Harnessed Passions
Page 53
The next two hours passed by quickly as they ate their breakfast, completely naked. They fed each other bites of the food Mrs. Lester had prepared until they were full, then abandoned the heat for the cool water. They splashed and laughed until the sun was high overhead, making them aware of the late hour.
With a great deal of reluctance, Julia pulled the dress up across her swollen breasts as Daniel slipped back into his dress pants and shirt. Julia smiled; the memory of this morning would echo in her mind long after the nightmares of death faded away. He had accomplished what he set out to; her fears surrounding the private swimming hole and the horrors she had associated with the small pond were a part of her past. The future that lay ahead of them was filled with hope and dreams of passion.
EPILOG
The sales went extremely well, with more than a hundred new buyers purchasing thoroughbreds from Browning Estates. Roustabout had sired four fine foals; three males and a female. Biscuit had given birth to the cream of the crop; a male who looked exactly like his father. Daniel was determined to raise him to be a racer, like his father, who took first place in two of the Triple Crown races, leaving him the contender in the next Kentucky Derby. With the cups on their side, the horses from Browning proved to be the best in the region and well worth the price they asked.
Jeremy had graduated college and returned to Mayfield where he purchased the old Farnsworth land and quickly went about setting up home with his new wife. The house had been torn down and a new one constructed in its place; a home worthy of rivaling Browning Estates. They were expecting their first baby in September after the annual sale. Jeremy opted out of raising horses and chose instead to remain Daniel and Julia’s business partner; investing and managing the stable’s finances and making a hefty profit with the last harvest.
Louise decided not to leave Kentucky; she had a life here and wanted to see her grandchildren grow up. Margie and Harold were expecting their third baby next month and Bridget had married one of the stable hands and moved to Wyoming to raise cattle; hopefully in an area sparse enough to avoid her talent of spreading gossip.
Rally Overton had been tried in a quick one day ordeal, since he admitted to the crime of killing his own son. He was sentenced to life in prison, but passed away two days before beginning his stretch. He suffered a massive heart attack and died in his sleep. There were no hard feelings toward the man, from anyone in the town or at the stables. Julia and Daniel gave him a respectable service and buried him next to his wife, Edith. He had lived a hard life, but an honest one, with only a couple of minor blemishes to scar his epitaph.
Everything was looking up for the Turner/Browning families. The old mansion had been updated with indoor plumbing and electricity, and Daniel had sold his flat and moved his belongings – including his medical device into the house. He worked most days at the office in Mayfield, and the rest of his time he spent playing daddy with their baby and working on a sibling with Julia.
Still, the past had a few unfinished pieced that needed to be set into place. Julia stood next to her husband, who held their sleeping six month old son, Levi Daniel. She looked down at the headstone and smiled. The crisp clean letters had been carved with an expert hand, into the limestone that replaced the original. She laid the bundle of flowers next to the double marker and sighed.
“I think she would have liked it,” she said softly, reading the inscription of the one side.
Here lies Heather Farnsworth-Overton and unborn child; Beloved wife, daughter and friend.
In God’s hands they are given.
The second side read simply;
Michael Dourn Overton: Husband and son.
United forever with his beloved Heather and baby.
“Simple, but to the point,” Daniel said softly, so he wouldn’t awaken Levi.
“Just like Heather herself; simple, honest and straight forward.” Julia looked at the man and smiled. “Thank you for helping me with this,” she said. “She needed to be joined with her husband and baby. Maybe she can finally rest at peace.”
“It puts the past behind us once and for all.”
They turned and headed down the aisle, passing the marker grave of Sharon Farnsworth, with no more than a casual glance. They stopped at Victor’s grave, where Julia laid a second bunch of flowers next to his marker.
“Do you still hate your father for bringing us together?” Daniel asked, gently patting his son’s back.
“When my grandmother died, my mother told me that she believed the dying saw the world for all its glory and knew what needed to be done before they left. I think that’s what it was like with my father; he saw us and knew we were meant to be together. I will never again regret what he did for us.”
“Nor will I,” Daniel assured her with a wicked grin.
They turned and walked out of the cemetery to their waiting carriage. Life was good for them at last; no fears or worries of what might be, no doubts of their love or concerns of shadows lurking in the background.
Daniel held Julia’s hand as she stepped into the carriage, then handed Levi off before stepping in beside her. The heat of summer warmed the air around them as they drove the short distance back to the mansion. Julia looked down at her sleeping son and smiled; he was the spitting image of his father. Blonde-brown hair and turquoise eyes; he loved to laugh and rode in front of his father daily as he checked on the horses who grazed freely about the property.
The swimming hole had once again become a favorite family spot where everyone gathered during the hottest part of the day to splash in the cool water, picnic or just relax. Daniel made a habit of sending Levi home with Louise so he could spend some private time alone with Julia. Once the family was gone, he would proceed in making love to her in the tall grasses, the pond or on the smooth tree trunk he had carved into a bench.
Julia smiled as she thought about the previous evening, when her beloved Daniel had made passionate love to her for over an hour at the swimming hole, before taking her home to continue their private festivities. She glanced across the carriage as he began to whistle, feeling the flutter inside her stomach. They wanted a large family and it appeared as though their wish was going to come true. With a deep sigh, she leaned her head against his strong shoulder, smiling again.
“Daniel,” she began with a soft blush coloring her cheeks; her heart full of love as her stomach flipped again from inside. “I have something to tell you…”
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