The Touch of Sage by Marcia Lynn McClure Read Free Book Online Page A

something else— tears perhaps. Still, Reb smiled as he thought about he r. He liked this Sage Willows— this young woman who had resigned herself to spinsterhood at such a young age. For one thing, she offered no threat of pursuing him. Reb Mi tchell had no time for a woman— no desire to waste his l ife romancing some fickle filly who would end up wanting to own him like a stray dog and treating him worse. It was one reason he chose to spend his social time with hi s aunt and her friends— the old ladies weren ’ t about to start dreaming of marriage and babies with him. Further more , though they were sweet little women, they held no attraction, no temptation for him. They were perfectly delightful and perfectly safe.
    Still, Reb could see how their pretty, young proprietress could be a danger— if she had any intentions toward him— which she did not. In fact, she seemed rather indifferent to him at times— leaving the room when he was visiting with his aunt and the others, never talking much to h im. Sage had made her own way— whet her out of necessity or choice— and she seemed as resigned to a singular life as he did.
    She was dang pretty, though. He thought of the way her green eyes flashed when she was amused at Rose Applewhite ’ s rummy antics. He wondered how long her hair was — how she would look with it down instead of strapped back in such a tight widow ’ s-knot at the back of her head.
    Yep , Reb thought. She could be dangerous…if she had a mind to be. But she didn ’ t. Reb knew he could show up for supper at Willow s’ s Boarding House later that night and not be in danger of having to sidestep any flirtatious females. Well— any his own age, that was.
    Still, for a moment as he urged Ned toward home, he was a bit bothered by Sage ’ s apparent disinterest in him all the sa me. Maybe he was getting ugly— losing his charm. Yet thinking of the way Rose and Livie lit up when he paid them any attention— the way that pestering Milly Michaels smiled and batted her eyelashes at him— well, surely not every scar his soul wore showed through on his face. Did it?
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    Sage quickly brushed Drifter, set a bucket of oats in his stall , and hurried toward the house, pausing at the old rain barrel by the back kitchen door. The old barrel was filled with dirt abundant with rosemary, thyme , and sage plants. Sage pinched a large branch from one of the sage plants. Folding one of the leaves and rubbing it with her fingers, she drew the herb branch up to her face, caressing her lips with the soft leaves and inhaling their wonderful aroma. Oh, how it reminded her of her mother! It always had , and she wondered if it was why she had always loved the fragrance and flavor of sage so very much. There was her kinship with the plant to be considered too—being named after it as she was. Whatever the reason, the sweet scent of sage always cheered her , and when it came to cooking with it—well, any woman Reb Mitchell had ever known before had certainly met her match in Sage Willows.
    Smiling, Sage entered the house to start supper. There were a few extra things to do before Reb arrived. F or the first time where the man was concerned, Sage wasn ’ t afraid of her happy thoughts. After all, God had His reasons for creating dreams—and who was she to deny one of h eaven ’s greatest gifts?
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    “ Ya ’ ll catch yer death of pneumonia out in that rain, Sage, ” Mary grumbled. “ For Pete ’ s sake…yer hair isn ’ t dry yet! ”
    “ Oh, hush, Mary, ” Livie scolded, shuffling the deck of cards in her hand. “ I think it very…very eccentric of Sage to slosh about in the rain. ”
    “ Eccentric? ” Mary exclaimed. “ Runnin ’ through town with a white shirtwaist on, wet to the skin? It ’ s pneumonia and scandal just a - waitin ’ to settle in. ”
    Sage smiled and gathered her cards as Livie counted out seven to her. “ Thank you for caring, Mary, ” she said. “ But I ’ m fine.