Galloping Gold

w ild horse island

11

galloping gold terri farley

Contents Disclaimer

v

Map

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Chapter One Sugarfoot had kind eyes.

1

Chapter Two The ground really did rush up to meet her, and…

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Chapter Three Ann was begging her father to drive her and Darby…

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Chapter Four “Good thing you’re back,” Jonah told Darby as the Potters… 40 Chapter Five Hoku didn’t care that Darby hadn’t brought wisps of hay…

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Chapter Six “She’s okay with that saddle, yeah?” Jonah asked, and there…

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Chapter Seven During dinner, no one mentioned Sugarfoot.

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Chapter Eight The next day, Darby had a chance to see for…

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Chapter Nine “So then my mom said, ‘Ed, he’s a good-hearted horse…

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Chapter Ten During their first day of practice, the girls rode in…

118

Chapter Eleven Darby saw Tyson walking in circles, trying to catch his…

136

Chapter Twelve The next day, it was clear the boys had done…

151

Chapter Thirteen It was too depressing to go stand with Pauli as…

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Chapter Fourteen Ann was right. Tyson and Sugarfoot took to each other…

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Darby’s Dictionary

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Darby’s Diary

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About the Author Other Books by Terri Farley Credits Cover Copyright About the Publisher

Disclaimer Wild Horse Island is imaginary. Its history, culture, legends, people, and ecology echo Hawaii’s, but my stories and reality are like leaves on the rain-forest floor. They may overlap, but their edges never really match.

Perhaps because the islands themselves hold worlds within worlds, Hawaiian is a many-layered language. A single word, like aloha, means “hello,” “good-bye,” and “love.” In that spirit, I wish my friends, readers, and all who guided my time in paradise . . .

Aloha!

© Gary Chalk

two sisters volcanoes

message bottle landing

‘iolani ranch

rain forest

sun house

old plantation

tutu’s cottage crimson vale

night digger point beach

Map

hapuna airport

sky mountain

hapuna prep school

rodeo arena

lehua high school

sugar sands cove resort

taro fields

crescent cove

castaway bay

Chapter One

Sugarfoot had kind eyes.

Even though Darby Carter stood outside the pasture fence, she could see his eyes glimmer. When the gold-and-white pinto tilted his head, he looked sweet. “Are you just totally misunderstood?” Darby called to the horse as she hefted a bucket and started to open the pasture gate. “Careful when you go into the pinto pasture. Smudge and Red Cloud have manners, but you can never tell about Sugarfoot,” cautioned Ann Potter, Darby’s best friend. “He can fool anyone.” Including me, Darby thought. The horse didn’t look a bit dangerous. Sugarfoot grazed between a gray-and-white pony

2 E Wild Horse Island and a rawboned mare, at least seventeen hands tall. Judging by the mare’s drooping lower lip, she was old, but her bright bay-and-white coat gleamed like she’d just been groomed for a horse show. Darby still didn’t understand why Ann and her mother had been reluctant to ask her to keep Sugarfoot busy on the other side of the pasture while they had a visitor. She made a kissing sound at the gelding and his ears pricked alert. If she hadn’t known for weeks about Sugarfoot’s habit of charging, she wouldn’t have thought twice about spending time with the horse. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Sugarfoot while we’re busy. My mom just thinks it’s safer for him to be watched when she’s teaching someone who’s never ridden before.” Ann looked at Darby over the grape soda–colored back of the horse she was saddling. “They’ll be working in the arena and I’ll just be standing over there for backup.” Ann paused to retie the black ribbon headband that was supposed to tame her unruly red hair, and then glanced toward Sugarfoot again. “You’re sure you don’t mind?” This was totally silly, Darby thought. After all, one of the things that had brought them together in the first place had been the sight of each other’s riding boots, at school. “Mind?” Darby asked. “Hmm, yeah, you know how I hate playing with horses.” “Just make sure he doesn’t end up playing with

Galloping Gold E 3 you.” Ann grinned as she settled a Western saddle onto Soda’s back. Darby couldn’t take Ann’s warning to heart. She’d been deprived of horses for the first thirteen years of her life. Now she couldn’t get enough of them. Before, she’d lived in a world of fast traffic and crowded apartments. The only horses she’d known had been in books and her imagination. Since she’d moved to Moku Lio Hihiu, the Island of Wild Horses, to live with her grandfather on ‘Iolani Ranch, she spent every minute she could with them. At the sound of women’s voices, the girls looked over to see Ramona Potter, Ann’s mom, approaching. Beside her walked a short, chubby-cheeked woman. “That must be Mrs. Mookini,” Ann said. “Mookini?” Darby repeated the last name. It sounded familiar. “Gemma Mookini. You probably read about her in the paper,” Ann said quietly. “The legal secretary who was trapped for a full day after the earthquake?” “I remember hearing about that,” Darby admitted. “She managed to crawl under her desk and that kept her from being crushed by falling rubble, right?” Ann nodded, but something else about the name continued to puzzle Darby. “Ever since the earthquake, she’s been afraid of open spaces . . . ,” Ann said, and Darby’s expression must have shown her surprise. “I know, that seems contradictory, huh?”

4 E Wild Horse Island “I think confined spaces would creep me out after something like that,” Darby said, and then she pictured herself curled up in the dark, with only a few slabs of wood holding off death. “But maybe she can’t forget that the desk saved her?” “Maybe,” Ann said. “Anyway, she only feels safe at home and inside her car. She can barely go to work anymore, so her doctor suggested she take up horseback riding to experience open spaces in a positive way. And that’s where you come in,” Ann said, kissing Soda on the nose. With an overhand knot, Ann joined Soda’s split reins together, then tossed them over his head. “I know you can keep a secret, or I wouldn’t have told you all that about Mrs. Mookini,” Ann said. From someone else, Ann’s words might have been a hint to keep quiet, but Ann’s tone said she trusted Darby. Darby used her free hand to make a zipping motion across her lips. “If they head for the indoor ring, you should come over and watch,” Ann said. “Mom’s really good with new riders, and even Sugarfoot can’t spook Soda through the barn walls.” Ann had shown Darby the indoor ring the previous night. It looked like a big old barn, but the floor was covered with sawdust and mirrors lined the walls, so riders could check their form. “Ann, honey, we’re ready,” Mrs. Potter called.

