Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (54 page)

“
And yet…I need to confess something, Johnny Tabor,
”
she whispered.

“
What
’
s that?
”
he mumbled into her hair.

Vivianna looked up into his face
,
tears welling in her eyes.
“
Sometimes
—
and I know it
’
s so sinful
—
but sometimes…sometimes I
’
m glad for the war…because if it hadn
’
t happened…I would never have found you.
”
It was a terrible thing to say
;
she knew it was!
In truth, she wasn
’
t glad for the war.
Though she
k
new the outcome was necessary—th
at
freedom for every man and woman was right—she was not glad for the men who had died
,
for the families torn apart and left destitute.
Still, she could not imagine her life
without knowing Johnny—not any
more.

A slight smile curved Johnny
’
s enticing lips
. H
is eyes softened
,
and the worry seemed to fade from his face.
“
I know,
”
he whispered.
“
I think about that too.
”

He took her face in his hands
,
lightly brushing her lips with one thumb before pressing a tender kiss to them.
Instantly, Vivianna
’
s heart soared!
Her mouth flooded with excess moisture in anticipation of a more passionate exchange.

Johnny paused in deepening their kiss, however, when
Lowell
said,
“
Mr. Johnny!
Is that the way you plan to kiss her?
That ain
’
t no way to kiss a woman!
”

Johnny smiled at Vivianna and chuckled.
Releasing her, he turned to face the scolding little boy.
“
Is that so?
”
Johnny said.

Lowell
frowned.
He held a bunch of mangled violets in each hand.
Vivianna bit her lip to keep from smiling as he dropped the crushed bouquets to the grass beneath his feet.

Lowell
shook his head.
“
No
,
sir, Mr. Johnny!
You gott
a grab her tight…pull into ya…
like when you
’
re learnin
’
to shoot and hold the stock hard against your shoulder.
”
Lowell
nodded and added,
“
Now, go on
. G
rab her like you
’
re a man!
”

Johnny chuckled.
Vivianna smiled as he indeed took her in his arms, pulling her firmly against him.
“
Like this?
”
he asked
Lowell
.

Lowell
frowned and shook his head.
“
No.
Pull in
. P
ut one of your arms over her shoulder…the other around under her other arm…tight, Mr. Johnny.
”

Johnny did as instructed, smiling down at Vivianna.

“
That
’
s it,
”
Lowell
said.
“
See how she can
’
t struggle as much now?
And it give
s
ya a better angle to go at.
”

Johnny nodded and
,
smiling
,
asked,
“
Now what,
Lowell
?
What do I do next?
”

“
Well, ya kiss her,
”
Lowell
began,
“
but not like she
’
s some little girl you been chasin
’
after church.
Kiss her once on the lips
. T
hen ya sort
of
open your mouth a bit when ya kiss her again.
”

“
Lowell
!
”
Vivianna exclaimed.

“
Well, that
’
s how it
’
s done, Miss Vivianna,
”
he said.
“
Or so my daddy told me.
He always kissed Mama like that.
”

Vivianna winced
,
knowing the boy must sorely miss his parents.
She knew his pain
;
she shared it.

Johnny
’
s smile faded a little too, and she knew he was thinking of the poor boy
’
s broken heart.

“
Now, go on, Johnny,
”
Lowell
urged.
“
Ya gotta do it before she turns yeller and tries to run away.
”

“
Like this?
”
Johnny asked, kissing Vivianna sweetly on the lips twice in succession.

“
Oh, no!
”
Lowell
groaned.
“
No!
I done told ya
. T
he second time ya kiss her…ya gotta think like she
’
s a juicy ol
’
plum.
”

“
Oh!
I see,
”
Johnny said, feigning sudden understanding.
“
Like this.
”

Vivianna sighed as Johnny
’
s mouth captured hers in a moist, impassioned kiss.
As Johnny deepened their exchange, she feared the display might be a bit too lurid for a young boy
’
s eyes, and she pulled away slightly.

