Blood of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 4) Read online

  Blood of the Falls By: Teresa Greene

  Blood of the Falls, Book Four of the Twelve Oaks Farm Series.

  Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author. Contact her at:

  Author Website: www.teresagreene1.com

  Cover design by Viola Estrella

  violaestrella.com

  Published December 28, 2015

  Edited by: Dianne Sutphin and Teresa Thomas

  Dedicated to Dianne Sutphin for her praise and support. I love your spirit and energy.

  Chapter One

  Lacy Reynolds wiped the sweat from her brow. The end of June had brought some of the hottest temperatures on record. There wasn’t even a whisper of a breeze. Aside from the heat, it was a beautiful day, the sun shining brilliantly down upon her and her family. The air was sweet with wild flowers and the scent of pine trees. It had rained yesterday and washed out part of the narrow trail to Russell Reynolds’ family grave yard. A month had passed since she had found Hilda Reynolds’ remains hidden in a small cave by the waterfall on their land. Buried in the same cave had been Hilda’s lover, Darrell Talbert. Over a hundred years they had been together waiting for someone to discover the mystery of what happened to the two lovers. Hilda’s own father had accidentally shot her when she was only sixteen years old. His real target had been Darrell. Russell had explained their disappearance by telling everyone Darrell had kidnapped his daughter and stolen valuable family heirlooms. Along with the two young lovers’ remains were the jewels which were worth a small fortune.

  Her sisters, Nina and Beth, held her hand as they walked the rough terrain. She had never worn boots to a funeral before. But then this was an unusual ceremony. All the people who had known and loved Hilda and Darrell were long dead. Everyone believed Russell’s account of what happened to them. Darrell kidnapped Hilda and they were never seen again. No one knew they had been right under their noses the whole time buried in a small cave at the waterfall.

  Her voice soft and pleasant, Nina replied, “It’s hot.”

  Lacy peered into her oldest sister’s beautiful face. Sweat pearled on her top lip. “It is sweltering.” Nina was four months pregnant and beginning to show. She released Beth’s hand and placed her open palm on Nina’s stomach before asking, “Do you need to sit in the shade? We can take a break.”

  “I’m fine. I’m accustomed to the heat,” Nina reassured her. “Besides, Hilda and Darrell have waited long enough. Let’s put them to rest.” Her thick, blond hair was arranged artfully on top of her head to keep the heavy tresses off her neck. Blue eyes the same color as hers gleamed with happiness. Pregnancy suited her sister. Gone was the morning sickness which plagued her the first three months. She glowed with contentment and health.

  Beth squeezed her hand before she released it to wipe the sweat from her face with a lacy handkerchief. Always in good spirits, she smiled and replied, “It’s not far to the Reynolds’ Cemetery.” Only two years older, Beth’s auburn hair glistened beneath the sun. She had a sultry, sexy face men loved. Usually dolled up as if she was going to the office, she had chosen to wear comfortable jeans and a tee-shirt for their trek to the cemetery. Even in the simple attire, Beth looked alluring and gorgeous.

  Lacy touched her fingers to the ruby and diamond necklace found with Hilda’s skeleton. It was fitting to wear the necklace to Hilda and Darrell’s funeral service. It sparkled in the light of the sun since the jeweler had cleaned the gold and checked for any loose stones. The jeweler offered to appraise the necklace but she didn’t want to know its worth. It would remain in her family for eternity and the value wasn’t important. As was her habit she twirled the matching ruby and diamond ring on her finger. Beth had found it in a consignment store in Raleigh. The moment she had slipped the ring on her finger, she knew it had once belonged to Hilda. It was rarely off her left hand.

  Even though Hilda had passed over and she hadn’t seen her ghost since the day at the waterfall when she accidentally discovered their remains, she still felt a connection to the dead, young lady.