Galloping Gold E 5 “Come on, Soda,” Ann said to the blue-black gelding. She jogged forward, leading him by his neck rope. “Time to earn your daily grain.” For a minute, Darby watched them move away. Then she walked across the pasture toward Sugarfoot. “And it’s time for me to keep you out of trouble,” Darby told the gelding. She swung the bucket of alfalfa cubes so the aroma would waft toward him. All three horses smelled the treat. Gray-and-white Smudge trotted beside her, trying to be her new best friend. Red Cloud took a long, appreciative sniff. “Sorry, you guys, this is a bribery bucket,” Darby said, but she took two alfalfa cubes out of the bucket and wedged one into each of her jeans pockets. For later. Smudge and Red Cloud shouldn’t suffer for their good manners. Sugarfoot swished his tail with calm curiosity, but Darby caught something besides a craving for food in his expression as he lowered his head to the bucket. “What are you thinking, Sugarfoot?” Darby asked. The gelding blinked his palomino eyelashes, but he only turned one ear toward the sound of Mrs. Mookini’s voice as she cheered, “I’m riding!” Darby had to look. Mrs. Mookini sat in the saddle and even though Soda wasn’t moving, the woman sounded delighted. What a cool job, Darby thought. Ann had told her

6 E Wild Horse Island about the work her family did with at-risk horses and riders, but this was the first time Darby had witnessed it in action. She couldn’t see or hear half of what was happening, but if a doctor had recommended the Potters’ therapeutic riding program, it must have lots going for it. Smudge gave a neglected whinny and tossed his cottony forelock out of his eyes. Not fair, he seemed to say. Untouched by his pasture pal’s complaint, Sugarfoot kept eating. His nose was in the bucket, but his eyes peeked over the brim, looking toward the arena. “You can’t stir up trouble from here,” Darby told him. It would be next to impossible, she thought, because the Potters’ ranch was perfectly designed to keep horses and riders safe. The ranch had originally been a llama ranch. When llamas had grazed these fields, it had been known as the Heart of Hawaii Ranch. Now most people called it the Potters’ place, or referred to the ranch as Pulling Together, the name of its successful riding program. Darby knew that the Potters had arrived in Hawaii with a ton of money from selling their Nevada ranch. They didn’t have to work. According to Ann, though, her parents hadn’t made good rich folks. They’d spent much of their fortune on the ranch and buying horses that needed to be rescued. The Potters’ house was no mansion. Built of native

Galloping Gold E 7 wood, the modest but rambling home sat at the front of the property, almost like a gatehouse. Behind it lay hundreds of acres with white pipe fencing around the perimeter and many smaller pastures and corrals with shelters inside. Viewed from the air, it probably looked like a blank crossword puzzle, Darby thought. The fencing strategy was brilliant. If an animal escaped one pen, it found itself inside another enclosure. If it slipped through an open gate or jumped the rails, a maze of taller barriers confronted it. An arena and an indoor riding ring were inside the highest fence. No horse, no matter how determined, would escape without someone noticing. Darby stood on tiptoe and saw that Mrs. Mookini was riding at a walk. And even though Ramona held the end of Soda’s neck rope, it was Mrs. Mookini, using Soda’s reins, who turned the horse as Ramona told her to do. Sugarfoot gave the bucket a last lick, then lowered his head to begin grazing. Darby sat beside him on the soft grass. “She’s doing better than I did on my first day,” Darby told Sugarfoot as she watched Mrs. Mookini ride. Sugarfoot didn’t seem interested in her memories. His teeth clipped the grass energetically. “You’re doing so well, let’s go out into the open pasture,” Ramona’s suggestion carried, but then she and

8 E Wild Horse Island her student talked more quietly and Darby could only pick up their tones. The student sounded unsure. The teacher sounded confident. The student asked a question. They both laughed. Then they headed out of the arena with Ramona and Ann walking on either side of Soda. Sections of white fencing made a sort of alley between Sugarfoot’s pasture and the empty one across from it. The new rider and her escorts were headed toward a big open field. To get there, Mrs. Mookini would pass between the pinto pasture on her right and the empty pasture on her left. A closed gate would have to be opened, then bolted shut to reach the field ahead of her. Since Ann and Ramona walked alongside the horse, making sure Mrs. Mookini felt steady and sure, Darby called over, “I’ll get the gate.” She set the bucket down. Then, to be safe, she checked Sugarfoot. His ears flicked when he felt her stare, but that was all. Just as she’d guessed, his rowdy behavior had not materialized. He was much more interested in finding bits of alfalfa that had fallen from his mouth onto the grass. “I’ll give it a try,” Mrs. Mookini said, clearly not answering Darby, and then she gave Soda a little kick with her heels. “I d-d-did it!” Mrs. Mookini’s voice bounced with Soda’s slow trot.

Galloping Gold E 9 Darby started off toward Sugarfoot’s gate, but she tripped. Her boot collided with the bribery bucket and sent it rolling. Kicking the bucket, she thought. Not a good omen. She glanced back to make sure Sugarfoot was still eating. He was. Soda and Mrs. Mookini had drawn even with Sugarfoot’s gate when Ann’s head whipped toward Darby. Then Ramona stared in the same direction, and Darby realized they were both staring past her. A flurry of thuds shook the ground, and this time when Darby looked back she saw Sugarfoot bulling by the pony and old mare. Gold, white, and speedy, Sugarfoot barely touched the ground. Darby grimaced at her gullibility. Then Ann’s voice rang out, but she wasn’t yelling at Darby. “Soda.” Ann’s voice was low but urgent as she worked to slide the bolt on the gate to the empty pasture across the alley. “Soda, in here!” The gelding tried to obey, but Mrs. Mookini hung on tight. Her fists clamped on to the reins, pulling them to her chest, using them as a lifeline. She didn’t know they led to the bit. She couldn’t see Soda’s mouth was wrenched open and his front hooves had left the ground. He can fool anyone, Ann’s warning echoed in Darby’s mind as Sugarfoot’s hooves came closer. He looked huge. If he sailed over the fence and crashed into Mrs. Mookini and Soda, everyone would

10 E Wild Horse Island go down in a deadly tangle of horseflesh. Darby risked a quick look over her shoulder. Sugarfoot’s chest came at her like a train engine. Was he after Soda or the horse’s strange rider? It didn’t matter. He looked relentless. Unstoppable. Okay, then I won’t try to stop him, she thought. Sugarfoot’s shoulders heaved up and down, shoved forward by strong hind legs. A rhythm wrapped him, and as he came closer, she realized that if she could distract him and force him to break his rhythm, she could at least slow him down. Darby stepped into his path and stood her ground, just as Ann had told her to do. She wouldn’t think about getting trampled. Nausea twisted her stomach, but the Potters had trusted her to keep Mrs. Mookini safe, and she’d do her best. The earth still shook under Sugarfoot’s hooves as he slowed a step and veered around her. No! He was still running and she had only a few seconds, a few hoofbeats, a few heartbeats, to act. Darby bolted, sprinting alongside the horse. She had to stop him, and since he didn’t wear a halter, she grabbed a handful of mane. Sugarfoot squealed and yanked her off her feet. She didn’t lose her grip, but her head snapped backward on her neck as he lashed out with his back legs. Was the gelding insulted that she clung to him like a circus monkey?

