The Touch of Sage

by McClure, Marcia Lynn

  “Good gravy!” Livie exclaimed, joining the others on the porch. She fanned the dust away from her face and coughed. “Sure are a lot of them.”

  “That there’s a nice herd,” Mary said.

  “It sure is,” Eugenia agreed, her face beaming. “I’m gettin’ dressed and ridin’ out to the ranch!” She turned and scurried back into the house.

  Sage watched the cattle moving slowly past the boarding house. A certain amount of pride welled up in her, knowing this was Reb Mitchell’s herd and the town was no doubt impressed with it. One of the cowboys, a faded bandana covering his nose and mouth, rode up to the boarding house and reined in his horse in front of Sage and the others.

  Tipping his hat he pulled the bandana down around his neck and said, “Howdy, ladies. I’m lookin’ fer Reb Mitchell and the Smarthin’ ranch.”

  “Head straight the direction yer goin’ for about five miles, and ya’ll run right into it, cowboy,” Mary answered.

  “Thank ya, ma’am,” the handsome young man said.

  “You Charlie Dugger?” Mary asked him.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the cowboy answered. He smiled, pulled the bandana up around his face again, and said, “Just hit town and already I’m a legend.” The cowboy gave a sharp whistle and rode on. The herd continued to rumble through town, and Sage’s heart hammered with the excitement of it.

  “Them boys will be hungry by the time they get that herd to the ranch,” Mary said.

  “Then we better get out there and get some breakfast goin’,” Livie suggested. “Leave it to Rosie to sleep through somethin’ like this,” she added, turning and going into the house.

  Sage smiled at Mary. “I guess I can hold breakfast for you ’til y’all get back.”

  Mary rolled her eyes with irritation, shaking her head. “Sage Willows, yer as dumb as a door handle.”

  “What?” Sage asked, perplexed at why Mary would say such a thing.

  “Yer goin’ with us, silly girl.” With that Mary turned and went into the house as well, leaving Sage excited at the prospect of seeing Reb again.

  

  “I can’t find one hairpin in by bedroom!” Sage exclaimed, hurrying down the stairs to join the others.

  “Well, we ain’t got all day, girl,” Mary grumbled. “Just braid it or somethin’. We gotta get out to Eugenia’s place.”

  Eugenia smiled and hushed Rose when she giggled. When she had awakened the night before to hear Reb and Sage talking in the parlor and caught Rose and Livie eavesdropping from upstairs, the three had agreed to hide all of Sage’s hairpins. It was high time the girl relaxed a bit.

  “But I have to put my hair up and—” Sage began to argue.

  “Oh, for crying in the bucket,” Livie sighed. Going to Sage, she gathered her long hair in her hands and quickly wove it into a long, loose braid. “There now. You look fine…soft and approachable.”

  Sage frowned. “How do I usually look?” she asked.

  Eugenia smiled and taking Sage’s hand said, “Let’s get goin’. That herd’ll be there any minute.”

  “Let me drive, Eugenia,” Mary said. “I can beat that herd to the ranch if ya let me drive the buggy.”

  “Oh, Eugenia, don’t!” Livie exclaimed. “Mary’s driving scares the daylights out of me!”

  “Livie, you worry too much,” Rose said, taking her friend’s hand and pulling her out the back door.

  Eugenia looked to Sage, who paused. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” she asked.

  “I can’t possibly go,” Sage said.

  “Well, why ever not?” Eugenia asked, feigning ignorance. She knew how self-conscious Sage felt when her hair wasn’t pulled back into a tight knot. She also knew how beautiful Sage’s hair was, how it softened her appearance to have it down or folded into a soft braid.

  “I-I…” Sage stammered.

  “For pity’s sake, Sage. We’ll miss all the excitement,” she said, taking Sage’s hand and leading her out the door.

  

  “Slow down, Mary!” Livie hollered. “We want to get there alive,” she said, one hand holding her weathered straw hat on her head, the other hanging onto the buggy for dear life.

  “Whoopee!” Rose shouted as Mary snapped the lines at Drifter’s back, increasing his pace.

  Sage giggled as she saw the rare expression of freedom and joy radiant on Mary’s wrinkled face. Mary hid her emotions well most of the time, but this was one of the infrequent moments when she could not mask her delight.

  Eugenia coughed as the dust kicked up by the herd filled her lungs. The dust irritated Sage’s eyes too, and she wiped at the moisture in them.

