The Touch of Sage (7 page)

“
I
’
ll watch him a might closer, sir.
I thank ya,
”
Reb said, taking Bullet
’
s rope from Mr. Simmons.
“
Thank ya again,
”
he said closing the door in the man
’
s face.

Sage smiled
,
relieved to be rid of Mr. Simmons and delighted in the way Bullet put his front paws on Reb
’
s stomach, lapping at the man
’
s arms affectionately as he scratched the dog
’
s chin and ears.

“
Did I earn myself a dog here, Miss Willows?
”
Reb asked, chuckling.
His smile was like nothing Sage ha
d ever seen—
white, bright
,
and dazzling.
Reb was obviously pleased with the dog
,
and the dog was obviously pleased with Reb.

“
If you
’
re really willin
’
to take him on, Mr. Mitchell.
He
’
s a terrible handful,
”
Sage said.
Bullet was far too restless and needed more training than Sage could provide.
He was meant to be a man
’s dog, and she would be
happy to see him as such.

“
Then I thank ya for the gift and for the breakfast, Miss Willows,
”
Reb said, turni
ng and striding to the kitchen—
new best friend in tow.

Sage watched him walk away—
noticed the way his
Levi’s
fit him so perfectly, the way his shoulders rocked back and forth as he walked.
An odd, long-absent flutter filled her bosom
,
and she frowned.
It had been a very long time since any man had caused her to have butterflies in her stomach merely by being in his presence.
She wasn
’
t comfortable w
ith the sensation. Besides,
Reb Mitchell had made it very clear he intended to stay unattached
. He had come to help his aunt
run her ranch
.
Sage could sense he had no other agenda with him.
It would be bad enough to dream of a man who would soon be the object of every woman
’s fancy,
but to dream of such a man who had no interest in
attaching himself to anyone—
well, that would be just plain ignorant.

Sage returned to the kitchen and gathered up the plates from the table.
The others w
ere already involved in a light
hearted discussion
,
and Sage felt somewhat irritated when she noticed the way Bullet sat obediently at Reb
’
s feet.
After all the gr
ief the dog had heaped upon her,
it was exasperating to see it give its loyalty over so quickly.

“
Reb says he
’
ll play rummy with us, Sage,
”
Livie announced.
“
Are you up for a game?
”

Sage looked to Livie but couldn
’
t keep her eyes from wanderin
g to Reb. He sat grinning—
winked at her unexpectedly.

The gesture unnerved Sage
,
and she said,
“
Oh, I don
’
t think so.
I need to get some things finished and start the pies for dinner.
”
Turning back to the sink
,
she added,
“
You be careful
, Mr. Mitchell. T
hey cheat.
”

As every other woman in the room erupted into defense of themselves, Sage glanced out the kitchen window.
Several dark clouds had moved in from the west
,
and she could only hope and pray for the rain to come.
Oh, how desperately she needed it now with her heart in danger of being distracted by Eugenia Smarthing
’
s attractive nephew.

Eugenia paused in bantering with her friends.
Something in Sage
’
s eye had caught her attention
,
and although she was happy to see it, her heart understood the battle beginning within the young woman
’
s heart and mind.
She was a bit anxious where Reb was concerned to
o. Oh, he was friendly enough—
as playful and kind as he had always been.
Yet something was missing from
his countenance. Was it trust—
compassion?
Eugenia couldn
’
t quite grasp the difference in her nephew, but it did worry her.
She had the best intentions for both
Sage and for Reb. But what if—
what if what was said about good intentions proved to be true?
Still, she was hopef
ul. Something had led Eugenia—
prompted her to write to Bridie and allow
Reb to come run the ranch. If the road to h
ell
was paved with good intentions—
well then, she would just trot on down it and give the devil a piece of her mind!

Chapter Two

Sage stretched her arms out at her sides and turned her face up to the blanket of gray clouds in the sky.
The rain mingled with the tears on her face.
Cool and refreshing, the ear
ly summer rain washed over her, soaking her hair,
her clo
thing,
helping to purge the heartache she had secreted in her soul so long.
It seemed months since the last rains had come, months since s
he had been able to cry freely—
to release the deep sobs of misery.
She allowed emotion to wrack her body as her sou
l ached,
surrendering to the reality of loneliness.

