young proprietress too, and he wasn ’ t one to pass up an opportunity to tease. “ Well? Who ’ s first, then? ” he asked, stretching his arms out, beckoning for an embrace. The four older women erupted into delighted giggles— even his Aunt Eugenia , who knew what a little imp he could be. Sage, however, looked as if she might be ill. Sincerely worried for the young woman ’ s health, Reb directed his attention at a less unsettled victim and said, “ Miss Rose ? ”
He chuckled when the gray- haired lady blushed and said, “ Go on with you, Reb…ya little devil! ”
He shrugged his shoulders and looked to Mrs. Jonesburg. “ Miss Livie? Wanna do a little sparkin ’ with me here? ” She likewise blushed and shook her head playfully.
“ Miss Mary? ” Reb said, looking to the more serious-minded one of the group. “ Ya gonna turn me down too? ”
“ Oh, for Pete ’ s sake, boy, ” the old woman grumbled. “ I ain ’ t a ninny like the rest of them, ” she said, scowling at him. Still, Reb saw the uncharacteristic blush warming her cheeks all the same.
Reb sighed, feigning disappointment. “ Well, Auntie…they ’ ve all brushed me off like last Sunday ’ s crumbs, ” he said . She smiled and winked at him, all too wise to his ways as he stood and pretended to stretch.
Taking a quick step forward and placing one arm across the back of Sage ’ s chair, he leaned down and said, “ Unless yer willin ’ to give me a try, Miss Willows. ” He could sense her fear and anxiety and let his pride swell with knowing he had entirely unnerved her.
“ Rummy! ” Sage choked, dropping her hand of cards to the table and fairly flying out of her chair and toward the kitchen.
“ Sage Willows! You ain ’ t got rummy! ” Mary called after her. “ Ya ain ’ t even got a set! ”
Reb couldn ’ t help himself. He had to chuckle out loud as the other women burst into snickering, delighted over his utter undoing of their young friend. Oh, he could definitely see how Sa ge Willows could amuse him— in one way or the other. It was a dang good thing he was beyond being dumb enough to fall victim to any feminine charms. Not that Sage used hers in any intentional manner the way other young women did, but if she chose to , Reb was confident in his immunities against them.
Still, an odd something akin to sorrow pricked in his chest for a moment. Sage was a sweet little gal. She was nice, smart, pretty , and kind. It was a sad thing to think on— the possibility she that, having chosen not to marry, she might be lonely later in life. A vision of Sage standing in front of Ruth ’ s little gravestone, gazing up into the cloudy sky with the summer rain bathing her in its refreshing moisture , traveled through Reb ’s mind, and he wondered— why hadn ’ t she ever married?
Well, it wa s certainly no concern of his. S itting down in Sage ’ s recently vacated chair, he picked up her hand of cards and said, “ Whos e turn? ”
“ It ain ’ t yers, purty boy, ” Mary told him, drawing a card from the pile in the center of the table.
Sage busied herself in the kitchen thickening gravy, whipping potatoes , and removing the stuffing from the roast chickens before cutting them up. Her heart still hammered wildly from the scene in the parlor. How unlucky could five women be? To have the very subject of their rather silly conversation step in upon them the way Reb had just done? It had been completely humiliating! Sage could not believe Mary had actually told Reb what kind of thoughts Rose and Livie were sharing about him. The woman could be so infuriating at times. Sage closed her eyes and caught her breath for a moment as goose bumps erupted over her body again—the same goose bumps that spread over her like a warm rain when Reb teased her in the parlor. His teasing her about sparking with him ha d nearly undone her completely— for in her dreams , she had done just that— sat on the front porch swing,
He chuckled when the gray- haired lady blushed and said, “ Go on with you, Reb…ya little devil! ”
He shrugged his shoulders and looked to Mrs. Jonesburg. “ Miss Livie? Wanna do a little sparkin ’ with me here? ” She likewise blushed and shook her head playfully.
“ Miss Mary? ” Reb said, looking to the more serious-minded one of the group. “ Ya gonna turn me down too? ”
“ Oh, for Pete ’ s sake, boy, ” the old woman grumbled. “ I ain ’ t a ninny like the rest of them, ” she said, scowling at him. Still, Reb saw the uncharacteristic blush warming her cheeks all the same.
Reb sighed, feigning disappointment. “ Well, Auntie…they ’ ve all brushed me off like last Sunday ’ s crumbs, ” he said . She smiled and winked at him, all too wise to his ways as he stood and pretended to stretch.
Taking a quick step forward and placing one arm across the back of Sage ’ s chair, he leaned down and said, “ Unless yer willin ’ to give me a try, Miss Willows. ” He could sense her fear and anxiety and let his pride swell with knowing he had entirely unnerved her.
“ Rummy! ” Sage choked, dropping her hand of cards to the table and fairly flying out of her chair and toward the kitchen.
“ Sage Willows! You ain ’ t got rummy! ” Mary called after her. “ Ya ain ’ t even got a set! ”
Reb couldn ’ t help himself. He had to chuckle out loud as the other women burst into snickering, delighted over his utter undoing of their young friend. Oh, he could definitely see how Sa ge Willows could amuse him— in one way or the other. It was a dang good thing he was beyond being dumb enough to fall victim to any feminine charms. Not that Sage used hers in any intentional manner the way other young women did, but if she chose to , Reb was confident in his immunities against them.
Still, an odd something akin to sorrow pricked in his chest for a moment. Sage was a sweet little gal. She was nice, smart, pretty , and kind. It was a sad thing to think on— the possibility she that, having chosen not to marry, she might be lonely later in life. A vision of Sage standing in front of Ruth ’ s little gravestone, gazing up into the cloudy sky with the summer rain bathing her in its refreshing moisture , traveled through Reb ’s mind, and he wondered— why hadn ’ t she ever married?
Well, it wa s certainly no concern of his. S itting down in Sage ’ s recently vacated chair, he picked up her hand of cards and said, “ Whos e turn? ”
“ It ain ’ t yers, purty boy, ” Mary told him, drawing a card from the pile in the center of the table.
Sage busied herself in the kitchen thickening gravy, whipping potatoes , and removing the stuffing from the roast chickens before cutting them up. Her heart still hammered wildly from the scene in the parlor. How unlucky could five women be? To have the very subject of their rather silly conversation step in upon them the way Reb had just done? It had been completely humiliating! Sage could not believe Mary had actually told Reb what kind of thoughts Rose and Livie were sharing about him. The woman could be so infuriating at times. Sage closed her eyes and caught her breath for a moment as goose bumps erupted over her body again—the same goose bumps that spread over her like a warm rain when Reb teased her in the parlor. His teasing her about sparking with him ha d nearly undone her completely— for in her dreams , she had done just that— sat on the front porch swing,
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