gaining a glimpse of why Slater wanted to stay in this
210
town. Dakota thought he might stick around himself.
"Hello," Griffin suddenly called as he came througji
from the kitchen. "Any food left?"
"Oh, Griff." Kate shook her head at him. "As if I would
let you starve on the one day you let me feed you."
Griffin smiled before kissing his mother's cheek, taking
a seat, and serving himself. He was in the midst of telling
120 lori wick
them what had happened downtown when someone else
came in the back door.
"Doc! Doc!" the man cried frantically.
"In here," Duffy said calmly but started to rise.
Pat Brewster came panting to the doorway, his face a
mask of fear. "Meg's pains have started. Doc, can you
come?"
"I'm on my way," Duffy told him.
"I'd better get back," Pat panted, suddenly whipping
the hat off his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Peterson," he said to
Kate.
211
"It's all right. Pat. Tell Meg I'm thinking of her."
"Thank you, ma'am."
In the next few seconds Pat left and Duffy grabbed his
bag, kissed Kate, took a hug from Laura, and made his way
from the room. The diners had all fallen silent.
"My Papa's going to make a baby be born," Laura said
after a moment The pride in her voice made the rest of the
room smile.
ofo
'vie
"was laura serious about your handcuffs?" Dakota
asked much later that day as both men rode on horseback
along the creek line. The men had spent most of the afternoon
with the Petersons. They were still there when Duffy
returned to announce that he had delivered a healthy baby
girl.
"I'm afraid so," Slater replied, shaking his head with
212
regret. "I told you I went to jail."
"True, but why would the sheriff take you to his
mother's house?"
Slater gave him a rundown and watched Dakota's
brows lift. He didn't have to say it. It was written all over
his face: Were these people real? Since Slater believed their
actions were all spiritually based, he was glad when
Dakota didn't press him over answers he wouldn't believe.
"Do you think Libby will like being a Ranger's wife?"
Dakota asked.
"You'll have to ask her when you propose," Slater
replied calmly, not rising to the bait.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
"Well, then she knows some other Ranger, because I
turned in my badge."
The look Dakota sent him was dark, and not just from
the color of his eyes. He looked ready to begin a lecture but
turned away, his eyes on the water.
"How long do you plan to keep this up?" Dakota
asked, his voice soft.
213
Slater sighed. "I'm not on vacation, Dak."
121
122 lori wick
"Then what would you call it?"
Slater weighed his words and spoke, a slight edge to
his voice. "I don't know where all of this is going to lead,
but rare are the times in my life when I've felt such a peace.
I felt a peace when I told Brace, and I felt a peace the first
Sunday I sat in that church and was taught from the Word.
1 don't think I can tell you how much I needed that. If you
have peace right now, I'm glad for you, and I will welcome
your questions, but badgering me will stop, Dakota. I'm
staying here right now, and thaf s the end of it. If you stay
around, you'd better know one thing: I'm not going to have
you constantly on my back."
Dakota nodded but kept silent. Lately Slater had
become very even-natured. He hadn't been as a child, so
214
there was no missing the change. It wasn't often in the last
two years that he grew angry or overly passionate on an
issue, so when he did, his family had learned to listen. It
was on Dakota's mind to tell Slater that he would go along
but that his eyes would be open. He changed his mind.
Why would he want to threaten his brother? Much as he
disagreed with his decision, the idea was ludicrous. They
eventually turned and rode silently back toward town. No
tension lingered between them--they cared for each other
too much for that--but each brother wondered what the
future would bring.
"Hey, Griff," Liberty said softly as she followed Griffin
out the door.
"Yeah?" He turned while still on the porch. The sun
was falling fast, but they could still see each other well The
already visible moon was full.
"Did you see Tess today?"
"Not to talk to. Why?"
215
Liberty opened her mouth but hesitated.
Every Little Thing About You 123
"What's the matter?" Griffin asked, his voice telling her
he wanted an answer.
"She was having a pretty hard time at the barn raising
yesterday. I just wondered how she was today."
"Was it something to do with me or her family?"
"Some of both. She didn't talk to you?"
"Not a word."
Liberty nodded, saddened by the fact. She wanted to
help her friend--she wanted to help Griffin--but the situation
seemed impossible.
"What did her family do?"
Liberty explained the way they had backed out of
coming and how lonely she felt.
"How did my name come up?" Griffin asked, no censure
in his voice.
