by J A Whiting
"Ross, do you think Fireball would be all right to take to the colonel's funeral?" asked Mae. "The ceremony is on Monday. That's four days from now."
"That means three more days to school him," said Ross. "We can use things like the fire extinguishers instead of the bagpipes. If he's all right with those, you could take him. If he's not, take Steel, or Star, if he’s ready to go out again.”
"Star isn’t ready to work yet, but I think the family would be okay with a gray horse," agreed Mae. "And Steel was the last horse he rode behind in life, as well. Okay, then. I'll work Fireball through whatever awful things we have here at home and plan to take him if I possibly can."
Ross nodded to her as he unbridled the horse and put on his halter. "That's what he's for, after all."
"I'll make sure I have plenty of peppermints."
"Good idea."
Joe stepped closer, watching as they got the horse rubbed down. "You mentioned 'the colonel's funeral,' on Monday," he said. "Are you by chance talking about Col. Greene?"
Mae paused, lowering the burlap sack she'd been using to dry Fireball's damp coat. "I am," she said. "You were at the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown, right in front of us. You know the colonel was the Grand Marshal, riding in my carriage."
"Yes, of course. I didn't speak to the colonel that day, though. Now I'm sorry I didn't. "
She stepped down from the milk crate and stood at Fireball's head. "Did you know him, Joe?"
"I did. Years ago. I'm just one of many who served under him in the army."
"Oh," said Mae. "I see."
"It was a long time ago," said Joe. "Back around '02. Over in Afghanistan."
Ross glanced up. "You happen to know Wes Duncan? His family owns the farm where we bought this horse."
"The colonel told us to try there, when I mentioned I was looking for a black horse," said Mae. "Their son, Wes, said he was over there with Col. Greene. That was about 2004, I think he said."
Joe shook his head. "I don't recall anyone by that name. By then, I'd wrecked my knee and had a one-way ticket home."
"Wes Duncan told us that Col. Green was pretty tough on his troops," said Mae. "To me, he seemed like too nice a man to be a commander in such a rough place."
Joe looked sideways at her. "Actually, that was the trouble with Greene. He was too nice. Too easygoing. Not tough enough. Some of the guys got slack on the discipline and almost gave us away once or twice."
Mae blinked, and just stood listening to him.
"That taught me a lesson," Joe said. "You can't be nice in a war zone. Can't be pals with your troops. Being nice gets people hurt. And killed. Hate to say it, but I was lucky to get home without losing more than my knee. Too many under his command didn't make it home at all."
"I see," said Mae. "I guess that makes sense." She glanced up at Ross, but as usual he had virtually no expression at all.
Yet it seemed strange that Wes could have one opinion of Col. Greene while Joe had a very different one. And, of course, that TV reporter Crystal Walsh had been downright hostile to the man. That might be understandable since her brother had served under him in wartime and lost his life, but she had seemed to blame the colonel and not the enemy for that.
Somebody is not telling the truth here. This seems like more than just a difference of opinion. Even though it's been years, it seems like those three are still holding a grudge against him– and all for a different reason.
But I guess it doesn't matter now. At least I'll be able to help the family honor his memory in a way that would have pleased him very much.
I suppose that's all any of us can hope for… a fine legacy that lives on after us. At least Col. Miles Greene will always have that.
"Okay, Ms. Duncan. Two hours. Yes, I have a black horse. I can do that. You'll have someone meet us at the front entrance, correct? That's right. Look for a dark green truck and a white stock trailer. I promise I’ll be there. You're welcome."
Mae ended the call. Driving that same dark green truck, which was pulling the same white stock trailer through the spring afternoon, she wondered how she would explain this to Ross. He was just a minute or so in front of her, driving his own maroon truck and pulling the second white stock trailer.
They had already spent four hours driving Steel and Copper at a sort of combination early spring/late St. Patrick's Day festival. They had done well and had plenty of customers, but the work had been tedious with crowded streets and far too many patrons who thought drinking was the only way to celebrate a long-ago Irish saint.
She had been looking forward to getting home and relaxing, but then this call had come in.
Back at the farm, Mae said, “I just couldn't say no to them."
Ross frowned as he turned Copper loose in his stall and then slid the door shut. "You've already had a long day. So have those two."
"I know. But this is for a wedding. I just couldn't turn down a bride. Her family called in a panic when their other carriage company canceled on them at the last minute."
"I see." Ross bolted the stall door. "You planning to take Steel to this thing?"
"No. Like you said, both he and Copper have done more than enough today. I'll take Fireball and try him out."
He glanced at the big black horse in the next stall, who was busy greeting his new friend Copper on his return. "You sure? You want his first job to be a last-minute wedding? At night?"
Mae pushed her auburn hair back from her face, trying to collect her thoughts. "It won't be dark. The bride is having a short sunset ceremony by a lake out on the course. I pick her up at the country club hall, drive her to the lake, and then drive her and the groom back to the country club hall again for the reception. That's it. They'll be leaving by car after the reception, which will be much later."
"How much traffic?"
