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."
Every Little Thing About You 277
488
"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.
489
"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."
491
"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
Every Little Thing About You 279
lived below stairs in such a surprising way was a little hard
492
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?"
493
"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
494
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
495
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
Every Little Thing About You 281
quiet, especially because I told them one of their bullets hit
and could have killed someone."
496
"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
497
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
the window, hands behind his back as he rocked on his
heels.
"Someone could probably be holding up Price and
Amy, and you would just smile."
"Now, that I wouldn't do," Slater turned and said with
mischievous eyes. "It might keep me from seeing your
sister."
Griffin could only laugh. "Get out of here, Slate. I don't
want to see your face until Libby smiles at you and you're
ready to work."
Slater was not going to argue. With hat in place and a
certain Drake on his mind, he made a beeline for the door.
It was a little early for lunch, but Liberty still might be
downstairs.
499
The separation had been torture. Slater found himself
able to be downstairs with less, the children, or Kate,
people he cared for very much but didn't feel desperate to
see. When he asked after Liberty's health, he knew they
told him the truth, but he had a natural need to see her for
himself; and not just see her, but be close, talk to her, and
watch her face for signs of the old Liberty.
"Well, Slater," Kate said when he knocked and slipped
in the kitchen door, "this is a surprise."
Slater smiled. Not until he'd gotten very close to Liberty's
mother had he discovered that she had a very subtle
sense of humor. You had to spend a great amount of time
with her to see it, but it was there.
Every Little Thing About You 283
"I just thought you might need me to sweep the floor
or burn some trash."
Kate could barely keep from smiling. "Actually," she
began, turning back to the pudding she was stirring in
order to hide her gleaming eyes, "I was hoping you could
500
dust the living room."
"I'll do it," he said, hoping she was only kidding but
ready to do as she asked.
"Just go on through. I think you'll know what to do
when you get there."
door, smoothing his hair and trying to keep his pace
normal as he went. Still, he must have been heard because
Liberty's and Laura's faces were turned to him as soon as
he stepped across the threshold.
"Slater!" Laura cried, launching herself in his direction.
Slater swung her up into his arms for a hug and kissed
her small cheek.
"How are you today?"
"I'm very good. Libby and I are very good."
Slater finally let his eyes swing to where Liberty sat
quietly on the sofa. She wore a black and white checked
dress with tiny pink flowers running over the fabric. Her
feet were on the footstool, and she had a thick quilt over
her legs and lap. Slater moved toward her now, sitting in
501
the chair closest to the sofa and fighting the urge to sit right
beside her. He settled Laura in his lap and spoke.
"Do you agree with Laura's diagnosis? Are you very
good?"
Liberty smiled. "Yes, I would say I am. I don't care to
pull myself into a buggy or throw a ball, but I'm doing
fine."
"You look wonderful," Slater said softly, his eyes not
missing a thing, not even when her cheeks turned a little
pink and she shifted her gaze to the window.
"Are you working today?" Liberty asked, her eyes and
hands busy with the quilt now.
284 lori wick
"Yes, I'm just taking a long lunch."
Liberty nodded
. "How's Griff?"
"Doing fine. He had a meeting with the town council
this morning. They've voted to hire more men. Griff is
thinking about putting ads in the Austin papers to get a
little more exposure."
502
Liberty smiled. "My mother still has the newspaper
clipping from San Antonio that my father answered to get
the job here."
"I'd like to see that."
"I can ask her," Laura volunteered, startling both
adults. They had been so preoccupied with one another
that Laura had been momentarily forgotten.
"That would be nice of you, Laura," Liberty said with
a smile, not realizing the little girl meant to go right then.
Not until she moved from the room did Liberty realize her
mistake. She didn't feel emotionally ready to be alone with
this man she still loved, but it was too late. She looked over to find his eyes on her and knew he was ready to speak.
m
tfwwfo-
"I want to thank you," Liberty blurted before Slater
could utter a word.
"Thank me?"
503
"Yes," Liberty nodded, still embarrassed and having a
hard time meeting his eyes. "I never saw my actions for
what they were. I was arrogant and untrusting. You helped
me to see that. If I had it to do over again, I would do it differently.
That's why I'm thanking you."
"When you were still laid up, my mind wandered and
I had some moments when I feared you might hate me,"
Slater admitted. "All I ever wanted to do was protect you,
but I think I came across as overbearing and stubborn."
"You were overbearing and stubborn at times, Slater,
but it was over something you believed in. That makes
complete sense to me now."
Slater had so much he wanted to say, but fell rather
silent for a moment. The silence allowed Slater to hear Kate
and Laura in the kitchen. It reminded him of how hard it
was to find time alone with Liberty. For this reason, Slater
moved forward a little bit in his chair, his forearms resting
on the top of his thighs as he leaned closer.
"Every little thing about you fascinates me, "Slater surprised
504
Liberty by saying. "I've never known a woman with
such a wide range of talents, Libby, and I mean that. I can't
tell you how my thoughts whirled to find the woman
who'd pulled a gun on me in a saloon walking up the aisle
285
286 lori wick
to play the piano at church. And playing beautifully, I
might add. Then at lunch, I see you helping with the meal.
"Added to that, you're a marvelous care giver. You love