Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (42 page)

It was a thoroughly endearing response!
Far more wonderful than she
’
d ever expected.
She
’
d thought certain
ly
Johnny would say his mama
’
s pies were his favorite part of Christmas
or maybe Christmas dinner.
She
’
d never expected such an entirely enchanting reply
.

“
Why, Johnny Tabor,
”
she sighed,
“
I swear you are the most surprisin
’
man.
”

“
Why?
”
he asked.
“
Just
’
cause I like Christmas?
”

Vivianna shook her head.
“
No.
And yes.
”

She glanced away from Johnny to the road ahead.
Instantly, her delight was damp
en
ed by the sight of none other than Tilly Winder.
Tilly was walking toward Vivianna and Johnny
,
a basket filled with wildflowers hooked over one arm.

“
Oh no,
”
Vivianna mumbled.

Johnny
’
s attention followed her gaze
,
and he asked,
“
Who is she?
”

“
It
’
s Tilly Winder,
”
Vivianna whispered.

Johnny looked to her and quickly asked,
“
The girl Caleb and Justin used to take turns sparkin
’
with before you come along?
”

“
What?
”
Vivianna asked
,
stopping short and looking up to him.
Instantly, Johnny
’
s expression changed. He looked just like a little boy who
’
d been caught snitching a pie off a window ledge.

“
Nothin
’
,
”
he lied.
“
I was just
—”

“
Vivianna!
Hey
there, Vivianna!
’
Tilly called.

Vivianna had been irritated enough by the impending meeting with Tilly.
But after Johnny
’
s accidental revelation, she was even more aggravated.
Still, she forced a friendly smile and said,
“
Hey
there, Tilly,
”
as the young woman came to stand before her.

“
I haven
’
t seen you in a coon
’
s age!
Where y
’
all headed, Viv?
”
Tilly asked—though her eyes had not strayed once from studying Johnny from head to toe.
“
And who
’
s this handsome man strollin
’
along with ya?
”

“
We
’
re headed into town,
”
Vivianna said.
It took every ounce of self-control Vivianna could muster simply to appear polite.
She loathed Tilly Winder!
She always had.
And she did not like the way the girl smiled at Johnny.
“
This is Johnny Tabor.
He
’
s
—”

“
Oh!
”
Tilly interrupted.
“
I heard tell of you!
You come home with Justin Turner, didn
’
t ya?
”

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Johnny said.

“
Well, I
’
m Tilly Winder,
”
Tilly said.
“
But you can call me Tilly.
”

Vivianna studied Tilly quickly.
Her copper-colored hair and green eyes looked as much like the devil
’
s as she could imagine!
Oh, certainly men were drawn to Tilly.
After all, her appearance was so very striking—her manner so flirtatious and easy.

“
I heard Caleb tellin
’
Benjamin Sidney about you,
”
Tilly flirted.
“
Why haven
’
t ya been into town yet, Mr. Tabor?
”
the girl asked.

“
I
’
m headed on in now, Miss Winder,
”
Johnny answered.
“
I
’
m seein
’
Miss Bartholomew safely on to her family home.
”

Tilly glanced to Vivianna at last.
Her eyes were bright and wide with what Vivianna could only identify as pure wanton lust.
“
Well, my, my
,
my, Vivianna,
”
Tilly said.
“
No wonder we ain
’
t seen a breath of ya in months.
I thought for sure you and Justin woulda taken your vows by now.
Mmm-mmm,
”
Tilly added, her attention returning to Johnny.
“
But I certainly see what
’
s keepin
’
ya from it.
”

“
We don
’
t have much time, Tilly,
”
Vivianna lied.
“
If you
’
ll excuse us
,
I
’
ve gotta to get over to the house.
You have a nice day, ya hear?
”

“
Oh, I plan to, Vivianna,
”
Tilly said.
“
I hope ya enjoy your visit to
Florence
, Mr. Tabor.
If ever ya need anything…you just let me know.
”

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Johnny said, taking hold of Vivianna
’
s arm and gently urging her forward.

“
Bye now, Vivianna!
”
Tilly called.

Vivianna would
’
ve still been unsettled if it hadn
’
t been for Johnny
’
s seeming desperation to put as much of the road between Tilly Winder and himself as he could.
The look on his face was truly amusing!

“
Most men just melt around Tilly Winder,
”
she said.
“
But ya don
’
t seem at all charmed by her.
”

Johnny scowled as he looked at her
,
still holding her arm
,
still urging her forward at a quickened pace.
“
Charmed?
She plum makes my skin crawl!
”
he said.

Vivianna was delighted
—s
o delighted that she pulled her arm from his grasp and took hold of his hand.
She held his hand for just a moment
,
delirious at the sense of their mutual touch.
The feel of his strong hand clasped to hers was too affecting, however
,
and she released his hand as they continued.

“
What do you know about Caleb, Justin
,
and Tilly Winder, Johnny?
”
she asked.

“
Um…I…I…
”
he stammered.
She glanced up to him, delighted to see his cheeks were red.

“
It
’
s somethin
’
they told ya when y
’
all were soldierin
’
together, isn
’
t it?
”
she teased him.
“
Ya weren
’
t supposed to tell me…were ya?
”

Johnny shook his head.
“
They were just boys when she went after
’
em,
”
he admitted.
“
Just boys…and it was before either one of
’
em was in love with ya.
”

Vivianna should
have
be
en
upset—jealous—even furious!
However, she was surprised to find that she was not.
Disgusted
,
but not jealous or angry.
She felt more aggravation in the way Tilly had ogled Johnny than she did for the fact that Caleb and Justin were part of the long list of boys and men who had practiced kissing on Tilly Winder
’
s instruction.

“
I don
’
t imagine there
’
s an unmarried man in town over the age of eighteen or under the age of thirty that hasn
’
t learned somethin
’
about kissin
’
from Tilly Winder,
”
she said.

“
I guess we
’
re nearin
’
town,
”
Johnny said.
“
Here comes somebody else.
There
’
s too much travelin
’
on this road, if ya ask me.
”

Vivianna looked up to see that someone else was indeed approaching—a man.
She smiled
,
however
,
and said,
“
Oh!
That
’
s Mr. Maggee
,
Boy and Floydie
’
s daddy.
He
’
s the nicest man in
Florence
.
”
She looked to Johnny, and for some reason, he seemed to catch her enthusiasm.
“
He
’
ll want to meet you…bein
’
that you knew his boys and all.
”

Taking Johnny
’
s hand once more, she tugged him forward as she called,
“
Mr. Maggee!
Good mornin
’
!
”

“
Why, Vivianna Bartholomew!
I haven
’
t seen you in quite some time,
”
Mr. Maggee greeted.

“
This is Johnny Tabor, Mr. Maggee,
”
Vivianna explained, dropping her hold of Johnny
’
s hand and nodding toward him.
“
He was in the Alabama
First
with Boy and Floydie.
”

Instantly, Mr. Maggee
’
s blue eyes misted
,
his mouth quivering even as he smiled.
“
My boy,
”
he greeted
,
offering a hand to Johnny.

Johnny accepted his hand
,
and Vivianna watched
,
tenderhearted as Mr. Maggee seemed to rather cling to it.

“
I
’
ve heard of you, Johnny Tabor,
”
the older man said.
Vivianna noted that Mr. Maggee
’
s hair had more silver than brown now.
It seemed he
’
d aged a decade since losing his boys.

“
From Caleb and Justin?
”
Johnny asked.

But Mr. Maggee shook his head.
“
No.
From my boys…from Floydie and Boy.
It seems ya saved their hides more
’
n once over.
”