The Touch of Sage (20 page)

“
Ivy,
”
he mumbled, as Bullet barked once, begging for attention.
“
Ivy,
”
Reb whispered again.
He frowned, disturbed by the fact he still could not clearly recall the young woman
’
s face.



“
What
’
s on your mind, sweet pea?
”
Eugenia asked, sitting down across the table from Sage.
Sage hadn
’
t been herself since the day Reb
’
s herd arrived over a week before.
Although Eugenia was hoping her nephew would bring about a change in her young friend, further despair was not the change she had hoped for.

Sage shrugged her shoulders and said,
“
Just…just a little too hot today, I suppose.
”

Eugenia
’
s eyes narrowed as she
studied
Sage
.

“
It is pretty warm today,
”
Eugenia agreed.
Sighing she said,
“
I saw Charlie Dugger in at Mr. Getcher
’
s today.
”

“
Really?
” Sage asked
.

“
Yep.
Seems him and Reb have the herd settled in.
They did see an old mountain lion out in the east acreage yesterday,
”
Eugenia said.

“Oh
no!
Are they worried for the herd?
”
Sage asked.

“
For the calves, mostly,
”
Eugenia said.
“
Charlie says the cat looks old…probably come down from the hills looking for easy prey.
Bud Phillips had another dog go missing a few days back.
”

“
Doesn
’
t make me feel very safe,
”
Sage mumbled.

“
You might want to be careful goin
’
out to Ruth
’
s grave
’
til someone brings that cat down,
”
Eugenia suggested.
Then taking a deep breath and mustering her courage
,
she said,
“
Boy, Reb sure got upset when that cowpoke mentioned Ivy Dalton the other day out at the ranch, didn
’
t he?
”

Sage
’
s eyes insta
ntly lit up—
her expression that of extreme curiosity.
“
Yes,
”
she said.
“I-
I had the feeling there was…well, some history there.
”

“
Ooooh, yeah,
”
Eugenia admitted, raising her eyebrows.
“
History would be the word for it.
”
Eugenia looked at Sage.
The girl was desperately interested.

“
Well?
”
Sage urged impatiently.
When Eugenia paused, Sage said,
“
Oh, come on, Miss Eugenia.
You and Livie
’
ll gossip
’
til the cows come home usually.
Are you tryin
’
to have me believe ya don
’
t want to share what you know?
”
Eugenia smiled, delighted by Sage
’
s excited interest.

“
Well,
”
Eugenia began, leaning forward across the table and lowering her voice,
“
by the time Ivy Dalton was sixteen she was the prettiest girl for three counties.
Beautiful blonde hair, porcelain skin
,
and the deepest brown for eyes anybody ever saw.
”

Sage glanced away
,
obviously disappointed in hearing of the girl
’s physical perfection.

“
Anyway,
”
Eugenia continued,
“
she was plum gone on Reb for most of her life
,
and when she hit courtin
’
age, he finally set up and took notice of her.
”
Eugenia shook her head.
“
That girl chased after Reb somethin
’
embarrassin
’
.
A finer flirt you never did see
,
and Reb eventually fell prey to her charms…courted her for near to three years before proposin
’ to her
though.
I always thought his waitin
’
so long was a bit suspicious on Reb
’
s part…a mark of uncertainty.
Do you know what I mean?
”
Sage nodded, but Eugenia could tell the story of Ivy Dalton was upsetting her.
Still, if the girl w
ere
ever going to understand Rebel Lee Mitchell and his often unpredictable behavior, she had to have all the checkers on her board.

“Anyhow, Reb was pretty smitten. H
e really loved Ivy…and so he asked her to marry him
,
and she said she would,
”
Eugenia explained.
“
But that Ivy…oh, she loved Reb…I don
’
t doubt it for a moment.
I think she loved him in a frightenin
’
manner, really.
So much she thought he loved her just as frightenin
’
…thought nothin
’
could ever change his mind about her.
”
Eugenia paused, noting the way Sage shifted uncomfortably in her chair
—
an unhappy frown puckering her brow.

