Page 23 of Ella and the Enchanted Bookshop

Jaelyne grinned. There was nothing she liked better than makeup and fashion, and as she went back to her room, I decided that I was going to represent my parents by doing my absolute best to make the parade everything Casey didn’t want it to be.

11

Glitter and Pumpkins

“So.” I stepped back and gave myself a once-over in Jaelyne’s floor-length mirror. “What do you think?”

Jaelyne studied me. “You need more glitter.”

“What?” I laughed. “You’ve put glitter on every square inch of me. Next you’re going to want to glitter my horse!”

“Oh, I already did that.” Jaelyne flipped her hair. “I put a lot of glitter in her mane.”

Normally, I would have reminded Jaelyne to be careful when doing things to the horses. She wasn’t always as aware around horses as I wished she would be. But I was in too good of a mood to lecture her tonight, and the glitter wouldn’t hurt Nevada at all. In fact, my mother had used it for her own horse back when she’d ridden in the parade.

“Do you like the new outfit?” I asked, straightening my shirt.

“Oh, it’s perfect!” Jaelyne jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “How did you find it so fast?”

I grinned. “Never doubt a woman on a shopping mission.”

It really was perfect. I’d gone with a teal long-sleeved silky button-up shirt with silver filigree and silver buttons all up the front. It was far more fitted than my usual riding clothes, but that was typical of American show outfits for women. Instead of the usual matching riding pants, however, which were often made of leather or jeans, I’d chosen a flared jean skirt with matching teal rhinestones that made it sparkle in the light. My earrings–an old pair of my mother’s–and my necklace sparkled as well. I’d even shined up my boots.

My horse, Nevada, was similarly adorned. She was wearing her mane in braids, each tied with a little teal ribbon.

“How are you going to ride the horse in a skirt?” Jaelyne asked, surveying my skirt with sudden skepticism.

I laughed. “I’ll be riding sidesaddle, my lady!”

Jaelyne’s eyes grew large. “You can do that?”

I winked at her. “Just because I’ve taught you everything you know doesn’t mean I’ve taught you everything I know.”

Jaelyne rolled her eyes. It was common knowledge that no matter who tried to teach Jaelyne to ride, she just couldn’t quite get the hang of it. Or rather, she didn’t want to get the hang of it. But she’d learned more of her incomplete knowledge from me than anyone else, so I’d taken it as a win.

“I’m going to go get Nevada in the trailer now,” I said, grabbing my bag. “I’ll meet you all there at the end of the parade.”

“I wish I could go with you,” Jaelyne whined.

“I do too,” I said with a sad smile. “But your mom is in charge when it comes to your whereabouts, so just make sure I hear you cheering when I ride past wherever you’re sitting.”

Jaelyne didn’t love this, but as she was a minor and Casey’s daughter, there was little I could do. If she’d been my daughter, I’d have changed plenty of things about her life. Things like not allowing her to have a smartphone for several more years and not giving in whenever she threw a fit about something that didn’t go her way. But for all her flaws, I’d met Jaelyne when she was only four, and as spoiled as she was, she had loved me when no one else from her family had. And she was the closest thing to a real sister that I’d ever had.

When I got to the parade prepping zone, I felt myself relax in a way I hadn’t all week. People smiled and waved as I found my place and unloaded Nevada from the trailer, and even more called out greetings as I brushed her down.

“Look at you, lady!”

I turned around to find Belle hurrying toward me, a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

“Hey!” I called. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, getting Margaret’s coffee as we wait for the parade to start. She’s closer to the front this year.” Belle glanced at my outfit. “You look adorable, but aren’t you going to be freezing cold in that by the time the parade starts? It’s already been delayed by an hour, so it’s going to be dark by the time we begin.”

“Oh.” In my rush to enjoy one of the few things Casey hadn’t yet taken from me, I’d completely forgotten about the temperature. It was now the third week in September, which meant that once the sun went down, the temperature sank too.

And it sank fast.

“I’ll be pressed up against Nevada,” I said, turning and running my hand down her beautiful reddish-brown coat. “She’ll keep us both warm.”