Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine by Marcia Lynn McClure

and dropping the jar onto Mr. Tabor.
    He breathed an “ oof ” and flinched as the jar landed non e too gently in his lap.
    “ Rub this over all those scratches on your hands, Johnny Tabor . I t ’ ll soothe the itchin ’ and help them to heal. ” She frowned. “ How in the world did ya get so scratched up in the first of it? ”
    Johnny looked at her , an expression of astonishment on his face. “ I…uh…I had to hatchet through a briar patch. Me and Justin heard somebody comin ’ yesterday . T hey turned out to be Johnny Rebs…and we had to get off the road. It was the briars in the patch we went through. ”
    “ Very well . T hat salve will work wonders then, ” she told him. She picked up the bowl of stew once more, placing it in his lap next to the salve. “ And I want you to finish up this stew! You need to build your strength. If it comes back up, you just let me know , and I ’ ll bring ya a fresh bowl. You tell me I better not break Justin ’ s heart, Mr. Tabor? Well, I won ’ t see you die and do the same thing! ”
    Vivianna was angry with the man! How could he think of dying? How could the fight go out of such a man as this? Obviously, Johnny Tabor was a survivor! Andersonville ? It infuriated her that he would consider giving up now—after all he ’ d fought through to live.
    “ Look here, woman , ” he began to scold. He raised a trembling index finger and wagged it at her. “ I didn ’ t bring that boy home so his little filly could corral me into —”
    His words ceased as Vivianna reached out, firmly taking his chin in hand. “ Thank you, Johnny Tabor…for bringin ’ my Justin home, ” she said. Then, before she ’ d even realized what she ’ d done herself , Vivianna leaned forward , placing a tender kiss to the parched lips of the weathered soldier.
    “ Now, ” she began, standing and smoothing her skirt , “ I ’ ve said my thanks to you…and I expect you to mend. I won ’ t have Justin thrown to the depths of despair by you givin ’ up. Do you hear me? ”
    “ Y-yes, ma ’ am, ” he mumbled , his eyebrows still arched with astonishment.
    “ Fine then, ” Vivianna said. “ Finish your stew , and put that salve on your hands. When you ’ re finished, I ’ ll have Caleb show you where the privy is. ”
    Johnny Tabor nodded , picked up the jar of salve from his lap , and studied it.
    “ I won ’ t have you dyin ’ and causin ’ Justin any more pain, Mr. Tabor. I won ’ t have it, ” Vivianna said.
    He nodded , and she sighed resolutely.
    “ I ’ ll be back in a few minutes with some more stew, ” she said . “ If what you ’ ve already eaten comes back up , just spit it in the washbasin. ”
    Again he nodded , and Vivianna left.
    As she entered the kitchen, Justin and Caleb both smiled at her.
    “ He can really get your dander up, can ’ t he? ” Justin chuckled.
    “ Yes…in one way or the other, ” Vivianna reluctantly admitted.
    “ You ’ re as red as a beet, Viv! ” Willy exclaimed. “ What did Justin ’ s friend do to make ya so angry? ”
    “ Oh, it makes no nevermind, Willy, ” Vivianna said —t hough, in truth, she was still unsettled by thoughts of Johnny Tabor , by his strange readiness to give up his life so easily now that all that had threatened it was over.
    Justin stood up from his chair. “ Why don ’ t ya walk me outside a bit, Viv ? ” he said. “ Maybe that ’ ll cool your temper…and I ’ d like to see the place before I turn in. ”
    “ The sun ’ s settin ’ mighty fast, Justin, ” Nate said.
    But Justin smiled and offered a hand to Vivianna. “ Oh, that ’ s all right, Nate, ” he said. “ I ’ m sure Viv knows the way. ”
    Vivianna ’ s heart was pounding like a wild herd of horses was pent up inside her bosom! Still, she glanced to Caleb , worried he might be hurt if she took to Justin so soon.
    Yet Caleb nodded. She saw the slight pain in his eyes , yet understanding was in them too—the unspoken