Greener Pastures - Alyssa Brugman [49]
Constable Bidgood climbed out of the driver's side. He opened the back door and pulled out a small wreath of white flowers. He took off his hat and made his way over to the assembled crowd. All the girls stood back to let him pass. Everyone was hushed.
He stared at Shelby. 'But you're Shelby Shaw, aren't you?'
'Yes . . .' Shelby said, uncertain what to do.
'Your friend Erin rang,' he said. 'She told me there was a memorial service being held for you this afternoon.'
All the girls burst out laughing.
'No, I'm not dead, I'm moving house,' Shelby explained to him.
'I didn't know!' Erin yelped. 'It's about sharing our memories together. That's what I thought it meant!'
The constable chuckled. 'Well, the sergeant's not going to be happy. She's going to want a refund on these flowers!'
They laughed again.
'Ooh! Is that strawberry shortcake?' he asked.
'Help yourself.' Mrs Edel handed him a slice. He took the plate and wandered over to the barbecue to give Mrs Crook pointers on her sausage flipping technique.
Next came Mrs Hockings, the Gully Pony Club President. She'd brought a plate of her dried-up lamingtons and slid them onto the table next to the shortcake.
'I heard you were leaving, so I thought you should definitely have this.' She handed Shelby a small trophy with a flourish.
It was Shelby's 'Most Improved' prize from a couple of years ago. Shelby couldn't believe it! 'I'd forgotten all about this. Do you know, I was so . . .' She was going to say, so mad when I won it. She shook her head. It had seemed important at the time, and now she realised it was such a silly thing. 'Thanks, Mrs Hockings. That was very thoughtful of you.'
Miss Anita made her way to Shelby through the group. She had a black dressage saddle over her arm. Shelby recognised it as the one she had been using for her lessons. It was Miss Anita's own, rather than one of the riding school's. Shelby guessed she must have been taking it home for the day.
Miss Anita kissed Shelby on the cheek. 'I was so sorry to hear the news, Shel. You have been such a great student.' She handed her the saddle. 'This is not a gift; it's a loan. Hopefully it will keep you in the correct position until next time we meet.'
Shelby gasped. 'I can't take this!'
'Of course you can!' Mrs Crook said, standing on tiptoe to see over the girls' heads.
'That's amazing! Thank you so much.' Shelby was stunned. It was exactly the type of saddle she had always dreamed of owning.
Shelby's brothers pushed their way through the crowd. 'Jeez, Shel, you've got a lot of friends!' Blake said.
'Yes, I do,' she replied, looking around. Her mother and father were talking with Erin's parents. She even saw Tammy – her least favourite stables client – standing at the edge of the group talking and smiling.
Then she saw Clint's truck coming up the driveway and it took her breath away. Tears prickled in her eyes again.
Hayley saw and grabbed Shelby's hand. 'I need to go to the loo. Want to come with me?' She dragged Shelby away from the barbecue and into the laneway.
'Are you OK?' Hayley asked.
Shelby wiped her eyes. 'Yeah . . . actually, no.' She could feel her face scrunching up as she tried to hold her sobs in.
'Go and be with Blue,' Hayley said. 'I'll tell Clint to come over after he's had a sausage.' She went back to the party, leaving Shelby alone.
28 Halfway Out
Blue was dozing nose-to-tail with his pal Hiccup. Shelby didn't want to wake him so she stood at the gate watching for a while. His rug had some grass on it where he had rolled, but otherwise he seemed to have stayed pretty clean.
He was a funny-looking old thing. His trimmed tail was thick, clean and lustrous – the best part of him, to look at, anyway.
He opened his eyes and nodded when he saw her, or it could have been because there was a fly. Shelby preferred to think it was a greeting. Blue sauntered towards her and then stopped. How far across the paddock does a horse go? she thought. Halfway. Always halfway. Because once you're halfway in, you're halfway out.