Galloping Gold E 11 She dug in her heels and hoped he wouldn’t try to jump with her hanging on. It wasn’t until Sugarfoot veered away from the fence that she released her grip and fell face-first into the ground.

Chapter Two

The ground really did rush up to meet her, and Darby’s chin took the force of the blow. Grass scrubbed her chin, and somehow the momentum of her body made her tuck and roll as if she’d planned it. She heard yelling. Her shoulder glanced off a white fence post. Hooves were above her, beside her, in front of her, and behind her, everywhere as she rolled and Sugarfoot slid to a stop. Dirt clods hit her face. She’d closed her eyelids, but not her mouth, and when she tried to breathe, she choked. Darby bolted to her feet in time to see that Mrs. Mookini, cringing away from Sugarfoot’s charge,

Galloping Gold E 13 had fallen off Soda. It’s my fault for trusting a horse I didn’t know, Darby thought. That’s a beginner’s mistake. She had to catch her breath, had to rush over and apologize, but she couldn’t stop coughing. She choked, trying to spit out what felt like a whole gardenful of dirt and grass. It didn’t help when she saw that Mrs. Mookini’s leather jacket was split up the back. That’s my fault, too. Mrs. Mookini’s arms swung in distress, but at least she was standing. “I’m so sorry,” Darby began apologizing before she reached the gate, but no one heard her. Except maybe Sugarfoot. Sidestepping and tossing his mane, he’d followed her. “Haven’t you—?” Darby didn’t finish her accusation because the horse ducked his head in confusion. He looked sorry for what he’d done, and bewildered at how it had happened. But she couldn’t stop to comfort him now. Ann and Ramona had trusted her to control Sugarfoot and she’d failed, big-time. “I’m sorry,” Darby said to Mrs. Mookini when she reached her and the others. Before the woman replied, Darby swiveled toward Ann. “I was coming to open that.” She gestured toward the gate that was blocking the passageway. “Sugarfoot looked completely engrossed in eating,” she said, turning away from Ann to plead for Ramona’s understanding. “By every sign I know—eyes, ears, all his body language—he wasn’t

14 E Wild Horse Island interested in what you . . .” Until that moment, Darby didn’t know she could feel worse. But the vortex of guilt turned into dread when she really looked at Mrs. Mookini. One moment Mrs. Mookini’s eyes and mouth were wide with fear. But when her eyes narrowed and her lips flattened into an angry line, Darby knew why the woman’s last name had sounded familiar. Tyson Mookini was a kid in her class. He had called Darby a “haole crab,” had mocked her for caring about her Hawaiian heritage, had made it clear to everyone at Lehua High School that he couldn’t stand her. This small, chubby-cheeked woman with glossy bowl-cut hair must be his mother. “I should have put a halter and shank on him,” Ann said. A sharp look from her mother hushed Ann, but Darby repeated, “I really am sorry.” “It’s okay, you couldn’t see his mood change,” Ann said. Darby welcomed her friend’s support, but she could tell Ramona wanted her daughter to quit saying things that were making Mrs. Mookini feel more justified in her anger. “Ann, go ahead and put Soda in the empty pasture,” Ramona said, then looked down at Mrs. Mookini’s hands. “You can let go now.” Mrs. Mookini released her stiff-fingered grip and let Ann take Soda’s reins. A minute later, the horse had

Galloping Gold E 15 been stripped of his tack and released to explore the empty pasture. “What presence of mind you showed—keeping hold of his reins when you fell,” Ramona complimented the other woman. “I didn’t fall!” Mrs. Mookini shrugged off the arm Ramona tried to drape over her shoulders. “I didn’t! That horse knocked me off!” She pointed at Sugarfoot, although the gelding hadn’t left his pasture and couldn’t have pushed her off Soda. “And look what he did to her!” Me? Darby thought. Is she pointing at me? Ann motioned for Darby to wipe her chin. She did, and noticed a smear of blood on her hand. “It’s nothing,” Darby said, but the woman didn’t believe her. “Why keep a vicious animal like that one here, where you’re supposed to help people?” That demand drained Mrs. Mookini of energy. Her voice faded as she repeated, “Why?” “He was just playing,” Ann answered. “I know it didn’t look that way, but Sugarfoot’s like a big, goofy dog. It’s his way of having a good time.” Darby admired her friend’s honest reply, and it looked like Mrs. Mookini was thinking it over. Things might have taken a turn for the better if the woman hadn’t wrapped her arms around herself and felt the changed fit of her jacket. Frowning, she lifted her shoulders. Then she took

16 E Wild Horse Island the jacket off, looked at its ripped leather, and moaned, “It’s ruined.” “What a shame. Of course we’ll replace it,” Ramona said. She reached to take the jacket and examine it, but Mrs. Mookini hugged it closer. “And your entire course of treatment, whatever your doctor advises, will be complimentary.” Sugarfoot dawdled on the other side of the fence. Head bobbing, he vied for human attention. He pawed, and then snorted, unable to understand why even Ann ignored him. “Well then,” Mrs. Mookini said, but it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Just then Ann’s father, Ed, came from the house to see what was happening. “Gemma, this is my husband, Ed,” Ramona said, nodding between her husband and their guest, then added, “Gemma handled Soda like a pro when he shied.” “How’d that happen?” Ed asked. He turned to Mrs. Mookini. “You fell clean off?” He sounded so sympathetic that she nodded. “Soda’s darn near bomb-proof,” he said in disbelief, and when Mrs. Mookini looked even more alarmed, he went on, “What I mean is: He’s a good horse, usually.” “It wasn’t Soda. It was that horse. He—” Mrs. Mookini pointed at Sugarfoot. “—charged the fence,” Ed finished in a disgusted tone.

