Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (10 page)

Justin nodded and grinned.
His eyes were entrancing!
Vivianna had forgotten how mesmerizing they could be—how his gaze could hold a person awed by their overpowering depths of blue!

“
Well, judgin
’
from the way you look, brother
,
and from what you
’
ve told me…I figure Johnny Tabor must look like
h
ell,
”
Caleb said.

“
Caleb!
”
Savannah
scolded.
“
That
’
s not proper…
or
nice.
”

Justin chuckled and reached out, affectionately patting the back of his mother
’
s hand.
“
Well, you saw him, Mama.
Caleb
’
s got it just about right…don
’
t ya think?
”
he asked.
“
I
’
d like for him to stay on with us awhile.
He ain
’
t in any condition to travel.
He
’
d never make it home alive if we let him leave now.
We
’
ll probably have to tie him to somethin
’
to keep him here…but he needs to stay.
”

“
Of course he does!
Oh my!
”
Savannah
exclaimed.
“
You don
’
t really think he
’
d try to go now, do ya?
He needs his rest…and surely needs some meat on him.
He brought my baby boy home
. H
e can do anything he wants…as long as he doesn
’
t leave!
I
’
ll never, never be able to thank him enough
or to repay hi
m in any way at all
.
But least
wise, maybe I can give him his health back.
”

“
Do ya think he
’
ll live?
Do ya think he
’
ll live so he can stay with us awhile, Justin?
”
Willy asked
,
his young eyes misted and wide with concern.
“
He don
’
t hardly look like a man who has the strength to go on at all.
I swear, I seen dead men in
Florence
who looked hardier than your friend in there.
”

“
Willy!
What a thing to say!
”
Savannah
scolded again.
She shook her head once more, sighing and saying,
“
I swear, Vivi…if I didn
’
t have you…
”

Justin winked at Vivianna
,
smiled at her
,
and again she was filled with wondrous delight
.
She still had moments of uncertainty—of not quite being sure
whether
she were awake.
Was Justin truly sitting across the table from her
,
or was she lingering in a deep slumber
,
only dreaming he
’
d come home?

“
Enough of this war and dyin
’
soldier talk,
”
Savannah
said, pushing her chair back from the table and standing.
“
Let
’
s get some supper on, Viv…shall we?
”

“
Yes,
m
a
’
am,
”
Vivianna said.
She too felt the sense of despair hanging thick in the room for the trail of conversation.
She wanted to think of lovely things—of love and the future—of Justin!
Though Vivianna didn
’
t want to help with supper—though she didn
’
t want to do anything—she knew the men needed to be fed.
Still, in that moment, she was sure she could simply linger, gazing at Justin forever.
She sighed as she looked at him—blissful in knowing he had returned.

“
Me and Nate found some nice rocks since you
’
ve been gone, Justin!
”
Willy exclaimed.

“
Yeah, we did!
”
Nate added.
“
Some quartz…even a couple of pieces of marble.
We could show ya if ya like…while Mama and Viv are gettin
’
supper on.
”

Justin smiled.
“
Let
’
s do it.
”

“
Do ya need any help, Viv?
”
Caleb asked.

Vivianna
’
s smile faded a little as she looked to Caleb
,
reminding herself of Caleb
’
s proposal
,
of his likewise wounded soul.
After all, he was a weathered and
worn soldier returned from war
as well.
She must proceed carefully.
Justin and Caleb were brothers, and she would not come between them.
Though she was hopelessly, thoroughly
,
and entirely in love with Justin
,
she must ever be thoughtful of Caleb
’
s heart and feelings.

“
A jar of your mama
’
s berry preserves might be nice with supper,
”
she told him, broadening her smile.
“
Would ya mind fetchin
’
one off the top shelf for me?
”

Caleb smiled
,
seeming somewhat soothed.
“
Not at all,
”
he said as he rose from his chair and went about the task.

Vivianna glanced back to Justin.
He wore a rather puzzled expression on his face.
He still smiled, but a slight frown puckered his brow.
Oh, how she wanted to run to him—to throw herself against him and beg him to embrace her!
How she wanted to cry,
“
Fear not, my darling
.
It
’
s you I love!
You and only
you!
”

Still, she knew she must not.
She must wait until she and Justin were alone—until Caleb
’
s worried, wondering eyes were not upon them.
Only then could she explain
;
only then could she confess to him that even though it may break Caleb
’
s heart
,
it was Justin who owned hers.

“
Should I go look in on that feller ya brung home with ya, Justin?
”
Nate asked.
“
Do ya think he might be wantin
’
some supper?
”

Savannah
turned to look to Justin.

“
Why don
’
t I look in on him
?
”
Caleb offered, pushing his chair back from the table.
Vivianna held her breath as she felt something akin to a cold, icy-fingered hand gripping her throat.
She
’
d seen the expression on Justin
’
s face—on Caleb
’
s and
Savannah
’
s.
They feared Nate might wander into her bedroom, only to find that another soldier had gone to be with the angels.

“
I haven
’
t seen ol
’
Johnny in quite a piece
. W
hy don
’
t ya let me go, Nate
?
”
Caleb said.

Vivianna held her breath—watched Caleb awkwardly amble to the back of the house.

“
Nate
,
Willy…you boys get washed up for supper,
”
Savannah
said.
“
I swear I
’
ve
never seen such dirty fingernails!
”

“
Yes, Mama,
”
Willy said
,
though both he and Nate stared after Caleb
,
watching with obvious trepidation as he entered Vivianna
’
s room.

“
Boys, I said get!
”
Savannah
scolded.

“
But
,
Mama…
”
Nate whined.

“
Mama?
”
Caleb said, poking his head out of the bedroom then.

Vivianna still held her breath—glanced to Justin, who sat pale as a corpse in waiting to hear what Caleb would say.

“
He
’
s all right…says he
’
d just like to take a little supper or some broth in here…if it would be fine with you.
”

Vivianna exhaled the breath she
’
d been restraining—heard
Savannah
do the same.

“
You tell him that
’
ll be just fine,
”
Savannah
sighed.
She placed a hand over her bosom
,
no doubt to calm her madly beating heart.
“
We
’
ll bring him somethin
’
shortly.
”

Justin ran a trembling hand over the bristles of hair on his head.
“
I swear
,
there were times these past couple of weeks
when we
’
d bunk down for the night…times I coulda sworn that ol
’
boy had quit breathin
’
.
Times I was sure one or the other…or both of us would never make it home,
”
he said.

“
Well, you did make it home, darlin
’
,
”
Savannah
said.
She went to Justin
,
lovingly strok
ing
his cheek with one hand
and
kiss
ing
his forehead.
“
You
’
re home
,
and everything will be just fine now.
”

Justin smiled.
He caught his mother
’
s hand, kissing the back of it almost desperately.
“
I missed you, Mama,
”
he said
,
heavy moisture brimming in his eyes.

“
And I missed you, my darlin
’
,
”
his mother said.
She smiled
,
squeezed his hand
,
and added,
“
Now…let
’
s get some supper in you so we can put you to bed.
You need your rest.
I wanna see some meat on those bones of yours soon…and food and rest is what it
’
ll take plenty of.
”

Justin nodded
,
and
Savannah
wiped another tear from her cheek.

“
Would you pull the meat off those chicken bones, Viv, please?
”
Mrs. Turner asked.
“
Might be we oughta just make a stew out of it this evenin
’
.
”

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Vivianna said
,
smiling as Justin winked at her again.