"Oh, Griff." Liberty sounded annoyed. "Sometimes I'm
such a dolt. I told Tess that maybe someday she'd have a
216
family of her own. She was already upset. I don't know
what I was thinking." Liberty stopped and then admitted,
"Then she told me some of her most recent thoughts. I
wanted to sob for her."
Griffin could see that she didn't want to go on, but he
had to know. 'Tell me, Ubby," Griffin said, his voice indicating
he was at a loss in the whole situation.
"You won't thank me, Griff--not if it hits you as hard
as it did me."
Griffin gave a mirthless laugh. "Sometimes I think a hit
is just what I need. Please tell me."
Liberty looked up at him. "She said she was glad for
your family's sake that you were alive, but where she's
concerned, you might as well be dead."
Griffin could barely find air to fill his lungs. He put his
hands on his sister's upper arms, harder than he intended,
and brought her up dose.
"Did she really, Libby--did she actually say that?"
A small cry broke Liberty's voice. "I'm sorry, Griff. I'm
so sorry."
217
124 lori wick
Griffin slowly let go of his sister, his arms dropping to
his side. What a fool he'd been. All this fear of leaving her
when he'd already abandoned her. He looked over to see
Liberty staring at him, tears caught on her lower lids.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No/' she replied, shaking her head. "Not at all. I just
feel so bad."
"I've got to go see her/' Griffin said, his voice still
stunned. "I'll talk to you later."
"Okay."
Griffin was ten steps off the porch when he turned and
ran back. He hauled Liberty into his arms and hugged her
tightly.
"Thanks, Lib/' he whispered.
Liberty stood still long after her brother moved out of
218
sight. Her heart in her throat, she prayed that God would
give Griffin wisdom and that Tess would just keep trusting.
% %r
"Well, Griffin," Mrs. Locken said with a smile, "come
in.
"Thank you, Mrs. Locken/' Griffin said as he removed
his hat, ''but could I possibly see Tess here on the porch?"
Mrs. Locken smiled. This man had never done anything
to make her worry, but it was a cold evening.
"Tess is in the kitchen, Griffin; you won't be disturbed
in there."
"Thank you," he said softly as he crossed the threshold.
The house was warm, and with his heart trying to jump
into his mouth, he began to perspire.
"Just go on through, Griffin," the lady of the house
invited. "Tess is working on a pie."
Griffin greeted Mr. Locken as he passed through the
living room, but he only waved his hand and kept the
219
newspaper to his face. His legs feeling weighted, Griffin
made his way to the kitchen at the back of the house. Who-
Every
Little Thing About You 125
ever had built this home had not spared in space. It was
roomy and comfortable. The dining room was dim, but
more light peeked from under the closed door to the
kitchen. Griffin pushed open the door without knocking,
standing just inside until Tess looked up from her work.
"Well, Griffin," she said in surprised delight.
In just a few strides, Shotgun's sheriff covered the distance
between them and took Tess' flour-covered hand in
his.
"Marry me, Tess," he barely managed through suddenly
dry lips.
Tess closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She then
smiled into his worried gaze and said, "Just name the date,
Griffin, and 111 be there."
"Oh, my wonderful Tess," the sheriff breathed as he
220
drew her gently into his arms. "I love you so."
"Oh, Griffin." Tears were coming now, and Tess could
not stop them. "I never thought..." she began.
"I know," he said as he moved back and smoothed the
hair from her brow. "I just didn't understand until Lib told
me what you said."
Tess wasn't long in catching on. "It was horrible of me."
"It wasn't," Griffin said emphatically. "It was horrible
of me, but to be honest, I really thought I was doing the
right thing. Now I see that you're right: I might as well be
dead for you if I'm going to keep us apart."
Tess couldn't take it. She sobbed into his shirt front and
couldn't stop, even when she heard the door open again.
"I'm sorry," Griffin said, turning to see Mrs. Locken. "I
didn't know she would cry."
"What is it, Griffin? Has something happened?"
"I asked her to marry me."
As though he was watching the scene all over again,
Mrs. Locken began to cry too. She and Tess came together
in a hug and then laughed at each other's teary faces.
221
"I'm sorry," Mrs. Locken told Griffin. "You can't have
bargained on both of us sobbing all over the place."
'
**'
^ 5-
V
v
s
ii
* v rf
if'
126 lori wick
"Well, I left my sister in tears when I came over here,
and something tells me my mother will do the same."
"So Libby knew?" less asked. "What did she think?"
"No, she didn't know, but she told me what you'd said
and that was upsetting."
222
Tess briefly explained the conversation from the day
before, and Mrs. Locken hugged her again.
