Pages of the Past (Bellingwood Book 9) by Diane Greenwood Muir
Authors: Diane Greenwood Muir
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I won't push anymore. But..."
"We've got this, Polly. Don't worry."
She went back to work, muttering to herself. Daisy goosed her in the back and Polly spun and said to the horse, "What? Do you want to tell me what to do, too?"
The horse pushed at her again. "What?" Polly asked.
Eliseo walked in with a bucket of grain. "She wants her breakfast. You're doing things out of order."
Polly laughed at him. "You're right. I forgot. I guess it has been too long since I've spent any time down here.
He patted Daisy's neck. "That's okay. We'll forgive you. Do you want to stir Demi and the cats?"
"Those three are awfully lazy in the mornings."
"You have no idea. He lets them do anything they want. I caught Hansel crawling up his neck the other day to use his head as a launching point for the beam up there. None of the other horses would tolerate that behavior, but Demi just puts up with it."
"He's my boy," Polly said. She opened his stall door and the cats leaped up from their nest and scattered. Tom had been waiting for the door to open and stood in the doorway as Demi came to his feet. Once the horse was up, Tom brushed past Demi's legs. He stood, waiting in front of the grain trough.
"What are you doing?" Polly asked.
"Demi is so easy going that the donkeys think they can eat his food."
She grinned and put her hand on top of Tom's head. "That's not fair."
"Nope. We don't let them get away with it, but they don't stop trying." Eliseo snapped a lead rope on Tom's halter and gave it a tug. When the donkey refused to move, Eliseo grinned. "It's usually a contest.
"Who wins?"
"Who do you think?"
"My money is on the donkey, but you're no slouch."
"No donkey will ever get the best of me, no matter how hard they try. However, it usually takes bribery."
"I'm here." Jason's voice rang throughout the barn. Tom lifted his head and started out of the stall to see who was speaking.
"Or a distraction," Eliseo said. He followed the donkey out and handed the lead to Jason. "Deal with him until Demi eats."
"Got it," Jason said. "What are you doing down here this morning, Polly?"
"Just spending time with my equine friends," she said. "I need to do this more often so it isn't such a surprise."
Eliseo came back with another bucket of grain and poured it into Demi's trough. The horse nudged Gretel out of the way after she jumped in to see if anything interesting showed up.
"I'll take care of the cats, too," Jason said. "Come on, Hansel and Gretel. You know where your breakfast is." He clicked his teeth and the two cats ran ahead of him to the feed room.
"It's a regular party down here in the mornings, isn't it," Polly said to Eliseo.
"We like watching them wake up. They each have their routines."
"And I've messed with them this morning. Sorry about that."
"It's no big deal and they all love you."
"Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Don't let me get away with opening doors and getting in your way, okay?"
"Stop it. You're fine. Here. Start mucking Demi's stall. Jason and I will take care of Nan and Nat. Then we're almost done."
Polly went to work and was headed back up to the house before the sun had started to rise. Obiwan followed and when she got upstairs, Henry was in the kitchen.
"I'm going to take a quick shower. Would you feed Obiwan?" she asked.
"Food is already down and coffee is brewing. What do you want for breakfast?"
"I can do that. This will only take a minute."
He looked at the counter, then back at her. "I could start something."
"You wanna start something in here?" she asked, winking at him and nodding toward the bedroom.
"Of course, but you have a couple of girls who are going to be waking up in a few minutes."
"Well, that's no fun." Polly stopped in the door to their bedroom. "I was going to make French toast. You made coffee... that will help.
~~~
Polly was in her office later that morning when Rachel came storming in. The girl started to slam the door, but thought better of it and turned to
"We've got this, Polly. Don't worry."
She went back to work, muttering to herself. Daisy goosed her in the back and Polly spun and said to the horse, "What? Do you want to tell me what to do, too?"
The horse pushed at her again. "What?" Polly asked.
Eliseo walked in with a bucket of grain. "She wants her breakfast. You're doing things out of order."
Polly laughed at him. "You're right. I forgot. I guess it has been too long since I've spent any time down here.
He patted Daisy's neck. "That's okay. We'll forgive you. Do you want to stir Demi and the cats?"
"Those three are awfully lazy in the mornings."
"You have no idea. He lets them do anything they want. I caught Hansel crawling up his neck the other day to use his head as a launching point for the beam up there. None of the other horses would tolerate that behavior, but Demi just puts up with it."
"He's my boy," Polly said. She opened his stall door and the cats leaped up from their nest and scattered. Tom had been waiting for the door to open and stood in the doorway as Demi came to his feet. Once the horse was up, Tom brushed past Demi's legs. He stood, waiting in front of the grain trough.
"What are you doing?" Polly asked.
"Demi is so easy going that the donkeys think they can eat his food."
She grinned and put her hand on top of Tom's head. "That's not fair."
"Nope. We don't let them get away with it, but they don't stop trying." Eliseo snapped a lead rope on Tom's halter and gave it a tug. When the donkey refused to move, Eliseo grinned. "It's usually a contest.
"Who wins?"
"Who do you think?"
"My money is on the donkey, but you're no slouch."
"No donkey will ever get the best of me, no matter how hard they try. However, it usually takes bribery."
"I'm here." Jason's voice rang throughout the barn. Tom lifted his head and started out of the stall to see who was speaking.
"Or a distraction," Eliseo said. He followed the donkey out and handed the lead to Jason. "Deal with him until Demi eats."
"Got it," Jason said. "What are you doing down here this morning, Polly?"
"Just spending time with my equine friends," she said. "I need to do this more often so it isn't such a surprise."
Eliseo came back with another bucket of grain and poured it into Demi's trough. The horse nudged Gretel out of the way after she jumped in to see if anything interesting showed up.
"I'll take care of the cats, too," Jason said. "Come on, Hansel and Gretel. You know where your breakfast is." He clicked his teeth and the two cats ran ahead of him to the feed room.
"It's a regular party down here in the mornings, isn't it," Polly said to Eliseo.
"We like watching them wake up. They each have their routines."
"And I've messed with them this morning. Sorry about that."
"It's no big deal and they all love you."
"Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Don't let me get away with opening doors and getting in your way, okay?"
"Stop it. You're fine. Here. Start mucking Demi's stall. Jason and I will take care of Nan and Nat. Then we're almost done."
Polly went to work and was headed back up to the house before the sun had started to rise. Obiwan followed and when she got upstairs, Henry was in the kitchen.
"I'm going to take a quick shower. Would you feed Obiwan?" she asked.
"Food is already down and coffee is brewing. What do you want for breakfast?"
"I can do that. This will only take a minute."
He looked at the counter, then back at her. "I could start something."
"You wanna start something in here?" she asked, winking at him and nodding toward the bedroom.
"Of course, but you have a couple of girls who are going to be waking up in a few minutes."
"Well, that's no fun." Polly stopped in the door to their bedroom. "I was going to make French toast. You made coffee... that will help.
~~~
Polly was in her office later that morning when Rachel came storming in. The girl started to slam the door, but thought better of it and turned to
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