BROTHERS A FANTASY

Copyright © 2002
Re-written 2011

By Lee Mariner

themariner@cox.net

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Epilogue

The remainder of the winter passed without further incident. Josh moved into my room after we convinced Gramps that there was no need for cleaning the spare room and moving furniture around when Matt's bed was already set up, and available.

Golden Angel was separated from the other mares when her time was near. Matt's horse, Runner, was brought back from exile when I convinced Gramps it was a shame not having him on the farm.  Josh and I did not agree with his thinking; but Gramps was adamant about not wanting to breed him with any mare on the farm. I sort of agreed with his thinking since Runner had been Matt's horse but, the economics of owning a top of the line Morgan breeding stud made more sense.

Josh and I had all but assumed the responsibility of running the farm and on occasion involving Gramps but, his advancing age was becoming a factor.  While Josh oversaw the general operation, I set up computer files with the pedigrees of our studs and mares. With the adding of pedigreed Black Angus cattle, additional programs had to be set up for all of the rather extensive pedigree's, some of them going back several hundred years. 

Setting up files for the mares was akin to creating a family tree, and required histories on the foals each mare had dropped, with the history of their sires. The pedigree trees prevented the possibility of crossbreeding.  That and the web site alone kept me pretty busy, answering the inquiries about breeding, breeding fees and the, various upcoming auctions.

One evening, we were having dinner and Gramps, was unusually quiet. He had always enjoyed discussing the day's events but, on this particular evening, I could tell he was mulling something over in his mind. When I glanced at Josh, he shrugged his shoulders, and gave me an 'I don't know' kind of look. I knew that Gramps would eventually speak his mind. But, when I poured his second cup of coffee, he looked at me, and then at Josh, it was as if his soft gray eyes were looking straight through both of us.  I felt a cold shiver run up and down my spine. 

Taking a sip of his coffee, Gramps lifted his face to Josh, and said, "how long you been with us now, Josh?" he asked. "It's been a few months over a year, hasen't it, ever since Matt passed away?"

"Yes, Sir," Josh replied. "Its been nearabouts two years, give or take a few days."

"Like working on a quarter horse farm do you?"

"Yes sir, I do," Josh responded softly, glancing at me with a look of inquiry and concern in his eyes.

"Luke's going to need help pretty soon but, I reckon you boys know that without me saying it. Your Uncle Lester and I aren't getting any younger.  We've been together a long lot of years, bred many a fine horse and did more than our share of foolishness but, no man this side of heaven could have asked for a better friend, and I reckon you and Luke probably feel the same way about each other as we did years ago, still do."

"Gramps, why are you talking this way?" I asked, trying to control the tone of anxiety in my voice, to avoid showing the concern that I was feeling. "You're going to be with us for a long time yet."

"Maybe so, Luke but, I'm not all that sure, and I've been wondering if Josh was going to stick with horse breeding or if he might have other ideas."

"I'll be here as long as you and Luke want me, Uncle Walter. I don't have any reason for leaving. I told Uncle Lester I didn't want to leave and of course, he said that wasn't up to him but, he didn't see no reason why not."

"That sounds like Lester, and its good hearing that," he said, looking at Josh with his soft gray eyes and nodding his head gently. "I always figured that Matt and Luke would take over after me, but I reckon it'll be you and Luke now; and, I'm sure Matt would have approved," he said in a whispery voice, hesitating for a few moments. "There are a couple of things on my mind I'd like to talk about with the two of you, but we can talk more tomorrow. Right now, I'm kind of tired and I'd like to go to bed. Will you give me a hand getting to my bedroom, Luke?"

"Of course I will, Gramps but, don't you think I should call Dr. Mohr?"

"There is no need to be doing that boy, I just need some rest. The old coot is near about as old as me, and all he would do is give me some pills and fuss about taking it easy while he clips my pocket. I just need a nip of Old Crow, and a good nights rest."

After pouring Gramps his nightly shot of Old Crow, and getting him settled for the night, I went back in the kitchen where Josh was waiting.

"You think he will be all right, Luke?" He asked. " I can't remember when he ever mentioned he was that tired before, or needed help."

"We will take him in for a checkup tomorrow, Josh. I don't like the way he was talking either."

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Gramps died in his sleep that night, and I was glad Josh was with me. For the second time in a space of less then five years, I had lost the four most precious people in the world and losing Gramps was as bad as losing Matt.  We buried Gramps beside Grandma on another cold day, but at least it was not raining. 

Services were held in the church that they had attended, and it overflowed with people that had known them over the years, and many that knew of him and his prowess in the breeding of quarter horses. Since the family cemetery was so far back in the hills, and the road had not been improved, the services were limited to the family and invited guests.

Lester stood beside the grave with Josh's arm around his shoulders much like Gramps and I had when Matt was buried. I stood close to Josh holding his strong hand with both of mine, and resting my head on his shoulder. The minister, mercifully, held a short interment service and after the usual expression of condolences, the cemetery slowly emptied. Two men that I did not know stood off the side at a respectful distance. A feeling of deja' vu spread over me as we stood huddled together, tears flowing freely.

