The Touch of Sage (27 page)

“
Done,
”
Reb chuckled.
No doubt he was relieved by Livie
’
s stipulations after having heard
Rose’
s.

“
I want me a day of ridin
’
out with yer herd, Reb,
”
Mary said.
“
I don
’
t want no one worryin
’
about me fallin
’
off a horse and gettin
’ hurt. J
ust want me a day of ridin
’
out at the ranch.
Ya have to promise not to nag me about bein
’
careful.
If I fall off and break my neck…too bad.
Just haul me off to the cemetery and cover me with dirt.
But I
’
m sick to death of not ridin
’
just
’
cause everyone thinks I
’
m too old.
”

A sliver of painful compassion pricked Sage
’
s heart.
In her one request, Mary had revealed so much hidden desire and pain.
It was very touching.

“
Ya have my word, Miss Mary,
”
Reb agreed
. Sage could see by the warmth suddenly enveloping
his expression
that compassion had washed over him as well.

“
And yer stakes, boy?
”
Mary asked.
Reb seemed to cons
ider the situation for a moment
before a sly smile spread across his face.

“
If I win, Miss Mary…ya have to sit on the porch swing with me for a whole hour, at high noon, a
-
holdin
’
my hand no matter who walks by,
”
he said, finally.

“
What in tarnation?
”
Mary exclaimed.
Sage smiled for she could see how completely Reb understood Mary.
Mary was in the game for the thrill of winning and nothing more, but Reb had just made it more interesting.

“
Take it or leave it, Miss Mary,
”
he said.
“
You win and ya get yer day of herdin
’
cattle.
I win and I get…
”

“
My reputation in the mud,
”
Mary mumbled.
Reb shrugged his shoulders.

“
I understand if yer afraid to
—”
he began.

“
I ain
’
t afraid of nothin
’
,
”
Mary interrupted.
“
And that includes men and dyin
’
.
Done, Reb Mitchell. Done.
”

“
I
’
m ready, Reb,
”
Eugenia said, then.

“
What do ya want, Auntie?
”
Reb chuckled.

“
No, no.
You go first,
”
Eugenia instructed.

“
All righty then,
”
Reb said.
“
Let
’
s see.
”
He looked at his aunt and seemed pensive.
“
I win and I get myself supper every night for a week…meanin
’
you come out to the ranch and stay a week with me.
”
Sage smiled at his tender
hearted, understanding offer
.
She knew how badly Eugenia missed the ranch, how she had tried not to smother Reb by visiting too often.
Eugenia
’
s eyes filled with tears
,
and she smiled.

“
Done, my darlin
’
.
Done,
”
sh
e told him. Reb smiled—reached out and squeezed
his aunt
’
s hand with his own.

“
And?
”
he asked, waiting for her stakes to be set.

“
I win,
”
Eugenia began,
“
and you promise to stay on and run the ranch as long as I want ya to.
”
Sage looked to Reb.
Would he agree?
Oh, certainly he
’
d brought his herd up from
Santa Fe
, but that didn
’
t
en
sure his staying.

“
Done,
” he said
quietly.
Sage
’
s heart swelled as she watched the nephew smile adoringly at his beloved aunt.

It was all so sweet—
somewhat surreal and inappropriate, but sweet all the same.
Sage could not believe how willing Reb was to please the little gr
a
y-haired ladies.

“
Sage?
”
he said,
unexpectedly turning to her
then.

“
What?
”
she gasped.
In all the excitement she had completely forgotten that her turn to place stakes would arrive at some point too.

“
Do ya want me to whitewash the boardin
’
house?
”
Reb asked.
“
Or do ya have a better idea?
”

“
Oh, Reb,
”
she said.
“
I couldn
’
t ask you to do that.
It
’
s a terrible big job.
”

Reb shrugged.
“
It
’s a big chance yer takin’
,
”
he said.
“
Ya haven
’
t heard my stakes yet.
”
Sage began to tremble nervously again.

