."

  Kate nodded. She didn't fear Liberty's being shot--the

  younger woman was very competent with a firearm--it

  was more the things men said to her that Kate objected to.

  No mother wanted vulgar things said to her children, but

  when the child was a young, unmarried woman, it was all

  23

  the harder. At times Kate wanted a different life for her

  daughter, a life without Griffin's refitted pants or a gun.

  Kate honestly believed that would be best, but for the

  moment, this was where God had them.

  "I washed," five-year-old Laura announced as she

  came to the dining room doorway.

  "Thank you, dear. Please tell your father we're all ready

  in here."

  "Papa!" Laura dashed from the room on that note, and

  both women turned as Zach entered. He was a serious six-year-old

  with a heart of gold.

  "Are you washed, Zach?" Liberty asked her young

  half-brother.

  "Yes, but I got my shirt a little wet."

  "It will dry," Liberty said kindly as she touched his fair

  head.

  Every Little Thing About You 17

  "Laura says we're ready!" Duffy Peterson, one of

  24

  Shotgun's doctors and Kate's second husband, said as he

  came on the scene just then, a platter of roast pork in his

  hands. He added it to the table, and in his warm, wonderful

  way invited everyone to sit down. He then asked

  them to bow in prayer.

  "Family is so special, Lord," he said reverently, "and

  we thank You for the ones You've gathered here. Thank

  You for the sweet fellowship we have in You. Thank You

  for this food, and for the strong bodies You've given to us.

  Help us to be filled without being greedy, and to remember

  that every bite is from Your hand. In Jesus Christ's name I

  pray. Amen."

  The meal began on that good note and only got better.

  Duffy had been called upon that day to deliver twins-- always fun news. He was peppered with questions for a good ten minutes; questions he patiently answered.

  "Boys or girls?"

  "One of each."

  "Who was born first?"

  "The boy. I think they're calling him John after his

  father."

  25

  "Did they cry hard?"

  "Yes, but we kept them warm, and they settled right

  down for their mother."

  "Is their mother all right?"

  "She's doing very well."

  "Will you see her again this week?"

  "If they call me, yes."

  "We'll have to get over with a basket of baked goods,"

  Kate suggested in an effort to stem the tide.

  "The pantry's full right now, so that shouldn't be a problem," Liberty said as she remembered she had not brought in the gravy. She rose to do this, giving husband

  and wife a moment to speak.

  "She brought a man in today," Kate said for her husband's

  ears alone.

  18 lori wick

  "Did it go all right?"

  "She said it did. Griffin is still at the jail with him."

  "I can bake," Laura put in suddenly.

  "Whaf s that, honey?" her mother asked/ needing to let

  26

  the other conversation drop. Her husband watched her for

  a moment

  "I can bake for the babies too."

  "Yes, you can, and we'll just do that. All right?"

  Laura nodded, looking pleased.

  'Tell me, Zach," his father said conversationally, "what

  was the funnest thing that happened in school today?"

  "We got to read outside."

  "Oh, that is fun. Did you all have books, or did Mrs.

  Murch read to you?"

  "She read to us first, but then the older kids took

  turns."

  "Very good. You'll be having your turn before you

  know it"

  Zach smiled up at his father, his favorite person in the

  world. While other boys wanted to chase after frogs and go

  fishing, Zach Peterson wanted to sit with a book and read.

  Some of the children at school had said that such things

  were sissy, but not Zach's father. Duffy had told him that

  reading was wonderful and that he should never feel

  27

  ashamed of his love for it. Right after that, Zach had found

  himself very interested in fishing, and he tried it with his

  father, who made it the greatest outing of the entire

  summer.

  "I'm sorry about this gravy," Liberty apologized as she

  returned with the dark blue gravy boat and set it on the

  table. "I'm going to start parroting you, Mam, about my

  head falling off."

  "Did you help Griff today?" Zach suddenly asked.

  "Yes, I did. I was there for a few hours."

  "Did you put someone in jail?" This came from Laura,

  and Liberty nodded.

  "Did you need your gun?"

  Every Little Thing About You 19

  "Yes. The man waited a little too long to do as I asked,

  and I couldn't take any chances."

  "Is Griff with him now?"

  Again Liberty nodded. "That was the plan."

  Kate was thankful that the subject was dropped after

  28

  that. They finished the meal on another topic, and she

  wasn't forced to keep her feelings hidden. Thoughts of Liberty

  helping Griffin played in her mind the entire evening,

  but she prayed and worked to give her two oldest children

  to the Lord. It was a huge relief, however, when it was time

  for her younger children to go to bed. She kissed Liberty

  goodnight and finally gained the privacy of her bedroom.

