The Touch of Sage (50 page)

“
Oh, don
’
t say such things, Miss Dahlia,
”
Sage began
.
“
I
’
m sure you have a good long time yet before…
”

“
I want you to keep her portrait, Sage,
”
Dahlia interrupted.
“I want you to have it.
Ruth wants you to have it…so that you
’
ll always have her face in mind to go along with her spirit you already know.
”

Sage brushed the tears from her face as she looked again at the painting of the lovely little girl who had once laughed
and
lived and was still loved.
She closed her
eyes, imagining the little dark-
haired darling running and playing in the green pasture grasses and beautiful wildflowers.

“She
was my strength so many, many times,
”
Sage whispered.

“
Mine too, sweetheart,
”
Dahlia said, tears traveling over her cheeks.
“
Mine too.
”

Sage threw one arm around Dahlia
’
s shoulders, hugging her tightly, holding the painting safely in the other arm.
Dahlia returne
d her embrace. Dahlia States—R
uthie
’
s mother!
It was a miracle.

“
And I hear you have an e
mpty room here at your boarding house
,
”
Dahlia said, once their embrace had ended.
“
A lovely little room perfectly suited for a woman in the winter of
her life, awaiting the call of h
eaven.
”

Sage smiled, nodded
,
and wiped more tears from her cheeks.
“I do, Mrs. States. And
nothin
’
would make me happier than to have you stayin
’
here with us.
”

“
I
’
ll write to my son…have him send some more of my things out,
”
Dahlia said.

“And do you, perchance,
play rummy, Dahlia?
”
Livie asked, dabbing at her tears with a pretty lace hanky.

Sage shook her head, smiling.
She heard Reb chuckle and looked up to him, breathless at the sight of him so near to her.

“
I do, indeed, Miss Livie,
”
Dahlia said.
“
I do indeed!
”

“
Then whats say we get a lively game goin
’
?
”
Rose
said.
Rose
walked to Dahlia, placing a friendly hand on her arm.

“
Fair warnin
’
there, Dahlia,
”
Mary said.
“
Livie here cheats, and she don
’
t shuffle right at all, not at all.
”

“
I shuffle fine, Mary,
”
Livie said, sticking her tongue out at Mary.
“
Just sit next to me, Dahlia,
”
she said, taking Dahlia
’
s other arm.
“
I
’
m the only one who doesn
’
t try to sneak peeks at other people
’
s cards.
”

“
Now that
’
s just a plain lie, Livie, and you know it!
”
Mary exclaimed.

“
Girls,
”
Eugenia began,
“
Dahlia is gonna think we
’
re a bunch of cacklin
’
old hens if you don
’
t stop your bickerin
’
.
”

Sage brushed the tears from her cheeks, carefully setting the portrait of little
Ruth
States
on the
mantel
over the parlor fireplace.
Once more, she gazed into the bright happiness of Ruthie
’s eyes—
unable to entirely grasp the reality of all that had happened.

Sage sighed, blissful as Reb stepped up behind her, wrapping his powerful arms around her waist and pulling her back against him.
As he pressed a tender kiss to her neck, Sage closed her eyes, breathless at his touch.
Letting her arms cover his, she leaned back against him as he placed another kiss on her shoulder.

“
She was a purty little thing,
”
he said as he too gazed at the portrait a moment.

“
Yes, she was,
”
Sage said.
“
I expect she
’
d look a lot like her mother now.
”

“
Sage?
Reb?
”
Eugenia asked.
Reb turned them around
,
and Sage smiled at the four guilty expressions
that
met them.
The widows looked like four children caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
“
We
’
re…we
’
re thinkin
’
that, by the looks of things…
”
Eugenia stammered.

“
We
’
re thinkin
’
now the two of you got past all that stuff and nonsense goin
’
on between ya,
”
Mary finished.

“And
that, since you obviously did get past it all…that perhaps neither one of you is holdin
’
any kind of a grudge against us for interferin
’
,
”
Rose
added.