  “Hurry up and pass them, Mary, before I choke to death,” Livie whined.

  As the buggy carrying the five women moved up alongside the herd, Charlie Dugger rode over to greet them.

  “Hey there, ladies!” he shouted. “Ya racin’ us to the ranch?”

  “We’re beatin’ ya to the ranch, boy!” Mary shouted in return, snapping the lines again.

  “Wooo whooo!” Rose hollered. “Fresh air and cowboys! Nothin’ like it in the world!” Sage laughed, entirely amused by Rose’s antics.

  She sighed, delighted in the knowledge she would see Reb again. The night before had been the stuff of dreams, and although she knew he would never see her as anything more than a friend, she also knew he cared about her. Hadn’t he worried for hours over hurting her feelings? Hadn’t he waited for her, apologized to her? Her heart swelled at the memory of his tender kiss on her fingers.

  “We’ve got ’em now, gals!” Mary exclaimed as Drifter pulled ahead of the herd.

  “Good!” Livie sighed with relief. “Now can we slow down, Mary?”

  “Show some gumption, Livie,” Mary chuckled. “We gotta get breakfast on ’fore they get there, ya ninny.”

  

  Reb sat on the front porch of the ranch house watching the sun rise higher in the sky. Yellow and pink had given way to bright blue as morning arrived, and Reb had enjoyed watching the change. Bullet sat next to him, begging for another strip of jerky by tipping his head from one side to the other as he looked at his owner.

  “Yer nothin’ but a beggar,” Reb chuckled, placing a piece of jerky on the dog’s nose. “Stay…stay…” he said. Bullet remained still (except for his tail) waiting for his master’s permission to chomp down his treat. “There ya go, boy,” Reb said. Bullet tossed the piece of dried meat in the air, catching it in his mouth and chewing it only thrice before swallowing.

  Reb chuckled. “Yer a spoiled beggar…that’s what ya are,” he told the dog. Sighing he looked back toward the sky. He had hardly slept a wink since returning from the boarding house late the night before—his mind awhirl with confusing thoughts and emotions.

  He had been disgusted with himself for slighting Sage the way he had done in town. Of course, he had finally confessed his behavior to his Aunt Eugenia, but even that hadn’t made him feel any better. So, he had waited. He had waited for hours and hours—waited through suppertime—through sunset—until Sage had finally come home. Then he had waited even longer. Waited until she was half undressed before he had finally revealed his presence and begun to apologize to her. And he had made his peace with her…hadn’t he?

  Reb shook his head, uncertain what to make of the moments spent with Sage in the parlor. Truth be told, he had almost taken her in his arms and had his fill of kissing her! That dangerous little rain-crier was proving to be more of a distraction than he had thought, and it concerned him.

  He thought of Ivy. Reb always thought of Ivy when he found himself in danger of thinking too much, feeling too much. Usually, thinking of Ivy Dalton put such a bad taste in his mouth that he steered clear of anything in a petticoat under the age of fifty. But he was fast learning Ivy’s memory wasn’t keeping him away from Sage as well as it should—and this concerned him.

  Running his fingers through his hair, he looked at Bullet. “Yer a fine one to be smilin’ up at me,” he said
. “If ya woulda had an Ivy Dalton of yer own…I wouldn’t be havin’ to mess with a litter of pups.” Bullet began waging his tail and panting—happy to have Reb’s attention. Reb chuckled and scratched the dog’s ears.

  Suddenly, Bullet quit panting. His tail stopped wagging, and his ears perked up as best the floppy things could. Reb frowned and followed the dog’s line of vision—chuckling when he saw a black buggy come racing up over the hill—the petticoats of its five female occupants flying every which direction.

  Amused by the delighted expression of Mary’s face and the rather terrified expression on Livie’s, Reb stood up, careless of the fact he wore only his blue jeans.

  “Well, good mornin’ to ya, ladies!” he called as Mary abruptly halted the buggy, sending its passengers lurching forward.

  “For cryin’ out loud, Reb! Help me out of this confounded contraption!” Livie begged, panting as if she had run all the way to the ranch on her own two legs. Reb chuckled and walked to the buggy, offering Livie his hand.

  “Not too fond of Miss Mary’s drivin’, are ya, Miss Livie?” he said, helping her down from the buggy.

