The Touch of Sage (25 page)

“
Anyone for supper?
”
Sage asked stepping into the parlor.
She glanced at him when everyone stood up and started toward the dining room.
He
quickly
winked at her and was relieved when she bestowed a forgiving smile on him.
He wished her hair were
folded in a long, loose braid the way it had been the day the herd came in.
Still, it would
’
ve made her all the more tempting
,
and th
at was the last thing he needed—
Sage to be any more tempting than she already was.

Chapter Seven

Two weeks later Forest Simmons
’s
lady dog finally bore her litter
,
and Reb was in town to pick up the dogs he had promised to look after.
He had stopped by the boarding house,
and it being Tuesday night, Reverend Tippets,
Scarlett,
and
Winnery
were
there
too.
The residents of Willows’s Boarding House
and their guests sat in the parlor after supper
,
visiting the way they always did.

Sage couldn
’
t keep from staring at Reb.
Every time she looked at him, her stomach filled with butterflies
,
and she couldn
’
t help but
linger in the memory of
the kisses she had shared with him.
She let her
gaze loiter on his mouth as he spoke—
unable to think abou
t anything except the feel and
the taste of his kiss!
The fabulous knowledge that Reb
’
s mouth
—
the same mouth that spoke and smiled and laughed here in the
parlor with friends and family—
that same mouth had been pressed to her own in a delicious exchange.
Sage bit the inside of her cheek in
an effort to keep from smiling—
tried to swallow the excess moisture that flooded her mouth as she thought of his kissing her.

Yes, her heart ached with the kn
owledge he would never be hers—
but it soared at the same time with owning the attention she received from him.
It
was just as people always said—
it was better to have known him for a time than to neve
r have known him at all.

Reb glanced
over and caught Sage looking at him.
He winked at her before telling his aunt,
“
Oh, now don
’
t go tellin
’
that story, Auntie.
There won
’
t be a woman left in the world that
’
ll want me kissin
’
her now.
”
Sage blushed slightly under his gaze and turned her attention to Eugenia
,
who had begun to tell a story about Reb.

“
Well, Reb was maybe…oh, how old were you, boy?
”
Eugenia asked.

“
’
Bout three, I reckon,
”
Reb admitted, slouching down further in his chair.
Sage smiled, excited to hear the story.
Apparently
,
it wasn
’
t one Reb was comfortable with
,
and that fact made it all the more interesting.

“
Yep.
He was about two or three and cute as a button.
Buck and I had given him a kitten from one of our litters
,
and Reb just doted on the cat something terrible.
Anyway, he
’
d named the cat Calico
,
and eventually she had herself her own litter.
Reb was just as kind and as carin
’
as a child could be…set her up in the barn with a basket and a blanket so she could keep her kittens warm after they come,
”
Eugenia explained.
“
Well, one day, Buck and I was out visitin
’,
and all of a sudden, Bridie notices Reb ain
’
t nowhere to be found.
All of us were in a panic, of course,
’
cause Reb was forever gettin
’
into trouble in some way or the other
,
and we just knew he was up to no good somewhere.
Well, we
were
all lookin
’
high and low for the boy…and when we found him…
”
Eugenia had to pause, for she had suddenly begun to laugh and was having trouble catching her breath.

“
It ain
’
t that funny, Auntie,
”
Reb mumbled, shaking his head and chuckling.

“
We found him…we found him…
”
Eugenia said as she tried to keep from laughing and catch her breath.
Everyone else in the room began to catch her laughter
,
and Sage giggled at the sight of the older woman so knotted up with mirth.

“
Oh, for cryin
’
in the bucket, Eugenia,
”
Mary grumbled.
“
Get on with the story.
We ain
’
t got all night.
”

Eugenia inhaled a deep breath,
“
We found him out in the barn helpin
’
Calico cleanin
’
up her kittens…
”

“
Oh, how sweet,
”
Scarlett
said.
“
Reb, if that isn
’
t the cutest thing I ever heard
!”

“
Unfortunately, Mrs. Tippetts,
”
Reb began,
“
ya ain
’
t heard it all.
”

Eugenia wiped the tears from her eyes and continued,
“
Oh, he was helpin
’
that fool cat clean her kittens all right…lickin
’
them over with his own tongue!
”

“
Oh, good gravy,
”
Mary mumbled as even she broke into laughter.
“
Is that true, boy?
”
Reb nodded
,
and Sage laughed out loud at the thought of an innocent, caring little boy helping his mother cat clean up her litter.