She grinned. "None. It's at a golf course not far from here, so we won't be out on any streets. I think he'll do all right."
"White carriage?"
"Actually, no. The bride apparently wants all black in order to show off her dress and the bridesmaids’ pale blue dresses. And they're willing to pay four hundred dollars for this, so I really can't turn them down. Oh! Darn, there's really no time to decorate the carriage– but I guess they won't mind. The bride and her bridesmaids will be more than pretty enough, and yes, the black carriage really will set them off."
Ross just nodded, with a resigned expression. "What time do we need to leave?"
"Oh, no, Ross, you don't have to go to this. It's so last minute, I wouldn’t expect you to drop everything and go off to some wedding."
"What time?"
Mae smiled at him, actually very pleased that she would not have to take Fireball to his first driving job alone. “In about two hours. And I'll bring dinner.”
"Okay, ladies," called Mae, turning around from her seat high up on the driver's box of the black Landau. "Is everyone ready to go?"
"Yes! Yes! We're ready. Let's go!"
Mae looked out at Ross, who stood at Fireball's head in the parking lot of the Autumn Hills Country Club, and nodded to him. Mae started the horse walking forward and Ross stepped up on the hub of the front wheel, and then up onto the box, as the carriage moved past him.
"Follow the cart path," said Ross. "The lake is off of the eighth green, all the way at the back."
The asphalt path, meant for golf carts, was just wide enough to accommodate the big carriage. Fireball seemed comfortable staying right on the center of it and he moved along nicely, his big hooves clip-clopping as he walked.
The sun was just above the horizon and the shadows were lengthening. The course was beautiful, Mae had to admit. There was heavy forest to one side of the path and wide, grassy fairways on the other, with a few lone trees scattered here and there on the fairways. Some of the trees were blooming in pink and white, and it was as pretty a picture of springtime as Mae had ever imagined.
The bride should be thrilled. This place is beautiful, perfect for a wedd
ing.
"I think this is the ideal job for Fireball's first drive," said Mae. "No cars, outside of a few golf carts. Just grass and trees and quiet." She nodded towards the fairway. "Though I always did think golf courses were a waste of good open space. All these long stretches of green would be perfect for riding over."
"Don't let the golfers hear you say that," said Ross. "They'd have a heart attack."
Mae glanced back at her four passengers. "How's everyone doing back there?"
"Wonderful."
"This is lovely."
"Well, you all look beautiful," Mae told them. "I wouldn't have thought about using a black carriage for a wedding, but you were right to ask for that. It really does set off the beautiful white wedding dress and the aqua gowns and flowers."
The bride glanced over at the pretty blonde right next to her, who seemed to be the maid of honor. "Crystal, did you ask for a black carriage? I think I would have liked white better."
Crystal…
"Why, no, I didn't!" Mae heard the blond woman say. "Of course not. Who would use black for a wedding? I guess this is all they had."
Mae glanced back again and saw that the blonde was looking right at her with a very smug smile.
That's Crystal Walsh. The television reporter. The one who confronted Col. Greene at the parade. She sighed. The world gets smaller all the time. Well, she does look stunning in that aqua gown with the white flowers, I have to admit.
"We're having the ceremony out beside the lake," said the bride, "partly because it's so pretty out there and partly because that's where I met my fiancé."
"I see," said Mae, watching Fireball closely.
"We were out playing a round with some mutual friends about seven months ago. And once he proposed, I knew this was the only place for the wedding even if it is a little isolated."
The other two women joined in as well. "Oh, that's all right. It's so pretty out here. And there's no traffic."
Which is exactly why you've got my new horse pulling your last-minute carriage ride.
And that new horse did a perfectly good job of transporting the black carriage with its driver, assistant, and four passengers all the way through the golf course. Fireball seemed to be enjoying the walk through the grass with the forest alongside him, and though he looked around he did not shy at anything.
And then Mae suddenly jumped as she thought she saw something move very close by, within the thick forest that ran along one side of the cart path.
Ross looked at her. "What happened? You okay?"
"Yes," she said, readjusting the reins and trying to peer into the trees that ran beside the path. "I thought– I mean, I really thought I saw something– or someone– real close. Right there in those trees."
"Horse didn't notice," said Ross, trying to peer into the forest as the carriage moved past.
"There wasn't any sound. I just saw something move, something tall, like a person. I didn't see it until Fireball passed it. His blinkers would have kept him from seeing it."
"Sun is setting. Shadows are getting longer," said Ross. "Could have been birds flying up to roost for the night."
"I guess so." Mae tried to steady her breathing and pay attention to her horse, not to what was in the woods. "I mean, there aren’t any bears out here, are there?"
"In Ohio?"
"Yes."
"Yes, there are."
Mae just closed her eyes and decided not to look anywhere except at her horse and the path in front of him for the rest of the trip.
That's a switch. This time, I'm the one spooked instead of one of the horses.
Eventually the cart path rounded a wide curve and a lovely view opened up. The lake sat on the other side of a curving fairway, with a few widely spaced oak trees growing along the shore. Between the lake and the fairway was a huge expanse of lawn that had been neatly mowed, apparently just for this occasion, and on the lawn were rows of white chairs where guests were already seated.
