The Touch of Sage (24 page)

“
Sage, don
’t be angry at me now,”
he said.

“
I
’
m not,
”
she told him.
“
I understand.
”
Reb
’
s brow puckered in a frown.

“
Ya understand what, Sage?
”
he asked.

“
Cowboys,
”
she flatly responded.

Reb
’
s frown deepened.
“
What do ya think ya understand about cowboys?
”

Sage took the butter down from the cupboard shelf and scooped a bit out with the butter knife, letting it melt on one of the cobblers.

“Oh, you know how cowboys get. T
hey go too long on the trail without flirtin
’
and sparkin
’,
and their blood just gets to boilin
’
like Saturday night stew. You said it yours
elf, that first day you arrived.
‘Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little sparkin.’
Milly Michael
s’
s daddy would tan your hide if you took to returnin
’
all the attention she slathers on you, and Katie Bird
’
s would expect you to propose marriage before he
’
d even let you get close to lookin
’
at her.
So I figure that leaves me
as
the safe girl to spark with…not havin
’
a daddy to worry about.
And everyone knows no one
’s ever even considered—”

“
I appreciate yer regardin
’
me so highly, Miss Willows.
Not to mention yerself,
”
he growled as he angrily pulled his shirt on.
Instantly
, Sage regretted her accusation—
the words she spoke in trying to protect her heart.

“I-
I didn
’
t mean…I just meant I understand and I won
’
t expect…I don
’
t hold you to…
”
she stammered.

His angry expression coupled with his index finger pointed in her face ceased any apology she was trying to offer.

“
Ya need to quit thinkin
’
ya know so much, missy,
”
he growled.
“
Especially where I
’
m concerned.
’
Cause when it comes to me…ya don
’
t know nothin
’
.
”

“
Oh, don
’
t I?
”
Sage asked.
Reb
’
s eyes narrowed.

“
I don
’
t doubt ya
’
ve heard tell of Ivy Dalton…and I don
’
t fault Aunt Eugenia for tellin
’
the tale to ya,
”
he growled.
“
I ain
’
t even gonna deny that I purty much stay clear of women
’
cause of her.
And maybe I do take to teasin
’
ya too much…but it
’
s
’
cause I like ya, Sage.
And I like to think we
’
re good friends.
”
He stepped closer to her again, lowering his voice as he added,
“
And don
’
t tell me ya didn
’
t enjoy that kissin
’
just now as much as I did.
”
Sage felt her cheeks turn vermilion and glanced away for a moment.
“
Everybody needs
a good kiss now and then, Sage. A
nd unless ya haul off and slap me right here…well, ya can bet I
’
ll do it again.
I warned ya today…out in Ruthie
’
s pasture that I had a mind to kiss ya again.
”

“
I thought you were only teasin
’
me,
”
Sage whispered.

“
Oh, I wasn
’
t teasin
’
then, sugar,
”
he mumbled as he looked down at her.
“
But…go on ahead and slap me,
”
he said.
“
Slap me now
—
hard as ya can across the face
—
and I
’
ll walk away and never touch ya again.
I promise.
”

Sage looked
down to the floor, catching sight
of the peach lying there.
Instantly her body began to shiver with pleasur
e—
residual delight at having been kissed by Reb again.

“I
couldn
’
t slap you
,
and ya know it,
”
she mumbled.
She fought the tears gathering in her eyes.
“
But…but I still know that you tease me because I
’
m safe.
”

“
Ain
’
t no woman on the earth that
’
s safe, Sage Willows,
”
he grumbled.
He shook his head, sighing heavily before chuckling,
“
’
Specially ones named after plants.
”
He smiled and took her hand in his.
“
Ya gonna forgive me…again?
”
he asked.
He smiled,
“
There
’
s just somethin
’
about ya that winds me up…puts the devil in me
,
and I can
’
t help but try to make ya blush.
”

Sage smiled at last—although
rather wistfully.
He was too wonderful not to forgive
—
too wonderful not to hope for another kiss. Even if he was just teasing her, at least he counted her hi
s friend—
and that was something to be cherished.

