Loving a Runaway Bride – Extended Epilogue

Jess Farthing came in from the fields. He never ceased to feel a surge of love for this woman he had married. The last year had been the happiest of his life and the busiest. The need for the new wheat had been phenomenal, and he had expanded the ploughed areas more than he had ever envisaged. The partnership with their friends worked like a well-oiled machine. He stamped the earth from his boots, and she looked up. Daisy Farthing still looked amazing despite having given birth two months ago to twins. The babies in question were asleep together in a cradle, and Daisy was having a quiet rest of her own. She made to get up, but he came over and pushed her gently back down.

“I’ll get you a drink,” he told her and poured for them both. He sat beside her and dropped an arm over her shoulders.

“How are you doing outside?” she asked. “I haven’t had time to come and look.”

He looked at the pots of jam lined up on the window ledge and grinned. “I can see why,” he said.

“Well, we had such a lot, and it seemed silly to let it go to waste,” she said. “It’s pie day tomorrow, so I got that done today.”

Jess shook his head. “You know you do not need to work every minute of the day,” he told her. “Take some time for yourself.”

“That is exactly what I am doing this very minute.” She smiled and said, “And my favourite man is here with me. What more could I ask?” She laid a hand on the cradle and rocked it gently. “They have been really good today.” The twins looked angelic and had Daisy’s dark hair. She thought they might have Jess’ tawny eyes when the colour developed. She hoped so.

“They are like peas in a pod at the moment,” Jess observed. “I am a lucky man.”

“Will you feel as lucky when they wake up through the night?” she asked with a smile, and he agreed that the silence and quiet were lovely. They heard a step at the door, and the two dogs shot inside the room ahead of Tony. Mags was being quiet but bumped the cradle, looked over the edge with the big tongue lolling out, and broke the spell. Both children opened their eyes and mouths at the same time.

“Oh, no, Mags,” Daisy sighed. “There goes my peace and quiet.” She and Jess both picked up a baby and walked around the room until they settled.

“Have some coffee Tony,” she said, “and a seat. As he helped himself, he told them that the wheat crop was now all cut and stacked.

“That machine is a godsend, and it can go to Blanchard’s now.” Daisy looked at Caroline in her arms and said she would go into the bedroom and feed her.

“I’ll come back and swap them shortly,” she said and then paused at the door. “Can you two think of any way I can have a bigger table? I seem to run out of space when I bake.” She went out and closed the door.

“My uncle is a carpenter,” Tony said. “He could make one whatever size she wanted.” Jess paced out the table that was there and added another good step.

“If it were that big, there would be no room for anything else.” He prowled around the kitchen and thought about it. “Maybe we need a bigger kitchen.”

Tony said that he would load the harvester and take it to Duke the next day. Daisy came back and handed Jess a now sleepy Caroline and took away Anthony. Jess put the little girl in the cradle, and she stayed asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the wall of the kitchen.

“If we built an extra room and put an archway through this wall, we could have a place to sit and leave this room free for a bigger table.” They considered the possibilities, and Tony left to go home. Daisy popped Anthony into the cot with his sister and started to fold some clean clothes from the washing line.

Jess came and put his hands around her waist. “This table,” he started, “Tony’s uncle is a carpenter, but there would be no room in here for anything else.”

She looked around and agreed. “Oh, well. I’ve managed so far,” she answered, but he turned her in his arms and kissed her.

“What do you say to breaking through the outside wall and adding a new room for sitting in. That would leave room for the outsized table in here?” Daisy pushed him away and told him not to be so silly.,

“Fancy building a room just to get a bigger table.” She laughed, but Jess had a vision in his head.

“I can see it,” he said. “It would be south facing, and if there was an outside door to a veranda, you could fill it with those pots of flowers that you like, and it would be a place to sit away from the bustle of the work.”

“Well, I only went away to feed our son, and you have rearranged the world,” she answered. “What a man you are.”

“Really,” he said seriously. “As the children grow, we are going to need more space anyway.” Daisy smiled at this man who would give her the world on a string if she asked for it and looked at the wall he was talking about. Then she went outside and paced out a room from the other side of the wall. Looking around, she had to admit that he was right. It would be a private sitting area and a suntrap for the flowers. He watched her mind going into operation and smiled. Daisy had a very practical streak alongside her romantic love of flowers. He knew the pots of flowers bit would strike a chord.

“How would we do it?” she asked.

“Wood from the woodyard and a lot of friends.” He grinned. “We would put up the room before we sawed through the wall to the kitchen. Then you would have a kitchen to work in and a proper sitting room.” He paused. “Room for that rocking chair you wanted.”

