Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (14 page)

“
Justin!
”

It was Nate calling out.
Vivianna startled as Justin instantly released her.

“
Justin!
Your friend is up and walkin
’
,
”
Nate said, dashing into the arms of the arbor.
“
He
’
s wantin
’
Caleb to take him to some tree to get somethin
’
…says he don
’
t want to leave it there through the night.
He says if Caleb won
’
t take him
,
he
’
ll go by himself!
”

Vivianna frowned
,
instantly angry with Johnny Tabor for his cantankerous ways.

Justin looked to Vivianna and smiled—regretfully smiled.
“
I guess I best see to it,
”
he said.
“
Can
’
t nobody keep Johnny Tabor in line when he
’
s set his mind on somethin
’
.
”
He took her hand in his.

“
But you
’
re in no fit condition to be ridin
’
out…not to fetch somethin
’
that
’
ll wait
’
til tomorrow, Justin,
”
she pleaded.
“
Surely he can wait!
You said he owns nothin
’
to speak of
. Y
ou should wait.
”

“
Oh, don
’
t worry, darlin
’
.
I won
’
t go
.
I
’
ll let Caleb ride out with him,
”
Justin told her.
“
But I best see that Johnny settles himself down.
He can be one stubborn ol
’
mule.
”

Vivianna frowned
and
shook her head.
“
But…but, Justin…that Johnny Tabor…he
’
s weak as a new lamb!
If he rides out in such a state
,
he might not come back.
”

“
Ya mean he might die, Viv?
”
Nate asked
,
his eyes welling up with tears.

“
No
. N
o
,
I mean…he might try to stay the night out there…instead of comin
’
on home, and…
”
Vivianna stammered.

“
You think he
’
ll die, Viv,
”
Nate argued.
“
I know ya do!
”

“
He won
’
t die, Nate,
”
Justin said, tousling his little brother
’
s hair.
“
We won
’
t none of us let him.
”
Justin looked to Vivianna
,
smiled
,
and winked at her.
“
I guess we
’
ll have to visit the rest of the place another time, Viv,
”
he said.
“
I can
’
t let Johnny linger in bein
’
worried about his things.
I owe him my life
. I
t
’
s the least I can do for him.
”

“
But, Justin,
”
Vivianna continued to argue
,
“
p
lease!
What could he possibly own that can
’
t wait
’
til tomorrow?
”

Justin shook his head and shrugged tired shoulders.
“
I don
’
t know.
All he
’
s got in that pack is a beat
-
up ol
’
tin box.
I ain
’
t never seen what he keeps in it.
”

“
Maybe jewels!
Or gold!
”
Nate exclaimed
,
his eyes widening with excitement.
“
What else could be worth goin
’
after when he
’
s as weak as he is?
”

Justin chuckled
,
and Vivianna couldn
’
t help but smile—even for her worry.
Nate and Willy were always hunting for treasure.
She could see how a soldier
’
s tin box would hold boundless wonder for a young boy.

“
You might be right there, Nate,
”
Justin chuckled.
“
Let
’
s get back to the house…before Johnny causes Mama too much worry.
”

He winked at Vivianna
,
and she was somewhat soothed.
Justin was home
;
that was what was important
,
not her own selfish desires to have and hold him all to herself.

Scolding herself for such selfishness, Vivianna followed Nate and Justin back to the house.
She was astonished when they arrived to find Johnny Tabor mounted bareback on Caleb
’
s horse, Captain.

“
It won
’
t take me but a minute to saddle him, Johnny,
”
Caleb said as Johnny Tabor took the bridle reins in hand.

“
It ain
’
t more than a mile to where we left our packs,
”
Johnny said.
“
I can be there and back in near the time it would take ya to saddle him.
”

“
Oh, Johnny!
”
Savannah
exclaimed
,
worry constricting her lovely face
,
her hands anxiously
w
ringing her apron.
“
I wish you
’
d wait…or let Caleb go for your things.
”

Johnny Tabor smiled at
Savannah
.
“
I
’
ll rest better knowin
’
we
’
ve got our packs about us, ma
’
am.
I promise I
’
ll be back quick as anythin
’
.
”

“
You
’
re as stubborn as any ol
’
mule, Johnny,
”
Justin said, patting Captain on the neck.
“
But I know better than to get in your way when you
’
ve set your mind on somethin
’
.
”

Johnny nodded to Justin.
“
I
’
ll ride him easy, Caleb,
”
Johnny said, nodding to Caleb.

“
You just get back here quick as you can, boy,
”
Caleb said.
“
The sun will be down in less than half the hour.
”

Johnny nodded to Caleb.

Vivianna startled as Johnny hollered,
“
Get up!
”

Captain lurched into a full gallop, and Caleb and Justin both chuckled.

“
Yeah, he
’
ll ride him easy all right,
”
Justin said.

“
That boy
’
s tougher than ol
’
cowhide,
”
Caleb said.
He smiled at Justin and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“
I
’
m glad he
’
s the one who brung ya home, brother.
Ain
’
t another soldier I
’
d have rather seen than ol
’
Johnny Tabor.
”

“
Well, it seems to me we
’
re gonna have to tie that boy to his bed to keep him here for any length of time,
”
Savannah
said.

“
Best make him feel useful if ya want him to stay, Mama,
”
Justin said.
“
Johnny won
’
t linger anywhere he
’
s not needed.
”

“
He can feed the chickens and gather the eggs for me, Mama,
”
Willy offered.
“
I don
’
t mind lettin
’
Johnny Tabor help me out with my chores…if it means he
’
ll stay on and start into mendin
’
.
”

Savannah
laughed
and
tousled Willy
’
s hair affectionately.
“
I
’
m sure ya don
’
t mind at all, darlin
’
…and it
’
s mighty thoughtful of ya.
”

Vivianna watched Captain disappear in a cloud of dust down the road—the same road that had led Justin home.
She hoped Mr. Tabor collected his things.
She hoped he collected his things and that it wouldn
’
t take him long to gain enough strength to be on his way.
She sensed he was a wild sort of man
,
prone to belligerence
,
with a head thicker than a tree
trunk.
No wonder he
’
d been able to bring Justin home.
It seemed Johnny Tabor
’
s determination was unequaled.
Still, as she thought of him lying in her bed earlier—scolding her for causing him to
worry
over whether she would be true to Justin
,
reprimanding her for having kept him from dying—she frowned.

“
He
’
s awful scarred up,
”
Nate said.
“
Did ya see that one on his back, Willy?
Near as long as your arm!
”

“
I stitched that one up myself,
”
Caleb announced.

“
Honest, Caleb?
”
Willy asked, his eyes widening in awe.

Caleb nodded.
“
Ol
’
Johnny got himself sliced near in two by a Reb saber one day.
But we cleaned it out
,
and I stitched it up.
Looks pretty good, don
’
t it?
”

“
It sure does, Caleb,
”
Nate said, nodding.

“
Justin,
”
Savannah
began,
“
please do come and rest awhile.
Can
’
t ya just hear that spare bed in Caleb
’
s room callin
’
to ya?
You must be tired, darlin
’
.
Won
’
t ya turn in for the night?
”

“
Mama
,
the sun ain
’
t even set yet,
”
Justin said.
“
Anyhow, I
’
ll wait for Johnny to get back with our packs.
I
’
ll rest easier once I know the ride didn
’
t kill him.
”