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

life. Do you understand?"
    Laura nodded again, and Duffy went back to his food.
    Slater glanced around the table and noticed the way all
    the other adults were busy with their plates as well. He
    watched Liberty and Griffin share a glance, but other than
    Liberty's eyes sparkling, she gave nothing away. He
    wished he could keep watching her. From where he sat, she
    and Zach were very clear.
    Griffin spoke up with a tidbit of news that Zach thoroughly
    enjoyed, and that seemed to get the conversation
    ball rolling. Slater remained very quiet and forced himself
    not to stare or wolf down the delicious food, both of which
    were strong temptations.
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    34 * lori wick
    "Who's for pie?" Kate asked after a time.
    No one declined. An apple pie came to the table that
    was so mounded with fruit that it had a hump in the
    middle. Slater had decided not to speak, but after tasting
    this pie, he could not contain himself; it was the best he'd
    ever had.
    "This is excellent," he said quietly.
    "Libby made it/' Kate said, smiling down the table at
    her.
    Slater welcomed a reason to look at her, but she was not
    looking his way. He stared for several bites of pie, and she
    eventually looked up, but he couldn't read her expression.
    Regret knifed through him. She wouldn't see him as anything
    more than a two-bit drifter, and he had no one to
    thank but himself. It was almost a relief to have the meal
    end and Griffin tell him they had to be on their way.
    ^* 3'
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    "If you'll give me my wallet, I'll get the ten dollars for
    you."
    Griffin looked at the man he'd just uncuffed and
    nodded. He went to the safe, opened it, and removed the
    rest of Slater's things. The moment Slater had his wallet, he
    settled things with Shotgun's sheriff. He then began to fill
    his pockets with his possessions.
    "Where will you head from here?" Griffin asked after
    he'd sat on the desk, his legs dangling down the side.
    Slater looked to the window. "I don't know. I like
    Shotgun, especially the church. Maybe I'll stick around."
    Griffin nodded. "What took you so long to decide?"
    Slater shook his head. "Stubborn-mule pride, and I just
    quit my job. Ten bucks is a lot of money."
    "What do you do?"
    Slater looked him in the eye. "I was a Texas Ranger
    until last month."
    Every Little Thing About You 35
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    Griffin's brows rose as a dozen more questions rolled
    through his mind. When did a man question and when did
    a man leave a person his privacy? Griffin thought of one
    safe inquiry.
    "Did the church service this morning have anything to
    do with your decision?"
    "It had a lot to do with it. There's nothing like hearing
    about Nehemiah's qualities to make me see how short I
    am."
    "I felt that same way."
    Slater threw his saddlebags over one shoulder and
    started to say thank you. Griffin cut him off.
    "Have you got a place to sleep tonight?"
    Slater's mouth quirked. "You mean other than the
    woods?"
    Griffin smiled. "I live next door to my mother and
    Duffy. You're welcome to one of the bedrooms.''
    Slater nodded. "Thank you."
    "If I'm not there when you get in, use the back door and
    take any bedroom upstairs."
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    "I'll plan on that"
    "One more thing," Griffin said. "The hotel gives a full
    plate of food for 15 cents. It's not fancy, but if s always hot
    and filling."
    Slater's hand came out. "Thank you, sheriff."
    "You can call me Griffin."
    Slater nodded, shook the man's hand, and went to the
    door. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, the sun shining, but
    the breeze was cool as he walked down the street. Slater
    held his expectations at bay, but on the way to church that
    morning he thought he'd spotted a bathhouse. It might not
    be open, but he had to give it a try. If that didn't work, he'd
    get Arrow from the livery and ride out until he found a
    deep spot in the creek.
    "that you, slater?" griffin called when he heard the
    back door open after 8:00 that night.
    "Yeah. I couldn't tell if you were here or not."
    Griffin appeared at the doorway, a lantern