After the funeral, we, Josh and I, took Lester to his cottage, and we had coffee. Much like Gramps, he had adamantly refused to leave his cottage and move in with us. Over the years the cottage had been renovated, and it was a far cry from what it had been but, we did not like the idea of leaving him alone. After much discussion pro and con, we agreed to a twice daily check on his welfare.  I think he felt like we were babying him but, short of forcing him to move it was the best compromise.

We didn't know it at the time, but Lester would follow Gramps in less than six months, and Josh and I would bury him beside his wife in the Lawrence Cemetery, close to his old friend.

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In the year we had been together, Josh had not only matured physically, he matured into a strong-minded, young business man. He grew another two-inches taller, and his body had thickened. His muscles were more defined from the hard work on the farm; and we  worked out together on the Bowflex exercising machine we had installed in the main floor addition that was built onto the main house during it's renovation. His golden blond hair had become thicker and even more unruly than it had been, but his eyes were still the dark cobalt blue pools that flashed when he was angry or excited. When he looked at someone, his eyes expressed his feelings without words. When discussing the farm and quarter horse breeding, his voice was a soft well-modulated baritone. I had learned that he rarely spoke in anger but if he thought someone was lying or trying to take advantage of him or a friend, his eyes would speak volumes, and the offender would soon learn the error of his ways. Josh was not vindictive but, in the world of business, there was more than one way to teach someone manners and he was more than adept at it. 

Our feelings for each other grew and intensified even more so when we made love. His eyes would smolder with passion and I felt that passion blended with desire when, flexing his muscles, he slowly took me, our bodies melding one within the other as his turgid phallus filled the need within me, and his need to satisfy both of us when he reached the ecstatic, volcanic eruption that would send waves of ecstasy washing over us. His touch was as light as a feather matched by the gentleness of our lips pressed together, our tongues probing the velvety inner softness of our mouths.

There was an overwhelming feeling of love and passion between us when we made love, and very little need for anything to be said since we knew how we felt. I knew from the way he would look at me with soft glowing eyes that he loved me. His eyes, whether gleaming with passion or twinkling impishly as he teased, always said, "I love you," and that alone replaced any other words that he could have uttered.

I was standing in the door with my coffee mug, looking out at the gray clouds scudding across the sky; there was a hint of snow in the air but then, spring had not yet sprung - it was still winter. A bird or two flew by on the way to where they had built a nest, or maybe looking for some berries or seeds. A brisk wind blew out of the Northeast, and that usually indicated a chance of snow if a moisture laden low-pressure system came up from the south as it had been predicted would happen.

I wasn't really thinking of anything, my mind was almost a blank as I stood in the doorway looking out over the porch where I had spent so many happy summers playing with Matt, and talking with Gramps. Josh came up behind me and slipped his thick muscled arms around my waist, pulling me to him. My body molded with his and shivers went through me as his lips caressed the nape of my neck. We could kiss without one or the other of us needing to stretch or bend. I reached down and pulled his arms up around my chest, as I turned my head.  Our lips met briefly in a soft kiss, and he pressed his body closer to mine, the steel hard muscles of his arms contracting around my chest as he spoke very quietly.

"You okay Lukie?"

"As long as I have you with me Josh, everything is okay," I said nostalgically. "I was thinking about the past and all of the things that Matt and Gramps and I had done over the years. That's all in the past now, and it's just the two of us."

Holding me tightly to him with one arm, he moved his free hand down over my crotch. Squeezing my cock and nuzzling my hair he whispered softly, "Do you want to lay down for awhile?"

I felt the pulsing hardness in his groin pressing into the crack between my buttocks, and a wave of desire to feel him inside of me swept over me. Turning in his arms, we kissed softly, our bodies glued together. His hardness matched my own and the feeling of needing him flowed like fire through my veins. In the depths of his eyes I could see the love and desire that he felt, replacing the need for words. 

We stood in the center of our room removing each other's clothing - piece by piece. Nervous fingers glided over hard muscled flesh, sensitive nerves tingling with excitement from the feather light touch of fingertips. I drank in the tawny golden beauty of his magnificently muscled torso, his chest rising and falling evenly as he breathed, his eyes gleaming. Pulling me to him, I felt his muscles rippling under his warm, velvety flesh. Our lips and cocks meeting in a mutually passionate embrace, tongues twisting and tasting as our passion driven hips responded to the intensity that had overwhelmed us; grinding our pre-seminal slick, granite hard cocks together in nests of silky hair.

"Mmmmmmm." I moaned softly as he kissed my throat. "Josh," I whispered, "All I could think about today while we were at the cemetery was how much I love and need you."

"You learn quickly," I whispered.

"Fortunately, I had a more than willing teacher," he replied, chuckling softly and nibbling on my ear lobe with his soft lips as he whispered, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Lying on the bed, my heart was racing and I could feel the beat of Josh's heart in sync with the throbbing of his cock against mine as he rolled on top of me.

Rolling my head from side to side as the fire in my groin built to a blazing crescendo, I whimpered, "Josh, please, take me."

