Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

in her sister's lap.
    "I just looked away," Laura told her, working not to let
    her voice quiver.
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    "You did well," Kate inserted from her seat nearby.
    "I'm glad you didn't pinch back."
    Laura nodded and looked down at the dark bruise on
    her arm. One of the other children at church had pinched
    her.
    "I didn't cry," Laura told them, "but I think Zach
    wanted to."
    "Zach loves you," Liberty put in. "He hurts when you
    hurt."
    "I love Zach too."
    Liberty kissed her sister's soft temple and hugged her
    dose. Laura had always treated Liberty like another
    mother--both children did--and their mother had never
    done anything to alter that
    "All right, Laura," Kate instructed after she kissed her
    youngest daughter too. "Will you please help me get things
    ready for dinner?"
    Laura nodded.
    "Please take your dolls off that chair. Your brother
    brought a guest today."
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    32 lori wick
    "Who is it?"
    "You'll meet him when he gets here. Where is Zach?"
    "I think he's outside."
    "Please go tell him we're almost ready to eat."
    Griffin and Slater, both sitting in the parlor, listened to
    this last sentence in silence. Slater had not uttered a word
    since Griffin had led him from the church, and Griffin had
    done little more than lead him up the street, into the front
    door of a two-story home, and to a satin-covered chair in a
    very comfortable room, where he now sat.
    Not thinking that the sheriff was inclined to visit, Slater
    let his eyes roam the walls. Clearly a woman lived here.
    Family pictures were displayed on tables and walls; lace
    curtains graced windows and doilies sat on the arms of
    upholstered furniture. And everything was freshly dusted.
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    "We're ready," a female voice called from the other
    room.
    Griffin stood and approached Slater. "This is my
    family," he told the prisoner. "I think you'd be more comfortable
    without the cuffs, and I think I can trust you, but if
    I'm wrong, I won't hesitate to take you out."
    Slater nodded, knowing the man had no choice. Slater
    only wished he had his wallet so he could lose the cuffs for
    good. It was a relief to rub his wrists once they were gone,
    and his enjoyment of that caused him to forget that he
    might see the sheriff's sister. When he walked into the
    dining room and saw her, he had all he could do not to
    gawk. If he'd thought her lovely across the church, he
    didn't know what to think now. Why hadn't he noticed
    before the deep hazel of her eyes or the red highlights in
    her hair?
    "Duffy--" Griffin's voice brought Slater back. '"Ms is
    Slater Rawlings. He's a guest of the jailhouse right now."
    "Hello, Slater." Duffy shook his hand and took over.
    "This is my wife, Kate, my daughter Liberty, my son Zach,
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    and my younger daughter, Laura."
    Every Little Thing About You 33
    "Thank you for letting me join you," Slater said quietly,
    taking the chair Griffin indicated. Heads bowed and Duffy
    prayed. Slater looked up after the close, an ache in his
    throat for his own family. He was glad that the bowls of
    food were immediately passed.
    "Will she go to hell?" Laura suddenly asked.
    "What?" Her father turned to her, a spoonful of
    mashed potatoes frozen in his hand as he looked at her in
    astonishment.
    "We didn't explain to you, Duffy," Kate put in, not
    looking at Liberty, who had her hand over her mouth, her
    eyes brimming with merriment. "Someone pinched Laura
    at church."
    "I see," Duffy said quietly, now in the same state as his
    stepdaughter. He made himself finish with the potatoes
    and pass them on, then turned to Laura, all the while
    working to keep a straight face.
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    "Did you say it was another girl?" Duffy clarified.
    Laura nodded. "I can't tell names unless you tell me to,
    or if s gossip."
    "All right," Duffy nodded over being reminded of his
    own rule. "This little girl might be lost, Laura, but not
    because she pinched you. It was wrong of her to pinch you,
    but she would only go to hell if she never accepted Christ's
    forgiveness in her