by J A Whiting
21
This time, instead of heading as usual into the peaceful neighborhood, Mae took Silver along the street that formed the boundary of the fair, right into the bright lights and noise, and only a few feet from the crowds that lined the curbs.
There had been no time to practice this. Mae would have to rely on Silver's show-ring training and on the rapport she had built with him over the last couple of weeks.
I sure hope he went to a few county fair shows while he was on the circuit. They'd be a lot like this.
At the sight of the crowds, Silver raised his head and flicked his ears forward. Mae eased him into a jog, keeping him trotting slowly and steadily as he got a good look at his new surroundings and making sure the horse remembered she was still there as he looked around.
The crowds loved the sight of him and applause followed them all down the street.
Over the loudspeakers she could hear the announcer call, "Okay, everyone! Santa Claus is leaving for the North Pole right now because he's got a long night ahead of him. Here to take him to his waiting limousine is a real antique sleigh pulled by Silver, with his driver, Mae Monahan."
Mae nodded briefly to the crowd, but kept her attention on her horse. She halted him firmly and then was enormously proud as he parked out into a perfect show-horse stretch.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas, everybody!"
The sudden deep voice and the loud cheers from the crowd startled Silver and he started to move forward.
"Whoa," she said to him. "Whoa, now." She used the reins to halt him again, but he was still spooked by the noise all around him and confused by having to stand still.
Right in front of her, Mae saw Ross step out of the crowd. He watched her closely and she guessed what he wanted to ask – want me to hold him?
With a brief shake of her head, she answered him. No. I'm good.
And with just a little more work – and possibly because Silver caught sight of Ross standing near him and was reassured – the horse once again parked out and stood beautifully.
Ross nodded and stepped back again, but just a little.
How the heck did Ross get down here so fast, anyway?
But there was no time to think about that. After waving to everyone in the crowd and calling out "Merry Christmas!" many more times, Santa got into the sleigh and sat down.
"Ready, Santa?" she called, over her shoulder.
"Ready," he said, and with that Mae turned the horse around and headed him back down the street the way they had come.
The way was clear. The crowds were staying back along the curbs.
All right, buddy. It's show time!
As Jingle Bells played over the loudspeakers, Mae took up her reins and shook the short lash of the whip just a little over Silver's back. He couldn't see it due to the blinkers on his bridle, but he could hear the small whispering rattle it made and feel the vibration from it.
And to Silver, being an old show horse, that signal did indeed mean only one thing … Show Time!
He raised his neck, tucked his nose, flagged his tail, and set off down the street in the prettiest high-stepping trot Mae could have imagined. His hooves and his harness bells kept perfect time with the music that floated over the Holiday Fair. The crowds applauded, their cell phones flashed, and they all cheered for Santa and for the beautiful silver-grey horse that drew his sleigh.
At last she brought Silver back to a walk and then halted him again so that Santa could get out and walk to his waiting limo. He waved goodbye to everyone, winked at Mae, blew a kiss to Silver, and then was gone as the limo drove him away to wherever his reindeer were waiting.
Mae took a deep breath and walked Silver back to the cab stand. This time her own crew applauded as she drove up, Andrew, Brandon, and Chloe, and she couldn’t stop smiling as the horse halted again in his usual place.
"Oh, that was a thrill," she said. "I couldn't ask for a better close to Christmas eve, and I guess to the time I've spent with Silver."
"That was fabulous," cried Chloe. "The crowd absolutely loved it."
"He is an awfully pretty horse, Mom," said Andrew.
"I think every person here got a picture," added Brandon. "You'll be all over the news and social media tomorrow."
"Well, as long as they spell the company name right," she said, and all of them laughed.
Mae sat back as the crowd came closer and started taking pictures of Silver and the sleigh, and decided she may as well let them snap away. There was no room to get the horse through, anyway.
"So, Andrew," she said, as the phones flashed and flashed. "You're still going to stay over Christmas, even with everything that happened? "
Her older son stepped forward. "Of course, I'll stay. I'll be here through New Year's Day or until you get into trouble again, Mom. Whichever comes first."
"Don't worry, Andrew. You never know what Mom will get into next," said Brandon. "I'm sure there will be plenty more adventures to come if you hang around long enough."
Ross rejoined them and Mae smiled up at him gratefully. "Careful, though, Andrew," she said. "If you show up out at the barn, Ross will put you to work."
The older man turned to Andrew and seemed to be sizing him up. "I know you can handle a phone, but can you lift a hundred-pound bale of hay?"
