(Epilogue)
Anna and Duke's horses trotted side by side over the dirt road until they arrived at a plot of land with a small house on it, a stake at the entrance marking it. Sally sat behind Duke, holding the saddle tight, while Jill wrapped her little hands around Anna. Buster and Rhubarb ran together at their sides.
They had adopted the girls legally, and Sally and Jill were happy to join the new family.
"Welcome to our new home," Duke said to all three of them, then smiled and leaned over to kiss Anna's cheek.
"Glad to be in a new town without any cattle to worry about. How about it, girls? We will start our own farm here. How about some chickens and sheep just to keep our hand in? But you can't rustle cherries, can you?"
The girls cheered, everyone agreed they were happy for the fresh start. There were some issues, of course, with the girls leaving their home and two-year-old "mother" and coming to accept the new situation. They never saw Belle again, as Duke and Anna felt it was best for them not to see her get hanged. It had been rough for a while, but the girls eventually fell into the patterns of their new life. Now, they only occasionally asked about their time at Belle's ranch, and no longer remarked on her absence. Life was better, and they adapted as young people do.
Anna even started wearing dresses for the first time in a while. Maybe some of the time, it wasn't so bad. Duke didn't mind her in men's shirts, slacks, and boots, either, and would indeed be seeing her in them a lot around their new cherry farm.
Rows of cherry trees were peeking out from behind the house, a babbling brook between the house and fields. Duke said, "Well, it's not Cherry Springs, but it looks like we have cherries, and a spring."
"I got the idea from the name!" giggled Anna.
"Looks like we have some exploring to do," declared Duke, helping the girls safely dismount from the horses. They laughed and dashed off towards the fields, the two dogs racing beside them.
"Don't go too far!" called Anna, as she hitched one leg over her horse and slid down to her feet. She took an envelope out from her dress pocket.
"Ah, the dogs will look after them," said Duke, as he looped her other arm in his, and they walked up the lane to the house.
She pulled out the deed to the house and a pair of brass keys, then proceeded to mount the porch steps and unlock their new house.
Within two years, they had established the farm into a flourishing orchard with a manageable number of animals to meet their needs, and the girls disciplined to daily lessons at school. They all made new friends in the town, which they found to be much friendlier than the town of Cherry Springs. Cherry orchards blossomed with sweet-smelling flowers, a lot better than cattle smells, and they had the most famous cherry preserves in the county every year. The girls grew up happy in the house, and only occasionally asked about Lucy, Belle, and their lives before.
The End.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Cherry Springs! If you enjoyed it, please support the author by reviewing it on Amazon (and/or GoodReads) and letting others know about this book!
With Love and Gratitude,
J.B. Lesel