The Touch of Sage (21 page)

Sage pulled her hand away from Eugenia
’
s and stood up from
her chair
.
“
I
’
m none of those things, Miss Eugenia,
”
Sage told her.
“
And I
’
m not blind either.
You
’
d like nothin
’
more than to see Reb save me from bein
’
the town spinster…but…
”

“
Oh, nonsense, Sage!
”
Eugenia argued, rising
from her own seat
.
“
Spinster my fanny, girl!
You
’
re all of twenty-three years old!
”
Sage shook her head, which was beginning to pound with the discomfort of aching.

“
Let
’
s don
’
t discuss it anymore, please, Miss Eugenia,
”
Sage said.
“
I need to take a walk before I start supper.
Reverend Tippetts and the othe
rs will be here earlier tonight. Rosie
invited them all for cards.
”

“
Um…Sage?
”
Eugenia began.
Sage turned and looked at her.
The older woman wore a guilty, timid expression.

“
Yes?
”
Sage urged, nervous
to hear
what she had to say.
Surely she realized Sage didn
’
t want to talk about Reb Mitchell and Ivy Dalton anymore.

“I-
I plum forgot to tell you,
”
Eugenia stammered.
“
I invited Reb and Charlie out for supper tonight too.
You always fix us so much when
Scarlett
and the Reverend are out
that
I didn
’
t think you
’
d mind.
Do you?
”

Sage felt her innards begin to tremble.
Of course she minded!
She needed more time!
Not for preparing supper, but for preparing herself to face Reb again.
Still, she forced a smile.

“
Of course I don
’
t mind, Miss Eugenia,
”
she lied.
“
But…I really do need some fresh air.
”

“
Thank you, Sage,
”
Eugenia said.
“
I just worry about them boys eatin
’
nothin
’ but hard
tack and jerky all the time. It isn
’
t healthy.
”

“
I know,
”
Sage agreed.
“
It
’
s fine.
I
’
ll be back shortly.
”
She left by way of the back door, pausing to pinch a few leaves of sage from one of the plants in the barrel.



Drifter seemed to enjoy the hot, dry air of summer as much as Sage did.
Still, he was thirsty when they finally reached the creek bed.
Sage tied his reins to a nearby piñon, still pinching the sage leaves between her fingers and inhaling their fragrance as she strolled toward Ruthie
’
s grave.
She gasped as she walked up over the hill to see Reb.
He was putting the finishing touches on a new fence surrounding Ruthie
’
s gravesite.

Sage wonde
red how long he had been there—
working to protect Ruthie from the destruction
that
might be caused by grazing cattle.
It was obvious Reb had taken great
care in constructing the fence,
for it had nine posts in its square
,
and the wire was pulled taut and straight.
It wasn
’t a tall fence by any means
. It wasn
’
t much higher than Reb
’
s waist.
Sage realized her breathing had stopped when she had come over the hill and seen him.
She hoped he wouldn
’
t turn and see her before she had a chance to escape down the
back side
of the hill.
However,
her hopes were vanquished as Reb
’
s gelding stomped the gr
ound, causing the man to look up—to see
her.

“
Sage,
”
he called out, waving to her with one hand
indicating
she should join him.
“
What do ya think?
”

Sage swallowed hard and forced herself to walk toward him.
The last time she had seen him was the morning the
herd had arrived at the ranch—at breakfast—
before he left the table after squelching the conversation about Ivy Dalton.
He had been angry then but seemed happy enough now.

“
I wanted to make sure ya didn
’
t feel she was bein
’
smothered by this new fence,
”
he said as she approached.
“
So I kept it open and a ways away from the other little fence. Think it
’
s all right?
”

Sage forced a smile and nodded.
“
It
’
s perfect,
”
said
.
“
Thank you…for goin
’
to all the trouble.
”

Reb smiled and said,
“
Ain
’
t no trouble.
Yer doin
’
me a favor by lettin
’
me run my herd out here.
Remember? Look here,
”
he said, slipping between two posts sunk close together with no wire strung between them.
“No gate to mess with. Y
a just slip right though these two.
I sunk
’
em far enough apart so a person can get through easy, but a cow can
’
t get more than a head in.
”
Sage smiled and followed him between the two posts.
“
I was worried this new fence m
ight make ya feel too closed in. W
hat do ya think?
”
It was the third time he had asked her for her opinion.