“
That
’
s it, Mr. Johnny!
That
’
s it!
”
Lowell
exclaimed.
“
See how she
’
s all blushin
’
and tryin
’
to escape your charms now?
That means you
’
ve kissed her right fine!
”

Johnny chuckled
and
took Vivianna
’
s mouth once more before releasing her.
“
Thanks,
Lowell
,
”
Johnny said.
“
Don
’
t know what I
’
d have done without ya here to help me out with this.
”

Vivianna
’
s smile broadened as
Lowell
proudly nodded and said,
“
You
’
re welcome, Mr. Johnny.
”
Lowell
winked at Vivianna and added,
“
You
’
re welcome too, Miss Vivianna.
Now you got you a beau who
’
s handsome and a good lover.
”

“
Why, thank you, Lowell,
”
Vivianna giggled.

Johnny inhaled a deep breath
,
exhaling a rather tired sigh.
“
Well, I suppose I oughta see to the garden,
”
he said.
“
Come Monday I won
’
t have as much time to tend to it.
”

“
Are ya happy to be on with the railroad, Johnny?
”
Lowell
asked.

Johnny nodded.
“
I am,
”
he said.
He hunkered down and tousled the boy
’
s hair as he looked at him.
“
But I
’
m a bit worried you might try some of your kissin
’
skills on my girl.
”

Lowell
smiled and hugged Johnny.
“
Oh, I wouldn
’
t do that to ya, Mr. Johnny.
And anyway, I ain
’
t tall enough.
”

Johnny laughed
,
and Vivianna giggled with delight.

“
Well, you linger awhile with Miss Vivi, all right, boy?
”
Johnny told
Lowell
.
“
Help her put them pretty flowers on her mama and daddy
’
s restin
’
places.
I
’
ll see ya back at the house in a while.
”

“
Yes, sir,
”
Lowell
said.

Johnny smiled and winked at Vivianna.
“
I
’
ll meet you later, Vivi…maybe for a little honeysuckle sippin
’
.
”

Vivianna nodded
,
delighted by his inference he would kiss her later—perhaps when their instructor was not so near to give advice.
“
Bye
-
bye,
”
Vivianna called as Johnny head
ed
down the path toward home.

“
He
’
s a good man, that Johnny Tabor,
”
Lowell
said.

Vivianna watched as the boy bent to gather his pitiful bouquet of mangled violets.
“
He certainly is,
”
she agreed.

Lowell
further mashed the violets as he shoved them all into one fist so that he could take hold of Vivianna
’
s hand with the other.
Gently he began to lead her toward her parents
’
graves.
The boy shook his head and said,
“
I
’
ll tell you what…I sure was scared when he found me that day.
I thought he was gonna shoot me or somethin
’
!
Mr. Johnny
’
s a mighty powerful man
,
and I didn
’
t know but that he would chew me up and have me for breakfast.
But then
he just kneeled down and pulled me into his arms…and I knew everything would be all right.
”

“
I thought Justin found you,
Lowell
,
”
Vivianna asked.
She remembered the last letter Justin had written to her in which he told her of finding
Lowell
.

Lowell
shook his head.
“
Mr. Justin…he was always takin
’
the sunshine for things Mr. Johnny done.
I remember when we got back to the soldier
’
s camp…Mr. Justin told everybody he
’
d found me.
”
Lowell
shook his head again.
“
Mr. Johnny
,
he never said a word.
That
’
s how I knew he cared for me.
Mr. Johnny, he was just glad I was safe.
But Mr. Justin…he just wanted everyone to think he was some sorta hero for findin
’
a poor orphan child in the woods.
”

Vivianna felt tears brimming in her eyes.
She shook her head
,
awed to know yet another wonderful characteristic of the man she loved.
She was angry too, however—angry that Justin would steal the recognition for a good deed.
In the first of it, a good deed should be done simply because it was the right thing to do, not for recognition and praise.
Johnny had never mentioned that he
’
d been the one to find
Lowell
.
He
’
d just seemed happy to see the boy safe—delighted in his company.
Vivianna wondered how many other stories Justin had written to her in his letters were lies.