“
I do understand,
”
she said.
“
My daddy was that way with my mama.
”
When he raised a suspicious eyebrow, Sage babbled on,
“
I mean…I mean…not that you…not that I…I know you don
’
t…
”

“
I know what ya mean, Sage,
”
he chuckled.
“
Ya see?
That
’
s just what I
’
m sayin
’
.
I like to rattle ya.
And ya rattle easier than them other ladies in the parlor.
”
Sage
’
s heart fell to her stomach with a thud.
He was comparing her to the widows now.
Had she become his sparking target simply because she was younger than the rest of the residents of the
boarding house
?

“
I better get back in there,
”
he said.
“
’
Fore my Aunt Eugenia decides I
’
m in here ruinin
’
yer good name.
”
Taking her hands in his he raised them to his lips, kissing the back of each one tenderly.

Once he
was
gone, Sage released a heavy breath and blinked back her tears.
Pulling one kitchen curtain aside, she glanced out the window into the night sky.
She was disapp
ointed to see the stars in the h
eavens, wishing instead for clouds and rain.
Oh, how he had toyed with her emotions!
Without even realizing it, he had taken her to the very zenith of joy one moment only to drop her into the depths of misery the next.

Sage
’
s mind told her she should be flattered, glad and content with the fact Reb
liked her enough to tease her—
kiss her and be honest with her.
But her h
eart longed for him to be hers—
to want her and love her the way she did him.
Oh, how she did love him!
H
ow she wanted to belong to him—
be the cau
se of his happiness—
feel safe in his arms every moment.
But, as with everything in her life, it seemed she would have to settle for less than a dream, less than even the love many people found together.

Sage had reconciled herself to her life as the lo
nely proprietress of a boarding house
before
,
and she could do it again.
At least this time she would have the memory of Reb
’
s kisses to keep her company in the lonesome years to come.
She would hold to those blessed moments in his arms
,
be glad for them,
and
try not to pine away after what she couldn
’
t have from him.
Truth be told, as miserable as she was knowing Reb would never belong to her, she was happier for having the small part of him she did.

Reb sat in the parlor listening to the friendly banter of the card players.
Yet his mind couldn
’
t let go of his behavior in the kitchen.
What was the matter with him?
Hadn
’
t he just that morning asked Sage to forgive him for what happened in the barn?
Hadn
’
t he had to explain to her why it happened?
In truth, he hadn
’
t really explained to her why he had kissed her in the barn.
Oh, he had come up with some ridiculous excuse
—
being happy
over his herd finally arriving—
and in her innocence
,
Sage seemed to accept hi
s sad rationalization. But now—
this incident in the kitchen!
What had he been thinking?
The fact was he had not been thinking.
He had walked into the kitchen to offer his help and hadn
’
t been able to resist teasing her.

He adored the way her face turned cherry-red when he
teased and flirted with her. He s
a
vored the taste of her kiss—
the way her body fit so perfectly against his own.
Again
,
he had offered some p
itiful reason for his behavior—
tried to wiggle his way out of telling her the truth.
The truth was she was getting under his sk
in—and not the way a tick buries
its head in either.
She was entirely upsetting his plans to stay clear of a woman with the ability to claim his heart.
Sage Wil
lows was really getting to him—
making him forget the way Ivy h
ad crushed his ability to trust—
to love.

“
Ya all right, Reb?
”
Charlie asked.
Reb nodded and pulled his thoughts back to the moment.

“
Yep,
”
he said.
“
Just thinkin
’
on that mountain lion and the herd,
”
he lied.

“
Well, don
’
t worry about it,
”
Charlie
said
, yawning.
“
Soon as we
’
re through with supper
,
I
’
m headin
’
back to the ranch and get me a short rest.
Y
ou been up the past two nights.
I
’
ll keep an eye out tonight.
”

Reb just nodded, his thoughts still with Sage.