“
I
’
m afraid so,
”
Reb admitted, though he obviously wasn
’
t as amused at the story as everyone else was.
“
I come into the barn and seen ol
’
Calico a cleanin
’
up her kittens,
”
he began,
“
and I remember thinkin to myself,
Poor ol
’
cat…tryin
’
to clean all them kittens with just her one little tongue
.
I
mean, she had eight kittens in that litter
,
and I knew how sore her tongue must be from lickin
’
’
em all…so, I picked one up and started into helpin
’
lick
’
em clean.
”
Reb chuckled at the memory.
Everyon
e was overcome with laughter, e
ven Mary and Mr.
Winnery
.

When Eugenia finally caught her breath she said,
“
Buck and I nearly dropped down and died right then and there!
”
She paused to laugh for another moment before continuing,
“There he was…our little Reb, a tiny kitten in each hand, just a-
lickin
’
the little things clean like it was nobody
’
s business!
”

Mary was still laughing too, although not quite as heartily as perhaps everyone else.
Still, she added,
“
It
’
s a wonder ya didn
’
t get sick, boy.
”

“
Oh, but I did, Miss Mary,
”
Reb said.
“
Not with any disease or the like…but them cat hairs just kept pilin
’ up in my mouth.
I swear my stomach still rolls around at the thought.
”

Livie was fanning herself with one hand, torn between humor and horror as she said,
“
Oh, Reb!
That
’
s just…that
’
s just awful!
”

Reb shook his head and said,
“
I told ya, Auntie…not a woman anywhere will have me now.
Ya
’
ve spoiled my reputation with that story.
”

“
I
’
ll still have you, Reb,
”
Rose
flirted, promptly sitting down on the young man
’
s lap.

“
Will ya, Miss
Rosie
?
”
Reb chuckled.

“
Rose Applewhite!
”
Mary scolded.
“
Now ya leave that boy be.
”

Sage laug
hed too—
although a tremor of jealousy traveled through her as she watched
Rose harmlessly
flirt with Reb.
She wished she could be so fo
rward and flirtatious with him—
plop right in his lap as
Rose
had done and smother him with kisses.

Reverend Tippetts wiped the moisture from his eyes and said,
“
Boy…that
’
s the funniest thing I done heard in a long time!
In a long time!
”

Reb smiled, bouncing
Rose
on one knee sending her into schoolgirl giggles.

“
I
’
m glad ya found it amusin
’
, Reverend,
”
Reb said.

“
Rose Applewhite!
”
Mary scolded again.
“
Ya shameless flirt!
Get down off that boy
’
s knee!
For pity
’
s sake, woman…the Reverend Tippetts is sittin
’
right here!
”

“
Oh, you
’
re just jealous, Mary,
”
Livie said, going to sit on Reb
’
s other knee.

“
Hush, Mary!
”
Rose
said.
“
We
’
re just reassurin
’
Reb that he
’
s still attractive…even if he did spend his young years playin
’
at bein
’
a mama cat.
”

“
Why
,
thank ya, Miss
Rosie
…Miss Livie,
”
Reb chuckled as
the laughter
continued.
Reb bounced the two women on his knees
,
and they giggled like silly little girls.
Sage smiled.
She loved the way Reb teased her friends.
He brought happiness and a fresh sort of joy to their lives, the way no one else ever had or ever could.

“
Anyone for more cobbler?
”
Sage asked.
It was getting near to eight
,
and she knew how
Scarlett
liked to turn in early.

“
After a story like that,
”
Livie began,
“
I don
’
t think I could eat another bite of anything!
Even peach cobbler, Sage.
”
Sage nodded and smiled.

“
And we better be gettin
’
on home too, Whipper,
”
Scarlett
said with a sigh.
“
Though I do so hate to see the evenin
’
end.
”

“
Me too, darlin
’
.
Me too,
” the r
everend agreed.
“
Now, don
’
t ya go helping Forest Simmons
’s
lady dog too awful much in cleanin
’
up her pups there, Reb,
”
the man chuckled.