The clouds had gathered throughout the morning.
Sage watched them collecting as she prepared breakfast for the ladies at the
boarding house,
and she had prayed they would bring rain.
She needed it desperately—as desperately as the new crops the farmers had planted needed it.
Since Eugenia
’s nephew arrived,
since the v
ery moment he entered her life,
Sage
’s misery—
her feelings of despa
ir, hopelessness, and loneliness—
had increased tenfold.

Reb Mitchell—
s
o strong, handsome, and friendly, yet unobtainable—
had brought great unrest and distress to Sage.
Each time he entered a room or glanced at her, the hair on the back of her
neck tickled, her arms erupting
into tiny goose
bumps.
She was certain he had the same effect on every other woman in town, married or not, for she had seen Milly Michaels blush clear to her toes when he tipped his hat to her that very morning.
Oh, certainly it helped some when he took to staying at the ranch house the day after his arrival.
Yet he was in town quite often and always stopped in for a visit with his aunt and her friends before heading back.

Reb
’s manner was so relaxed—so comfortable. I
t caused Sage to loosen her guard far too
often
.
He was dangerous to a woman
’s heart—
especially a woman like Sage
,
still young enough to dream of
romance with a handsome cowboy
but too old to be blessed with it. Reb
’
s presence was scarring her heart
,
and she knew it.
Visions of him haunted her dreams, both night and day.
Part of her wished he w
ould leave—
or that he had never arrived.
Yet he brought such joy to Eugenia and the others.
His presence drew people like ants to honey, and Sage was not immune to his wiles.
Only a month after his arrival, Sage Willows
’s heart was already damaged—
and she knew only the rain could offer comfort and reprieve.

Sage cried at her parents
’
funeral, but she had never cried in front of anyone since.
With the death of her parents, necessity had dictated Sage become strong, responsible
,
and seemingly void of deep emotion.
With three
young sisters to finish raising—
to provide for
—
there had been no time for the hap
py drama and emotions of youth,
and she took to saving
up her pain, despair, and fear—secreting it within her soul—never letting it out—
never crying when anyone could see.
Still, Sage knew guarding too large a cache of withheld sorrow and emotion could destroy a person
,
and eventually she had
found a way of purging her pain—
the rain.

Rain sent most people indoors, leav
ing a world of privacy outside—
especially in Ruthie
’
s pasture.
The isolated pasture where little Ruth States rested in peace had become Sage
’s venue for tears—
her space of privacy where she could sob, releasing bitter tears of heartache.
And on this day, her tears were plentiful as well as painful.

The drops of rain became fewer and fewer as the day wore on
,
and S
age hoped she had cried enough—
released enough sorrow and frustration to last until the rains came again.
Lifting her skirt, she tugged at a layer of dry petticoats. Raising it to her face, she wiped the last bit of moisture from her cheeks.

“
Well, Ruthie,
”
she sniffled. Turning to the tiny grave she said,
“
You
’
ve got a few weeds croppin
’
up here.
”
She knelt down and pulled the little sagebrush sprouts out of
Ruthie
States
’s
soil blanket.
“
Thank goodne
ss for the rain. T
hese little devils are comin
’
up easy enough today.
”

“
Did ya know her?
”

A startled scream erupted from Sage
’
s throat. She lost her footing and sat down flat in the wet grass.
She looked up to see Reb Mitchell standing
just outside the fence—
rain dripping from the brim of his hat as he looked at her.
What a sight she must be dripping wet and red-faced from crying.

“
Um…um…no.
I didn
’
t,
”
Sage stammered struggling to her feet.
“
I just…I just tend to her…whenever I can.
”
Sage pushed back the wet strands of hair sticking to her cheeks and forehead, trying to appear unruffled as she stood.

“
Sorry I scared ya there,
”
Reb said, stepping over the fence to stand next to her.
“
Got caught in the rain, huh?
”

“
Uh huh,
”
Sage said. He removed his hat and studied the tiny gravestone.
Sage was touched by his gesture of respect and
felt
a smile spread across her face.