"I don't know. I can lift a scalpel pretty good, or so my instructors tell me."
"Well, we'll work on that," Ross answered, and all of them chuckled.
"Give me just a few more minutes," Mae said. "Let everyone take their pictures and then I promise you I'll be very ready to leave.”
"Sure thing, Mom," said Brandon. "Take your time. I'll get the water bucket."
"Thanks." Mae smiled for the cameras once again while Silver stood nicely parked out. He seemed relaxed, bobbing his head as the cell phones flashed all around him.
And then suddenly the horse raised his head and looked pointedly toward the curb.
Mae tried to see what had caught his attention. She saw an older couple standing there watching Silver and clearly talking about him. They were both rather distinguished looking and very well-dressed, with the man in a camelhair overcoat and fedora and the woman in a long creamy coat trimmed with white fur.
Silver actually took a step toward them, as much as he dared, since he had been told to stand still, and then stretched out his head and long neck to them.
And with a feeling of both excitement and dread, Mae knew who they must be.
She nodded to them as they approached the horse, and the woman stroked Silver’s neck. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Holland," Mae said. "I'm Mae Monahan."
The two of them approached the side of the sleigh nearest the curb.
"We are," the man said. "And we're very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Monahan."
"He looks wonderful," said Mrs. Holland with a lovely smile. "I never saw a better victory pass than the one you made down the street tonight."
"I'll bet Santa never had such a ride," said Mr. Holland. "We knew this was our horse the moment we saw him."
"Well," said Mae, taking a deep breath. "I really am glad to meet you. I've known for a while that I'd have to return him sooner or later, since he's actually stolen property."
"We're just so glad he was found safe," said Mrs. Holland. "We had all but given up hope."
Mae nodded. "I'll miss him. He's been completely wonderful. But of course, he needs to go home."
"He should indeed go home," said Mrs. Holland, and her husband nodded in agreement.
Then Mae stole a glance at them. "I wonder if … if I could possibly offer to buy him from you. On the outside chance that I could even afford him, of course."
The two looked at each other. "He was shown under the name 'A Study in Silver,' mostly in amateur fine harness classes," said Mrs. Holland. "He did very well and has a winning record, as well as being very reliable and fully trained."
"We've had a couple of offers for him before," said the man. "The last one was u
pward of thirty thousand dollars."
"Oh, of course," Mae said quickly as her heart sank into her stomach. "I was sure he was a show horse from the minute I saw him. No wonder he loaded up so easily when Ross first brought him to Goodnight Farm. Poor Silver probably thought he was going home."
"Maybe he was," said Mrs. Holland, smiling.
"You see, Mrs. Monahan," said Mr. Holland, "we don't want to sell him because we've decided we would rather lease him."
"Lease him? Oh, yes, I know that some people will lease a show horse for a year or two at a time rather than buying them outright." Mae tried to smile. "I'm sure you have a few prospects for him lined up already."
"Just one," said Mr. Holland.
"Just let me know when you want to come out to Goodnight Farm and pick him up. I'll be sure he's ready for his trip."
"We won't have to do that," said Mrs. Holland. "Silver is already with his new lessee, if she agrees to the arrangement."
It took a moment for reality to dawn on Mae. “Oh, my gosh,” she whispered. “You can't be serious. You'd really do that? Let me lease him from you? And could I afford it?"
"If you can afford a dollar a year for five years, Mrs. Monahan, then you can certainly afford to lease Silver."
"That's so wonderful.” Mae thought she would burst with joy. “But why would you do that, when you could lease him to someone for the show ring for far more?"
The couple glanced at one another and then looked back at Mae, and then at their horse. "My husband and I are incredibly grateful to you for finding him," said Mrs. Holland. "And for rescuing him from … the awful place where he was going."
"You even ended up catching the criminals who stole him so they can never do such a thing again to any other horses," said Mr. Holland. "It's the least we can do for you."
Mae just shook her head. "I'm just glad I could help to catch them. But I'm not the one who saw this horse at the auction. Ross did that." Mae looked up at him. "Ross bought him for me and took him straight to the farm, knowing full well that I'd fall in love with him. And I did."
The woman nodded. "I can see that," she said, her eyes twinkling. "And we insist on sending you a check for the price you paid for him, as well as something to cover his board since he's been with you."
"Oh, but – "
"We insist," said Mrs. Holland. "He would have simply disappeared otherwise and we would never even have known what happened to him."
"You said five years," said Ross. "He's ten now. You looking to retire him in five years?"
