"Dinner," Mrs. Locken called from the other room.
Griffin stood immediately, took Tess' hand, and pulled
her from the chair. With his hand under her chin, he bent
and kissed her mouth.
"Merry Christmas, Tess."
"Merry Christmas, Griffin."
They walked hand-in-hand to the dining room where
280
Mrs. Locken was waiting. It seemed that some weeks her
husband and sons never ceased to cause her pain with the
way they overlooked her and took her efforts for granted,
but this couple who loved the Lord and each other was like
Every Little Thing About You 159
a gift from God and the best Christinas gift she could possibly
imagine.
^- 3r
%r
Dakota could not dispel Liberty's image from his mind.
He had tried closing his eyes, which only made it worse.
He had tried concentrating on the creek line, dark as it was,
but he could still see her in the bank building. He shook his
head a little at how fast she had been. He'd seen many a
quick draw in his business, and he thought she might rank
among the smoothest And her aim! If it hadn't been so sad,
he would have called it beautiful. That thougjht today, however,
281
only made him ache.
"I wanted to see her in action," he said quietly, causing
Eli's ears to twitch, "but not like this."
Slater had asked him to head out for a time. Dakota had
been only too glad to oblige him. He needed to be alone. He
needed to think. For a moment his mind lingered on some
of the things he'd seen and heard from the pastor and the
church family, but it didn't take long for him to feel uncomfortable
with his thoughts. He pushed them away to concentrate
on his brother. As though he'd never had a
problem with Slater giving up his job, Dakota was now resolute.
Slate should stay here, he decided. Slate needs to step in as
deputy. I don't know why I didn't see it before. I'm still not certain
what to do with the change in him, but he's made a life here.
A man with his skill and level head shouldn't be building houses. He should be helping Griffin with the law, not Libby. And I'm going to tell him as soon as I get back.
# $-$
"This
282
is my room," Laura told Slater after dinner, her
drawing of the house in her lap. The whole family was
gathered in the living room. "It used to be Griffin's room,
160 lori wick
but he moved next door, and Mam gave it to me. It's my
very own."
"What's this?" Slater pointed to a circle on the floor.
"My rug. It's all red and blue and green colors."
"It sounds nice." ,f
"Ubby's is almost the same, only hers has some
yellow."
Slater nodded and smiled down at her.
"If you marry Libby, then you can come upstairs and
see all the rugs."
"Laura May Peterson!" Duffy wasted no time in
exclaiming.
The little girl looked across at him, clearly upset and
uncertain, but her silence didn't last for more than a few
283
seconds. Tears already filling her eyes and her chin tilted
upward, she said, "Well, he should marry Libby and make
her smile all the time!"
The room was silent with shock--not just over her
talking back--but at the words as well.
"Libby's sad because she had to shoot that man, and
when Slater comes she always smiles." With that Laura put
her face in her hands and sobbed. Kate was sitting closer
than Duffy, so she was the one to move and put her arms
around the little girl. It took some time for her to calm, the
others quietly waiting.
Laura would not look at anyone, but they all had eyes
on her. Duffy waited but could see that she was going to
keep her face burled against her mother's side. He went to
her, hunkered down in front of both his wife and daughter,
and spoke quietly.
"Laura, you need to look at me."
Laura obeyed at once, her little face blotchy and
tearstained.
"I know you meant well, but Slater and Libby's relationship
284
is not your business. If you have questions, you
may ask Mam or me, but you can't just sit and give your
opinion whenever you feel like it. Understood?"
Every Little Thing About You 161
Laura nodded, and her father gave her knee a little
squeeze.
"You need to apologize." This said, Duffy returned to
his seat, fully expecting to be obeyed.
"I'm sorry, Libby/' Laura said to the big sister who sat
across the room.
"I forgive you, Laura."
"I'm sorry, Slater."
"Thank you, Laura, and I want you to know that I do
appreciate the nice words you said."
"I can be nice sometimes," Laura told him, "but not
always."
Slater had to smile over this. He looked over at Liberty
to find her smiling at Laura too. He was still watching her
when she noticed him. Duffy asked Zach a question just
285
then, and the little boy began to answer, but it took several
minutes for Slater and Liberty to hear.
"I want to talk to you/' Dakota greeted Slater the
moment he walked in the door.
"All right. Let me get my coat off."
Dakota waited with ill-concealed impatience, and
Slater wanted to laugh. It was always clear to him when
Dakota had a mission.