“
Ivy figured if she could capture Reb Mitchell
’
s heart, well then…it stood to reason she could catch any man she put her mind to,
”
Eugenia said.
“
So she took to flirtin
’
with anything wearin
’
a pair of
blue jeans
under the age of fifty.
But Reb wouldn
’
t have it.
He ain
’t like that. H
e
’
s true, loyal
,
and strong
,
and he told Ivy he wouldn
’
t have her flirtin
’
around with every man in town the way she
’
d taken to doin
’
.
”
Eugenia batted her eyelashes and raised her voice to a sicken
ing
ly sweet tone.
“
‘
Oh, Reb!
’
”
Eugenia said imitating the girl.
“
‘
You wouldn
’
t want me to go through life wonderin
’
if I married the only man worthy of me, would you?
’
”

“
You
’
re teasin
’
me, Miss Eugenia!
” Sage exclaimed with disgust
.
Eugenia shook her head.

“
Nope.
That
’
s what she told him,
”
Eugenia said.
“
Well, Reb really loved Ivy
,
I believe…really loved her until that very moment.
But Reb
’
s pretty good about keepin
’
his wits about him
,
and he told her,
no, h
e didn
’
t want her goin
’
through life wonderin
’
if he was the only man worthy of her.
He wanted her goin
’
through life already knowin
’
it.
She lost everythin
’
that day…lost the best man in the world.
Reb told her they were through.
Took back the ring he
’
d bought for her, closed up his heart
,
and went into the cattle business.
”

“
And she just
…she just
let him go?
As easy as that?
” Sage asked.

Eugenia shook her head.
“Oh
no!
She begged him, pleaded with him, told him she was sorry, that she was just tryin
’
to make sure he loved her.
But Reb had wised up.
I don
’
t mean he isn
’t the kind to not forgive. H
e just isn
’
t stupid.
Ivy took up with a local cowpoke named Joe Stone, all the while beggin
’
Reb to take her back, tellin
’
him it was his fault she
’
d taken up with Joe…Reb
’
s fault for breakin
’
her heart.
”

“
But you…you don
’
t think she really loved Reb?
”
Sage asked.

“
Oh, I think she loved him all right…in a downright unhealthy manner.
But she was bad through and through all the same,
”
Eugenia explained.
“
And that
’
s probably what hurt Reb the most…that he
’
d fallen for that kind of a woman.
Bad thing is…I think he
’
s convinced himself that all women are like Ivy…insincere, not to be trusted…incapable of lovin
’
him and nobody but.
”

I
’
d love him and nobody but
,
Sage thought to herself.
She was grateful for Eugenia
’
s telling her about Ivy Dalton and Reb.
The story seemed to explain so much, from his confusing behavior in the barn to his reasons for not falling prey to the flirting ways of Milly Michaels.
She could understand his distrust after having his heart betrayed and broken.
Her own heart ached for him, for although she hadn
’
t shared the same kind of experience, she understood heartache
,
and she loathed Ivy Dalton.

“
Well, I
’
m glad he finally saw her for what she was,
”
Sage said.
“He had a narrow escape. I
magine bein
’
saddled with that kind of a woman for your entire life.
”

“
True,
”
Eugenia agreed.
“
But I worry it ruined him for any other woman, all the same.
”

Sage sighed and thought of the blissful moments she had spent
rendered delirious in Reb’s kiss
in the barn.
Reb Mitchell was the finest man she had ever known.
He was kind, caring, strong,
handsome, intelligent, and fun—
and although her heart ached for his pain
,
she was glad Reb hadn
’
t married Ivy Dalton.
If he had, she would
have
never known so many breathless moments in his presence.
Still, it would take a unique woman to heal his heart, and Sage regretted not being unique enough to do it herself.

“
Oh, someone will come along someday, Miss Eugenia,
”
Sage sighed, wistfully.
“
Some pretty young girl with a fresh
,
innocent heart.
”

“
Well,
”
Eugenia said, placing one of her hands
on
Sage
’
s,
“
you
’
re a pretty young girl with a
—”