  Duffy wasn't far behind her. He found his wife sitting on

  the edge of the bed, facing away from the door. Duffy

  slipped his shoes off and climbed onto the mattress. With

  gentle fingers he unbuttoned the back of her dress and then

  softly kissed her neck.

  "Are you all right?"

  "I think so," Kate answered honestly as she slipped

  from her cotton dress and sat back down in her petticoat


  and chemise, turning a little so she could look at her husband.

  "She's so calm, Duffy."

  "She has to be, Kate. You don't want her carrying her

  emotions on her sleeve when she has to pull that gun."

  Kate's breath caught in her throat, and Duffy pulled her

  29

  into his arms and held her close. Kate clung to him. She

  didn't want to cry, but she felt a desperate need to be held.

  Duffy was only too happy to oblige.

  He hadn't seen her coming. He hadn't known she was

  going to walk into his life when she did. They had known

  each other for years, lived in the same town, and gone to

  the same church, but he hadn't noticed her until almost a

  year after Thomas Drake died. Kate had been teaching

  school in those days--the town's sheriff had not been able

  to leave a huge legacy behind--and still trying to do her job

  as a mother to Griffin and Liberty, the only two of her five

  children to make it past infancy. Then she had taken ill.

  20 lori wick

  Duffy would never forget Liberty's pale face as she came to

  his office.

  "Mam is sick/' the slim 12-year-old had said.

  "Who is sick?" Duffy questioned her.

  "Mam. She's hot and quiet."

  Duffy had finally figured out that Liberty was referring

  30

  to her mother. He had hung a sign on his door and followed

  her home. And Kate had been sick--very sick. Duffy

  still remembered asking God if He would take the children's

  mother as well as their father.

  Some days passed before he felt she was out of the

  woods, and even then she wasn't back in the schoolhouse

  for more than two weeks. And that first day when school

  dismissed, Duffy was there. He used her health as an

  excuse for a long time but eventually gained the courage to

  ask if he could court her. He thought his heart would burst

  when she said yes.

  "I was married to Thomas and had two babies by the

  time I was Libby's age," Kate said suddenly; Liberty was

  not long past her twenty-first birthday. "I don't want Libby

  to marry for anything but love, Duffy, but I find myself

  wishing she would show more interest in some of the

  young men who like her."

  "Kate," Duffy said seriously, waiting for her to look at

  him, "you're trying to change circumstances that are out of

  your control rather than serving God in the midst of them.

  31

  And you're worrying."

  Kate looked up into his wonderful face. Older than she

  was by ten years, he'd never planned to marry. But he had

  suddenly found himself in love with her, and in time, Kate

  had loved him back. The day she married him was one of

  the happiest of her life. And his faith was so alive. He had

  been busy as a doctor, but not having a wife or children for

  so many years had left him with great amounts of time for

  Bible study and prayer. She learned something from him

  every week.

  "You're right. I need to give her back to the Lord."

  Every Little Thing About You 21

  "And you need to keep asking God, in His will, to bring

  someone into her life. You've been happily married, you've

  seen Libby with people, and you naturally think she would

  flourish in marriage and parenthood. I do too. So we both

  need to keep going to God about this."

  "She is special, isn't she, Duff?"

  "Very. And although some of the men here are fine

  32

  young men, I think it's going to take someone just as special

  as she is, someone who understands how multifaceted

  she is, to claim her heart."

  Kate nodded, thinking not for the first time that it was

  wonderful to know he loved Griffin and Liberty as he did

  Zach and Laura. She kissed him and thanked him before

  rising to ready for bed. The week had been long, and she

  was weary. Thirty minutes later, her husband beside her,

  she drifted off to sleep, but not before asking God to help

  her take Duffy's advice: Serve God where you are; don't

  ask Him to take you elsewhere before you obey. She had

  made it flowery--that was more her way--but the

  meaning was still clear.

  'WO*

  %

  liberty's neat hand moved across the paper, her head

  bent as she filled out a report on Slater Rawlings' arrest

  There wasn't much to tell, but Griffin was particular about

  details. He had been ready to do the report himself until he

  33

  remembered that Liberty was coming in because he had a

  meeting with the mayor and two members of the town

  council He had nearly dragged his sister outside before he

  left

  "Lunch will be coming while I'm gone, so you be

  careful."