Galloping Gold E 17 “He charged me!” the woman insisted. Ed Potter patted Mrs. Mookini’s shoulder, comforting her as gently as he would have one of his small sons. Something about the gesture made her eyes fill with tears. But only for an instant. Was Mrs. Mookini embarrassed by her teary eyes? Did embarrassment plus fear equal anger? Maybe that’s why she glared at Sugarfoot as, hands shaking, she yanked her car keys from a pocket and started to walk away. “Gemma, would you like me to drive you home?” Ramona offered. The woman’s sudden flush told them that Gemma Mookini’s tumble was turning into a far larger problem. “I’m not a helpless child—or crazy!” Mrs. Mookini snapped. “Of course not!” Ramona’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Then don’t act like I am. I’ll drive myself home, and I’ll . . .” Darby looked at Ann’s father just as Mrs. Mookini did. Darby winced, wishing Tyson’s mother hadn’t caught the pity that showed on Ed’s face. Mrs. Mookini drew herself up, pinned her shoulders back, and lifted her chin. “On my drive home, I’ll think about what I’m going to tell everyone on this island!”

18 E Wild Horse Island Her head snapped in a decisive nod before she headed for the safety of her car. Ed, Ramona, Ann, and Darby stared after Gemma Mookini’s car. “That never shoulda happened,” Ed said finally. “I don’t know why we haven’t got rid of that crazy horse before now. He contributes nothing but trouble.” It sounded just like something Jonah would say, Darby thought. Everyone on a ranch, including animals, was supposed to help out. “Dad, you know Mom and I will turn him into a good therapy horse. We’ve really made progress in helping Sugarfoot—” “—shake off this bad habit,” Ramona insisted. “I can see that.” Sarcasm quaked through Ed’s words. Ann and Ramona looked at each other, hoping they could come up with something helpful. It wasn’t a good time for Darby to blurt, “She’s a legal secretary,” but that’s exactly what she did. “Meaning she could do a lot more than just gossip,” Ramona said. Her hand went to her forehead. Then her fingers gripped her temples. “Nothing really happened.” Ann sounded as if she was trying to convince herself, too. “She was fine.” “She wasn’t injured,” Ramona corrected her daughter, “but for most people, falling off a horse isn’t an everyday thing.”

Galloping Gold E 19 “Cheer up,” Ed Potter said. “She seemed like a nice lady. It’ll probably come to nothing once she settles down, but I’d better make a phone call.” As he walked away, Darby noticed that Ed’s shoulders were slightly slumped. A nice lady. Darby really hoped so, but Tyson was mean. He didn’t tease, he tormented. She just hoped he hadn’t learned his ugly temperament at home. If the Mookini family sued . . . If the Potters lost their ranch . . . If . . . “Darby, honey,” Ramona said kindly. “We can’t climb into Gemma’s mind and change it. All we can do is prepare.” “If I’d been able to—” “No, it’s not your fault.” Ann shook her head. “If we’d accelerated his training, this wouldn’t have happened. That’s what we’ve got to do.” “Now?” Darby asked. “Not right this minute. He needs to settle down a little bit,” Ramona said. “But soon.” They watched Sugarfoot prowl up and down the fence, ears flicking in all directions. “Since school’s out, working Sugarfoot will be my first priority,” Ann promised. “Absolutely,” Ramona said. Then she and Ann began brainstorming ways to cure Sugarfoot. Normally, Darby would have soaked up every word of new horse knowledge, but guilt pounded in

20 E Wild Horse Island her mind. She couldn’t think of anything except the trouble she’d caused. There was no way to undo what she’d done, but maybe she could help with Sugarfoot’s training. When Ed came back from the house, he looked resigned. “What is it, Dad?” Ann asked. Ed shook his head slowly, indicating it was nothing Ann would like. “I talked to our insurance man. He said Sugarfoot’s a ‘proven liability’ and we should get rid of him.” “No!” Ann shouted. “Oh, Ed.” “What’s that mean—a ‘proven liability’? Usually I can figure things out, but this one’s tricky,” Ann chattered nervously. “Liability . . . but wait. He said we should get rid of Sugarfoot. That doesn’t mean we have to, right?” “If we had a dog that bit people, and we already knew it was dangerous and kept it around, and then it hurt someone . . .” “It would be easy for someone to sue us and win,” Ramona finished for her husband. “Yep.” He nodded. “He said it would serve us best— if the Mookinis do sue—to be able to document in court that we’ve removed all threats to ranch visitors.” “But why?” Ann demanded. “We just won’t let him do it again.” “We thought we could keep him from doing it

Galloping Gold E 21 this time,” Ramona said. “You could have them sign something like we have for guest riders,” Darby suggested, “a form that says they ride at their own risk.” “We could, but there’s more,” Ed told them. “If we knowingly keep a menace, it could invalidate all of our ranch insurance.” Before moving to Hawaii, Darby hadn’t thought about insurance. It was no more than another bill in the stack her mother tried to pay each month. But earthquakes and tsunamis had taught her that adults paid those bills for a reason. If the Potters had no insurance and another earthquake opened zigzag fissures under their house or a storm flattened their riding arena, they’d have to use all their savings to protect Heart of Hawaii. What if they ran out of money and moved back to Nevada, just when Darby and her mom were settling here? Darby closed her eyes and wished it was yesterday, and none of this had happened. She couldn’t stand the idea of losing her best friend. “But wait,” Ramona said. “What if he was cured?” Ed looked puzzled. “There’s no cure for crazy.” “Ed Potter, you’ve been around horses as long as I have,” Ramona pretended to scold her husband. “You know something causes a problem like this. We just haven’t figured out what it is yet.” “We can’t give up on him, Dad,” Ann added. “If she did take us to court—and really, I just don’t

22 E Wild Horse Island see that happening”—Ramona looked thoughtful as she continued—“but if she did, what if we could demonstrate that he was over this . . .” She searched for a word but only came up with “This thing.” “We’ll bring in an expert,” Ann declared. “We have pret’ near a century of horse expertise standin’ right here”—Ed gestured at the four of them—“and I’m not payin’ for a horse psychiatrist, Anna Susannah! That’s just the last straw.” Darby was just thinking she’d never heard Ann’s entire name when her best friend put her hands on her hips and faced off with her dad. “Why not?” Ann asked. Darby took a deep breath as Ann’s glance flashed between her father and Sugarfoot. Ann usually thought before she spoke, but Darby was afraid Ann was getting carried away. “Why not?” Ann repeated. “We can afford it!” “Well, we won’t be able to for long, if our insurance company cancels us!” Ed’s voice grew louder with each word. Darby wanted to cover her ears. She shouldn’t be here in the midst of this family turmoil. Even if she had caused it. “It wouldn’t have to be a horse psychiatrist,” Ramona said. Her voice was conversational, as if no one had been shouting, and she was looking at Darby. Then Ann began nodding, too. Why? Darby wondered. I’m only a couple months of

