The Touch of Sage (44 page)

“
And who
’
s gonna come for ya with the Reverend Tippetts at the lines?
”
Mary said. Her eyes burned with excitement above her bandita
’
s mask.

“
Now, just you settle in, Sage,
”
Rose
said, tucking a stray strand of soft white hair behind one ear.
Her eyes twinkled with mischief above her bandana.
“
We got it all planned out.
Keep a hand on her, Mr.
Winnery
,
”
Rose
added.
“
We don
’
t want her tryin
’
to throw herself from the wagon or some such nonsense.
”

“
Nonsense?
”
Sage nearly shrieked.
“
Nonsense?
This entire situation is nonsense!
I can
’
t believe you would do this to me!
”

Shaking her head,
Rose
reached down the front of her shirtwaist, producing another bandana.
Quickly she folded the bandana into a triangle, then into a length.

“
I
’
m sorry, Sage,
”
Rose
said
,
handing the folded bandana to
Winnery
.
“
But we just can
’
t have you causin
’
such a fuss.
”

Sage gasped, wriggling
like a worm on a hook attempting to avoid the inevitable as
Winnery
tied the bandana around her mouth.

“
Mind her hair!
”
Rose
said, shaking her head with annoyance.

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Winnery
said, adjusting the bandana at Sage
’
s mouth.
“
Is that comfortable enough for ya, Miss Sage?
”
he asked.

Sage
’
s eyes widened as she looked at him.
What a ridiculous question!
Of course it wasn
’
t comfortable!
The entire situation was anything but comfortable!

Sage closed her eyes
for a moment, inhaling deeply—
trying to calm herself.
She couldn
’
t believe what was happening!
She couldn
’
t believe Reverend Tippetts was involved!

“
She
’
ll get a chill,
”
Eugenia said.

Sage opened her eyes to see the three old banditas looking at her.

“Winnery
,
”
Mary instructed.
“
Get that old horse blanket…there,
”
she said pointing to a folded blanket in the bed of the wagon.
“
Put that around Sage
’
s shoulders, would ya?
”

“
You will not,
Winnery
!
”
Rose
argued.
“
You want us to deliver her smellin
’
like a sweaty ol
’
horse, Mary?
”

“
Yer right,
”
Mary agreed, nodding at her friend.
“Winnery
, just take off yer shirt and put it around her shoulders then.
”

“
Mary!
”
Rose
exclaimed.
“
Then she
’
d smell like a man.
We can
’
t give her over smellin
’
like a man.
”

“
Are ya cold, Sage?
”
Mary asked then.

Sage shook her
head. If anything she was hot—
aflame with indignation
, fear
,
and disbelief.

“
Leave her be then, I suppose,
”
Eugenia said.

Sage frowned.
It was so odd to hear their voices when she was unable to see their mouths moving.
It all felt like a dream.
And she wished so badly it was.
Then she could giggle, break into uproarious laughter, and enjoy the amusement of the scene playing before her.
She thought about how strange it w
ould all look to any passersby—
a clergyman driving a team pulling
a wagon with one man, one tied-
up saloon girl
,
and three white-haired banditas in the bed.
It would be delight
ful—
hilarious if it weren
’
t for the fact she was one of the players.

She couldn
’
t let Reb see her this way!
She couldn
’
t!
How could the widows,
Winnery
, S
carlett, even Reverend Tippetts—
how could her friends conspire to do this to her?

“
Isn
’
t it a lovely night for a ride?
”
Rose
said, sighing.
Sage frowned, amazed they could all be so calm.
The
y
each acted as if nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary was happening.

“
Yes
,
it is,
”
Eugenia added.
“
Look at the fire of those wildflowers at dusk.
”

“
It puts one to thinkin
’
on restful things, don
’
t it?
”
Mary said.

Sage was undone then.
She be
gan to struggle, thrash around—
attempt
ed
to scream.
Th
r
ough the bandana bound her mouth, muffling any sound she made, she yelled at them, demanding to be set free.

