141

  and to pray for his safe arrival. As she watched her

  family--Duffy was on the bed too--she didn't think that

  God could give another child to a more godly, loving

  couple. In her opinion, next June couldn't come soon

  enough.

  r /

  Did you pop the question? Why not? The questions Liberty

  had asked Griffin more than two weeks earlier were

  almost constantly on his mind. He had even double-checked

  with his sister to make sure she wasn't upset by

  his cold reply.

  And why had he been so formal with her? He had

  thought it might help to speak with his mother, but Griffin

  used the excuse that she wasn't feeling well long after it

  was valid. No longer. Slater had left for work, Liberty was

  at the jailhouse, Zach was at school, and Duffy would also

  have gone to work. It was time to pay a visit to his mother.

  Griffin spent some time in prayer about their meeting and

  142

  then went next door, hoping very much that she didn't

  have plans or company for the morning.

  84 lori wick

  "Well, Griff," Kate greeted him warmly as they

  exchanged a hug, "I was just about to have some coffee and

  read my Bible. Would you like a cup?"

  "I would if it wouldn't be interrupting."

  "Not at all. You've been busy lately, and I don't want to

  miss a chance to talk with you."

  Griffin realized that she always did that: made him feel

  special and wanted.

  "Unless I miss my guess, you have something on your

  mind/' Kate said as she put a steaming mug in front of him,

  not even giving him a chance to ask how she was feeling,

  especially with the baby coming.

  "How did you know?"

  "Because Libby told me she said something to you at

  the picnic and felt bad about it. She got the impression that

  you were upset by her probing. Did she not get back to you

  143

  as she planned?"

  "Well, I had to talk to her about the way I acted, and she

  tried to make sure I was all right with her, but now that you

  mention it, I think I was a little too busy making sure she

  wasn't upset with me to listen."

  Kate nodded. "You're in terrible pain, Griff. I can see

  it."

  Griffin dropped his head, his hand going to the back of

  his neck.

  "All this time I should have been talking to you, but it

  never occurred to me. I think you could give me some

  answers--you have insight into being a lawman's wife-- and it only just recently occurred to me to ask."

  Kate smiled. "Sometimes we're like that, a little slow to

  start."

  "Hi, Griff!" a cheery voice called just before Laura

  launched herself at her oldest brother. "I didn't know you

  were here."

  Griffin gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. "How are

  you today?" he asked.

  144

  Every Little Thing About You 85

  "I'm drawing a picture of our house. I did Mam and

  Papa's room and the kitchen."

  "Well, you still have a lot of rooms to cover."

  Laura agreed with a nod of her head but still plopped

  down in a kitchen chair as if she had all day.

  "Laura," her mother said gently, "I need you to play on

  your own for a little longer."

  Laura looked between the two adults.

  "Are you talking to Griffin?"

  "Yes."

  "Is it because he loves Tess?" Laura asked, a little frown

  on her brow.

  "That is none of your concern," her mother told her,

  and Laura tucked her lower lip under her teeth and gave

  Griffin an apologetic look. She left, looking back at them

  only once, and when she was gone, Griffin smiled.

  "Just so long as she doesn't see you laughing," Kate

  told her son. "She's precocious enough as it is, and at times,

  145

  nosey. Now! Let's get back to you. Ask me anything, Griff,

  and I'll try to answer."

  Griffin sighed. "You married Thomas Drake before he

  was a sheriff, but did you know he wanted to be the

  sheriff?"

  "Yes, I did. I can't say that I didn't worry, Griff, but I

  will admit that I didn't worry much. My father hadn't died

  from a bullet wound, so I didn't have that on my mind like

  you do. I knew the risks, but not until your father pushed

  to have the laws changed did I really start to see how dangerous

  his job would become."

  "Tell me about the firearms law," Griffin requested. "I

  can't remember how long he waited to implement that."

  "Less than a year after he took the job. And then he

  died not long after it went into effect. Because of that, there

  were some who said the law didn't do any good. All this

  clamping down on guns, only to have your father shot

  while enforcing the new statute. But he was the only one

  killed for a long time, and even though the job came with

  146

  ^.

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  86 lori wick

  risks, we both believed in it. I still do. And thankfully, so

  did the town fathers. Innocent people still die, Griffin--

  they always will--but there's no comparison to what it

  used to be like."

  "And you would have no trouble with my marrying a

  woman who could end up alone like you did?"

  "It's crazy to say I don't have any trouble with it. I

  147

  would be crushed if I lost you, but I remind myself of one

  thing: God is still in control. If it is God's will that you die,

  then you could go swimming with less on your honeymoon

  and drown. If it isn't God's will that you die, then a

  thousand bullets fired at you wouldn't make it happen."