  “She’s tryin’ to kill us all,” Livie grumbled, putting her hand to her bosom dramatically. “Down, you fool dog!” Livie ordered as Bullet jumped up, putting his paws in the middle of her back. Reb laughed and offered his hand to his aunt.

  “Mornin’, Reb,” Eugenia said, taking his hand and stepping down out of the buggy. Eugenia reached down, patting the excited dog’s head affectionately. “We saw your herd comin’ through town and thought we’d come out and watch the fun.”

  “I thought I saw dust out yonder,” Reb said.

  “They’re still ’bout two miles back,” Mary said, stepping down from the buggy all by herself.

  Reb smiled, and Rose gestured he should help her down, but instead of taking the hand he offered, she put her hands on his shoulders and waited for his to encircle her waist. Reb chuckled, easily lifting the flirtatious old gal down out of the buggy.

  “Thank you, Reb,” she said with a wink.

  “Yer a shameless hussy, Rose Applewhite,” Mary grumbled. Reb chuckled and offered his hand to the only other occupant in the buggy—Sage.

  He noted how soft she looked in the morning light—how bright her eyes were and how pretty her hair was braided and windblown instead of pulled into a tight knot. Sage accepted Reb’s hand, smiling at him as she stepped down from the buggy.

  “Mornin’, Sage,” Reb said.

  “Good mornin’,” she replied. “Mary insisted we come out and have breakfast ready for your friends when they arrive.” She glanced away from him, and he noted the pink, which rose to her cheeks suddenly. “Hey there, Bullet,” Sage said as the dog sat panting at her feet. Reaching out she scratched behind his ears.

  “That’s mighty nice of you, ladies,” he said, turning to find four sets of feminine eyes looking him up and down.

  “You’ve been working out in the sun without your shirt, I daresay, Reb,” Livie said to him. It was only then he realized he didn’t have a shirt on. They probably thought he was a perfect heathen—standing there before them in nothing but his blue jeans. He smiled, suddenly realizing the cause of Sage’s blush.

  “Yes, ma’am, Miss Livie,” Reb chuckled. “Fergive me, though. I wasn’t expectin’ company.”

  “Nothin’ to forgive, Reb,” Rose said with a wink. “Nothin’ at all.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, Rose,” Mary grumbled. “He ain’t a new puppy a-wantin’ his belly scratched. Reb…help us get this bacon and such in the house. We’ll get breakfast a-goin’ while ya ride on out to meet up with yer herd.”

  “Sounds like a fine idea, Miss Mary,” Reb said. Turning to Sage, he asked, “Did ya finally dry out last night?” He liked the way her blush deepened as he looked at her.

  “Yes, thank you,” she answered. His goatee tickled, and he rubbed at it with one hand. It seemed to him his facial hair always tickled him when Sage Willows was about.

  “You’ve got that fence up fine, Reb,” Eugenia said. “You been workin’ hard. I can tell.”

  Winking at Sage he turned to his aunt. “Yep. It’s been a heap a work. But I think all the weak fence is mended now. Still need to put somethin’ up around that little gravestone out in Sage’s pastures ’fore I open that gate, though,” he told her.

  “Quit flappin’ yer gums, Eugenia,” Mary ordered. “There’s vittles to cook up.”

  Reb chuckled as his aunt rolled her eyes in irritation. “She’s about as much fun as a toothache,” Eugenia mumbled.

  “I heard that, Eugenia Smarthin’,” Mary growled, stomping up the porch and into the house.

  “And she drives the buggy like a lunatic woman!” Livie whispered to Reb as she followed Mary into the house.

  “I heard that too, Livie Jonesburg,” Mary called over her shoulder.

  Eugenia raised herself on her toes and kissed Reb’s cheek, patting it afterward. “You have fun with your herd, honey,” she told him as she too went into the house.

  Rose winked at Reb on her way in, leaving Sage as the only one still outside. Reb looked at her to find her shading her eyes from the sun and looking in the direction of the far-off, but very large, cloud of dust.

  “They’re gettin’ close,” he said. “Ya can hear ’em bawlin’ if ya listen.” Sage smiled at him and nodded, and before Reb had a chance to consider what he was saying, he said, “Ya can ride out with me if ya like.”

  What in tarnation am I doin’? he thought to himself. But it was too late.

  “Really?” Sage asked him, her eyes lighting up like emeralds on fire.

  “Sure,” Reb said, still surprised at the offer he had made. “Ya can ride Ned. He’s used to cowboyin’. I’ll take the new geldin’ I got last week. Come on. Ya can help saddle ’em up. Here, Bullet.”

