Fire Maiden by Terri Farley

Author:Terri Farley
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2008-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Daylight lasted until Darby sighted the broodmare pasture and then, as if someone had pulled a silver curtain, fog crept over ‘Iolani Ranch, blurring the edges of the foreman’s house and Sun House.

She took her time grooming Judge, checking his feet for stones and feeling his legs for hot spots, since this was his longest journey carrying a rider for some time. Actually, the old horse seemed revitalized by the ride and reluctant to move off and eat, even when Darby released him.

When she walked into Sun House’s kitchen, Darby didn’t mention the missing pie, but she noticed. Her guess was that it had been carried upstairs to Aunty Cathy.

Without Cathy Kato in charge, the ranch wouldn’t run smoothly for long. She not only cooked and kept the ranch finances straight, she monitored the interaction between domestic animals and Hawaiian wildlife. And even though he wouldn’t admit it, Jonah knew Aunty Cathy’s background in tourism could help save the ranch if tougher times came.

Even now, as they picked through the newly organized cupboards for a semblance of dinner, Darby could see Jonah trying to listen through the ceiling. She’d bet her grandfather had used delivery of the pie as an excuse to go up and see how Aunty Cathy and Megan were doing.

Darby wanted a slab of that pie for her own, too, but first she sat down with a sandwich and milk.

When Jonah balanced a mound of unheated pork-fried rice on a plate and headed for the lanai, Darby asked if she could just sit at the kitchen table and call Ann.

“Have at it,” Jonah said with an offhand gesture.

Darby learned that the same sort of casual evening was going on at Ann’s house. Together they ate, talked about Aunty Cathy’s concussion and Darby’s interview with Tutu, and in whispers, the possibility that Megan would not be able to ride along on their research trip. Finally, Darby told Ann that she’d been grounded from Navigator.

“Do you fall off a lot?” Ann asked.

“Well, no, but I’m not off to a good start. Really,” Darby said when she heard Ann giggle, “I’ve come close a bunch of times. Like, dozens.”

“I think I know your problem,” Ann said.

Darby waited in silence.

“Let’s see,” Ann said. “You’ve been riding for, what? A couple months? And you never rode before, did you?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Not around in a ring, not up and down a bridle path, or anything, and now, suddenly, you’re in situations that even a real paniolo would find challenging. The whole thing with wild pigs, idiots like Manny.” Ann lowered her voice. “Oh, and let’s not forget earthquakes!”

“If I put it that way to my mom,” Darby said quietly, “she’d probably think it was child abuse.”

“Not if she rode as a kid,” Ann declared. “She did, right?”

“That’s what they tell me.”

“She’d probably understand, then. I mean, I’ve been riding all my life. Really, my mom has a photo of my dad carrying me around on his cutting horse when I was just a month old.

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