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The next few years were busy ones for the Sullivans and Haileys. After college Jesse married Katy at St Anthony of Padua in North Port Charlotte where her Dad and Malinda had married.
Their reception turned out to be the perfect dance Jesse had promised. Katy asked Jesse to wear the crown as they danced the first dance at the reception. He smiled and complied, but it was removed immediately afterward.
The couple moved in with Ted and Doris and helped worked the farm. New techniques in breeding and raising cattle brought a major improvement and the farm prospered.
Jesse and Katy gave birth to three healthy and rambunctious children, Danny, Helen and James Theodore were born two years apart. Katy had help. Doris and Malinda were constantly around and naturally spoiled the children. They followed Ted and Jesse around the farm and were soon helping with the cattle, chickens and bees.
The family and farm flourished as the years raced by. Jesse and Katy became grandparents. Danny had three boys. Helen had two girls and a boy, and J.T. gave them a girl and then a boy.
Although not financially, they did suffer hardships. When cancer claimed Ted at age 60, it left Doris devastated. He was buried near his parents in the small family cemetery behind the orange grove. Doris followed him the next spring. Windblown blossoms from the nearby orange trees covering her grave comforted Jesse and Katy. It was a pleasant reminder that the two, who loved one another so deeply in life, were now together again in spirit.
Malinda caught pneumonia in the winter of 1977, and passed away quietly at home. Jim continued his apiarist business. He taught his grandchildren candle making and how to keep the bee yard free of litter and crawling nuisances. He cherished his grandchildren and one day he became a great-grandpa. Soon afterward Jim went to live at Honey Tree Farm.
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“How’s your dad?” Jesse asked one afternoon as he came into the kitchen from the feed lot. “Maybe he'd like to take a walk in the grove before dark.”
“It’s a nice evening, he might enjoy that. You've got a while before sunset and we won't eat for a while. Go ask him."
Jesse returned and stopped in the doorway. He was white as a sheet and Katy knew by the look on his face. “It's Dad...” It wasn't so much a question as a statement.
“Yeah, it must have been quick. He still had the crossword..."
She dashed past him and into the living room. Jim looked comfortable in his chair, puzzle in his hand and his glasses on. He looked like he had just dozed off for a minute.” Katy walked over and touched his cheek. She leaned down and kissed him.
“I never heard a thing. I took him tea a while ago. He didn't even finish it.”
Katy turned into Jesse’s arms. She hugged him fiercely. She didn't want to cry. Jesse kissed the top of her head.
“I had a feeling at lunch when he didn’t eat much. He just said he was a little tired. But he seemed to be winding down lately, like a clock running out of time.” She buried her face in his shirt, gave in and softly wept.
Jesse held Katy, his own throat ached and tears formed.
Jim was buried, according to his wishes, in Myakka next to Katy’s mother and Malinda. Katy visited the grave site often at first.
“I know it’s probably strange to some that both my mom and Malinda are buried here with my dad, but he loved them both and it seems right somehow.”
“It is what they wanted and that is all that matters. You’ve had so many people love you, Katy, including me. I'm so glad you came to the farm that day.” He took her hand and kissed it. Hand in hand they walked back to the car.
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The extra leaf in the old dining room table was in constant use now that Teddy, his wife Alice and the grandkids came on Sundays for dinner. Their youngest, Travis, shadowed Jesse on every visit. Jesse answered all his questions and gave him jobs to do. The dirtier he got, the happier the boy was. The years seemed to fly by, but the one thing that held his interest was the bees.
One Sunday in March 1996, Travis and Grandpa Jesse were walking through the orange grove. The orange blossom perfume was almost over-powering and the only sounds were the bees buzzing, birds chirping and leaves rustling in the light breeze.
“Grandpa, when can I have my own hive?”
“Let’s see. How old are you now, twelve?”
“Grandpa, I’m sixteen! I’ll graduate high school next year.”
“Why don't we find some queens and make a couple of splits. That will get you started.”
“Why can’t I have a brand new one? You know, start one from the beginning? My birthday’s in a couple of weeks. I’d like my own bees and my own hive. Please, Grandpa?”
“Well, I'll look into it, but no promises.” Jesse never made promises he couldn’t keep. “I’ll call Ben Jacobs at the Feed and Grain store in Zolfo Springs. We need to get some prices together, and see how long it would take to get a new hive and have the bees shipped in.”
“Thanks, Grandpa. I’ll work extra hard around the farm to pay you back.”
“It’s not a done deal yet. Don’t go getting ahead of yourself,” Jesse said, and patted the boy's shoulder. “Sixteen, huh? That's why you look hungry; let’s go see if Grandma has any of that Rhubarb pie left."
Jesse talked it over with Katy, but she was less enthusiastic.
“Are you sure he’s ready for his own hive? You know how kids are. They want something badly and then lose interest once they have it a while.”
“Not a problem. If he loses interest, what’s the worst that can happen?”
"We have another hive to care for.”
“Right, and if he sticks with it, he learns responsibility and will earn money from the honey.”
“Okay, call Ben and set it up. I’ll get with Teddy and Alice and work out plans for his birthday. Do you think we can we get it all in time?” Katy said, as she counted off the days until Travis’s birthday at a calendar on the back of the kitchen door.
“I’ll know more after I talk to Ben.” Jesse said. He took a cup of coffee and sat on the stairs to make his call. “Katy, we really need to get a longer cord for this phone."
“You say that every time, but you never do anything about it,” Katy laughed, as she passed him on the steps, her arms full of folded laundry for the upstairs closet.
Back in the kitchen a few minutes later, she sat started a shopping list. At the top she wrote longer phone cord and underlined it.
“Ben doesn’t know if the bees will arrive in time," Jesse said, as he came back into the room. "He has one more new hive at the store. I'll pick it up today. Ben said something else... Brice is in town."
"I thought he moved to Texas when he got out? What is he doing here? Well, I don’t care.” Katy fingered the shopping list. “Why don't I ride with you? You can drop me off at the grocery. We need some things and you can get the hive for Travis." She grinned up at him. "I know you, you’ll talk to everyone at Ben's, and the supper and I will get cold waiting for you."
"Don't be silly," he kissed her on the cheek and took the list. I won't be long."