“
Ruth
States
,
”
he read.
“
Beloved daughter and sister.
Born September 18, 1834, died October 22, 1840
.
”
He shook his head.
“
Just a little one, huh.
”

“
Yes,
”
Sage said, as she nervously smoothed her drenched skirt.
Oh, why had she worn a white shirtwaist?
No doubt he could see clean through the light, wet cotton all the way to her corset strings!

“
How
’
d she die?
”
Reb asked.

Sage felt her fingers begin to fiddle with her collar buttons.
“
The story goes that
,
after losing her husband, Ruth
’
s mother moved out here from
Ohio
, bringing her five children with her.
” He looked at her and nodded—
a gesture she should continue.

Drawing a deep breath, Sage continued,
“
It seems her mother had a sister whose husband was homesteadin
’
out this way.
Anyway, Ruthie
’
s mother had to go back to
Ohio
…something to do with her husband
’
s business, and she left the older children to care for the little ones.
Little Ruth came down with typhoid.
The oldest boy walked miles and miles to the nearest homestead to get help.
The only person he found was a kindly older lady
,
and she came back with him.
She tried her best to help…nursed the litt
le girl as well as she could…but
Ruth was too sick
,
and she died.
”

Reb released a heavy sigh.
“
Does she have any family left
’
round here?
” he asked.

Sage shook her head. “
No.
Her mother was so devastated she loaded the rest of the children in a wagon, cursed the day she
’
d left
Ohio
,
and headed back.
”
Sage sighed.
“
I used to be angry at Ruthie
’
s mother for leavin
’
her and goin
’
back to
Ohio
.
Still, I can maybe imagine how…when the mother returned, seein
’
the little grave on this lonely hill…her little six-year
-
old girl…how it just caused her to die inside and want to run back to the things, the places
,
and people familiar to her.
Ruthie
’s in h
eaven, after all.
It
’
s just her earthly self restin
’
here.
”

Reb
’
s eyes narrowed as he looked at Sage.
“
Yet…ya tend this grave regular.
I can tell just by lookin
’
ya spend a lot of time out here with little Ruth.
”

Sage was uncomfortable under his gaze.
What a sight she must be!
Still, she answered,
“
Well, it
’
s a pretty, peaceful little spot
,
and maybe Ruthie
’
s spirit comes along once in a
while to see if anyone remembers she was here once.
My guess is none of her brothers and sisters have ever been out this way
,
and I just want to make sure…to make sure…
”

“
That she don
’
t get lonely,
”
Reb finished for her.

Sage smiled.
“
Yes,
”
she admitted, mesmerized by his insight and understanding of her feelings.

Reb looked around the gravesite.
He seemed to note every flower and plant.
Reaching down to a space near his foot, he broke a leaf off a small plant.

“
Did you plant this?
”
he asked, folding the leaf and putting it to his nose.

Sage nodded, delighted that he pinched the leaf and inhaled its fragrance in the same manner she always did.
“
To remind her of me…just in case she ever really does stop by,
”
she answered. Reb smiled and inhaled the scent of the sage leaf again.

“
Nothin
’
like a bit of sage to improve the flavor of any pan of gravy,
”
he chuckled.

Sage blushed.
“
Nothin
’
like it,
”
she agreed, smiling.
Reb tucked the sage leaf into his shirt pocket.
He glanced at the gravestone for a moment before stepping over the fence and replacing his hat.

“
Well,
”
he sighed
,
looking up at the sky for a moment.
“
I was out checkin
’
the fence, and since Aunt Eugenia mentioned that Uncle Buck once rented this acreage from yer daddy…I hope ya don
’
t mind me ridin
’
out here to look around,
”
he said.

Sage left the gravesite by way of the small gate, latching it carefully behind her.
“
Of course not,
”
she said.

“
I
’
spect that
’
s yer horse down by the creek with mine,
”
he said.

“
Mmm hmm,
”
Sage confirmed.
She smiled and began walking toward the creek. Reb stepped aside so she could precede him.

“
I was wondering…would ya consider rentin
’
yer acreage out to me when my herd gets up here?
”
he asked.