Galloping Gold E 23 that century of horse experience Ed mentioned. “Darby inherited her grandfather’s touch with horses,” Ann said. Ed must’ve figured out what his wife and daughter were thinking before Darby had, because he didn’t give her time to react. “Much as I’d appreciate your help, I don’t think that’s our solution,” Ed said firmly, but politely. “No offense, honey, but you’re Ann’s best friend and I don’t see you doing something that would hurt her feelings. And that’s what would happen when you figured out that this horse is just plain loco.” Sugarfoot slung his head over the fence and gave a low nicker. He didn’t look a bit crazy, Darby thought as Ramona reached up and let the gelding nuzzle her hand. “Ann? Why don’t you take Darby inside and help her clean up that chin. I know it’s no big deal,” Ramona said when Darby started to protest. “You ranch girls are tough, but I’m a mom, and I bet your mom wouldn’t want you to let that ground-in dirt give you some kind of infection.” Together Ann and Darby walked toward the house, leaving Ann’s parents to talk. “I didn’t want to leave, but when she put it that way . . . ,” Darby said. “Don’t apologize any more,” Ann said. “I just had an incredible idea.” “Then why didn’t you . . . ?” Darby gestured back

24 E Wild Horse Island toward Ramona and Ed. “I’m not sure they’d approve.” Ann’s face turned thoughtful, and then she giggled and said, “I’m not sure I approve. C’mon and I’ll tell you.” Darby and Ann had laughed when they’d heard, late last night on the radio, that Petra the animal psychic would be doing a marathon call-in show from noon until nine. “It’ll be a distraction while I scrub this sand out of my chin,” Darby said. She faced the mirror while Ann fiddled with the radio. “I hope this heals before the luau.” “Fourth of July,” Ann said. “I used to think it was the middle of the summer, but—” “There!” Darby said, pointing toward the radio. “ . . . cat Tux was a stray, but I kept feeding him and finally he moved in, and he’s totally sweet, but sometimes he just goes wild. He claws his way up the curtains! Nothing else in the house, just the curtains!” “Tux doesn’t mean to be destructive.” “That’s got to be Petra,” Ann whispered. “He has flashbacks.” Darby and Ann looked at each other and laughed, but the woman’s dramatic voice kept them listening. “His first home was abusive, but he escaped through a window. Now, whenever he hears raised voices, even on television, his mind returns to that stressful time

Galloping Gold E 25 and he feels he must run away.” “I think you’re right,” the caller said. “And you know, if I just gently unhook his claws from the curtains, he settles right down.” “Your kind touch reminds Tux where he is,” Petra explained. A commercial came on next and Darby and Ann discussed Petra’s suggestion. “It’s a good guess,” Darby said. “But I don’t believe Petra can read animals’ minds.” “Especially over the phone!” Ann said, but then they both sat on Ann’s bed to listen to the next caller. “I’m a plumber, and I have a brand-new Doberman puppy. Her name’s Gretel and she’s just driving me nuts. Every time I come home from work, she’s chewed up my shoes. Two or three at a time, and never from the same pair, it seems like.” “Then close your closet door,” Ann mumbled, but Petra had a different approach to the man’s problem. “Is she pretending to be the dog?” Darby asked as they listened. “I think it’s called channeling,” Ann said as Petra’s voice took on a very young tone with what was supposed to be a German accent. “I hate when you go to work. Every time you leave the house, you put on shoes, ja? Maybe if you have no shoes, you stay home and play throwing of the ball with me.” “Not bad,” Darby said.

26 E Wild Horse Island “I say we call,” Ann said. “The price is right,” Darby agreed. “Totally free!” Ann laughed as she dialed. The line was busy, but while Ann kept dialing, they decided that though neither of them believed Petra was reading animals’ minds, she did know a lot about animals. “I’m on hold!” Ann said finally. “You’d better use a fake name for Sugarfoot, just in case Gemma is listening,” Darby whispered. “Forget Gemma. What about my parents!?” “We’ll call him—” Darby began, but then Ann was waving at her to be quiet, and talking to Petra. “Echo!” Ann hissed, and Darby rushed to turn off the radio, although she was dying to hear what Petra said. Ann got excited and used Sugarfoot’s real name as she explained how he charged people and scared them, even though he hadn’t ever harmed anyone. Ann waved wildly for Darby to sit next to her. “She’s doing it again,” Ann mouthed, and as Darby put her ear to the phone with Ann, she heard Petra channeling Sugarfoot. “Where I grew up, I was the youngest male. If I put on a mean attitude, no one wanted to fight me. Kicks and bites hurt, so I just charged at ’em and they left me alone.” “Okay, but—” Ann began. “Master liked it when I scared off the big horses

Galloping Gold E 27 and he gave me peppermints. I really like peppermints.” “But he doesn’t get peppermints now, when he charges,” Ann said logically. “He gets yelled at.” “I know”—Petra’s tone turned pouty—“but new Mistress is smart. She’ll figure it out.” “So, wait,” Darby interrupted, speaking into the receiver, “he’s willing to keep trying until someone understands he gets a peppermint for that?” As if Darby had broken the “channeling” spell, Petra said in her regular voice, “Since he likes peppermints, reward him when he doesn’t charge. Next caller.” Darby and Ann looked at each other. “I don’t really believe this,” Darby began. “Me neither, but we’ve got to get some peppermint horse treats!” Ann said, and they hurried off to find a ride to the store.