“You really want to do this because now you are trying to bribe me.” She laughed, and he took hold of her and held her close.

“You know I never had a reason to build and expand before you came along, Daisy. I have to make up for lost time.”

She reached up and kissed him. “If you think it’s a good idea, we’ll do it.” He swept her off her feet and swung her around in the air, and she squealed.

“Good Lord,” a woman’s voice said from the doorway. “I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Ellen,” Daisy shouted and ran to hug her sister. She saw Derek standing behind her and holding the eight-month-old Katherine. “We never heard the cart, and the dogs never barked,” Daisy added. “Come in. Come in.” Then she saw Mags gazing adoringly at her sister and knew why there was no warning bark. Daisy held out her arms for her niece and sat with the child on her knee.

“Oh, my sweet little Katherine,” she said as Jess found coffee for the visitors and asked if they wanted something to eat. The child was a mirror image of Daisy and Ellen.

“No thanks,” Derek said. “We ate before we left. What was the excitement about?”

“This man wants to build another room because I asked for a bigger table to bake on,” Daisy said over the child’s head.

“Tell me what you think, Derek,” Jess said and led the way outside to explain what he had in mind.

“Derek is a lovely man,” Daisy said, and her sister smiled.

“And he actually wants to marry me,” she said.

Daisy’s smile almost split her face in half. “What wonderful news. Oh, I am so happy for you. He has always been a good one. I wouldn’t have got away if he hadn’t helped me.” She paused. “And now he is in love with my sister, and everything is right with the world.” She stood up as the men came back in and kissed Derek on the cheek. “I could not ask for a better brother-in-law.”

“Best not let Jed hear you say that,” Jess joined in, but he smiled and shook the man’s hand.

“Welcome to the family.” Derek was a man of few words, but he said that he had been frightened that she would say no because she had Katharine.

“But I think little Katharine is sweet. I am happy to be her dad.”

“Wait till she’s twelve or thirteen like Jerry and see if you say the same,” Jess joked and then asked if his sister had heard the news.

Ellen shook her head. “Only Katie and Duke, but she says we can be wed in the garden like she did herself.”

“More to the point, there is a log cabin that was once a house, but it needs a lot of work,” Derek added.

“So, if we help with the house, will you help with this extra room?” Jess queried, and Derek said it was a deal.

“The rodeo is coming around again in a couple of weeks. Maybe we can get the house sorted before then,” Jess said. “I’ll ask Jed and Carrie to help.”

“Katie, Duke, Annemarie, Ash, Carter, Joey, and Tex will all join in,” Daisy said. “They all love a reason to get together.”

“Then Jerry gets to shoot with the grown-ups,” Jess remarked. “And he might well beat me.”

“If we come over tomorrow, we could look at the house and see what needs doing and then work out when to do it,” Daisy said. “I will put off pie making until the day after.”

“We can call and tell Carrie on the way and put the babies in the wagon,” Jess suggested, and Ellen said she would leave the bread baking until the next day as well.

“Oh, I do love having something to plan,” Daisy said as Ellen and Derek picked up the youngster and set off back to Blanchard’s.

The twins slept right through the night, and although Daisy was up early, it was after a full night’s sleep for once. She fed the babies and sorted the chickens and was ready to set off with the cradles ready to go in the wagon when Tony and Minty arrived together.

“We’ll be at the Blanchards anyway, “Jess said, “and I can help you unload.” He helped put the harvester onto the new bigger wagon and left the men to do the rest. It was a gentle drive to Emerald Springs, and Carrie was delighted to see them. Even more delighted when she heard the news, and she agreed immediately to help with the house.

“We can all join in with a big cleaning party and then see what they would like after that. Let us know when.”

“I guess it will be evenings as everybody is working through the day,” Jess observed.

“And a wedding to plan,” Carrie added.

“And the rodeo,” young Jerry joined in. “It will be done by then, won’t it?” Jess told him that even if it wasn’t, nobody wanted to miss the rodeo.

“You gonna beat me?” Jess asked. Jerry smiled. Jess was still his hero.

Katie was waiting for them and said that she had sent a message to Annemarie and Jolene about the wedding and the house. She had poured cold drinks when they heard the wagon rumble in, and Jess went to help unload. Ellen was in the kitchen, and Katie whispered Daisy to come closer. They were nursing a baby each.

“Jolene will be here shortly with a surprise.” There was no time to ask what it was because Ellen came in and asked if they were going to inspect the house.