"Not tonight, Lukie," he growled softly, looking down at me with warm soft eyes as he ran his hand over my chest and abdomen. "Tonight we take each other. Tonight I want your life in me the same way you take mine. Tonight it is just you and me, Lukie, alone for the first time since we met. You are mine and I am yours. I'll love you for all of eternity or until God separates us."

Josh twisted around and we took each other gently, slowly. Passionately we consumed the elixir of life we gave each other, nursing at the fount of mans love for man. We filled each other with the hot molten seed that forever sealed the bond between us.

My mind floated in a golden haze of ecstasy as I drew the elixir of life from the well that was Josh. Visions of Matt and the many times that we had fulfilled each others needs floated in my mind, and I felt a tinge of guilt until Josh, twisting around, stretched out beside me, his breathing slowly subsiding, his magnificent cock slowly losing its length and girth.

Real or imagined, there was the faint odor of sandalwood and musk in the air, and Josh took me in his arms. Our lips met in a gentle, passionate kiss and excuse or not, I knew what I felt for Josh was not wrong, and that Mattie would have approved.

As our lips parted, Josh looked deep into my eyes, and asked softly, "Do you love me, Luke?

"As long as I can breath, Josh, as long as I can breath," I whispered softly, gazing into the depth of his brilliant blue eyes.

As we drifted off to sleep, I felt a deep satisfying warmth enveloping me and  deep in the recesses of my mind, I heard a soft whisper, "be happy Lukie, I'll always love you and be with you."

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The farm profited, and our love grew stronger over the years. The  Black Angus cattle that were brought on the farm also prospered. Gramps may have objected to some of the changes that we made, but I know he would have been proud.

After acquiring his high school equivalency certificate, Josh attended college and graduated with a BS in Animal Husbandry. He later continued his studies until he completed the requirements for his MA and eventual Doctorate. Eventually, he was recognized as a leading expert in quarter horse breeding and their bloodlines.

Our lives had improved considerably, and our love deepened with each passing day. When we were able, we had the house remodeled, and as the business improved, we rebuilt the main barns and out-buildings. Josh oversaw the day-to-day operation of the farm while I did the bookkeeping. When two large abutting farms were put up for sale, we acquired both farms. With the combined acreage, our overall acreage increased to almost twelve hundred acres.

After Lester's passing, we took in a sharecropper family, Melvin and Margaret Coppinger and their two handsome, eighteen year old twin boys, Thad and Ted. Their closeness reminded me of Matt and I when we were eighteen and both Josh and I wondered if they might be sexually involved...they were. 

In addition to tending the farms crops and after helping their parents, Thad and Ted assisted Josh with the quarter horse training and breeding. Josh recognized that both boys had a natural knack for horse breeding and, he sort of took them under his wing, teaching them like Gramps and his Uncle Lester had taught him.

With the added farm land, the cattle and  farm operations grew. The Coppinger's were a great help but our agreement had been, they would work for us four days of the week and the remaining time, they devoted to the sixty acres their sharecropper cottage was built on. Of course the boys would be available on some weekends but, even  with that, we realized that we needed additional help.

We built a comfortable two-bedroom cottage and hired a young couple to manage the farming division while Josh supervised the horse breeding and cattle divisions.  Paul Morgan had served an enlistment in the Marine Corps, and his outward appearance revealed it. He was sandy blond, stocky and muscular much like a wrestler. After his enlistment, he returned home and married Myrtle, his high-school sweetheart.  Paul and Myrtle were living on Paul's fathers farm outside of Lexington, and he was taking advantage of the G.I. Bill and taking night course in agriculture at Lexington State College. They had been raised on farms and had the experience needed for a Farm Manager. We had already interviewed a few single men and one or two couples when they contacted us. It only took a few minutes to detect their enthusiasm and considering Paul's military background along with their drive for self-improvement, it was a no-brainer. They moved onto the farm a few days later.

Josh and I with Paul discussed the need for a permanent crew and decided on two men for the cattle division and four for farming. It wasn't until after we had made the changes that I fully realized the the growth we had attained and just how wealthy we had become. 

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Josh and I visited the Lawrence Family Cemetery annually on the  anniversary of Matt's passing. After one visit and seeing the shoddy condition of the cemetery, we made an appointment with a local landscaper to meet us at the cemetery. He agreed that the cemetery needed to be better cared for. Along with us, we met with the president of our bank, and established a mutually agreeable, interest earning trust of sufficient funds to insure the care of the cemetery in future years.  We had taken Thad and Ted with us on a couple of our visits to the cemetery to remove weeds, plant flowers and cut the grass, such as it was. In later years, it was a real surprise to see how well the cemetery looked after a little care. The landscaper was earning his fees. 

After one particularly vicious winter, we visited the Bahamas at the beginning of the following fall and bought a small cottage on a wooded bluff overlooking the ocean.  To avoid deteriation of the property, we employed a maintenance crew to care for the cottage during the summer months when we were in Kentucky.  Eventually we established a permanent return day in late September, and the cottage would be ready when we arrived.

We spent many happy winters enjoying the serenity of the island, and the memories of the years we had spent together.

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