  She stopped and waited for the men carrying the casket with the lovers’ remains which were nothing but bones. Because the road had been washed out, they had to carry the heavy casket the last remaining leg of their destination. Her brother-in-law, Grant Wilson replied, “We would pick the hottest day of the month to have a funeral.”

  The trees thickened and the path narrowed making it difficult for the five men to lug the casket without being scraped by the low hanging limbs. At least the shade from the tall trees provided some relief from the harsh sun. Josh Wilson, her other brother-in-law who was married to Beth asked, “How much farther is it?”

  “Not far, just around the next bend.” Josh had only visited the cemetery where Russell Reynolds, his wife, and other descendants were buried once. The narrow path cut through the forest about a mile from Twelve Oaks. Why Russell hadn’t chosen a place closer to the house for the family plot was a mystery to her.

  Lacy waited until they caught up with her. Her eyes were drawn to Dylan Bauer and she smiled. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, Dylan, I’m fine.” Last night he had stayed over in her dorm room that she shared with her best friend, Michelle. She couldn’t sleep. Nightmares plagued her. It was only a month ago when she almost died at the waterfall. A man by the name of Chad Grey tried to murder her. She trembled as the memory came flooding back. When Dylan woke and realized she wasn’t in bed, he found her sitting at the kitchen table. For over an hour they sat talking about her ordeal. She had to admit having a shoulder to cry on helped ease the pain.

  Juan, their housekeeper’s fourteen year old son stumbled and almost fell. Tall and lanky, he bent low to keep from banging his head on an oak branch. He tightened his hold on the casket. “The rain did a number on this road. It’s going to take some work with the tractor blade to repair the damage.”

  On the other side of the casket from Juan, Richard Lewis offered, “I’ll hang around tomorrow and help out.” Skin crinkled around his eyes when he smiled. “I don’t have any pressing business.”

  Lacy asked, “No dead bodies to find?”

  “Yes, but it’s a cold case and there is no rush. I’ll call the family and postpone until Monday.”

  Without a doubt the only reason Richard would be hanging around tomorrow would be to spend time with Grace. Richard was a psychic. Grant had hired him to discover why Hilda hadn’t passed over when she died. The moment he met Grace, he had been infatuated. Seemed she felt the same way about him. Their eyes met and she saw a moment pass between them.

  In the distance, Lacy heard the gurgle of the creek that snaked around the cemetery. The road widened making it easier to navigate. They turned the bend and the trees began to thin, then opened up to a wide clearing. The wind worn rock wall surrounding the graves came into view. As a child she had kicked off her shoes, and scaled the rock wall that had seemed so high. While she balanced on the top of the rock fence in her bare feet, her father would hold her hand.

  She imagined the field hands having the painstaking job of building the wall one rock at a time. It had to be backbreaking work since it enclosed the whole cemetery. The wall was beautiful even after the passing of time. What a lovely, peaceful place f
or a cemetery she thought. Now she could understand why Russell picked that spot to spend eternity.

  Weathered, century old tombstones stood high and exalted. Russell and Margaret Reynolds’ stone towered over all the other tombstones in the cemetery giving it the impression of being a monument to a great man. Russell had built the house and maintained the land. It was Russell who deemed the farm Twelve Oaks.

  The men carefully lowered the casket to the ground and followed Lacy to the graveyard. She handed Juan his tablet so he could video the ceremony before she opened the ancient, iron gate to enter the graveyard. It squeaked on its rusty hinges making her skin crawl.

  “It looks great, Juan. Thank you for all your hard work.” Two of the tall, thin headstones had broken. Juan had cemented them back together.

  “You’re welcome.” Josh and Juan had spent most of yesterday weed-eating and cleaning around the graves. The cemetery had fallen into disrepair over the years. Now that Hilda and Darrell’s bodies would rest in the graveyard, Lacy would make sure the site would be better maintained. After all, the graves belonged to her ancestors. The responsibility was now upon her family.

  Her sisters, Nina and Beth took her hand and they walked the last few feet. Maria, their housekeeper and cook, Grace, Grant and Josh’s mother followed quietly.