“Give the men time to unload the harvester,” Katie said. “We will need them to help sort the place out.” Katie was containing her excitement, and Daisy wondered what it was about. She was not kept waiting long because footsteps on the veranda brought Jolene into the room.

“Wonderful,” Katie said jumping up. “Has Carter taken Derek and gone to see the harvester?”

“Ash and Annemarie are out there as well. She’ll be here anytime.” As she spoke, Annemarie called out, and everybody shouted to come in. She had a large bag that she passed to Jolene. She looked at Katie who cleared her throat.

“Ellen, if you don’t like this just say so, and we won’t be offended.” Ellen looked completely mystified but nodded.” Jolene wanted to try out an idea she had and designed a dress.” She looked at Jolene who drew from the bag a dress in shades of cream that was quite exquisite. They all drew in a breath because the dress was unbelievably good. Jolene had excelled herself. She had taken the fashion idea from a picture and made it her own.

Ellen was still mystified. “It is beautiful,” she said.

“And your wedding dress if you would like it,” Jolene said.

There was a stunned silence and tears welled up in Ellen’s eyes. “Oh, yes. Thank you, Jolene. I will pay you for doing it. I love it.”

“No payment. Just wear it as an advertisement for my sewing. I am going to put a notice in Carrie’s window that I will make dresses to order.”

Annemarie was almost jumping up and down.

“Try it on. Try it on,” she said and shut the door in Jess’ face as he tried to come in. “Take the men away,” she called. Jolene took Ellen and the dress into the kitchen and then did a pretend fanfare as Ellen walked back into the room.

“Oh, Ellen. You look like a princess in a fairy tale,” Daisy told her. She shushed little Caroline who was starting to fret and pretended she was not crying soppy tears over her sister in a wedding dress. The dress was whisked away out of sight, and carrying the twins, they went to see the house that needed to be made into a home again.

The log cabin was watertight although the roof needed some repair. The walls were sound, but the veranda had holes in the floor. Inside it was very dusty and dirty; here the remnants of whoever had used it before had mingled with soil blown in from outside. It had two bedrooms and a living room that was also a kitchen. There was a fire with a stove, and it seemed a bit forlorn and unloved.

Katie’s face was solemn. “It really is a bit rundown,” she said and put a hand on Ellen’s arm. Ellen threw her arms around Katie’s neck and said she could see it when it was cleaned and had furniture. She tapped the wooden table. “This will scrub up. The chairs are okay.” She opened the bedroom door. “There is a wooden base for a bed. It will be lovely, won’t it Derek?” Derek slipped an arm around her shoulders and said it would be fine.

“Let’s light a fire and check it burns,” he suggested, and they found things to put in the hearth to start one. They all watched as the first flames curled around the wood shavings and straw and licked at the twigs. It gathered pace, and the smoke went up the chimney and didn’t come back down again. “That’s a relief,” Derek said. “There is not a blockage.” They all explored the rooms and the outside parts as well. Katie said it would be nice to have a little garden fenced off for Katherine to play in, and they met up again outside of the door.

“When?” Jess asked. “It needs to be done before the rodeo.” The general idea was that they would start straight away. “After work tomorrow,” Jess added. Katie said that she would look after Katharine, and Daisy thought that she would bring the twins, and they could lie in their cradles.

“I might not get as much done as everyone else, but I will help.”

With Duke saying that there was wood on the ranch to mend the veranda and the roof and everyone agreeing to bring buckets and brooms, they wandered back to the main house and agreed to meet the next day.

“When is the wedding then?” Jolene asked and looked at Derek and Ellen. Ellen looked at her sister, and Daisy said that she thought straight after the rodeo. The couple to be nodded, and with that thought they waved goodbye and set off for home.

Daisy sat on the seat beside her husband but kept an eye on the twins. They were ready for another meal and starting to be restless.

“That house will be lovely when it has curtains and cushions and stuff,” Daisy said.

“We could offer them the mattress from the spare bed to start them off,” Jess added, and she smiled.

“What a good idea,” she answered and laughed. “When the twins move into a bed, we can get a new one.”

He laughed and reached across for her hand. “You know you can have anything you want.” He smiled, and she reached over to peck his cheek.

“This year, I am really looking forward to the rodeo,” she told him. “No horrible Mikey Dennis and no one to lasso my sister.”

“I am guessing that you will require a new dress for the wedding.”

She laughed and told him that she loved him.

“Jolene will do well when she puts the notice up in the store for dressmaking,” Daisy remarked. “I’d better get in first.”