  Had he lost his ever-loving mind? As Reb headed for the barn, Sage and Bullet close at his heels, he smoothed his mustache nervously, trying to envision Ivy Dalton’s lovely face. He couldn’t, however, and it worried him. Ivy’s memory was the only thing that could save him from making a fool of himself over a woman again. Now he had already stepped in it up to his knees by allowing his defenses to be broken by Miss Sage Willows. He would take her out to the cattle for now and deal with what to do about the mess he was sinking into later.

  Dang! She looked so pretty with her hair mussed up from the wind.

  Sage followed Reb to the barn, patting Bullet’s happy head here and there, her heart hammering wildly in her bosom. He had invited her to ride out to meet the herd with him! She couldn’t believe he had done it! After all, he could’ve asked Mary or Rose or even his Aunt Eugenia. Any one of them would’ve enjoyed the adventure, but he had asked her! Of course, the other ladies didn’t really ride much anymore, but she wouldn’t let that distract her from the fact he had asked her.

  Sage completely forgot about the boarding house, her beloved widowed friends, and even fixing breakfast for the tired cowboys—her attention falling to the back pockets of Reb’s blue jeans as he walked. She smiled, noting their well-worn appearance. The top corners of each pocket had worn a little hole through his blue jeans, and Sage wondered if he knew anybody could see straight through them to the white of his under-trousers. She bit her lip trying to stifle an amused and delighted giggle.

  “Ya might get a bit dusted up, Sage,” he said to her as they entered the barn.

  “That’s all right. I plan on stayin’ off to one side anyway,” she told him.

  They worked together saddling Ned and the new gelding. Once the task was done, Reb took a weather-beaten old hat down from a hook in the barn and put it on his head.

  “Here ya go,” he said, taking a tattered bandana from the same shelf. He folded it into a triangle, moved to stand behind Sage, placing it over her nose and mouth before tying it at the back of her head. Standing before her once more, he tugged at the corner of the cloth, revealing her entire face again. “Just pull that up
when the dust gets too much for ya, all right?”

  “All right,” Sage said, delighted with his attentions. He took another bandana down from the shelf, tying it around his own neck before helping Sage to mount Ned.

  “Don’t worry none about ol’ Ned,” Reb said stroking the horse’s neck. “He’s as calm as a Sunday breeze.”

  Reb mounted the new gelding and smiled at Sage. “Ya ready?” he asked. Sage nodded, amused that Reb still had not taken the time to put on a shirt. “Then let’s go!” He clicked his tongue, and the gelding bolted out of the barn. Bullet shot out after them, barking with enthusiasm.

  “Go on, Ned,” Sage said, grateful for the older horse’s slower start. Ned quickly broke into a gallop, however, obviously not wanting to be outdone by his new stable pal.

  Sage loved the feel of the breeze on her face, the sun warming the top of her head—the fresh fragrance of sagebrush and piñon all around her. She laughed when Reb looked over his shoulder at her, smiling with excited anticipation. He slowed the gelding, waiting for her and Ned to catch up to him. Bullet’s tongue hung from his mouth as he looked up to Reb for instruction.

  “Just there, boy,” Reb told the dog, and Bullet seemed please to trot along beside him. “It’s a perfect day for bringin’ in a herd, ain’t it?” Reb asked. His smile was so broad and perfectly dazzling against the bronze of his sun-baked face and torso.

  “Yes, it is,” Sage agreed. Reb’s enthusiasm was completely infectious, and Sage couldn’t keep from smiling.

  “So,” he began as they rode, slower now. “Charlie brought ’em right through the middle of town, huh?”

  “He did at that,” she confirmed. Reb chuckled.

  “Charlie Dugger never was one to be quiet about anythin’. He rode for the Pony Express when he was just a kid,” Reb said, still smiling. “Everybody in town came out to see my herd?”

  Sage nodded. “Everybody,” she told him.

  “Good,” Reb said. “I worked hard buildin’ up that herd.” Sage was happy in Reb’s obvious pride. He was a man who worked hard for what he had. He deserved to own a bit of satisfaction. Just then a large grasshopper landed on one of his broad shoulders, and he flicked it away with his middle finger. Still smiling he said, “I plum forgot to put a shirt on!” He winked at her, adding, “Hope ya don’t mind too much.” Sage shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind at all.