Chapter Three

Ann was begging her father to drive her and Darby to

the feed store when the phone rang. It stopped before anyone answered it. “Mom’s got it in the barn,” Ann said, pointing to a little panel of lights on the phone unit. “How cool,” Darby said. Ed had agreed to stop by the feed store for peppermint horse treats on the way to ‘Iolani Ranch when Ramona came in. “That was Gemma,” she said, peeling off her leather gloves. Darby deflated. This wasn’t going to be good. “All she wants is some kind of settlement for her ripped leather jacket,” Ramona said. “She insists she

Galloping Gold E 29 doesn’t mean to be a bad neighbor, but her boss—” “The attorney.” Ed’s voice was flat. “I guess,” Ramona said, sighing, “told her that she’s been further traumatized and can’t just accept the situation as an accident.” “Why not?” Ann asked. “Because she is being a bad neighbor,” Darby said. She couldn’t imagine Jonah, her mom, Aunty Cathy, or Kit demanding payment for this. They’d just chalk up the accident to the nature of the animal. When Hoku had struck out and scarred Cade’s chest the first day the filly had come ashore there was no talk of a lawsuit. Everyone knew the solution was just working with the horse. “I made lunch. Want to take it outside?” Ed pointed at the kitchen counter where he’d put out a plate of sandwiches and bowls of carrot sticks and potato chips. “Maybe the fresh air will give us some ideas.” While Ramona washed up, Ed led the way to a picnic table. “Gemma’s a lot more like her son than she seemed at first,” Darby muttered. Ann stopped walking. “Who’s her son?” She looked mystified. Darby blushed. What she’d said sounded ugly. It wasn’t like her. She shouldn’t have let the words escape. She wanted to erase them, but it was too late. Ann was waiting. Suddenly Ann pushed her hair back with such

30 E Wild Horse Island energy that her headband popped off. “Wait. Not Tyson?” “They do have the same last name,” Darby said. “But I’m probably just jumping to conclusions.” “Probably not,” Ann said. “I’ll ask my mom.” “It doesn’t change anything,” Darby said. “I don’t know why I even said that.” “Because he’s a jerk!” Ann snapped. “Who’s a jerk?” Ramona’s voice came from behind them. “Tyson Mookini,” Ann said. “Do you think he’s related to Gemma?” “Gemma did say she had a son at Lehua High School,” Ramona said. “She didn’t mention him being a jerk, but then we can’t all have perfect children.” Ann’s mom gave her a hug that made Darby miss her own mother. One good thing about mothers was that they helped you put things into perspective. As Darby talked with the Potters over lunch, she remembered that her first impression of Ann’s parents was that they were tanned, middle-aged, and happy. Even though Ed’s red hair was sprinkled with gray, and Ramona’s was sparrow-brown, it was easy to see where Ann had gotten her unruly hair and cheerful outlook. “I’m open to suggestions,” Ed said as they all watched Sugarfoot graze, “because I don’t see any fix for this except putting him off the place. What’s an

Galloping Gold E 31 insurance company going to take for proof that Sugarfoot’s bad habit’s broken? We’d be safer selling him.” “We can’t sell him!” Ann said, but then her father’s glare reminded her of the discussion they’d had outside, and she looked like she might slide off the bench and disappear under the table. After that, Ann stayed quiet and shot quick glances at her mom, expecting her to take Sugarfoot’s side. For a minute, Darby thought Ramona was staring down the dirt road, looking for the neighbor who’d taken Toby and Buck to swimming lessons, but Ramona was thinking. “If we did sell him,” Ramona mused, “we’d have to be honest. And if we’re honest about his charging, he won’t find a good home.” “Maybe not,” Ed said, “but we’ve put our hearts and souls into the Pulling Together program. We can’t let one horse destroy it.” “I wouldn’t want that.” Ramona sighed so heavily, her breath puffed a potato chip off her plate. They chuckled, but Darby guessed they were all thinking the same thing. Lots of people who took on a problem horse would try to bully it out of bad behavior. None of them wanted that for Sugarfoot. An hour later they were walking into the feed store, breathing in scents of grain and leather, when Ann’s father asked, “Where’d you get this sudden conviction

32 E Wild Horse Island that peppermint treats are gonna turn that horse around?” Before Ann conjured up an answer that didn’t involve Petra the animal psychic, Cricket appeared. “Aloha!” Cricket greeted all three of them with quick cheek kisses. As usual, her black hair was twisted into a messy bun and her eyes sparkled behind thick lenses. “What can I get for you today?” “Peppermint horse cookies. They’re going to be training treats,” Ann said. “Do you think they’d work for that?” “Sure. And peppermints are our best-selling flavor.” “Bag ’em up,” Ed said. As she did, Cricket asked, “They’re for a particular horse?” As a volunteer coordinator for the local humane society, Cricket was an expert on horses in trouble. Darby could tell that they’d piqued her curiosity. “Sugarfoot,” Ann told her. “Your palomino pinto. The fast one, yeah?” Cricket said. “You haven’t heard what he did?” Ann asked. “I’ve been working in the back by myself all day,” Cricket said. “That limits my chances for island gossip.” Ann’s father listened with folded arms as the girls explained.

Galloping Gold E 33 “What would you do with a horse like that?” he asked Cricket. “All kinds of training, like you’re doing, and if I couldn’t get through to him, I’d bring in a horseman with fresh eyes.” “And if training didn’t help?” Ed said. Darby hoped Cricket would say that the right sort of training would always work, but she said, “There’s a riding program for at-risk teens on Maui. Friend of mine works there and he’s good. He might see something I was missing. Plus, the word’s out that he wants donations of dependable horses.” “Dependable,” Ed repeated. “And it’s just a summer program . . . ,” Cricket said. “We could pay to ship him over there and he might pull the same thing with the kids.” Ed grimaced. “So, you don’t just think it’s where he is that’s the problem,” Cricket said. “I think it’s who he is,” Ann confessed. “But I can’t tell if charging is fun for him or just a habit he picked up where he lived before.” Cricket took down her bun, rewound it, and then anchored it in place with a yellow pencil. “You could talk with someone at the Hapuna resort stables. They might take him.” “I don’t know . . . ,” Darby said. “Except for that one incident, I’ve never heard of

34 E Wild Horse Island them mistreating horses,” Cricket assured her. But Darby had seen that one incident, and she couldn’t shake the image of Shan Stonerow, the man who’d once owned Hoku, abusing an Appaloosa mare named Jellybean Jewel. The only good thing to come out of that was that her friends Cade and Pauli had worked together to rescue Jewel. And after the resort managers had fired Shan Stonerow, they’d asked Cade to help smooth out their string of dude horses. Cade would enjoy Sugarfoot’s spirit, but he’d probably see that the gelding didn’t have the temperament for carrying tourists around on the same trail day after day. So Darby shook her head no. “I don’t think Sugarfoot would fit in over there.” “What about Jonah?” Cricket suggested. “Or Kit. Between them, they’d figure out why Sugarfoot charges. See if they can put him up for a while.” Darby guessed she must have made some kind of a face, because Cricket added, “Of course, I don’t mean to take anything for granted.” “It’s just that with Inky—” “The black foal?” Cricket asked. Darby nodded. “And with Medusa and all the cremellos . . . well, Jonah’s feeling crowded. He’s trying to thin out his herd.” “Doesn’t want another mouth to feed,” Ed said. “I hear that, but you know, maybe he wouldn’t mind just