It was mercifully another quiet night after the babies had been fed.

“I think the ride in the wagon tires them out,” Daisy observed. “Maybe I should just drive them around every day.” She gazed down at the two sleeping babies and gently ran a finger over each cheek. “We are so lucky, you and I, Jess.” He put an arm around her waist and agreed.

The next evening was spent happily hammering, scrubbing, sweeping, and calling back and forth to each other as they worked. Carrie and Jed had brought the boys, and she was using them as messengers and runners as they needed little jobs doing. Jerry always stayed close to his Uncle Jess and handed him nails and wood as required. Jess was doing a good job on the veranda. Carrie had found some material on a roll that had not sold and offered it to Ellen for curtains.

“If you don’t like it, you can change it later, but it will get curtains up for the time being,” she told her. Ellen said that she would make the other things to match the pattern in the curtains. Jess had heaved the spare mattress into the wagon, and Jerry manfully struggled to help him carry it to the house. By nightfall, they had made it look like a house and said that one more get together would see it done. The cook and his wife who helped in the cookhouse on the ranch came to offer encouragement, and he brought over a skillet and a cooking pot that were surplus to requirements in the mess. These two were the only others who had a cabin on the ranch, and Milly said that she would like having neighbours. It was a happy group that surveyed their handiwork and parted company.

By the time the week was out, the house was clean and sound and Ellen was going back and forth each day to add the extras. The rodeo was ahead of them.

At the end of the week, the harvester was back with Jess, and he started to take in the barley. He smiled at the men coming to help the stacking. It was so much easier than the old way, and they were keen to come and work. He planned to finish the barley, go to the rodeo, and then harvest the oats when it was over. He had two extra heavy horses from Duke, and the ground already cleared could be harrowed to use again. The work was non-stop, but with the machines and a ready market for the new wheat, it was worth it. The second crop of that would be ready in about a month and a winter crop of seed put into the ground.

Daisy left Ellen and Maureen to bake bread for sale, and Jed had worked out a system of selling the white flour to customers. Most of the seed went away to Mel Tanner and Jonas Dexter, and the grain had proved to be well suited to their climate and soil. Both Daisy and Jess were looking forward to the break that the rodeo would bring. She planned on wearing the little buckskin jacket again even though riding Rita was out of the question with the twins. She heard him find some time to do a little shooting practise, but there was so much to do on the farm, the shooting time was short.

Food, drinks, and two small children were packed into the wagon and the familiar sights and sounds of the rodeo hove into view. This year, Daisy was excited. There was no looking over her shoulder, and Carrie was going to try Meghan in a riding competition. The mare was tied behind the wagon, and Carrie was giving her coat a final rub down. The competition was starting early, and she mounted up and called to the boys to be good.

“You’ll win, Mom,” Tom called, and she smiled and set off for the ring. Leaving the wagons and carrying the twins, they all set off to watch. Carrie looked fabulous. She and Meghan were a most beautiful combination, and suddenly they found a crowd of their friends had all come to cheer her along. Carrie was oblivious and concentrating on the task in hand. Meghan produced a flawless performance, and they all held their breath as the last competitor went in to compete. He was a clever rider, and it was touch and go, but Carrie was declared the winner, and a huge cheer went up from her crowd of supporters. Ash took the reins from her to hold Meghan as she came out of the ring and was surrounded by congratulations.

“This is one fabulous horse, Ash. Thank you so much.” He handed her back the reins.

“You are the best advertisement that we could possibly have,” he answered. As they made their way back to the wagons, a man offered to buy the mare from Carrie, but she was horrified and started to worry in case someone might steal Meghan. She tied her to the wagon and decided to stay there herself.

“Leave me the twins, and have a walk around yourselves,” she told Daisy, and Jed decided to stay as well. Katie and Ellen joined them for a look around, and all of them looked at the place that Ellen had been lassoed the year before.

“Thank the Lord that man is dead,” Katie observed. “This is a good year.” They went back and had some food, but Jerry could not face anything, and finally, he and his uncle picked up rifles and went to the competition. Carter was already there, and they saw young Nate approach as well. The two youngsters felt so special as Carter and Jess shook hands to make them feel a real part of the competition.

“That’s it. No more being nice. This is a contest,” Carter told them. “Concentrate.” They both nodded solemnly and went to start. Katie offered to carry one of the twins and along with Ellen carrying Katherine, they found seats on the side. Carrie stood at the back because she had brought Meghan with her.

