Harnessed Passions (71 page)

"Like a man inheriting a ranch and a bride,
from her own father?" she said with a shy smile and a soft blush.
Daniel chuckled and stepped up behind her, slipping his arms around
her waist.

"You're still the best thing Victor could
have ever left me." Daniel nuzzled Julia's neck, feeling the steady
rhythm of her heart beneath his lips.

"Level with us, sheriff," Harold began after
clearing his throat to remind his friends they weren't alone. "What
all did Rally tell you."

"Pretty much the same thing I've heard here.
He claims to have seen Michael riding off toward the pond and
followed him. He arrived in time to see Sharon Farnsworth get shot
and his son try and drown Mrs. Browning. He also told us he
witnessed your so-called ghost the night you were attacked at the
pond. Dourn as you called him; was standing behind Mrs. Browning
and used a rope to swing down a branch that hit her; then he pulled
her into the pond. Mrs. Browning tried to struggle and managed to
scratch Michael’s face. They left her in the water, thinking she
was dead, but once they were gone Rally pulled her out in time to
hear Mr. Browning approach."

"It couldn't have been Michael; I saw
Heather, I swear I did," Julia insisted, bringing back to life the
conversation Daniel hated so desperately.

"It wasn't Heather Princess," Daniel argued
with stern objection. "It was Sharon, wasn't it?" he turned and
confronted the sheriff, praying his instincts were correction.

"So Rally claims."

"What about the night of the fire? I know
that wasn't Sharon."

"Rally said he caught Sharon setting the
fire and chased after her, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop the
flames from destroying the stables. When he got back to the ranch,
the fire was nearly out."

"But that can’t be,” Daniel argued. “Julia
was trapped inside before the fire was extinguished.”

“
Are you telling me, it was
Heather's ghost Julia saw after all?" Louise gasped; her heart beat
rampantly as an eerie silence filled the room.

"She came to tell me she didn't blame me for
what happened," Julia whispered through the quiet. "Heather was too
good to live in such a corrupt world."

"I've heard all I need to hear," the sheriff
announced, standing from the chair he had occupied for the past
hour and a half. "I'll telegram Sharon Farnsworth's parents, as
well as the hospital and let them know what happened to their
nurse."

"Do you have to do that?" Harold asked with
a glance to Daniel.

"Why shouldn't I? They have a right to know
their daughter is dead."

"They think she already is," Daniel
announced, retrieving the letter Harold had given him, from the
desk. The room stayed silent as the piece of paper was read, a
frown creased the sheriff's brow as he finished.

"I suppose there's no harm in keeping them
out of this, but I do think the hospital should know it wasn't
their patient who died in that room."

"I'll agree to that," Daniel said turning to
look back to Julia. "But I will not have any more of that family
coming to seek revenge on my wife."

"You won't have to worry about that," Julia
insisted. "Sharon was the only one who blamed me for Heather's
death. That's probably why Michael helped her escape. He'd have
someone to blame my death on."

The curiosity of those gathered was
sufficiently satisfied, and a five year long mystery had come to an
end. The rumors of Julia's guilt would be put to rest once and for
all, and she and Daniel would be able to begin a new life together
without the cloud of suspicion hanging over their heads. All seemed
well, with the exception of Julia's own feelings concerning a small
piece of her past.

"I think we're going to leave now," Harold
said, a few minutes later. "I've heard more than I really bargained
for. Miss Sally must be having kittens about now; if she’s still
awake."

"Oh, by the way," the sheriff said, halting
his retreat from the room. He handed a small lace and satin garter
to Daniel and smiled. "I believe this is yours. It was found in the
younger Overton's pocket. Your partner mentioned you'd asked him to
return it."

"Thank you," Daniel replied with a
frown.

"What's wrong?" Harold asked, patting his
friend on the back. "I thought you'd be happy to get it back?"