Galloping Gold E 35 taking a look at Sugarfoot, over at our place.” “He’ll do that,” Darby said. She shouldn’t be speaking for her grandfather, but she knew Jonah couldn’t resist a challenge like Sugarfoot. “And he doesn’t care about people’s feelings,” Darby said. When Ed cleared his throat, she added, “No, that came out wrong! I just mean, you were worried that I wouldn’t want to hurt Ann’s feelings, so I wouldn’t tell you Sugarfoot’s crazy. Not that he is.” “And, since we’re on our way to ‘Iolani to drop Darby off, you can talk to Jonah today!” Ann grabbed her father’s arm and bounced on her toes. “Well, I don’t know,” Ed said. “He won’t mind,” Darby promised. “Please, Daddy!” Ann looked up at her father with pleading eyes. Shaking his head, Ed removed his wallet from his pocket. “You see what I put up with,” he told Cricket as he paid for the peppermints. Cricket smiled and gave a sympathetic shake of her head as she slipped the money into the cash drawer. But just as they turned to leave the store, Cricket gave the girls an approving wink. When they arrived at the ranch, a red truck with matching trailer was parked in front of Sun House. Jonah was helping a visitor unload a strange horse.

36 E Wild Horse Island “Who’s that?” Darby asked. “And why’s he bringing another horse here?” The mare was chocolate brown and nervous. Darby got close enough to read the brass plate on the side of her leather halter. It read BANSHEE LA BAMBA. “Hacienda La Bamba is a ranch in California, right, Dad?” Ann asked. When Ed Potter nodded, Ann turned to Darby. “Are you sure Jonah’s not buying new stock? She looks like a Quarter Horse.” It turned out the mare had been brought to the ranch for breeding. Uneasy in the strange surroundings, she flared her nostrils, trying to catch a scent she recognized. “Steppin’ as high as a hen on a hot griddle,” Ed said as he observed the mare. It took both Kit and the mare’s groom to lead her down to Kanaka Luna’s paddock. Hoku gave a neigh, which sounded distinctly unfriendly. “Was that your horse?” Ann asked. Darby nodded, but she stopped feeling sorry for Banshee La Bamba when she realized what the mare’s presence meant. Cha-ching! Darby imagined the sound of a cash register and hoped the stallion’s breeding fee was enough to take a little of the load off Jonah’s mind. “Decided not to keep your word, I see,” Jonah said as he walked up and shook hands with Ed Potter. What? Darby’s glance ping-ponged between Ed

Galloping Gold E 37 and Jonah until her grandfather jerked his thumb toward Darby and said, “Her. You brought her back.” “Oh, that,” Ed said, smiling. “Some joke,” Darby grumbled. “We might still be able to work something out,” Ed said. “I have a favor to ask.” “Go ahead,” Jonah told him. “I want to show you a horse.” “Not in the market for anything that eats,” Jonah said. “No problem. Ramona and Ann won’t let me sell him. Yet.” “You telling me you got a horse Crazy Ann can’t ride?” Jonah teased. “Oh, I can ride him,” she said. “In fact”—Ed sounded puzzled—“anyone can ride him. He’s good under saddle.” “Except?” Jonah asked. “He’s loco. I’d like you to take a look and see what kind of loco.” “That horse-charmer stuff,” Jonah said, looking disgusted. “I thought you knew that was just people talkin’ story.” Before Jonah could lose interest, Ann jumped in and began describing her horse. “He’s five years old. He’s a Morgan-Arab cross—” “Hot blood in those Arabs.” Jonah sounded disapproving.

38 E Wild Horse Island “A tan and cream paint—” “And flashy,” Jonah complained. “Not too flashy,” Ann promised. “But what he does, see, is—” “Excuse me.” Jonah held up a hand. “If this is a puzzle, let me figure it out.” “You got it,” Ed told him. He rubbed his hands together, glad Jonah was intrigued. “Just being neighborly, yeah?” Jonah emphasized. “No promises.” Darby thought of Gemma Mookini saying she didn’t want to be unneighborly. Could that help the Potters change Gemma’s mind? If you took the spirit of Aloha, mixed it with the neighborliness that existed in far-flung places where people had to help each other, she might rethink her threat. “No promises,” Ed echoed as the two men shook hands. They both looked satisfied. Then Jonah asked, “Where’d he come from?” “The Stallion Station, over on Lanai’i,” Ann said. “He’s a stud then?” “Not anymore,” Ed said. “Hmph,” Jonah grunted. “Next weekend, maybe, if you’re around, I’ll drive over.” “I hate to ask,” Ed said, “but if you came a tad earlier, you might save us a lick of trouble.” A lick of trouble? Darby wondered what that meant.

Galloping Gold E 39 “Lawyer trouble,” Ann clarified. Jonah looked fascinated as he smoothed one side of his black mustache. “See ya tomorrow,” he said.

Chapter Four

“Good thing you’re back,” Jonah told Darby as the

Potters drove away. “Your Aunty Cathy needs help in the house.” Wary of housekeeping chores, which she hated, Darby still didn’t complain. Instead she asked, “Where’s Cade?” “You think he’s gonna do your chores?” “No, but I bet he’s doing something more fun,” Darby said. “That Cathy’s pretty tough,” Jonah said, but his expression was so weird, Darby couldn’t tell if he was joking, or meant what he’d said. “Cade took a ride out,” Jonah added, and made a vague gesture toward the hills.

Galloping Gold E 41 Darby guessed unexpected guest riders had shown up. Since they’d shown off the cremellos at the keiki rodeo, lots of tourists had come to ‘Iolani Ranch to ride. Thinking of their increased income reminded Darby of the visiting mare. “Did that La Bamba mare come all the way over from California?” Darby asked. Jonah nodded. “Owned by people with more money than good sense,” he said, hiding his pleasure. “She’s sure got your filly stirred up.” “Hoku wants to be the lead mare or something,” Darby explained. “Or something,” Jonah agreed, but he only gave Banshee La Bamba a few seconds’ thought before he went on. “Finish up in the house. I’m gonna tell you how to teach your horse a lesson on frustration management.” “What’s that?” Darby asked, but Jonah didn’t answer. “Wear your boots and old jeans.” “Maybe I should do that now,” Darby suggested. “It won’t be pretty,” Jonah said. “Let the tourists get off the place first.” Then Jonah shooed her toward Sun House. Darby hoped Jonah had meant that Aunty Cathy needed help with work she’d brought from the office up to the house. Aunty Cathy often reviewed price lists of standard vaccines for the horses so that she