  Lacy peered at Russell and Margaret’s headstone. The air seemed to grow hotter. The epithet on the headstone was a lie.

  A great man, husband, and father.

  The unexpected rush of emotion almost took her to her knees. Even though she never knew the man, she hated him. The scheming devil was going to force Hilda to marry his business partner’s son. She was only a possession in his eyes. With a long breath to calm her anger, she whispered, “It should say murderer.”

  Margaret died a year before he died, having survived her daughter by a decade. Lacy asked no one in particular. “Do you think he ever told his wife that he killed Hilda? Do you think the grief and pain ever got to be too much to bear and he confessed his sins?”

  Nina snorted, “It’s doubtful. Men like him don’t have a conscience.”

  “But he loved her. The words in Hilda’s diary proved he loved her. After he killed her, the rest of his life had to be nothing but agony.” At least that was what she hoped. It was only fitting that he be punished in some way. It wasn’t fair he got to go on with his life after he ended Hilda and Darrell’s at such a young age. “Russell might have gotten away with murder on earth, but God knows what he did to Hilda and Darrell. No doubt he is paying for those horrid sins.”

  “I’m sure God punished him.” In her mind Lacy could see Russell in the pits of hell burning for all eternity. She promised herself she’d let go of the anger that poisoned her where he was concerned. Russell Reynolds died a long time ago. Maybe he had asked for forgiveness and God granted him that forgiveness. It wasn’t up to her to decide Russell’s punishment.

  Juan followed Lacy videoing her every move as she meandered from one gravestone to the other reading each one. She wondered if any of her other ancestors had also been plagued with tragedy. As she made her way to the very back of the stone wall, she stopped at the grave that had always made her sad. A young woman by the name of Sally May Reynolds died at the tender age of eighteen during the year 1951. A small grave and marker was next to her. Baby Girl was all that was inscribed on the tiny stone. Reynolds was her maiden name so the woman had never married. She and her baby must have died during childbirth.

  A horrible image popped into her head. What if Sally’s parents were so embarrassed because she had a child out of wedlock that they killed her and her baby? She shook her head to dissolve the appalling idea. After all the tragedy she had been subjected to the last month, she was becoming morbid. Just because Russell Reynolds had been evil, it didn’t mean the rest of her ancestors were murderers. Her first instinct was probably correct. Sally died while giving birth to her baby. Her parents grieved as they buried their daughter and infant grandchild in the family cemetery. That scenario sounded much better to Lacy.

  No one said a word as she strolled through the graveyard imagining what the residents’ lives had been like. Were they happy? Were they content with their husbands, wives, and children? She wished she had diaries of each and everyone so she would know. At least she knew Hilda was happy up until her death. It was a shame her life was cut short. She never got the chance to marry Darrell, have children, and live happily ever after.

  The tombstone for Hilda and Darrell had already been erected next to Margaret’s grave. It was the only new stone in the family cemetery. The last person buried had been Sally Reynolds. From that point on family members were buried at the Tabernacle Baptist Church she now attended. Russell Reynolds had donated the land and money to build the church. Everyone had admired Russell. Not one person ever suspected him of murdering his own daughter and her lover.

  Lacy had chosen the stone herself. It was dark marble. Carved on the front were Hilda Reynolds and Darrell Talbert June 12, 1912. They lived, loved, and died together.

  The six-foot deep hole had been dug yesterday by Grant, Josh, and Dylan. Grant placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded her head and wiped away a tear. She didn’t know why she was crying. This was what she had wanted for so long. She found Hilda and Darrell and now they could have a proper burial.

  Nina and Beth took her hands and led her a safe distance from the grave site. The men looped a rope through the handles of the black, shiny casket and lowered it into the ground inch by methodical inch. Grace handed her a bouquet of flowers from her flower garden. Grace had a green thumb and the flowers were vibrant and beautiful. Before she dropped them onto the casket, she took a sniff. The fragrant smell lifted her spirits. She bent and scooped up a handful of the freshly unearthed soil. She tossed the dirt on top of the casket and stepped back.

