by Dee Jones
"I'm sorry, Daniel," she whispered, realizing it wasn't concern so much causing his anger, but love. Daniel's lips sought hers; kissing them with such urgency it stole her breath away. She could taste the smoke and sweat of the evening's activities and yet she could barely recognize it beneath the passionate pressure of his mouth.
"I couldn't stand it if I lost you," he said, reaffirming his lips on hers again. It was several minutes before he was in control enough to release her without fearing she'd disappear before his eyes.
"I promise not to cause you concern again," Julia swore, holding the man's hand as they stood up. The feelings of despair and desperation still lingered in Julia's heart and mind.
"Daniel," she began quietly. "I saw her again."
"Who?" his mind was so consumed on having Julia close, he couldn't comprehend the meaning of her statement.
Heather," she whispered. "I saw her again. She was standing outside the window, just staring at me." Daniel frowned.
"Was she wearing a blue dress?” he asked sternly.
“Yes,” Julia said with wide eyes.
“I saw a woman too, but the smoke hid her departure. I don’t think it was a ghost, but there was someone there.”
“But it was her, I saw her, I know it was her.”
“Julia, it's impossible. Heather is dead, there's no way on earth you could have seen her."
"It was her, I know it was."
"Enough!" Daniel's mind ached with the thoughts of ghosts haunting the stables, much less his wife. He'd had enough of the subject to last a lifetime and with the events unfolding around him, he didn't want to hear anything more about a dead woman coming back to life.
"Julia, I have to get back and check on the horses," he informed her. “We’ll talk about this later. Go up to the house, I’ll be along shortly.”
"Why won't you believe me?"
"Look, I know you saw someone, I did too but it wasn’t a ghost.”
“She was wearing the dress I gave her; the same one I found her in when she was dead. You have to believe me; I know it was Heather.”
“I want to believe you Princess, but it's not easy. You're telling me you're seeing ghosts, what the hell am I supposed to think? Do you have any idea how that sounds?"
"I'm not lying Daniel; I know what I saw.”
"The first time you saw her, you said she was wearing a white gown and now she’s wearing the dress she died in. I may not know much about ghosts, but I doubt they change clothes."
"Don't patronize me, dammit. Whether you believe me or not, I know I saw Heather." Julia turned away from him, hoping to make her escape before they said anything more that would cause another rift between them, but Daniel grabbed her arm before she could escape; pulling her back to him. He wanted to talk to her, to tell her how much he loved her, how much he wanted to believe her, but now wasn't the time. The stables were a mess, the animals needed to be bedded down and he had to help get things under control.
"I'm sorry I upset you," he told her firmly. "But as much as I wish I could, I can't stand here and discuss this. I have to help round up the horses and see what damage we sustained. We'll talk about this more when I come up, alright?" He didn't want to leave her, but he knew there was no choice in the matter. It was his land now and he had to help save it.
"Don’t bother, there isn’t any point,” she said pushing him away. “You don’t believe me and I can’t convince you I’m not insane. You don't need to worry about me. Mr. Browning; I won't ever bring the subject up again; or any other for that matter." Julia jerked free of his embrace and turned to the house walking as fast as her legs could carry her in order to get away from him.
Daniel watched as she hurried away. He wanted to go after her, to tell her she wasn’t insane; he had seen someone too, but he would never believe it was a ghost. This was someone’s idea of a cruel, sick joke and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, his original idea that Sharon Farnsworth could be behind all of this, was blown out of the water. The girl he saw tonight was not Sharon, though they did resemble each other quite a lot; still he refused to concede that the ghost of his wife’s best friend was haunting her, or trying to do her harm.
As he contemplated going after her, he heard someone calling his name. He turned around as Julia slammed the back door closed, finding Jeremy standing just inside the barn door, waving a hand toward him. With a final glance back to the house, he turned and walked toward the remains of the stable. He never ceased to be amazed at how easily and how quickly Julia could lose her temper and revert back to calling him Mr. Browning. It was a habit he was eager to break.
"What is it?" he asked, stepping up next to the younger man. Jeremy pointed inside the stables as four men began to bring out the dead carcasses.
"We lost four stallions and two mares," he reported with remorse. "They were trapped and couldn't get out. I guess Julia did the right thing getting Biscuit out when she did. Our losses could have been a lot worse."
"Damn," Daniel swore under his breath, glancing across the fields at the number of horses scattered about. "I guess we'd better start getting the rest of them rounded up. Best take a head count and see how many are missing. We'll go out at first light and try to find them all. I just hope they didn't run too far off and get lost. We'll have to make a list of the horses still able to be sold too and see how many are worth the price we're asking."
"At least we have the crops. Most of last year’s hay was destroyed in the fire, though, so we’ll have to start thinking about where to purchase more."
"You're just filled with good news tonight, aren't you?" Daniel snapped at the man, turning to glance towards the direction he had seen the girl Julia insisted was Heather Farnsworth.
"I know it's hard Daniel," Jeremy said, sympathizing with his brother-in-law. He had lived through a fire similar to this when he was a child and he knew the pain and loss of the aftermath, but he also knew it wasn’t hopeless.