The guests broke into applause at the sight of the carriage and the bride. Fireball's ears went up, but he kept on moving.
"Here," said Ross quietly, as they continued to follow the cart path. "On the grass. Good spot to park. They can see the bride, but it's not too close."
Mae nodded and halted her horse right on the path. Ross stepped down to hold him. One at a time, and apparently posing for the cameras as they did, the bridesmaids allowed one of the ushers to help them down from the carriage. Last of all was the bride, who was met by her father. Then, after more posing, the women in aqua finally started down the aisle and the wedding was underway… as the sun dropped lower and lower.
10
Mae stayed on the driver's box and watched what she could see of the wedding ceremony. The setting sun did cast a very pretty light over the waters of the lake as the vows were spoken, and Fireball stood calmly with Ross while they waited for the return trip.
My new horse is doing perfectly so far. And I think he's one of the prettiest of all my horses, though I'll never tell any of them I think so.
At last the wedding was over. Mae waited for the bride and groom to return to the carriage. Then she realized that it was going to be a while, because they were once again posing for picture after picture, this time beside the lake.
In the meantime, the people she recognized as the bride's parents and the groom's father made their way to the carriage. "We're going to ride in the carriage with the bride and groom," the mother told Mae. "We would have taken a golf cart, but they insisted we come along. Is that all right?"
"Of course," said Mae. "We can usually get three people to a seat, as long as they're friendly with each other. Go right ahead and get in."
Most of the other guests had gone over to the collection of golf carts, all decorated with white and aqua ribbons and balloons, that were parked off to one side. The wedding party kept on with their endless photos, but they weren't going to be able to stay out there much longer. The sun was about to drop below the horizon and the light would soon be fading.
The first one into the carriage was the bride's father. Mae began feeling some concern as she looked at him. He seemed weak and tired as he approached the side and needed help to climb up and step in. His face was very pale, almost ashen, and it was clear that he did not feel at all well.
Mae glanced back at the wedding party. They were still posing by the lake in seemingly every combination of bride, groom, maids and groomsmen that they could possibly think of, and now they had moved on to doing silly poses, too, laughing and holding up the groom and tossing their bouquets up in the air.
Then the bride's mother and the groom's father joined the first man in the carriage. All three of them sat together in the backwards-facing front seat right behind Mae, where she could easily hear their conversation
"Honey, are you feeling all right?" asked the bride's mother, sounding anxious.
There was a pause. "Yes," the man finally said, as though he had been trying to catch his breath. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired after all this excitement."
"I know I'm looking forward to dinner," said the groom's father. "The ceremony ran late and I'm starving."
"Oh, all weddings run late," said the mother. "We'll be up there at the clubhouse enjoying the appetizers in no time."
Mae glanced back for just a moment. The bride's father was leaning against the side of the carriage with his head resting against his arm.
I hope he's all right. Maybe he just saw the bill for all this, to include hiring a horse and carriage at the last minute. When it comes to weddings, I'm glad I only have boys.
Finally, after all of the guests were either in the carriage or in their assigned golf carts, the bridesmaids and groomsmen hurried to their carts while the bride and groom arrived at the side of the carriage, where they spent a few more minutes on more pictures.
Eventually, the bride climbed in and sat down in the forward-facing rear seat, carefully arranging her gown, and the groom got in beside her.
>
"Let's go! I'm starving," said the bride. "I'm sure you must be–" There was another pause. "Daddy, are you all right? You don't look like you feel very well."
"Why … why, I'm fine, sweetheart," he said, his voice a little more than a whisper. "I'm fine. Just waiting for you. Just waiting…."
Mae glanced back just in time to see the man fall forward and collapse to the floor of the carriage.
Instantly there were screams and cries from the bride and her mother.
"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!"
In another moment a crowd began to gather beside the carriage as the guests abandoned the golf carts and hurried over to see what had happened, all of them anxiously asking questions and demanding information.
Ross stepped back a pace, still holding Fireball's reins, and he looked up at Mae. He clearly wanted to know what had happened, but did not want to leave the horse's head, not with all the confusion going on.
"We need an ambulance," Mae said to him. "This man might be having a heart attack. Need an ambulance right away."
Ross started to take out his phone, but Fireball was a little agitated by the sudden noise and rushing crowd and Ross needed both hands to steady him. For the same reason, Mae did not want to take her hands off of the reins.
She turned around, intending to make sure someone else called for help, but the uproar drowned her out.
"Don't move him," someone insisted. "Don't move him. Just wait for the ambulance."
"Are you kidding?" said someone else. "It could take them forever to get all the way back here."
"That's right. The cart path is too narrow for something as big as an ambulance."
"There are different ways to go around the course. There are service roads."
"And how long would that take? Especially now that it's getting dark?"
"That's right. We need to get him into a golf cart."
"We'll drive him back to the clubhouse. An ambulance can reach him there."
"Okay, somebody help get him out…."