"Only from the carriage business," said the man, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder. "You see, Frances here has a five-gaited horse now and wants to ride in the show ring instead of just driving, at least for a while."
"Oh, I see," said Mae. "Five-gaited horses are pretty wonderful."
"That's why we're willing to lease Silver to you with the idea of taking him back in a few years," said Mrs. Holland. "Our granddaughter is only seven right now, but in five years, when she’s twelve and Silver is fifteen, he will be the ideal horse for her to begin showing, both in harness and under saddle."
"Even at that age?" asked Ross.
"Oh, he'll do fine," Mae said quickly. "It won't be hard work for him. Many Saddlebreds go on to long careers in the show ring, and they end up doing just what Silver will be doing, teaching a new, younger generation of riders."
"I'll have a lease contract drawn up and sent to you," the man said. "In short, it will allow you to work him as you've been doing in return for his feed and routine care. We'll cover any major vet bills, if necessary, but I'm sure he'll be very healthy and happy."
"Although we do reserve the right to take a carriage ride with him whenever he's at an event with you," added Mrs. Holland.
Mae closed her eyes, trying to keep back the tears. "I don't … I just don't know what to say," she whispered. "Except, thank you. Thank you so much."
"Thank you, Mae," said Mrs. Holland. "And have a wonderful Christmas. We'll be in touch."
After goodbyes to the horse and a few pats on Silver’s neck, the couple walked away and were soon lost in the crowd.
Mae looked up to see that Andrew, Brandon, and Chloe had been there on the curb listening the whole time.
"So, they're going to let you lease him, Mom?" asked Brandon.
"Not a bad deal," said Andrew.
"But, Mae," said Chloe. "Wouldn't you rather own Silver outright? So that he's really yours?"
Mae looked at all of them and smiled. "Oh, Chloe," she said, "You don't have to own them for them to own you. This is the perfect solution for everyone."
"And it's cheaper, too," noted Ross, as all of them laughed together.
Mae could hardly imagine a more wonderful Christmas eve. Not only were her sons here for the holiday, but she had just received the best possible gift in being allowed to keep Silver for at least the next few years.
At last, it was time to go home.
"Get in, get in," she called, moving over on the front seat of the sleigh. "Ross, up front with me. Andrew and Brandon, sit down in the back. Chloe, you sit on Brandon's knee."
"My goodness," said Chloe, as all of them crowded into the sleigh. "I hope Silver can pull this."
"Oh, he can," said Mae. "We aren't going far. Just one last ride through the neighborhood."
They left the crowded, noisy fair behind, and Mae took Silver for one last trot under a clear and starry black sky, on the street with the beautifully lit and decorated houses. Her two sons and Chloe were chatting and laughing in the back of the sleigh, planning an evening of tasty snacks and a holiday movie to watch.
"I wonder, since the kids are going to busy," said Ross, sitting close beside Mae, "if you might like to have a late-night supper once we get the horse home."
Mae glanced at him, her eyes bright. How many Christmas miracles am I going to get tonight? First Silver, and now Ross.
"That sounds lovely, Ross, but it's Christmas Eve. I'm sure everything is closed tonight."
He shrugged. "There's food and coffee at the house. We'll set up a couple of chairs and a table in the barn aisle, with some lanterns for light."
"Oh, we could do that," she said. "We’ll have the horses for company, and they'll all be there, Steel, Copper, Falling Star, Goldie, and Silver. And the dogs, too. We can't forget Mack and Mick. I would love to do that."
He nodded. "It'll be simple. And peaceful. The first celebration of Christmas was in a stable, you know."
Mae smiled. "Yes, it was. It surely was."
With a full and happy heart, she sent Silver trotting on down the street, the harness bells jingling merrily into the still and perfect night.
Thank you for reading!
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Books By J.A. Whiting
OLIVIA MILLER MYSTERIES (not cozy)
SWEET COVE COZY MYSTERIES
LIN COFFIN COZY MYSTERIES
CLAIRE ROLLINS COZY MYSTERIES
PAXTON PARK COZY MYSTERIES
SEEING COLORS MYSTERIES
ELLA DANIELS COZY WITCH MYSTERIES
SWEET BEGINNINGS BOX SETS
SWEET ROMANCES by JENA WINTER
Books By J.A. Whiting & Nell McCarthy
HOPE HERRING MYSTERIES
TIPPERARY CARRIAGE COMPANY MYSTERIES
Books By J.A. Whiting & Amanda Diamond
PEACHTREE POINT MYSTERIES
DIGGING UP SECRETS MYSTERIES
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