"There's too many bad memories attached to
it now," Daniel answered softly. He stepped to the trash and tossed
the once desired object in before turning back to Julia. He smiled
a wicked grin as he moved to stand in front of her, kneeling on one
knee as he lifted her skirts. Julia gasped in surprise, feeling the
shocked eyes of the room’s occupants burning into her back as he
raised the skirt of her dress. He slowly slipped the garter she
wore to hold her stocking up, down her slender leg; his fingers
caressing the delicate skin of her calf as he pulled it off.

"I'd much rather have this one," Daniel said
as he stood up and wrapped her in his strong embrace, kissing her
lips gently. "This has much more meaning to me," he assured her
with a gleam in his eyes that told her the night was far from being
over.

"I repeat, I think it's time to leave,"
Harold said with a soft chuckle, edging closer to the door.

He and Daniel walked ahead of the women,
following Sheriff Parker and Dr. Stewart out the door; allowing the
women a chance to say good-bye. They stopped short from entering
the hallway as laid a gentle hand to Julia’s arm.

"Tell Daniel, before it's too late," she
insisted. Julia smiled as she glanced to her husband now standing
only a step away from her.

"I already did, but he’s known all along."
Margie grinned with the unspoken promised that by tomorrow the
whole town would know their secret as well.

"What's going on?" Harold asked stepping
back to join the small group, hearing only a portion of what his
wife and Julia were saying. Daniel chuckled, slipping his arm
around Julia's waist.

"Your wife can explain it," he said with a
wink to the red-head. Margie's smile grew and she nodded eagerly
then moaned as pain erupted inside her head.

"I think I'm going to retire," Louise said
with a deep sigh, before hugging her daughter. "I'm getting too old
for this shit."

"Me too," Julia smiled, hugging her mother
briefly. She watched the older woman mount the stairs, before
disappearing through the shadows of nightfall.

"Are you alright Princess?" Daniel's voice
caught his wife's full attention, bringing her emerald eyes to
focus on him as they stood in the open doorway, listening to Dr.
Stewart’s carriage slowly pulled away from the house, taking him
and Sheriff Parker back to town.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You look upset. Are you having second
thoughts about the baby?"

"Never; I want this baby more than anything
else. I thought I was going to die tonight and never have the
chance to tell you, you were going to be a father."

"I'd never let that happen, you should know
that by now."

"I do. I think I always have. You've been my
knight in shining armor since before we even met, Sir Daniel."

"Then why are you upset, and don't lie to
me, I can see it in your eyes."

"Would you do me a favor, no matter how
expensive it may be?" she asked with a sudden fear he wouldn't
understand her request. Daniel frowned deeply, before nodding.

"I want the swimming hole destroyed," Julia
whispered, tears filling her eyes. "It's not as beautiful as it
once was. Perhaps we can build another corral in its place."

"I thought you might say something like
that. I'll take care of everything and I promise you won't ever
remember the bad that happened there."

“
I'll never forget it,
Daniel. Seeing Heather dead, watching Sharon and Michael Overton
die; nearly dying myself. I'll never forget what happened there;
never."

"Trust me my Little Princess, you will
forget and I'll be there to make sure you do."

Daniel and Julia turned back to the night
listening to the sound of wheels crunching on the road outside and
the soft snort of a horse. In the near distance Harold could be
heard whooping and cheering. His shouts of praise and joy for his
partner echoed through the night, causing a soft blush to glow
across Julia's tender cheeks. Daniel laughed with pride at the
man's excitement and closed the door on the evening's events.

"I think I could use something to eat,"
Julia said, hearing her stomach growl and feeling the slight twinge
of nausea. Daniel laughed again, hugging her against him.

"After everything that's happened, the only
think you can think of is food?"

"Well, that's not the only thing," she said,
hugging his neck and pressing tightly to his chest. Daniel chuckled
again, kissing the top of her head then turned and led her through
the hallway and into the kitchen. He would make certain her
nutritional needs were satisfied first, before he moved onto the
more passionate ones. The evening definitely wasn’t over yet.

Julia awoke with an arousing sensation of
warmth against her lips. She kept her eyes closed, enjoying the
sensations that stirred to life inside her. She was unsure if it
were memories from the passion she shared the previous night with
her beloved Daniel, or a new beginning to an early morning.