“
I think it
’
s perfect,
”
she
said
.

He breathed a sigh of relief.
“
I
’
m mighty glad to hear that.
Been workin
’
on it all day,
”
he said.

“
Thank you,
”
Sage said.

Reb nodded and smiled, but a moment later his eyes narrowed and his smile faded.
“I-
I was hopin
’
it would turn out good enough that maybe you
’
d forgive me for the other day,
”
he said.
Sage looked away from him, feeling a blush instantly rise to her cheeks.
“
I was just…just so glad to see the herd come in
,
and I
—”

“
It
’
s fine, Reb,
”
Sage interrupted, turning toward the gate leading to Ruthie
’
s grave.
The kiss in the barn had been the stuff of dreams
,
and she knew if Reb were to apologize to her, the memory would be tainted.
She wanted to pretend he had wanted to
kiss her, enjoyed kissing her—
might kiss her again one day.
I
f he told her it was a mistake—
told her it would never h
appen again…

“
But it ain
’
t fine, Sage,
”
he said, interrupting her thoughts and catching her hand in his.
She looked
up
to him, afraid she might not be able to hold back her tears were his apology to be a long one.
“
We
’
ve come to be good friends, Sage…and I don
’
t want ya thinkin
’—”

“
I
’
m not thinkin
’
anythin
’
,
”
she lied, turning from him.
He held tight to her hand, however.

“
Yes, ya are!
”
he argued.
“
Yer thinkin
’
I
’
m disrespectful of ya somehow.
But I ain
’
t.
I just…I just lost my head for a minute…I was so dang happy to see the herd finally come in.
And I don
’
t want ya to think I
’
m gonna take to slobberin
’
on ya all the time the same way Bullet does.
”

Sage looked at him.
He seemed so concerned, so desperate she forgive him.
Yet she was sadd
ened. She liked the idea of his
“
slobbering
” all over her—
if what had happened in the barn was his definition of it.
He had done exactly what she had feared he would.
He was apologizing for the kiss.

“
Are ya gonna forgive me?
”
he asked.

Sage forced a smile.
“
There
’
s nothin
’
to forgive,
”
she told him.

He smiled, seeming relieved
,
and nodded, squeezing her hand for reassurance.
“
Thank ya, Sage,
”
he said, still holding her hand.
“
But there is one more thing,
”
he added.
He looked down at her hand he held, taking the sage leaves from her fingers and waving them under his nose before stuffing them in his shirt pocket.

“
What
’
s that?
”
she asked.
In truth, she simply wanted the conversation to end.
She wished the rain would come and give her its permission to cry.

“
Well,
”
he began, raising her hand to his face and rubbing her fingertips over his mustache as he sniffed their sage fragrance.
“
I done a right terrible job of kissin
’
you
.
”

Startled by his words, Sage pulled her hand from his grasp and turned toward Ruthie
’
s grave.
Whatever was he talking about?
His kissing her had been the most wonderful moment of her life.
How could he possibly think otherwise?
Furthermore, the sound of hi
s voice even uttering the word
kissing
caused her skin to tingle.

“
I hope ya
’
ll forgive me for that too,
”
he said.
“
And that ya
’
ll give me a chance at doin
’
a better job of it someday.
”

Sage felt her mouth drop open in astonishment as she whirled around to face him.
Her heart was pounding madly
,
and she could feel her palms begin to perspire.

“
What?
”
she whispered.

Reb chuckled and said,
“
Oh, quit lookin
’
like yer gonna drop dead.
I
’
m just funnin
’
with ya.
”