"We'll rebuild. We can salvage enough to get us through until next spring when the foals are born. Things will work out, you'll see."
"What's all this we business?" Daniel asked turning his attention back to Jeremy.
"I thought I'd stay on for a while and help get things back together."
"Jeremy it's not that I don't appreciate it, but you have to get back to school. We'll manage without you."
"You mean I'm not welcomed here?" Jeremy felt the familiar stab of pain encasing his heart. He hadn't felt welcome at the ranch when his father was alive, but those feelings had changed since he met Daniel; at least he thought they were changing.
"You're a part of this family Jeremy; this is your home," Daniel scolded. "I was planning on discussing this with you later. I'd like it if you would consider coming back here after you graduate, instead of moving to West Virginia or South Carolina. I know Julia would want you to be here and I could use somebody to watch over things when I return to my practice, but only after you graduate. You've invested too much of yourself in your education not to see it through."
"I suppose I really should finish," the younger man said thoughtfully, staring off into the night. "I only have another semester to go, but are you sure you want me here when I’ve graduated? What does Julia have to say about all of this?"
"I haven't discussed it with her, but I know she'd be thrilled. I know she loves you and she wants you to stay, but I refuse to consult her until after you've graduated. Besides, you need to think about your Malinda," Daniel added, bringing the man back to his senses. "I thought you had a wedding to look forward to?"
"With everything happening around here I almost forgot. I did have plans to leave this Saturday. If you really need me though, I will postpone my return."
"No, you won't; but you'd better hurry up and get back here. I'm not willing to wait forever for my partner to return home and take over his share of the work." Jeremy smiled brightly at the older man.
"Partner?" he asked, astonished and delighted
.
"Like I said, I haven't discussed it with Julia, but I think Turner Stables should have at least one original owner on the papers, don’t you?" Jeremy smiled proudly, shaking the hand Daniel held out for him, sealing their verbal deal. Jeremy noticed how Daniel unconsciously continued to glance back toward the empty field beside the burnt barn.
"What's so important over there?" Jeremy asked with a curious frown. "You keep looking over there as though you expect to see a ghost."
"I wish I would," he said sadly, thinking of Julia's sanity. "I want to know something and I want you to tell me the truth."
"Just name it. What's up?" Daniel sighed. This wasn't going to be easy telling a brother his sister was beginning to sound as though she was losing her mind, but it was something Daniel felt had to be done. Better it came from him, than through the stable's grapevine.
"The night Julia nearly drowned," Daniel began. "Julia claims Heather Farnsworth tried to kill her. She says she saw her ghost and she blames Julia for what happened to her. Julia believes it was Heather who pulled her into the water and tried to kill her."
"I heard what Julia said when she woke up, but I thought it was just a bad dream." Jeremy exclaimed, looking at Daniel as though he was the crazy one. "But Heather was Julia's best friend growing up. They were closer than sisters; you never saw one without the other; hell, Heather practically lived here. I think she only went home to sleep and came back here before dawn. They shared everything; their dreams, their ideas, even their clothes. I don't know how many times Julia would come home wearing Heather's dresses, or how many times I mistook Heather for Julia, simply because she had on one of her gowns."
"I'm just telling you what Julia said. She thinks Heather is out for revenge. She also claims to have seen her tonight while she was trapped in the barn."
"But that's impossible. Heather's dead, she died five years ago. I know her death was very hard on Julia, but to think she'd do something like that; Daniel do you know what you're saying? You're making Julia sound crazy."
"Dammit Jeremy, I'm not the one who's been seeing ghosts. Julia's feels very strongly about this. I just don't understand why she feels she's to blame for Heather's death."
"Probably because of Sharon; she was really mean to Julia when Heather's body was found."
"Your mother said she drowned. What really happened to her Jeremy? How did she die?"
"Nobody knows for sure. The sheriff said it was an accident. Dr. Stewart examined her body and said she was struck on the head and drowned, apparently falling in the water, but Heather's sister insisted Julia killed her. She tried saying Julia was jealous and wanted Heather out of the way so people would pay more attention to her, but it's just not true. If anything, it was the other way around. Heather's parents weren't quite as distant as ours were, but they did have problems. Old man Farnsworth was screwing every bar whore in Mayfield and the old lady was sleeping with the banker. Heather was always being picked on by her sister and brothers, Terry and Peter. Julia was the only one who would really listen to her."
"So that's why Julia left Kentucky and didn't want to return. There were too many bad memories here for her." Daniel said this more as a statement rather than a question. Jeremy nodded softly, glancing up at the night sky.
"It was mother's idea to send her away, but Julia never would return, at least not until mother sent for her. After she discovered Heather's body, Julia refused to even go near the swimming hole again, which surprises me she was there that night. I don't think she's ever forgiven herself for that day. I think she blamed father just as much, though she won't admit it."
The sound of horses’ hooves pounding the ground echoed in the night air, causing both men to look in their direction. Rally Overton and the rest of the hands had managed to round up what appeared to be most of the runaways. They were herding them into the open corrals, whistling and shouting as they neared the fenced confinements.
