The Touch of Sage Read Online Free PDF

to give him somethin ’ young and pretty to look at. ”
    Sage felt her smile fade— felt extremely self-conscious all at once. She knew good and well she was no kind of young and pretty type woman to catch the eye of such a man. She was almost irritated with Eugenia for saying she was.
    But as the smiling faces of her friends, and the handsome face of Reb Mitchell , met her as she entered the kitchen, Sage pushed thoughts of loneliness and despair to the back of her mind. Or, at least, she tried to. However, as the man ’ s dark eyes seemed to follow her during each task of serving breakfast, she found nervous perspir ation gathering at her temples—a slight trembling in her hand—and she knew he was dangerous, this nephew of Eugenia Smarthing. This was the kind of man who left a trampled trail of broken hearts in his footsteps , and Sage Willows had no desire to feel the heel of his boot. She would h ave to strengthen her defenses— avoid him as much as possible.
    For pity ’ s sake! she thought suddenly. She didn ’ t even know him! Reb Mitchell was a complete stranger to her. Why was her mind lingering on how to keep from falling in love with him anyway? The very notion was ridiculous! And so, determined to purge her mind of even the idea of any silly schoolgirl daydreams about a handsome stranger, Sage sat down to breakfast.
    “ Whatcha got in mind fer the ranch there, Reb? ” Mary asked, buttering a steaming biscuit.
    “ Well, I got me a purty big herd rounded up and waitin ’ down in Santa Fe , ” Reb answered. “ I figure there ’ s probably some fence that needs mendin ’ out on the ranch. That right, Auntie? ” Eugenia nodded as she took a bite of her biscuit. “ So, ” Reb continued, drizzling honey over a biscuit with his fork, “ I ’ ll patch up any fence troubles then have my partner, Dugger , run the herd out here for me. ”
    “ Are you…uh…unattached as yet, Mr. Mitchell? ” Rose asked. Reb looked up at Sage and smiled when he heard her fork tumble to the table. Sage scolded herself silently. She was a mess of nerves , and she couldn ’ t seem to simmer down.
    “ Yes, ma ’ am, ” Reb answered. “ As unattached as they come. ”
    “ Well, that ’ s nice! ” Rose exclaimed. “ Ain ’ t that nice, Sage? ”
    Sage wanted to simply curl up and die as Reb chuckled, all too wise to the woman ’ s inference.
    “ Yes, ” Sage said. “ Milly Michaels and all the other girls in town will be pleased as petunias to hear that. ”
    “ I don ’ t plan on spendin ’ much time in town, ” Reb said. “ Besides…I plan on stayin ’ unattached, Mrs. Applewhite. ”
    “You call me Rose , hun, ” Rose told him. “ And unattached is fine by me. ”
    Sage felt her face go as hot as the embers in the oven. Did these women have no manners at all? She had never seen them so forward.
    “ Yer indecent, Rose, ” Mary scolded, slathering a biscuit with butter. “ He ’ s Eugenia ’ s nephew for Pete ’ s sake! ”
    “ Yes , he is, ” Rose admitted. “ And he knows a little harmless flirtin ’ never hurt anybody. Don ’ t ya know it, Reb? ”
    Sage couldn ’ t even take a bite of the biscuit sitting on her plate. In reality, she had seen the widow s do this kind of thing before— flirt, tease, flatter in their playful and friendly manner. But for some reason, it was causing her great discomfort this time.
    “ Yes, ma ’ am, ” Reb answered with a smile. “ Ain ’ t nothin ’ wrong with a little flirtin ’ . ”
    “ I like this boy, Eugenia, ” Livie giggled. Eugenia smiled, obviously delighted with the goings on.
    “ How ’ bout sparkin ’ then? ” Rose asked. “ You think there ’ s anythin ’ wrong with a little sparkin ’ ? ”
    “ Mercy sakes! ” Sage exclaimed , fairly leaping from her chair. She couldn ’ t sit still any longer. All the talk of flirting and sparking with Reb Mitchell somehow completely disconcerted her. He hadn ’ t been in their