Greener Pastures - Alyssa Brugman [50]
She slipped through the fence and then when she reached him she bounced twice and landed with her belly across his back. She slid her leg over him and leaned forward, resting her head on his mane. She patted a drum roll on his chest, and they stayed like that for a long time.
Clint opened the gate. He had two halters. He put one on Hiccup and he handed the other to Shelby. It was new. Bright red. A gift for his daughter, she imagined. She slid it over his nose and then they led the two ponies out of the paddock without saying a word.
Clint had parked his truck further down the loading area than he needed to so that the people at the barbecue wouldn't be able to gawk. The tailgate was down, the dividers were open and the two hay nets were stuffed full – all ready to go.
'Do you want to take that rug off?' Clint asked.
Shelby shook her head. 'It's fits him nicely. You can keep it.'
'I appreciate that,' he said.
'Better Blue wear it, rather than keep it in a cupboard somewhere,' she added. And besides, the next horse she was likely to have would be bigger anyway, she thought to herself.
Clint led Hiccup up the tailgate and closed the divider behind him. The little pony tucked into the hay with vigour.
Blue pulled at his lead rope, eager for some hay too. Clint stood on the tailgate and held out his hand for the rope. Shelby wasn't ready to hand it over yet.
'Can I buy him back one day, if I want to?' she asked.
'No,' Clint said.
'No? Why not?'
Clint squatted down, resting his elbows on his knees. 'Because I want my little girl to be able to love him as much as you do. How could I let her do that if any day you could come back and take him away from her?' He shook his head. 'No way! I want her to have the chance to adore him. Let her break her own heart when the time comes.'
He took a piece of paper out of his wallet and handed it to her – the cheque. Shelby stuffed it in her sock without looking at it.
'I could email pictures to you if you like. Would that make you feel better?' he asked.
She nodded. 'That would be good.'
Shelby put her arms around Blue's face. 'I love you, Blue,' she said. She held out the lead rope to Clint.
'Do it quick like a bandaid,' she said with a croaky voice.
He took it from her. 'Up, Blue!' he said and the little pony bounded up the tailgate and swung around. He was chomping on his hay even before the divider clanged into place.
Clint jumped off the tailgate and pressed the lever on the side of his truck to winch the tailgate up.
Shelby stood where she could see Blue. At the last second he turned to her, but it wasn't a look of fear or reassurance that he wanted. He looked happy. He nodded to her again.
I swear he knows, she thought to herself.
Clint didn't say goodbye. He hopped into the cab and then the diesel engine started. He gave Shelby a brief wave as he headed down the driveway.
When she turned around her mother was standing at the edge of the loading area with her hands on her hips. She held out her arms and Shelby fell into them.
'I think I did a good thing,' Shelby said. She could wait another ten years and never find another home as good for Blue as Clint and his family. He would be loved, respected, and he would be useful. Blue loved having a job to do.
'You did a good thing.' Her mum rubbed her shoulders. 'I know you're sad now, honey, but you will always remember this place fondly. You will have such great memories of this time in your life.'
'We have had some pretty good adventures here,' Shelby said, smiling through her tears. 'And you know what else? I have four thousand dollars in my sock.'
'That's a lot of money!'
Shelby nodded. She would use it to buy another horse – not straight away. After they came back from their trip. She would take her time and pick something that would be perfect. It wouldn't be a horse that was schooled already. It would be something with potential – a young horse, but not too young. It would be a horse that would grow with her.
With her mother's arm around her shoulder, Shelby strolled back to her memorial party, and as