to ride with Miss Waring, she ain’t got here yet.” Finn blew out an exasperated breath. “That woman’s never on time.”
A rumble of thunder rolled across the track, and he frowned. “If she don’t get here soon it’ll be too late.”
“I’ll ride alone, then. I need you to tack up—”
“Zeus. Yes, Miss, I know that gelding of yours. Just about the finest horse in Georgia, I reckon.”
She laughed. “Well, I think so anyway.”
“A man come here the day before yesterday, asking if I thought you’d sell Zeus. I told him no, sir, not at any price.”
“You’re right about that. Now, if we could please hurry . . .”
Finn turned toward the stables. “I’ll get him ready. Won’t take me but a minute.”
Joseph stood nearby holding the carriage horses’ reins, oneeye on the darkening sky. “Reckon I might as well wait right here till you’re ready to go back, Miss Celia.”
“Oh, Joseph, I hate to make you wait. Besides, Papa might need to go out this afternoon, and he’ll need the carriage. I wouldn’t want him walking about getting wet and chilled.”
“If you don’t hurry yourself up, you gon’ get wet and chilled your own self.”
“If it starts to rain, I’ll shelter under the grandstand.”
“Well, all right then. But I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
Joseph vaulted onto the seat and turned the carriage for home just as Finn came out leading Zeus. The black gelding shied and danced behind the groom, but when he saw Celia he blew out a greeting and nuzzled her hand. She laughed and reached up to scratch behind his ears. “Hello, my darling. Did you miss me?”
Zeus shook his head and pawed the track. She laughed. “I thought so. Let’s go.”
Finn boosted her onto the saddle and handed her the reins. Zeus tried another little dance, but she gathered him in and urged him into a smart trot toward the track. She let him take one lap at his own pace, then bent low, and with subtle pressure to his sides, asked him to canter. Zeus responded, hooves flying, and they circled the oval, churning red dirt in their wake. Once he settled she’d take him down the wooded trail to the pretty little pond nestled at the back of the property—if the rain held off long enough. She glanced up just as the first drops plopped onto the ground.
Celia sighed and took a firm hold on the reins. “All right, then. Just one more lap before the storm hits.”
Zeus lengthened his stride as they approached the far turn. From the corner of her eye, Celia glimpsed movement in the thick stand of trees bordering the track.
A dark-clad figure rose from the undergrowth and lobbed an empty whisky bottle onto the track. Celia wheeled Zeus just intime to keep him from tripping. But the sudden movement startled the gelding, and he bolted into the woods. Celia felt him stumble beneath her as he threw a shoe.
The rain intensified. She slid from the saddle and checked his feet. Zeus’s left rear shoe was gone. She wiped rain from her face and chastised herself for not checking the horse herself instead of relying on the young groom.
Zeus, his sides heaving, shook his head and snuffled. “It’s all right,” she said. “We’ll walk back.”
The undergrowth rustled, and her breath caught.
“Celia?” Sutton appeared on a weedy path through the woods leading Poseidon, his hat dripping rain.
“Sutton! Where were you? I waited for you at church and then—”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve spoiled the whole day. And I will explain, but I think we ought to get out of this weather. What happened to Zeus?”
She explained about the thrown shoe. “I’d rather not ride him back, even if it is only a short way.”
“Come on.”
In the pouring rain they hastened through the woods, skirted the muddy track, and headed for the stables. Finn appeared at the door of Zeus’s stall. Sutton walked Poseidon into an empty stall and began drying him off.
“My horse has thrown a shoe.” Celia removed her sodden
A rumble of thunder rolled across the track, and he frowned. “If she don’t get here soon it’ll be too late.”
“I’ll ride alone, then. I need you to tack up—”
“Zeus. Yes, Miss, I know that gelding of yours. Just about the finest horse in Georgia, I reckon.”
She laughed. “Well, I think so anyway.”
“A man come here the day before yesterday, asking if I thought you’d sell Zeus. I told him no, sir, not at any price.”
“You’re right about that. Now, if we could please hurry . . .”
Finn turned toward the stables. “I’ll get him ready. Won’t take me but a minute.”
Joseph stood nearby holding the carriage horses’ reins, oneeye on the darkening sky. “Reckon I might as well wait right here till you’re ready to go back, Miss Celia.”
“Oh, Joseph, I hate to make you wait. Besides, Papa might need to go out this afternoon, and he’ll need the carriage. I wouldn’t want him walking about getting wet and chilled.”
“If you don’t hurry yourself up, you gon’ get wet and chilled your own self.”
“If it starts to rain, I’ll shelter under the grandstand.”
“Well, all right then. But I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
Joseph vaulted onto the seat and turned the carriage for home just as Finn came out leading Zeus. The black gelding shied and danced behind the groom, but when he saw Celia he blew out a greeting and nuzzled her hand. She laughed and reached up to scratch behind his ears. “Hello, my darling. Did you miss me?”
Zeus shook his head and pawed the track. She laughed. “I thought so. Let’s go.”
Finn boosted her onto the saddle and handed her the reins. Zeus tried another little dance, but she gathered him in and urged him into a smart trot toward the track. She let him take one lap at his own pace, then bent low, and with subtle pressure to his sides, asked him to canter. Zeus responded, hooves flying, and they circled the oval, churning red dirt in their wake. Once he settled she’d take him down the wooded trail to the pretty little pond nestled at the back of the property—if the rain held off long enough. She glanced up just as the first drops plopped onto the ground.
Celia sighed and took a firm hold on the reins. “All right, then. Just one more lap before the storm hits.”
Zeus lengthened his stride as they approached the far turn. From the corner of her eye, Celia glimpsed movement in the thick stand of trees bordering the track.
A dark-clad figure rose from the undergrowth and lobbed an empty whisky bottle onto the track. Celia wheeled Zeus just intime to keep him from tripping. But the sudden movement startled the gelding, and he bolted into the woods. Celia felt him stumble beneath her as he threw a shoe.
The rain intensified. She slid from the saddle and checked his feet. Zeus’s left rear shoe was gone. She wiped rain from her face and chastised herself for not checking the horse herself instead of relying on the young groom.
Zeus, his sides heaving, shook his head and snuffled. “It’s all right,” she said. “We’ll walk back.”
The undergrowth rustled, and her breath caught.
“Celia?” Sutton appeared on a weedy path through the woods leading Poseidon, his hat dripping rain.
“Sutton! Where were you? I waited for you at church and then—”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve spoiled the whole day. And I will explain, but I think we ought to get out of this weather. What happened to Zeus?”
She explained about the thrown shoe. “I’d rather not ride him back, even if it is only a short way.”
“Come on.”
In the pouring rain they hastened through the woods, skirted the muddy track, and headed for the stables. Finn appeared at the door of Zeus’s stall. Sutton walked Poseidon into an empty stall and began drying him off.
“My horse has thrown a shoe.” Celia removed her sodden
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