“I am frightened to leave her just tied to the wagon,” she confessed to Ash. “Two people have asked to buy her.” She grinned. “I told them to look for you and Annemarie.”

The crowd was quiet as several people took their turn, but Nate and Jerry went through as well as Carter and Jess. You could hear a pin drop as the final consisted of the four of them and two more men. It was a dead heat between Jess and his nephew, and Daisy actually wanted Jess to lose because it was so important for Jerry.

Nate came and sat beside her. “He is going to be the best in the world,” he confided to Daisy, and she gripped his arm. The final shots gave the championship to Jerry, and there was a collective breathing out as people rose up and started to clap and clap and clap. Jess shook his nephew’s hand and then held his arm in the air to bring even more applause and cheers. Jerry was embarrassed but delighted and didn’t quite know how to handle it, but his dad walked over and shook his hand as well. Jess and Jed moved him over to the table with the cup, the rosettes, and the ribbons, and he really was the best shot there.

It was an unbelievably happy party that sat at the wagons, and a steady stream of folk came to shake young Jerry by the hand. He was quite overcome.

“What a great rodeo,” Daisy said. “Three legends in the family.”

“Three?” Carrie asked, and they all laughed as she was the third one herself.

“And a wedding next week,” Katie added.

“You are still and always will be my legend,” Daisy said to Jess as they lay in bed later that night. “But he has that look that you have. The rifle looks like a part of his body as soon as he picks it up.”

Jess agreed. “He’ll be better than me. I’ll talk to Jed about getting him a really good rifle.”

Work claimed all of them for a week, and the wedding was upon them. Daisy had left the babies with Jess and ridden back and forth several times to help in the preparations, and Jolene had made her a beautiful but elegant dress in deep gold that blended well with the creams of the bride. Katie had opted to wear the one she had bought at the railroad along with the lace-up boots. The garden was pretty, tables set out, and the Goodmans arrived for the service.

Katie gave Ellen a posy of flowers from the garden, and she looked so elegant in the dress with the layers of lace frills down the back of the skirt. Katie looked out and saw that everyone was in position, gave them the thumbs up, and went to join Duke. Jess took Ellen’s arm and took his sister-in-law down towards the minister, and Daisy walked behind as matron of honour. Derek saw her come towards him like a vision, and the ceremony had every woman there in tears. Even some of the men felt a few seconds of emotion. The ceremony was over, the man kissed his bride, and the celebrations started. Mrs Goodman was particularly overcome and was still dabbing at her eyes for quite a long time. It was satisfying to see the young woman that she had taken under her roof so happy, and she could be seen constantly carrying around little Katherine.

There was eating, drinking, and dancing for a long time, but in the end, the babies had to go home. Katie and Mrs Goodman took turns looking after Katharine so that Ellen and Derek could enjoy their day. Daisy and Jess waved goodbye; Daisy kissed her sister, and trundled off in the wagon.

“I now have two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law,” Daisy said. “What it is to have a wonderful family, and I never thought it would happen.”

“My mom and dad would be so thrilled to have family and all of these grandchildren,” Jess remarked. He took away the horses as Daisy took the babies inside. They were fretting for a feed, and she stoked the fire to warm the place up. She gave Anthony a comforter and held Caroline for her milk. Jess came and sat beside them and picked up the little boy. Daisy looked up in the air, and he smiled.

“She is there, isn’t she?” Daisy listened to the voices inside her head and heard them fade into the distance.

“There aren’t any words to hear really. There is a feeling of happiness, and she is fading away.” As she spoke, two feathers floated down and landed on Anthony’s shawl. Jess picked them up and looked around.

“Keep them until they are old enough to know that their grandmother loves them even though she is not around.” He smiled and tucked them into his shirt pocket. No words were needed, and they swapped over the twins to finish the feeding routine. The babies were changed and settled into their cradles.

“What a wonderful day,” Daisy said and held her arms around the man she loved.

The day started as usual, but after the routine had begun, Daisy felt alarm as Katie and Duke came riding through the gate. Mags and Bobby greeted them joyously, and Jess came to see what was wrong.

“Nothing,” Duke said, but he looked a bit uncertain.

“Has the business got a problem?” Jess persisted, but Katie could not contain herself any longer and put a hand on her tummy. Daisy knew instantly and ran to put her arms around her.

“What? What?” Jess asked, and Katie told him through a few shining tears that she was having a child.

“Daisy was holding her friend as if her life depended on it.

“My world is now absolutely perfect,” she said. “Absolutely perfect.”

THE END

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