“
Settle down, Sage,
”
Rose
said.
“
You
’
ll muss up your hair.
”

“
And it does look so nice,
”
Eugenia added.
Her eyes smiled above her bandana.
“
Doesn
’
t it look nice, Mr.
Winnery
?
”

“
It looks very purty, indeed it does,
”
Mr.
Winnery
agreed.

Sage released a heavy sigh, let her head drop forward.
She was defeated.
It didn
’
t matter what sh
e did. Tied up the way she was—
with
Winnery
so st
rong and capable as her captor—
it didn
’
t matter what she did.
She would simply have to wait for a future, more opportune moment to escape.

She slumped back against the wagon wall, suddenly very tired.

“
You did hear Katie Bird is plum peached over Charlie Dugger, didn
’
t you?
”
Rose
asked Mary.

“
Oh, I like her!
”
Mary said.
“
She
’
s a nice girl.
The only one in the bunch with any gravy to her taters.
”

Sighing again—
inwardly admitti
ng she was in for a long night—
Sage looked out over the landscape. The sun was low in the west, spilling soft light over the pastures.
Sage thought of the
truth of what Eugenia had said—
for the
Indian paintbrush
dotting the landscape was beautiful!
It seemed to burn wherever the fading light of day touched it.
She
inhaled,
savor
ing the fragrance of the grass,
the piñons, and the wildflowers.
The warm breeze of evening caressed her skin and played with her hair.
The squeak of the wagon seat, the sound of the leather harness and trace chains, the rhythm of the wheels as they traveled all combined to miraculously soothe her somehow.

I
ncredible as it seemed, Sage slowly began to feel a surprising sense of excitement at the prospect of seeing Reb again.
All at once, his handsome face fresh in her mind, she could almost feel his touch on her skin.
Perhaps utter humiliation would be endurable for the chance to be in his company once more.

She closed her eyes, remembering the last wagon ride she
’
d taken out to the ranch.
She thought of the
way Reb looked at her that day—
the way he
’d kissed her—
the things he
’
d implied.
She thought also of everything that
had transpired since that day—
all the anguish, heartache, confusion
,
and grief.
She thought of the things Eugenia
had told her only that morning—
of Reb
’
s fears and of her own.
She knew it was fear
that
had kept her from going to Reb after the mountain lion attack
,
and she knew it was fear
that
had kept her from him since.
Still, she found it so very hard to believe Rebel Lee Mitchell was afraid of anythin
g
.

Reverend Tippetts drove the team fast and hard, and soon the ranch
house was in view.
Upon seeing it, Sage instantly began to tremble again.
What would he do?
How would he react to seeing a wagon full of crazy people arriving at his door?

Sage shook her head, mumbling,
“
No, no, no,
”
beneath the bandana covering her mouth.

“
Now don
’
t be nervous, Sage,
”
Eugenia said.
“
You look lovely.
”

“
Ya do look so purty, Sage,
”
Mary added.

“
Like a lovely little bird,
”
Rose
sighed.

Sage rolled her e
yes, sighing with exasperation
.
A body would
’
ve thought tying up a friend and dragging her off to certain humiliation and heartbreak was the most natural thing in the world.

As Reverend Tippetts pulled the team to a halt,
Winnery
stood up.
He took ahold of Sage
’
s elbow, helping her to her feet.

Reverend Tippets climbed down off the wagon seat
,
and the widows scurried out of the wagon like a group of startled chipmunks.

As
Winnery
took hold of Sage
’
s arm, urging her toward the side of the wagon, she struggled, wrenching her arm out of his grasp
,
and sitting down in the wagon.
She knew he wouldn
’
t be able to throw her over his shoulder and climb down from the wagon.
She
’
d sit hard, refuse to cooperate.
That way they couldn
’
t get her into the ranch
house, that way maybe Reb would never see her in such a compromised and ridiculous state.

“
Get
’
er ou
t
ta there,
Winnery
, would ya?
”
Reverend Tippetts asked.

“
Course,
”
Winnery
said.
Reaching down, he picked Sage up, cradling her in his arms.
“
There now, Miss Sage,
”
he began,
“
This
’
ll all go down a might easier if ya just accept that it
’
s so and do what ya need to.
”