“
I missed out on all the fun, Sage,
”
Livie added.
“
So you can
’
t possibly be too angry with me.
Now can you?
”

Sage smiled at her friends.
Her heart was so filled with love and joy she thought it might burst!
She gazed for a moment at each on
e of them. She looked to Mary—
her leathery old face so filled with emotion.
She looked to
Rose—
her cheeks as over-pinked as ever.
Livie still wore the expression of having just a smidgen less brains than any of the others, and E
ugenia—
well, Eugenia wore the most sentimental expression of all
—an expression of satisfaction—
of love and happiness.

“
Well, I ain
’
t mad in the least,
”
Reb said, releasing Sage and going to hug his aunt.
“
Can
’
t think of one thing I
’
d rather come home from a long day and find than Sage dressed like a brazen hussy and tied up to my bed.
”

“
Oh, Reb!
”
Eugenia scolded, slapping him on the shoulder as he kissed her cheek.

“
You were right,
”
he told her.
“
You were right all along.
”
Sage smiled as Eugenia brushed a joyous tear from her cheek.
“
My only regret is I didn
’
t get to see you girls dressed up like bandits,
”
he said
,
kissing Livie on the cheek.
“
What a sight that musta been.
”
Reb kissed Mary on the cheek too.
However, as he reached
Rose
, he took her face between his strong hands and kissed her soundly on the lips.

“
Payin
’
up your debts, Reb?
”
Rose
asked as he released her.

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Reb said.
“
Though I still owe ya some waltzin
’
.
”

“
You don
’
t owe me a thing, sweet boy,
”
Rose
said, reaching up and caressing his cheek with the back of her hand and then her palm.

Sage giggled, going to Mary and embracing her.
She smelled like bacon and old fabric
,
and Sage promised herself she
’
d remember the aroma of Mary Anne Farthen forever.

“
Thank you, Miss Mary,
”
Sage whispered.
“
Thank you for loving me.
”

“
Oh, go on now, Sage,
”
Mary said, brushing a tear from her leathery cheek.
“
Ya
’
ll get me all hog-sloppy.
”

Throwing her arms around
Rose
then, Sage said,
“
Thank you, Miss
Rosie
.
I could never have survived everythin
’
without you.
What would I have ever done if you hadn
’
t been here when my parents…
”

“
It
’
s me who couldn
’
t have survived, Sage,
”
Rose
said, tears trickling down her over-pinked cheeks.

“
Miss Livie,
”
Sage said, embracing Livie then.
“
Thank you.
Thank you for touchin
’ my life…
for makin
’
it better because you were in it.
”

“
I
’
m a mess, Sage,
”
Livie said
,
fanning her face with one hand, tears spilling from her eyes
. “
You know how I hate to be a mess.
”

Sage looked to Eugenia then.
She was distracted for a moment, giggling as she heard
Rose
ask Reb,
“
Think you could part with one more of those kisses of yours, Reb?
Maybe a little more lingerin
’
this time?
”

Sage smiled, amused as Reb relented, letting
Rose
take his face in her hands and kiss him squarely on the mouth once more.

“
I really do love you like my own, Sage,
”
Eugenia said.
Sage looked at the woman, smiling.

“
I know,
”
Sage said.
“
And you
’
ve been the mother I
’
ve needed.
”

Eugenia burst into tears, wrapping her arms around Sage and kissing her soundly on one cheek.

“
Thank you, Sage,
”
Eugenia whispered.
“
Thank you for loving my little Rebel.
”

Tears fell from Sage
’s eyes—
her heart
bursting
of love and gratitude to the women who had gifted her so much loyalty, love
,
and affection.

“
Thank you, Miss Eugenia,
”
Sage whispered.
“
Thank you for bringing him here to love me.
”

“
Have you forgiven them for their plotting, Sage?
”
Dahlia asked, coming to stand near her.

“
I love them for their plottin
’
,
”
Sage told her.
She reached out, embracing Dahlia then.
“
Thank you for comin
’
here, Miss Dahlia.
Thank you for bringin
’
Ruthie to me.
”