  In so many words, both Duffy and Pastor Caron had

  voiced the same thoughts to him. It was good to be

  reminded. Too often he wanted God to reveal His will

  before it was time. Griffin knew he was suffering from a

  lack of trust and that he needed to grow in this area.

  "lhanks, Mam," Griffin said. 'I'm still not certain what

  would be the wise course, but I needed that reminder."

  "I'll keep praying for you, Griff, and if you need to talk

  again, come straight back. You know Duffy feels the same

  way."

  "Can I come back in now?"

  "May I come back in," Kate corrected, "and, yes, you

  may."

  Laura flew through the doorway, kissed her mother,

  and scrambled into Griffin's lap. Watching her, Kate's

  148

  prayers intensified for her son. It was so easy to skip

  through life without thought of the future. Griffin was wise

  to take it seriously. Looking at Laura, Kate was reminded

  that she might someday be forced to look at Griffin's children,

  just as she had her own, and wish that their father

  was still there to hold them.

  sk* "St* -3very

  Little Thing About You 87

  / don't know her well--at least not yet, Slater prayed a

 
few weeks later. He was on his horse and headed to

  dinner at the Carons'. But I like her...I like her so much. I've

  been here only six weeks, and already I feel at home and cared

  for. Can that be possible? I loved my job, Lord. I fought You

  tooth and nail about leaving it. But I don't miss the long rides,

  unpredictable hours, and meager pay. I've never known such a

  sense of completeness. I want to stay in Shotgun. I miss taking care of folks, and it's not always easy to work with Hank, but the thought of leaving Griffin and his family, especially Libby,

  really bothers me.

  149

  I need to know Your will in this. The letters from the ranch

  have been encouraging. I'm glad they want me to stay here since

  I've found a good church, but I should probably visit them sometime

  soon. I'm still surprised that Dakota hasn't shown up.

  Please be with him, Father; touch his heart wherever he is.

  Slater could have prayed on for the next hour, but the

  Carons' house was in sight He had honestly appreciated

  being asked over, but he had been more thankful before

  Duffy extended an invitation for the same night. He'd had

  no choice but to go to the Carons'--he'd been asked there

  first--but it was hard to see Griffin head next door and

  know that he had to go elsewhere. With a prayer for a

  thankful heart, Slater tethered his horse and went to the

  door.

  4" or "

  "Do you think he's cute?" Mayann asked her mother

  while they were preparing the coffee tray.

  "Mr. Rawlings? Yes, he's very nice-looking," Felicia

  150

  said kindly, but she was not going to do too much encouraging.

  Mayann was growing up fast, but she was not ready

  to be in a relationship, especially one with a man Slater's

  age. Felicia wasn't certain, but she figured him somewhere

  in his midtwenties; not to mention the fact that they were

  still getting to know him. However, Betsy, their oldest

  88 lori wick

  daughter, suddenly sprang to mind. Felicia was not about

  to start pushing her daughter at anyone--she did not want

  to play God in the matter--but if Slater should show some

  interest in Betsy, Felicia didn't think she'd have any trouble

  with that at all. Felicia determined to discuss it with Ross

  later that evening.

  "I think Betsy is in love," Mayann said, her voice a little

  too loud. Felicia came and put a hand on her daughter's

  shoulder.

  "I don't want you to talk like that, Mayann. If Betsy has

  feelings for Mr. Rawlings, then we'll deal with that in its

  time, but don't you start planting ideas."

  151

  "All right. But do you think he likes her?"

  Mayann had Felicia there. In truth, she had never seen

  Slater Rawlings give any of the young women preferential

  treatment. He was extremely polite, a real gentleman, but

  not at any time did she feel he was playing games with the

  young women of the church.

  "Papa sent me out to help/' Tanner, suddenly

  appearing in the doorway, said. "Do you want me to carry

  the tray?"

  "Thank you. Tanner," Felicia responded, but his question

  brought her up short. How many minutes had she

  stood here daydreaming?

  Lord, she prayed as she followed her children out of the

  kitchen and into the living room. Mr. Rawlings needs my love

  and hospitality, not my matchmaking skills. Please help me to

  want his spiritual growth more than a husband for my daughter.

  "So where will we go after Nehemiah?" Felicia heard

  Slater ask her husband as she entered.

  "I think the book of Mark. I try to alternate Old and New Testament books, but before we do that, I have some topics I feel we need to cover. Tell me, Slater, does sharing

  152

  your faith come easily to you?"

  "Not as a rule. I don't know how to open the subject

  with strangers."

  Every Little Thing About You 89

  "That's my point exactly. So often I think we try to

  press Jesus Christ onto someone who has given no sign of

  interest. What if we got to know our neighbors? What if we

  loved the people we worked with, without ever mentioning

  our faith, and then when they noticed the difference

  in us--making sure they've seen one--vie lovingly

  explained why we're different and how they can be different

  too?"

