Free Castaway Colt by Terri Farley Page B

and we just can’t wait.”
    â€œOkay,” Darby said.
    â€œDo you know Kimo and Cade are out riding the ranch borders right now, keeping weird people from wandering onto Jonah’s property?”
    â€œAlready?” Darby asked.
    â€œOne guy Kimo ran across this morning was sitting in your little rain-forest shelter with a stun gun,” Megan said, and Darby gasped.
    â€œYou’re right,” Darby said. “Even if we didn’t want the money—”
    â€œWhich we do,” Megan put in.
    â€œSure, but we’ve got to keep that little colt safe.” Darby leaned against the back of the couch. She closed her eyes, thinking. “You have practice from two thirty until four, right? And since your mom doesn’t want to drive back and forth—and I don’t blame her—I’m stuck there until four, too, and…”
    â€œDo you remember the part where I said I had aplan?” Megan asked, then took a long sip of her drink.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œWhen we get home, it will be about five o’clock—”
    â€œAnd it will be dark by seven, so that doesn’t give us much time, and Jonah—” Darby broke off when she saw Megan staring at her over the brim of her glass. “I just can’t get in trouble again. What if he sends me home to my dad? He could do that, you know.”
    â€œPlease.” Megan’s tone implied she was insulted.
    â€œSorry,” Darby apologized. “Go ahead.”
    â€œSo, even though we’ll get a late start, we’ll bring a snack with us, and a nursing mare, and good old Owl Eyes.”
    Totally bewildered, Darby reviewed her memories for the last month, trying to remember who Megan meant.
    â€œIt means we’ll have to split the money three ways,” Megan said.
    Darby nodded, then waited for the puzzle pieces of information to fit together, but they refused.
    At last, Darby had to ask, “Who or what is good old Owl Eyes?”

Chapter 9
    â€œC ade, of course.”
    â€œOhhh.” Darby drew the word out in understanding, because the nickname Owl Eyes made sense when Megan applied it to the young paniolo.
    At first, Darby had thought Cade’s reputation for being able to see in the dark had to be an exaggeration. But she’d reassessed her opinion last week.
    Unlike her Southern California home, where stores, parking lots, athletic fields, and condominiums were illuminated by searchlights, neon, and incandescent lamps, Wild Horse Island had almost no outdoor lights.
    When the sun went down, it got dark . And midnight in the rain forest was even darker, since thecanopy blocked out the starshine and moonlight, too.
    And yet Cade had seen a suffering boar in that blackness, and killed it with a single, merciful shot.
    Looking at Megan’s impatient expression, Darby asked, “You think Jonah and your mom will let us stay out after dark looking for Stormbird if Cade comes with us?”
    â€œYes.” Megan sounded disgusted but sure. “It’s not fair, but yes. Just let me handle it.”
    Cade was good with horses, too, Darby thought. Only Hoku didn’t like him, and that was not Cade’s fault.
    Darby’s wild filly didn’t like any men.
    Since Cade could see in the dark and handle horses, and would probably be willing to help them search the island’s southern shore, why did Megan’s idea make her uneasy?
    Darby couldn’t come up with any answer better than selfishness.
    When she’d first set eyes on Stormbird, she’d thought, Don’t let him belong to anyone else .
    â€œIt’s too bad we’ll have to divvy up the money,” Megan said, misinterpreting Darby’s silence, “but one third of something is better than half of nothing, right?”
    â€œAbsolutely! It’s a good idea,” Darby said, and she didn’t have to explain further, because Aunty Cathy called them to dinner.
    â€œCome