  "I will, Griff, but he doesn't seem that dangerous to

  me."

  "I don't know," Griffin replied with a small shake of his

  head. "He's probably not, but there's something about this

  guy, some kind of inner turmoil. I can see it in his eyes. He's

  angry about being in there, but I know he could pay his

  way out. He wasn't all too happy this morning when I gave

  him breakfast, so just be on guard."

  Liberty had nodded. "I'll watch myself--him too."

  "All right. Thanks, and be sure to thank Mam for those

  sweet-rolls."

  "I'll do it. Hey," Liberty called to him before he could

  get far. "What about tomorrow?"

  "If he hasn't paid his way out, I'll bring him along."

  34

  Liberty smiled. "Let's hope you have a quiet night

  tonight."

  Griffin only waved and continued down the street. Liberty

  went back inside to start the paperwork and give the

  23

  24 lori wick '

  office a complete dusting. She knew that the prisoner stood

  at the bars for a while and watched her, but she didn't

  speak to him or even look in his direction.

  "I need something out of my saddlebags," Slater suddenly

  said.

  "You'll have to wait for the sheriff to get back for that,"

  Liberty told him, not bothering to raise her head.

  "When will that be?"

  "I'm not sure."

  "What do I call you, by the way?"

  "Deputy."

  35

  "What's the matter with this town that a woman has to

  act as deputy?" Slater muttered, but the woman at the desk

  just kept writing. Feeling even more irate, he watched her,

  but in the corner of his mind knew that he was being

  unjust. He was a prisoner, which meant he had few rights.

  If she didn't want to talk with him, it was her privilege.

  Slater let his head rest against the bars and was still in that

  position when the door opened.

  "Oh, Liberty, it's you!" a female voice exclaimed.

  Slater watched the woman at the desk laugh.

  "It's nice to see you too, Tess."

  "I'm sorry." Tess Locken was contrite as she came to

  stand before the desk. "I was so hoping to find Griff."

  "I can't imagine why," Liberty teased. "I'm more fun

  than he is."

>   "You are fun, Lib," Tess said sincerely, "but/' and here

  she sighed a little, "I'm not in love with you."

  "Oh, well," Liberty shrugged as if the loss were hers.

  "Can I do anything for you?"

  "Only if you know whether Griff is free for dinner

  36

  Monday night."

  Again Liberty shrugged. "I wish I could help."

  "Well, I'll just--oh!"

  Liberty followed Tess' gaze, knowing she'd just spotted

  their guest. Slater was still standing, his hands protruding

  Every Little Thing About You 25

  through the bars so his forearms could rest comfortably, his

  look expressionless as he stared out at them.

  "Is he dangerous?" the other woman asked, her voice

  dropping to a stage whisper.

  "He hasn't been so far."

  "Did you bring him in?" Tess' voice had risen, but she

  moved closer to Liberty.

  "Yesterday."

  Liberty's friend lowered her brow. "He needs a

  haircut."

  The deputy's eyes sparkled as her hand came to her

  mouth, a movement Slater couldn't miss. He stood very

  37

  still, doing everything he could not to glare at them. To be

  talked about as if he wasn't there was maddening.

  "Well, I'd better scoot," Tess said quietly. "Tell Griff

  hello."

  "Do you want me to mention Monday night?"

  Tess' head cocked to the side in a way that made her

  look like a scatterbrained female, something she was not. It

  didn't help that her blue eyes were as innocent as a child's.

  "I guess you can go ahead and tell him, but also say

  that 111 check back with him. Mother said to be sure and

  tell him to come even if he can only make it for dessert."

  Liberty smiled at her. Tess' expression had turned so

  hopeful.

  "I'll relay all of it, Tess."

  "Thanks, Libby."

  The other woman left on that note, but not before

  taking one more look at the man behind the bars. The fear

  in her eyes was not comfortable to Slater, but as he'd been

  doing for almost 24 hours, he hardened his heart.

  "When's lunch?" he asked rudely,

  38

  "As soon as it arrives."

  Liberty had gone back to the paperwork, and Slater

  saw that he would get nothing more. Ignoring the voice

  that reminded him he knew better than to act this way, he

  26 lori wick

  stretched out on the bunk and lay still until the noon meal

  arrived.

  "I'm headed to church this morning," Griffin said to

  Slater as he gave him breakfast on Sunday morning. "Til

  have to cuff you, but you can join me if you've a mind to."