"I want that damn horse shot," Daniel said, looking at Julia's mare limping up with the rest of the heard. Jeremy gave him a strange look then shook his head with a smile.
"I wish I could oblige, but Julia would have both our hides if we did. Biscuit was the first thing father ever gave her and the only thing he never attached a condition to." Jeremy cleared his throat, suddenly realizing he was speaking with one of his father's conditions. "Julia helped give that horse life, did you know that?"
"No I didn't. I didn't think she knew anything about horses."
"She knows more than you give her credit for, more than even father knew about and much more than she would ever admit. She handled the stables for nearly three summers straight, from the age of fourteen until she left for Boston five years ago, though father assumed it was Rally who had taken control. Julia did it all, she groomed the horses, she shoed them, she helped deliver the foals. She even helped with the mating one time, until she panicked at the stallion's rough treatment with the mare and ran back to the house. Biscuit was born the year before Julia left Kentucky. I remember her breaking the horse herself.
“She read a book that described how the Indians break their horses. They keep them away from water and food, until they're so weak they can't fight, then they lead them to the stream and hand feed them, thus earning their loyalty. She followed their advice and eventually tamed the mare without so much as ever once sitting on her. She kept the saddle strapped to Biscuit's back for over a month, until the beast finally got used to it. Julia won her over and as a reward she fed her carrots and apples every day for weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a carrot or apple tucked away in her pocket every time she comes out here."
"I never would have dreamed her capable of anything like that," Daniel chuckled thinking of his wife taming a horse with stubborn determination and pride and then running to hide when it came time for mating. It all seemed a little familiar to his memory as well as his imagination.
“Those two won three races before Julia left,” Jeremy continued with pride. “She is an excellent horseman; never let her fool you. She knew more about what happened at these stables then father did.”
"Where was Victor during this time?" Daniel could see the anger erupting in the young man eyes at the mere mention of his father.
"He was too busy for us or the stables. He had...other interests if you know what I mean?"
"A mistress?" Daniel couldn't believe what Jeremy was saying. The Victor Turner he knew was a devoted, faithful husband with no interest outside his own bedroom.
"Not just one, but three from what I remember." Jeremy's expression took on a distant look as he traveled back in time to those tormented years of his youth. "I'll never forget when mother moved out of his room. I could hear her crying when she thought everyone was asleep. She cried every night for weeks. I couldn't understand at the time, I was too young, but Julia knew. She was old enough to hear the stories and feel the pain. All I knew was that he didn't care about us anymore. He was never here. He acquired an office in town and hired a secretary. He slept there most nights, or so I thought.
"I remember the night I found out his little secret; I was twelve years old. I hadn't seen him for over a week. He'd missed my birthday and never once acknowledged it; didn’t even send a note from his office to explain why. I stayed up late one night until I heard him in his room and went in to confront him. I wanted an explanation...dammit I wanted a present!" Jeremy laughed cruelly, pacing his way to the far side of the barn. He stood there with his back to Daniel, trying to pull the rampaging memories under control.
"I heard a woman's voice in his room and at first I thought it was mother or even Julia, but when I opened the door I found out just how wrong I was. He was in bed with his secretary. He was screwing the little bitch with his own wife right next door! I hated him for that, for what he was doing to mother. I wanted him dead, I wanted him to leave and never come back. I hated him so much; I thought I'd kill him if I ever looked at him again. By the time I was fourteen he'd taken two more whores, but he
never brought them home again. Why he did that one time, is beyond me. Perhaps he wanted mother to suffer, for turning him out of her bed. Perhaps he just figured no one would care; he was the great Victor Turner, he was God among the horse breeders. His word was the only one that counted."
"So that's why you hated him," Daniel assessed quietly. "But I don't understand why Victor felt so much animosity toward you? If you were the one who caught him in bed with another woman, I'd think he would have tried to win you over."
"He did at first; he gave me money and gifts, offered to send me to New York where I had always wanted to visit. When his bribes didn’t work, he told me it was my mother's fault. He said he was a man and men had urges that had to be filled. He said mother had refused to be his wife and he couldn't bear the rejection, so he found his comfort elsewhere.
“We got into a huge fight and I punch him in the nose. I got the worse of it though; he beat me so hard I thought I would die; I wished I would have at the time. That’s when he turned me out; refused to speak my name again, he just called me boy. When I enrolled in college he tried to pay my way, I guess he figured it would make him look like a good father or something, but after the way he'd treated me and mother I refused. I used my inheritance from my grandmother instead." Jeremy turned his gaze back to Daniel.
"I know you haven't been sleeping with her," he said, more as an acknowledgment than a ribbing. "I interrupted you tonight, didn't I?"
"Did Julia tell you that?" Daniel hadn't heard his question, his mind consumed with the feeling of treason. Jeremy nodded his head, seeing the look of male ego coming into play.
"She told me before you were married; she said she made you agree to keep your distance. I told her it was useless."