"When are you headed back to work, Dak?" Slater
asked as he sauntered his way toward the living room and
took a seat on the davenport
"Not until I'm through with you, at the very least Now,
I've been doing some thinking."
"About my life or yours?"
"My life is fine," Dakota clarified for him. "Yours could
use a little work."
Slater laughed, which only got him glared at
"Are you going to listen?"
"Yes." Slater schooled his features and worked not to
smile.
286
"Now, I think the most logical thing for you to do is
apply as deputy of Shotgun. You're good enough to be the
sheriff, but Griffin already has the job, and he's doing fine.
However, a man with your talents has no business
pounding nails for a living, and I don't want to hear any
arguments.
"My first choice would be to have you come back to the
Rangers, but since you're being mule stubborn about that,
this is the next best thing. I'll also concede," Dakota went
on even as both men heard the back door open and close,
163
164 lori wick
"that there's a very sweet lady in town who makes staying
a very palatable option. But, if I find out that you've let her
get away, you'll have some fast explaining to do."
"Hello," Griffin greeted the men as he walked in and
took a chair. He saw that Slater was on the sofa, relaxed as
287
a cat, but Dakota was standing as though giving a lecture.
Griffin, not worryin
g about offending anyone, spoke to
Slater.
"Did you tell Dakota about the job as deputy?"
"Not yet," Slater replied and let his gaze swing back to
his older sibling.
Not surprisingly, Dakota was looking right back at
Slater.
"You could have stopped me," the older man said.
"That wouldn't have been half as much fun."
Dakota dropped into a chair and shook his head.
"Someone should fill me in," Griffin suggested.
Slater did the honors, and both men had a laugh on
Dakota.
"How's Tess?" Slater asked when the laughter died
down.
"She's fine."
"Price asked me this morning if the two of you had a
date."
"That seems to be the common question. Tonight Tess
288
suggested that we just up and marry."
"That would be fun," Dakota agreed.
"Spoken like a man," Griffin stated. "I know I would
like it, but somehow I think the women in my life, namely
Kate Peterson, Liberty Drake, and Rebecca Locken, would
not find it so amusing."
"You never know/' Slater put in. "Our mother wanted
to elope, but our father wouldn't hear of it."
"Did she really?"
"That's what they've always told us," Slater confirmed.
"Our father hailed from modest means, and our mother
had been reared in the lap of luxury. Her mother desper-
Every
Little Thing About You 165
ately wanted a large wedding, the kind befitting a young
socialite, but our mother had had that her whole life. I
guess Grandma Slater, who had a terrible time accepting
our father, was won over in an instant when he took his
future mother-in-law's side and opted for a grand wedding."
289
"What did your mother say?f
"She was ready to call the whole thing off," Dakota
continued. "She can be rather stubborn, but our father
talked her around."
Griffin looked between the two of them, so mismatched
in appearance.
"By the way, where do you two get your coloring?"
Both Rawlings laughed.
"He should see Cash," Dakota said to Slater.
"What does Cash look like?" Griffin took the bait.
"Dark red hair, brown eyes."
Griffin's brows rose. The two men before him were so
different. One was blond with blue eyes, and the other had
black hair with eyes so black you couldn't even see the
pupils.
"And you all have the same mother and father?"
Griffin clarified.
Both brothers nodded, smiles on their faces.
"No sisters?"
"Nope," Dakota supplied, "but if you're giving up
290
Laura, 111 take her."
"She's a card, all right," Griffin agreed with a small
sigh. "She's another reason not to just up and marry."
"She gets to watch it happen/' Slater supplied the
words, "if she's quiet."
"I'm not sure that's possible." Griffin's tone was dry.
"Actually, I shouldn't be surprised at how different you
two look; considering Zach and Laura are like day and
night in personality."
"Zach's a nice little guy," Dakota said, and with that the
men fell quiet. It had been a long day, emotionally and
166 lori wick
physically. And speaking of the children reminded them of
a little girl who no longer had a mother. It wasn't long
before all three men opted to turn in, knowing that the next
few days promised to be just as draining. On Wednesday
they would all be attending the funeral of Desna Frank.
-3-^Are
291
you up to this?" Duffy asked Kate Wednesday
morning. She had been crying since she rose and hadn't
wanted anything for breakfast. She now washed the dishes
with slow, distracted movements.
Kate shrugged. "Even if I'm not, I can't stay away.
Desna was my friend, and I need to see Lloyd and Josie."
Duffy eyed her face. Her color wasn't good, and he naturally
thought of her condition.