As the pressure grew, Julia became aware it
was neither dreams nor memories, but reality drifting her back into
the world of the living. She opened her eyes and found herself
staring into turquoise eyes. She smiled sleepily and glanced to the
small clock on the table next to the bed.

"Why did you let me sleep so long?" she
scolded, pushing past Daniel and hurrying to her wardrobe. The
sounds of horses outside in the yard, assured her the buyers had
already arrived and she was late in meeting them.

"I figured after yesterday, you could use
the extra sleep. Besides, I've arranged with your mother to take
over for us for a couple of hours." Daniel moved from the bed to
stand behind Julia, his arms wrapping her in the security and love
of him embrace. Julia couldn't resist the soft moan that escaped
her throat as he nuzzled her neck with his lips.

"It's not fair to leave my mother alone
today," she argued, enjoying the sensuous touch against her exposed
flesh.

"It's not going to be for long," Daniel
insisted turning her around in his arms. "I have something to show
you and it can't wait. We'll be back before lunch and I doubt I'll
have a chance to see you again until tonight; so it's now or
never."

"You're not going to let me talk you out of
this are you?" Julia smiled knowing full well her husband would
always have the last word with her.

"Absolutely not, now hurry up and change.
I'll meet you downstairs." Daniel slapped her backside hard before
leaving her alone in their room, rubbing her stinging cheek.

Julia found Daniel waiting by the small
Dearborn fifteen minutes later. Roustabout was already hitched to
the reigns and a small basket hung from Daniel's arm. Julia smiled
when she saw the sly grin on her husband's face and heard the soft
chuckle erupt from the depths of his chest.

"You look good enough to eat," Daniel
whispered, helping her into the small carriage. Julia's tight
fitting burgundy velvet gown revealed just the slightest bulge of
tummy; its deep scooped neckline gave an ample glimpse of the
massive swell of breasts hiding beyond sight, making Daniel's
fingers actually itch to caress them. If the morning went according
to his plans, he would soon be granted his wish and many more just
like it.

"What's in the basket?" Julia asked pulling
the dust cover across her lap to protect the expensive gown and
taking the basket from Daniel.

"It's a surprise," he teased holding his
hand across the lid as Julia tried to open it. "You're not the sort
of person, who peeks at their presents before Christmas, are you?"
Julia laughed, hugging the basket closer to her.

"I hate suspense," she said, feeling happy
and free for the first time in five years.

"Where are we going?" Julia asked after
several minutes of silence from Daniel. He glanced across the seat
to her and smiled softly.

"We have one last ghost to put to rest," he
said tenderly. Julia frowned, turning her attention to the
direction he was taking them. Her heart began to pound, her palms
sweating as fear welled up within her. She knew the path he was
taking and the sudden urge to jump from the carriage and run back
home overwhelmed her, causing the bile to rise in her throat.

"Daniel I want to go home," she began,
receiving only a sad glance from her husband. He pulled the reigns
tight, stopping Roustabout at the top of the hill that lead to the
swimming hole.

Her eyes filled with tears as he climbed out
of the carriage and tied the horse up to a branch. Her heart sank
within her chest and she found herself fighting back unshed sobs.
So many horrible things had happened here; how could he be so cruel
as to bring her back again?

"You have to face this place sooner or
later," Daniel said gently, reaching up to help her down. Julia
pushed his hands away as tears fell down her cheeks.

"I'll never forgive you for this," she
whispered making Daniel draw a deep breath.

He knew she would feel this way, knew too he
risked a great deal of rejection and anger once she realized what
he had done, but he also knew it was necessary for her to heal and
forget. This place had once held fond memories; laughter and joy
that span three generations. He couldn't allow her to reject what
he knew would once again be a spot of pleasure; both for them as
well as their children. Her great-grandfather had built this pond
with that very notion in mind. He wanted his family to find
relaxation and enjoyment here, and Daniel wasn't going to permit
the past to destroy what had long ago been such a pleasurable part
of Julia's life.