New Beginnings
By the time Eddie arrived, the moving truck was open, several boxes were stacked on the porch, and Fritz and Taylor had been banned from carrying anything breakable after nearly colliding in the hallway while arguing about the proper orientation of a bookcase.
Eddie came across the road with Mike, both men having offered to help with the heavier furniture. Merry had warned them that Paula possessed enough belongings to furnish a small hotel, but neither seemed particularly concerned.
Paula spotted Eddie immediately. "Well, look who's here! It's the handsome Scotsman!"
Merry rolled her eyes. "Paula, for heaven's sake."
"Paula! Welcome back." Eddie broke into a grin as he came up the driveway.
"Hello, sweetheart." Paula gave him a quick hug. "Still playing that music of yours?"
"Every time I get the chance."
"Good. Because I'm expecting another night out. Last time was the most fun I'd had in ages."
Merry smiled at the memory. During Paula's previous visit, the two women had gone out to hear Eddie's band play, and Paula had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She had also spent a considerable portion of the evening informing Merry that Eddie was extremely cute, as though Merry were somehow unaware of the fact. Merry suspected her friend had been only partially interested in the music, although Paula had been enthusiastic enough about the performance afterward.
"You know," Paula continued, turning toward Merry with a wicked little smile, "I told you he was cute the first time I saw him."
"Yes, Paula. Repeatedly."
"And I stand by my assessment."
Eddie glanced between them, clearly amused. "I'm beginning to think I missed part of that conversation."
"You did," Merry assured him. "And you should be grateful."
Paula laughed, then remembered her manners.
"Anyway, Eddie, I want you to meet my husband. David, this is Eddie Munro, the driving coach I told you about."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Paula's mentioned you several times." David stepped forward and shook Eddie's hand.
"Aye, likewise. Merry's told me quite a bit about you. Glad to have you aboard. And this is Mike," Eddie added, indicating the muscular man beside him. "He's my groom and assistant, and the reason I get anything done."
Mike grinned and shook David's hand. "Don't let him fool you. He'd be lost without me."
"Aye, that's what I just said."
By then the children had reappeared, attracted by the arrival of more potential furniture movers.
"These are our kids," Paula said. "Taylor, Rose, and Annie. Everybody, this is Eddie."
Annie considered him with enormous interest. "Can you play the guitar?"
"Aye, I can."
"Do you sing?" Annie asked.
"Sometimes."
"Are you famous?"
"Not even a wee bit." Eddie grinned at her.
"Why not?"
David laughed. "Annie, perhaps we could let the man answer one question before you ask another."
"It's all right. I just haven't had the right audience yet."
Annie nodded thoughtfully, apparently satisfied.
Taylor shook Eddie's hand with a little more reserve.
"Fritz says you're teaching him combined driving."
"I am. He's doing quite well with it."
"Really?"
"Really," Eddie said, catching the skeptical note in Taylor's voice. "When I can get him to concentrate on one thing at a time."
Taylor burst out laughing. "Oh, good luck with that."
"HEY!" Fritz protested.
"What?" Eddie glanced at him, his expression perfectly innocent.
"You make it sound like I never concentrate!"
"You concentrate brilliantly, lad. Just sometimes on six things at once."
Taylor laughed again, and Fritz looked torn between indignation and delight at hearing his two favorite people getting along.
Mike had already begun examining the larger pieces of furniture waiting in the truck.
"All right, hermano," he said to Eddie. "You want the dresser or the sofa?"
"Whichever weighs less."
Mike grinned. "Then you get the sofa."
Eddie looked at the enormous piece of furniture near the front of the truck.
"Of course I do."
Paula laughed. "I like your friends, Merry."
"They're useful to have around."
"Aye," Eddie said dryly. "Apparently we're here for the entertainment as well as the heavy lifting."
The afternoon passed in a cheerful confusion of furniture, boxes, and competing opinions about where things belonged. David proved remarkably adept at assembling beds, while Mike and Eddie carried the heavier pieces upstairs. Merry and Paula unpacked kitchen supplies, although Paula frequently interrupted the process to inspect some feature of her new home or exclaim over the convenience of having Riverside directly across the road.
Stefi helped Rose organize her room, patiently listening while the younger girl debated the placement of her books and photographs. Annie enlisted Otto to carry a succession of increasingly unnecessary objects upstairs, eventually asking whether he would move her entire bed two inches to the left.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because it looks better."
He stared at the bed.
"It looks exactly the same."
"No, it doesn't."
Otto looked toward the ceiling for patience, then obligingly shifted it.
"Better?"
Annie considered the result. "Maybe."
"You're welcome."
Outside, Fritz and Taylor had discovered a small shed in the backyard and immediately decided it would make an excellent workshop. Merry overheard Fritz explaining that it could be used for building model marathon obstacles, while Taylor suggested that they might also construct a proper workbench.
"You're not using power tools without an adult," Merry told them.
"We weren't going to," Taylor replied.
Fritz opened his mouth. Merry pointed at him. "And don't even think about arguing." He closed it again.
By late afternoon the house was beginning to look less like a warehouse and more like a home. The beds were assembled, the kitchen was functional, and enough furniture had been arranged that the family could move about without constantly stepping over boxes.
Paula surveyed the living room with satisfaction. "Well, that's not bad for one day."
"We've still got quite a bit to do." David glanced at his watch.
"It'll keep. I'm not unpacking another thing tonight."
"An excellent decision."
Merry smiled. "You're all coming over for dinner. I wasn't about to let you cook after driving across the country."
"Bless you," Paula said fervently. "I might actually die if I have to make dinner."
"And tomorrow," Merry continued, "I'll show you the barns properly. There's plenty of time before the horses arrive."
That brought Paula's attention back to her work.
"I spoke to the shipper this morning. They're still scheduled for the end of the week."
"Good. Nora has the stalls reserved in Barn B, and everything will be ready."
David nodded. "I'll be glad when they're here. I know they're in good hands, but I don't particularly like being separated from them."
"Neither do I," Paula admitted. "It feels strange not having horses to check on."
Merry understood the feeling. Paula and David had arranged for their horses to remain at their California facility until the professional transport company could collect them. Rather than hauling them across the country themselves while moving the family, they had decided to let the horses travel separately with experienced shippers. The animals would arrive at Riverside a few days later, where they would board in Barn B alongside the farm's existing dressage horses.
"We'll have everything ready," Merry assured them. "And they'll have a chance to settle in before you start working them."
"Good," Paula said. "I want them to have a few quiet days. They've got enough to deal with."
"Especially after that long a trip," David agreed.
Merry smiled. "You'll like Barn B. Eddie's driving horses are there, too, so you'll have plenty of company."
"Oh, I know," Paula said with a grin. "I've already decided I'm going to enjoy that."
Merry sighed. "Please don't torment him."
"Who, me?"
"Yes, you."
"Never."
(1281 words)