"Stop looking at me, Duffy," she told him as she
handed him a plate to dry.
"That's like telling me not to be a doctor, Kathleen," he
replied firmly. "Now, you're not going if there's more than
grief going on here. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, but it is grief, Duffy; I know it is. That can bring
about problems of its own, but I'm not feeling that feeling
or anything like that"
To just about anyone else, those words would have
been cryptic, but to Kate, who had been expecting so many
times, and for the doctor she was married to, it made perfect
sense that she was in tune with her pregnancy. Duffy
292
continued to watch her for a moment, and finally Kate
came to him. Duffy slipped his arms around her and held
her close.
"I don't want to lose you, Duff," she admitted. "I want
you here with me. When I think of Lloyd I can hardly stand
it."
Duffy pressed a kiss to her temple; he'd had the same
thoughts about her. He held her a little closer, already
feeling the baby between them. He never tired of touching
Every Little Thing About You 167
or holding her. He wasn't a lot taller than she was, but the
difference in their heights gave him wonderful access to
her soft hair and brow, where he kissed her again.
"We should always have the attitude that we're not
staying here permanently, but there's nothing like a death
to remind us of how frail we are."
"I'm glad school was canceled. I want the children with
me."
"I'd have kept them home anyway," Duffy told her.
293
"Laura told me she wants to talk to Josie, but I told her I'd
have to think about it."
"She means so well, but I'm a little afraid of what she'll
come up with."
They heard noises behind them then and weren't surprised
when Zach came forward and hugged his father
from the side. Duffy slipped an arm down to hold him.
"Where are Libby and Laura?"
"Both crying in Libby's room."
"Maybe I should go up," Kate said and moved a little,
but steps could be heard on the stairs. Sure enough, the
teary-eyed sisters joined the family in the kitchen, and 15
minutes later, they headed for the cemetery.
*gr 3Second
Corinthians 5 says, Therefore, we are always
confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body,
we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by
sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord/"
294
Pastor Caron read these words to the crowd as they huddled
close against the cold wind. Rain was threatening.
"Can there ever be good news at a funeral?" the pastor
asked. "I just read verses to you that would give a
resounding yes!" Pastor Caron went on to say, "Desna
Frank was 24 years old. She was born in Dallas on May 1,
1857
, to the late Henry and Lottie Jeffers. She lived most of
168 lori wick
her life in Dallas and moved to Shotgun after she married
Lloyd Frank in 1876. Her daughter Josie was born to her in
1878. Desna is also survived by two sisters and a brother,
all of whom live in the Dallas area.
"Desna wanted to be a schoolteacher but met Lloyd
before she completed her training. She was actively
involved in the church where she attended and was a regular
at the women's Bible study. Desna also enjoyed
attending the quilting bees that the Ladies' Legion holds
each month. She was quoted just a few weeks back as
saying, 'I love Shotgun. I hope we can raise all of our children
295
here/"
Pastor Caron took a moment to compose himself. He
had just recently learned that Desna had been expecting.
For an instant he wanted to sob with the loss of both lives.
Almost a minute later he took a breath and continued.
"I had a long talk with Lloyd yesterday. He talked to
me about Desna, a woman he'd known and loved for more
than six years. Lloyd is confident, as am I, that Desna is
indeed present with the Lord. Lloyd was with Desna the
day they both realized they needed a Savior. He told me all
about the camp meeting where they both sat, hungry for
the truth about eternity, and how they needed to fill the
ache inside, an ache that was spiritually based. Both Lloyd
and Desna were saved that day.
"I didn't know Desna before she and Frank moved to
Shotgun and began attending the church where I pastor,
but we spoke many times, and on several occasions she
told me about her life. Frank wanted me to talk about
Desna today, but also to let you know that you can have the
same hope in Christ that she had.
296
"I don't say that Desna is in heaven because she was a
good person. Those of you who know me know that I
would make no such claim. She's in heaven today because
she repented of her sin and accepted God's Son as her
Savior."
Every Little Thing About You 169
Taking in the words as best she could, Liberty stood
very still at the graveside. She felt like her insides were
crumbling, but she didn't want to break down. She was
thankful beyond what she could express that her friend
was in heaven, but Lloyd's pale face and Josie's confused
eyes were almost too much to bear. When the service
ended, many people went forward to have a word with
Lloyd, but Liberty hung back until they were almost all
gone. Griffin was close by, Dakota and Slater behind him.