“How cute is this?” Harlow giggled.
“We’re almost done.” Aunt Birdie snapped shiny black hooves onto each of Mort’s paws. She leaned back to inspect the end result. “Be a good boy and walk in a circle.”
Mort pretended not to hear and sank down onto all fours. His eyes shifted from David to Harlow.
“He seems a little unsure about the shoes.”
Birdie reached into her pocket and pulled out a box of Mort’s favorite fish snacks.
He promptly scrambled to his feet and trotted over to claim his treat.
“The hooves appear to fit him well,” David said. “Mort’s a horse.”
“And Chance will be dressed as Mort.”
“I love it.” Harlow plucked her phone from her pocket. “I want to snap a picture of you two.”
“I have one more thing to add.” Aunt Birdie reached for the bag. She removed a twined piece of brown thread and attached it to Mort’s tail.
Casting an annoyed look behind him, he swished the tail back and forth.
“Smile pretty,” Harlow coaxed.
After taking several pictures, the family gathered up the rest of the gear and made a beeline for the road, and not a moment too soon.
Clippety-clop. Marty and Chance rounded the bend and stopped out front. “Lookin’ good, Mort. It’s time to get Chance ready to roll.”
Dressing Mort was a piece of cake compared to Chance, who wasn’t the least bit thrilled about his costume. He whinnied a few times until finally settling down.
Floppy puppy ears, a shaggy coating of fake fur, a strip of leather, a collar with sparkly “Mort” emblazoned on the front and finally a dog bone, strapped around Chance’s neck completed his ensemble.
Another round of picture taking ensued, and then it was time to head out.
“Chance and I came through town. Other pet paraders are already lining up,” Marty said.
“How were they dressed? What did their costumes look like?” Aunt Birdie peppered Marty with questions about the competition all the way there. Circling around, they took a side street to the starting point of the parade.
Sure enough, a string of horses and drays, wagons used to transport everything from mail to building materials, stood lined up.
Marty steered Chance to the back of the line. “I saw some pretty cool costumes. Chance, Mort and I have our work cut out for us.”
“It’ll be fun to see what everyone has come up with.”
“Do you have your bag of bribery…err…candy for the kids ready?” David joked.
“Right here in my backpack.” Aunt Birdie patted her bulging backpack. “I’ve been practicing my aim all week.”
Sticking to her original plan, Harlow climbed down from the wagon. “Good luck. I can’t wait to cheer you on.” She gave all three of them a high five while offering words of encouragement to Chance and Mort before leaving.
Cutting through a back alley, she arrived on the opposite side of the street from Noelle’s flower shop.
“Over here!” Noelle whistled loudly to get Harlow’s attention.
She waved to her friend while hurrying to the other side. “Thanks for saving me a spot.”
“Anytime.” Noelle linked arms with her. “We have primo spots for parade-watching.”
“I didn’t know there were this many people still on the island.”