  Slater sat back and stared at him. "I almost want to

  laugh with the irony of your suggestion. I work with Hank

  Hathaway, and it's been on my mind to share with him, but

  he never wants to talk. He never lets me into his world,

  even a little, and for that reason I just haven't felt free to

  mention my decision for Christ. You've put it so well. He

  needs to see a difference in my life first."

  153

  Ross Caron nodded, thinking this young man was a

  balm for his heart. Unless he missed his guess, both his

  daughters thought he was nice to look at, but that wasn't

  Pastor Caron's main concern. He believed the church

  needed strong male leadership. If Slater Rawlings stayed

  around and continued to grow, he could be a help in

  leading this church to strength and maturity.

  "When did you come to Christ, Mr. Rawlings?" Felicia

  now asked.

  "Less than two years ago. A man I'd been working with

  talked to me. I had a tendency to search in all the wrong

  places. Some of my family had come to Christ, but I didn't

  think it was for me." Slater smiled. "I'll never forget that

  day. I told the Lord that I didn't think I would be any good

  as His child, that I could never love and serve Him like my

  brother was trying to do, but if He wanted a rotten sinner

  like me, I would do my best." Again Slater smiled. "I was

  in for quite a surprise. The Bible, a book I had always found

  dry as dust, became so exciting to me that I couldn't get

  enough of it."

  154

  Slater was on the verge of saying that that was just the

  beginning when he looked over to see the oldest Caron girl,

  90 lori wick

  he thought she had been introduced as Betty, staring at him

  with a dreamy look on her face. Slater smiled at her but

  stopped just short of pulling at his collar, which suddenly

  felt tight. Had he been invited over here as a prospective

  son-in-law? The thought chilled Slater to the bone, until a

  glance at his hosts put him at ease. They were looking at

  their daughter, neither one happy, and when the younger

  Caron girl saw it, she dropped her eyes and turned red.

  Slater busied himself with his coffee cup and was glad

  when Tanner changed the subject

  They fellowshipped for the next hour, and everyone,

  even Betsy after she realized what she'd been doing, joined

  in the conversation and had fun. Slater left, his heart at

  peace and very thankful as he rode through town toward

  Griffin's house. The church family was wonderful. All he'd

  wanted to do was escape to the cool of the mountains.

  155

  Never in his wildest dreams d
id he think God would--

  Slater's mind ceased its wandering. From the corner of

  his eye he'd caught movement on a downtown roof not far

  from the bank. He thought he heard a raised voice, but one

  of the saloons was nearby and he couldn't be sure of the

  direction. A second later he brought Arrow to a full halt

  Another man was on the roof, and this one looked like

  Griffin. Slater was out of the saddle in a flash, tying

  Arrow's reins to a post and moving silently toward the

  alley between the buildings. Slater had gone only ten feet

  into the alley when someone moved ahead of him.

  Thinking that the bank was being robbed or cased, Slater

  touched the Bowie knife in his boot for reassurance and

  crept forward, not making a sound. A moment later he

  grabbed the guy in front of him with an arm around the

  neck, and Slater knew in an instant that this was not a man.

  With a swift hand to what was sure to be Liberty's mouth,

  he pulled her into the shadows.

  "It's Slater," he whispered in her ear to stop her struggling

  and to also keep from being shot The moment she

  156

  calmed, he turned her to face him but did not let her out of

  Every Little Thing About You 91

  his arms. He bent again to catch her ear. "What are you

  doing in this alley?"

  "Leonard is drunk again," she spoke against his chest

  "He's on the roof with his whip."

  "Where's Griffin?"

  "Up there with him. He wanted me here."

  Slater sighed. Her voice was so pragmatic. Didn't

  anyone know this wasn't normal?

  "What does he expect you to do?"

  "Just to keep watch if something should happen, or if

  he calls."

  Slater sighed again, this time over his emotions. Even

  in what was sure to be her deputy outfit, she smelled so

  nice, and holding her, even loosely in his arms, was

  nothing short of delightful.

  "How do I let Griffin know that I'm here to help?"

  Slater, making himself concentrate, asked.

  157

  "I don't know. He wants me to stay quiet."

  "Put it down!" The shout came from overhead, and

  Liberty scrambled loose and ran, Slater right behind her.

  They both heard Leonard's drunken wailing and the crack

  of the whip as they raced up the alley. Liberty, knowing the

  town well, ran for a ladder at the side of the bank building.

  She started to climb but found herself lifted by the waist

  and set back on her feet.

  "Give me your gun!" Slater said in a voice that was not