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Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure

Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (48 page)

BOOK: Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine
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I

m sure she means it,

Johnny said, tousling the boy

s hair.

But when I head on back to
Texas
,
you can think about what you

d like to do.
You know I

d be glad to have ya along.

Lowell
smiled—seemed reassured.
He looked up then to Vivianna
,
and his smile broadened.
Vivianna fancied his eyes began to twinkle as he looked at her.

Vivianna!
I seen a photograph of you once,

he exclaimed.

You

re Vivianna!


Yes!

Vivianna giggled.


Oh boy!
I heard all about you!

Lowell
laughed.
Quickly he went to the chair he

d been sitting on at the table.

Do ya mind, Miss Savannah?

he asked as he dr
agged
the chair across the floor toward Vivianna.

Vivianna giggled
,
puzzled by the boy

s need for the chair.
In the next moment, however,
Lowell
pulled the chair to a stop right before Vivianna. Quickly he climbed up on the chair, standing before her.
Reaching out
,
he took her face between his small hands.


Yep,

the boy said.

I heard all about you.

Vivianna gasped as the young boy kissed her perfectly on the lips.
He kissed her!
Square on the mouth, he kissed her!


Mmm!

he sighed.
Smiling, Lowell Wheeler said,

Yep!
You do taste just like sugar and honey all stirred up together!

Johnny burst into laughter
,
as did
Savannah
.


Mama!

Willy exclaimed
,
however
,
his mouth gaping open big enough to catch
j
une bugs.

Did you see that, Mama?
Why, that boy ain

t more

n eight years old
,
and he

s sparkin

Viv…right here in our kitchen!

Lowell
climbed down from the chair.
As he dr
agged
it back over to the table
,
he said,

I

ll have you know I

m nine years old.
Been nine for near to six months now.

Vivianna was stunned to silence.
Astonished that the young boy had kissed her
,
she looked to Johnny.

Johnny

s warm eyes were bright with mirth.
Shaking his head, he chuckled,

I told ya, Vivi…nobody cheers a body up like Lowell Wheeler.


Hey,
Mr.
Johnny,

Lowell
began, tugging on Johnny

s sleeve.


Yeah?

Johnny asked.


Bend down here a minute.

Vivianna watched as Johnny hunkered down—as
Lowell
whispered something in his ear.


Nope,

Johnny said.

Lowell
nodded—whispered something else.

Johnny nodded.

Yep.
But we

ll have to see.

Lowell
smiled
and
seemed satisfied with the answers Johnny had given him to whatever questions he

d asked.


Hey,
Lowell
,

Nate began,

me and Willy…we got us a bone collection.
Do ya wanna see it?


Bones?

Lowell
asked.

What kinda bones?


All kinds,

Willy answered.

Johnny even found us some owl pellets to dig through.
He says owl pellets gots mice bones in

em!
Little bitty, tiny bones and skulls and such.


Oh yeah, they do!

Lowell
exclaimed.

My daddy and me used to dig through owl pellets!
How many ya got?


Nine,

Nate answered.

That

s three for each of us!
Let

s go.


Now, hold on a minute,

Savannah
said.

I don

t want to see any mice bones or fur or anything even resemblin

any sort of mouse remains in this house!
Do you hear me
,
Nate?
Willy?


Yes, Mama,

Nate and Willy chimed.


And that goes for you too, Lowell Wheeler,

Savannah
added.

No mouse anything in this house.
All right?


Yes, ma

am,

Lowell
said.

And I

ll make certain your boys wash their hands good

fore we come home.
Me too, of course.

Savannah
smiled
and
giggled.

Thank you,
Lowell
.


Is it all right
,
do ya think,
Mr.
Johnny?

Lowell
asked.


Is what all right,
Lowell
?

Johnny asked in return.


Is it all right that I come here?
Do ya think
Mr.
Justin will be glad?

Johnny smiled and tousled the boy

s hair.

I know he will be.

Lowell
smiled
and
sighed with relief.

Vivianna giggled as the boy took her hand.

I can teach ya a little more about kissin

when I get back if ya like, Miss Vivianna.
I wouldn

t mind it a bit.


Why don

t ya let us older boys take care of Miss Vivi

s education where that

s concerned,
Lowell
?

Johnny chuckled.

Lowell
shrugged.

All right,
Mr.
Johnny.
But you let me know if y

all need any help.


Oh, I will,

Johnny said, winking at the boy.

I surely will.


Come on,
Lowell
,

Nate said.

We got owl pellets to sort and bones to boil!


Boil?

Lowell
asked as the three boys headed for the door.


Yep!

Willy said.

Me and Nate found us another dead fox just this mornin

!

As the three young boys left the house, Vivianna giggled when
Savannah
sighed.


My goodness!

she breathed.

That boy has more life in him than three boys put together, Johnny Tabor!


Yes, Miss
Savannah
…he does,

Johnny chuckled.
His smile faded just a bit as he added,

I

ll take him on to
Texas
with me when I go, if ya like.


Heavens no!

Savannah
exclaimed.

If

and I do mean if

if I decide I can ever let go of ya
,
I won

t have ya takin

that little darlin

too!
Justin was tellin

me about that boy just the other day.

Savannah
nodded.

I think he was meant to come to us.
There isn

t any other way he could

ve made it to
Florence
…not all the way from
Georgia
.
It

s a miracle!
It

s truly a miracle.

Savannah
sighed
,
thoughtful for a moment.
Then, dusting her hands on her apron, she said,

Still, I won

t have him kissin

on girls at this young of an age…no, sir!

She looked to Johnny
and
wagged a scolding index finger at him.

That

s what comes of havin

boys teach boys.
What else did you tell that child that I

ll have to undo?

Johnny chuckled
and
shook his head.

Hard tellin

, Miss Savannah.
Hard tellin

.


That

s just what I

m afraid of.

Savannah
sighed.
Then she smiled and looked to Vivianna.

With all this goin

on, I plum forgot to ask ya, Viv…how was your trip to the house?

Vivianna felt tears welling in her eyes once more.

It was fine,

she said.

I

m fine.

Savannah
walked to her
and
pulled her into a warm, affectionate embrace.

Oh, I know it was hard, darlin

.
I know it was.
But ya really ought to go over more often.
Time will make it a little easier.
Each time ya go
,
it

ll be less painful than before.

BOOK: Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine
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