Ready for a lighter subject, the older woman said, "Tell
me, Tess, a big wedding or a small affair?"
Tess looked at Griffin. "I don't care, just as long as I
become Mrs. Drake."
"Oh my, Tess," her mother complained. "You'll have
me going again. Come. Lef s go tell your father."
The next few minutes went much better than Griffin
could have anticipated. Mr. Locken actually put his reading
material down long enough to smile at his daughter, congratulate
the both of them, and ask about the date, something
that would have to be considered. One of Tess'
brothers even came home from downtown and heard the
news as well before going off to his room. When Griffin
was finally ready to leave, Tess walked him onto the porch.
"I won't sleep tonight," Tess said, "and that means I'll
have bags under my eyes. If I see you tomorrow, you'll
change your mind."
Griffin laughed. "That's not going to happen."
223
Tess could only stare at him. "I love you, Griffin."
"I love you, Tess, so very much. Thank you for helping
me see what I'm missing."
Tess nodded, "We have to trust For all we know, something
could happen to me."
"I hope not," Griffin said softly. "I hope we're still
gazing into each other's eyes 30 years down the road."
All Tess could do was smile. It was the last thing Griffin
saw before he turned and headed for home--not home
exactly but more like the house next door, where just as he
suspected, his mother, joined by his sister, cried when they
heard the news.
Every Littk Thing About You 127
" *3^
The man working with Hank Hathaway when Slater
landed on the job the next morning was one of the biggest
men Slater had ever seen. A vague remembrance of
224
someone lifting a horse from the creek passed through his
mind even as he went forward to see if he still had a job.
"I'm Slater Rawlings," he said as he put out his hand to
the stranger.
"Price Hathaway," the huge man said in return, just
before he engulfed Slater's hand in a gentle grip. "I hear
you've been fillin' in."
"Yes," Slater said congenially, even as his heart sank. It
sounded as though he was no longer needed.
"I've been in Austin," Price informed him.
"I'd heard that. How was it?"
An odd light flickered in the larger man's eyes. "Not
like I thought."
"Did you make friends there?"
"I thought I would, but I didn't"
Slater ached a little for this gigantic young man. He had
the face and eyes of a boy, and maybe the heart of one too.
"What do you want Slater to do, Pa?" Price turned and
asked.
"Same as always," the older Hathaway grunted, not
225
bothering to look up.
Price turned back to Slater with a huge grin. "Pa's as
informative as ever."
Slater smiled befo
re he went for a hammer. He came
back and began to stack and organize the lumber. Right
now they were building a house. It wasn't long before Price
was working beside him.
"You ever been to Austin?" the young Hathaway
asked.
"I have, yes."
128 lori wick
"It's big/' he said with awe. "I had heard that, but I
wanted to see for myself."
"Did you get work there?"
"I tried, but nothing panned out."
"What did you want to do?"
"I wanted to build houses--big, fancy ones--but
everyone I met told me I should be in the saloons. I finally
ran out of money and had no choice. I was hired right
226
away."
Slater took in the pained look on his face. Yes, he was
the perfect size for a bouncer but clearly not a rough individual.
The combination would not have worked.
"How'd you get home?" Slater asked as he began to
place a board against the studs and nail it into place. Price
worked on a plank of his own.
"I finally saved enough to go. They actually owed me
a little more pay, but I wanted out."
Slater wanted to ask if it was nice to be home, but the
pain on Price's face was too raw.
"Where is that saw I asked for?" Hank called.
Unlike Price's last communication with his father, this
time he didn't smile. His look was clearly longsuffering as ,
he turned to help his parent. Slater watched the two of
them for just a moment, wondering what the week would
bring.
s--3- Sr
"I'm here for my gun," Dakota told Liberty as soon as
227
he opened the office door.
Liberty laughed as she stood and took the weapon
from the wall cabinet.
"I really am sorry," she said as she handed it over, eyes
brimming with pleasure.
"You look sorry," he teased back and then shook his
head. "It wasn't a very nice welcome to your fine town."
"That's true," Liberty had to admit.
Every Little Thing About You 129
"Think of my feelings. You've got some patching to
do."
Liberty laughed again. "All right, I'm very, very sorry."
Dakota shook his head. "That won't do. Nothing short
of lunch with me will help."
Liberty's mouth opened in surprise, and she gave an
incredulous laugh. He was certainly smooth, but she was
not going to agree. When her features were composed once
again, she told him plainly, "I'm going home to have lunch
with my mother and sister. You're free to join us, but that's
228
my final offer."
Dakota smiled. He liked a lady who would not let