“
What are your stakes?
”
she asked.

“
Nope,
”
he said.
“
You go first.
”

“
I don
’
t know about this,
”
Sage said, her hands wringing in her lap.

“
Oh, come on, Sage!
”
Mary grumbled.
“
It
’
s all in fun.
”

“
Yes, Sage.
Don
’
t lose your
gumption
, now,
”
Livie added.

Sage looked to Reb,
his delicious smile
warm and daring
.
She thought of t
he other stakes he had set down—
a rubbing for his sore back, mending, staying on at the ranch.
Even his stakes for Mary weren
’
t too shocking.

“
Very well,
”
she said at last.
“
I win and you whitewash the boardin
’
house.
”

“
Shake my hand on it?
”
he asked, offering his hand to her.
Sage put her hand in his tentatively, thrilled as he clasped it tightly.
“
Done,
”
he said.

“
And your own terms, Reb?
”
Rose
inquired.

“
Oh, nothin
’
too terrible,
”
he said, picking up the deck of cards on the table and shuffling them.
“
Just an evenin
’
of havin
’
my way with her.
”

“
What?
”
Sage exclaimed, jumping up from her chair, her heart pounding madly.

“
Ya already shook on it, Sage, so sit down and wait yer turn to play,
”
Reb chuckled.

“
I did not agree to…
”
Sage began.

“
Oh, simmer down, girl,
”
Mary said.
“
He ain
’
t serious.
”

“
Oh, but I am serious, Miss Mary,
”
Reb said.

“
Reb Mitchell,
”
Eugenia scolded, giggling at the same time.

“
Oh, I don
’
t mean nothin
’
so scandalous as you ladies are thinkin
’
up,
”
he sighed.
“
Just some friendly conversation, a little hand-holdin
’
, a might good bit of sparkin
’
…and whatever else comes to mind.
”

“
Reb,
” Sage stammered, “you
can
’
t possibly be serious.
”
As madly as her heart beat with excitement, her body likewise trembled with anxiety.
She wanted him to be sincere, but at the same time, she hoped he was just teasing.

“
Quit sittin
’
the fence, Sage,
”
Mary said.
“
She
’
s in, Reb.
Who ya playin
’
first?
”

“
Might as well be you, Miss Mary,
”
Reb said.
“
And since I know how strongly ya feel about dealin
’,
I
’
ll let you deal the first hand.
”

“
Reb, I
—”
Sage began.

“
Quiet there, Sage,
”
he said, holding a hand up to her to indicate she should be silent.
“
I gotta pay attention here.
”



Two hours later
,
Mary Farthen had won herself a day out herding Reb
’
s herd, Livie Jonesburg had managed to become responsible for Reb
’
s mending
,
and his aunt had won the right to have Reb stay on at the ranch as long as she wished.
Sage had nearly wrung her hands raw with each game of rummy lost or won.
Only
Rose
stood between Sage and her turn to recklessly gamble with Reb.

Reb had won the first hand of rummy with
Rose; Rose
had won the second
. N
ow the pile of cards in the center of the table was getting smaller as the discard pile grew.

All at once,
Rose
laid down her hand of cards, leapt up from her chair and hollered,
“
Rummy!
”
Dancing around the room she sang,
“
Rummy, rummy, rummy!
”
swishing her skirts this way and that.

“
For the love of Pete, Rose,
”
Mary grumbled.
“
Remember to keep them bloomers to yerself.
No sense in damagin
’
poor Reb any fu
r
ther this evenin
’
.
”

Sage sat with her mouth gaping open, entirely stunned at
Rose’
s victory.
Waltzing and a kiss, that had been the stakes she had laid down
,
and now she had won the hand!
Reb chuckled and shook his head.

“
Well, Miss
Rosie
,
”
he said.
“
Ya got a date in mind for our night of waltzin
’
?
”
At l
east he had proven trustworthy—
willing to pay what he had gambled away.