  Everyone circled the lowered casket while Nina read a passage from the Bible and then they prayed. Together she and her sisters sang Amazing Grace, her favorite hymn. Dylan placed his arm around her shoulders for comfort as the rest of the men shoveled dirt into the hole. Silent minutes passed as she waited for the chore to be completed. Juan moved around the group getting everyone in the video from different angles.

  Maria broke the silence. “Let’s go home and have a nice meal together.” Nina, Beth, Grace, and Maria had been cooking all morning. A feast awaited them back at the house. It was a day to celebrate. Hilda was at rest.

  “You guys go ahead. I’m going to hang back for a few minutes.” Her eyes fixed on Dylan. “We’ll walk back.”

  The crowd dispersed toward the narrow path that led back to Twelve Oaks. Their voices faded before they turned the bend and could no longer be seen. She heard the roar of the truck as Grant started the engine.

  Dylan propped his shoulder against Russell’s stone. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Hilda.”

  “Do you miss her?”

  She turned and faced him. “A little. I’m glad she crossed over, but it seems so strange knowing I’ll never see her again.” She giggled. “One of my best friends was a ghost. How pathetic is that?” Lacy didn’t make friends easy. She could count her close friends on one hand. People made her nervous. She didn’t understand how an outgoing, exciting person like Dylan could tolerate her shyness. They were vastly different. Still, he loved her. She didn’t doubt that love. Tints of gold glinted through his brown hair in the dappled sunlight. It was his good looks that had attracted her in the beginning. Now that she knew him on a deeper level, it was his devotion and loyalty.

  After a sympathetic look, he took her hand and pulled her in close. “I find it admirable. It shows you have a huge heart. If people don’t want to be your friend, that is their loss. They have no idea how much compassion and love you possess. How many of them would have gone through the trouble to help someone that died over a hundred years ago?”

  “You are very tolerant of me. If you decide I�
�m too much trouble, I won’t hold it against you.”

  He pushed her at arm’s length so he could peer into her eyes. “Damn, Lacy. I get more out of this relationship than you do.” There was hostility in his voice. “You’re just sad because of what you’ve gone through the last month. A month ago you were almost murdered.”

  She leaned into him. “But I survived.”

  “Yes, you did. You survived because you fought back. Give it time and you’ll be back to your normal self.”

  “Cursed is what I am.” Lacy wondered what her normal self was. Her parents died in an automobile accident almost two years ago when a drunk driver crossed the center lane. Their deaths devastated Lacy and her sisters. Life had been difficult. She had kept that despair and grief to herself.

  After Nina married Grant things had gotten better. He made them a close knit family once again. Seven months later Beth married his brother Josh. The bond grew even stronger. The love of family helped her heal. But then tragedy struck again when she was drugged and almost raped by Bret Robertson at a frat party. Lacy sighed loudly. She had promised herself she wasn’t going to think about anything depressing today. Today was a day for celebration. Hilda had passed over and was now in heaven.

  Gray eyes sparked with anger. “You’re not cursed. All other women pale next to you. I was in a dark place before you came into my life. I have something to live for now, Lacy. I love you. Stop acting like you don’t deserve my devotion.”

  She raked her fingers through his hair. “I love you, Dylan.” Her eyes grew misty. He jerked her into his arms and devoured her mouth. Her breath held for a moment. Warmth spread through her like wildfire. Her hand rested against his stomach. She could feel the thick pad of muscle on his ribs. Circled in his arms she felt she could take on the world. He was her strength, her refuge.

  Her pulse fluctuated wildly when his hand moved to her breast and his thumb raked over her nipple through her thin shirt and bra. She felt it harden against his hand. Startled by the sheer hunger, she bowed her back and reveled as his touch became more aggressive.