42 E Wild Horse Island could make the smartest purchases. Or maybe it was something to do with organizing a group ride. Lately they’d been contacted by Girl Scouts, YMCA Indian Guides, and even parents wanting to schedule birthday rides for children and their friends. Darby didn’t mind making lists of games and refreshments, except that she was eager to go ride Hoku. Frustration management. Hoku doesn’t need that nearly as much as Sugarfoot, Darby thought as she reached Sun House. Maybe the gelding just wanted to run for the fun of it. By the time she’d taken off her shoes and left them by the front door, Darby had persuaded herself that her indoor chores would have something to do with horses. “Aunty Cathy?” she called, but there was no answer. Yes! she thought. If Aunty Cathy had already finished the job, Darby sure wouldn’t go looking for another one. Darby sauntered down the hall to her bedroom and dropped her sleepover bag on the bed. She didn’t know whether to curl up on her bed to read right now or take her book with her when she went down to the broodmare pasture to see Hoku. Then she heard Aunty Cathy’s voice. “I’m out on the lanai,” she called.

Galloping Gold E 43 With a sigh, Darby headed for the living room and walked through it to the wooden deck that overlooked the ranch. Where is Megan? Darby wondered. Why isn’t she inside doing chores, too? The job wasn’t repulsive, just boring. Aunty Cathy said that the vog—volcanic fog—drifting from the active one of the Two Sisters wasn’t good for the plants that grew in bright containers on the lanai. Darby’s job was to sponge off each and every leaf to help the plants “breathe.” “What’s in this?” Darby asked, nodding at the basin of liquid Aunty Cathy had prepared. “Just water. I used to dilute milk and use it as leaf polish, but I read that it clogs the plants’ pores with protein.” Darby realized her mind was wandering back to Sugarfoot and what she could do to keep him on his home ranch when Aunty Cathy’s voice rose and she asked, “Did you girls stay up late talking?” “Kind of, but it was this morning that really drained my energy,” Darby admitted. She gave Aunty Cathy a quick account of what had happened with Sugarfoot and Gemma Mookini. “That doesn’t sound very good,” Aunty Cathy said, “and I don’t know the family, but Kimo does. You might ask him if she’s likely to carry through with the threat.” “I will, but they need to work with Sugarfoot

44 E Wild Horse Island anyway.” Darby lowered her voice. “He knocked a visitor out of his wheelchair once.” Aunty Cathy sucked in a breath and blinked as if she was trying to erase a mental picture of a wheelchair’s silver spokes whirring around in a blur. “I’ll put my mind to a solution,” Aunty Cathy promised, “but it’s already spinning with luau plans.” Instead of drooping with exhaustion, Aunty Cathy looked kind of smug. “Why are you smiling like that?” Darby asked her. “Like what?” Aunty Cathy sounded like she was about to laugh. “Like you’ve got a secret.” Darby thought for a few seconds, and then said, “Mom told me she was coming for the Fourth of July, you know.” “I know that you know,” Aunty Cathy said, and this time she did laugh. “Then what?” “Are you saying I’m not allowed to smile?” Aunty Cathy’s hands flew up in mock exasperation. “I guess I’ll just go see how Megan’s spa treatment is coming along.” “What?” Darby yelped. “Shampoo, nails . . .” Aunty Cathy mused. Darby was speechless. “She’s bathing the dogs,” Aunty Cathy said. And then, before she left, she winked. Darby looked after the woman she’d come to think

Galloping Gold E 45 of as a second mother. Something was up. Aunty Cathy was always nice, and often funny, but never giddy. And the dogs hadn’t had a bath since Darby had arrived on the ranch. Oh well, she’d let Aunty Cathy have her mystery, Darby thought. All she cared about was finishing this job so that she could get out to the pasture and Hoku. Darby didn’t allow herself to check her watch until she’d dabbed cheesecloth soaked in cool water over every surface of each leaf on the first plant. Then she saw it had taken her ten minutes to do this one, relatively small, plant. From the ranch yard, she heard Megan squeal and a dog bark. Unfair, Darby thought. Megan was playing in the water while she played servant to a bunch of houseplants. At this rate, it would be too dark to ride Hoku. Then she had an idea. Instead of washing the leaves one at a time, she’d carry all the plants inside and set them in the bathtub. Then she could just run the shower over them. She’d finish in minutes instead of hours. Keeping a good grip on each plant’s container, Darby rushed between the lanai and the bathtub. It didn’t take long, but Darby was staggering under the weight of the largest of the remaining plants when she felt a tickle on her forearm. She changed her hold,

46 E Wild Horse Island thinking one of the long pointed leaves was brushing her, but the tickle didn’t stop. It wasn’t painful, just annoying, but Darby adjusted her grasp one more time before she looked down to investigate. A tiny brownish reptile looked up at her with its head cocked to one side. A gecko! Darby caught her breath in surprise. She wasn’t scared, but the gecko was. It scuttled up past her elbow, heading for her armpit. Trying to shake it off, Darby lost her grip on the plant. It fell and cartwheeled across the living room. For the second time that day, dirt sprayed around Darby. But this time was worse than nearly being trampled. Dirt had flown up, then landed on the pale living room carpet. She’d have to get out the vacuum cleaner and tend to this, too. Thank goodness the dirt wasn’t wet yet. It would have smeared all over the carpet. She’d have to be careful she didn’t vacuum up the gecko, too, she thought, but the gecko, the cause of this mess, was nowhere in sight. Grumbling, Darby crab-stepped around the dirt as she moved the last plant into the shower. She left the water running while she cleaned up the mud-spattered carpet, and she was just beginning to feel a bit relieved that her job was nearing the end when Aunty Cathy showed up again. “I used to do that, too,” she said from the doorway

Galloping Gold E 47 of the bathroom. “It’s a good idea, but it takes a while to clean out the bathtub.” “Clean it out?” Darby asked, but a glance showed her the shower’s jet had sluiced off loose leaves and stems. Some of the smaller containers had overflowed, carrying rivers of dirt all over the white tub. Now she was facing a third chore instead of just one. Darby gave Aunty Cathy a beseeching look, but she must have misinterpreted it, because Aunty Cathy just shrugged and said, “You do it however you want, honey. Just don’t leave things worse than when you started.” With dirt under her nails and water-withered fingertips, Darby finally finished and collapsed onto the bench by the front door. She pulled on her boots and told herself with wordless grumbling that since she was getting ready to teach Hoku about frustration management, she should try to shake off her own aggravation. It wouldn’t do any good to let the horse think her rider was irritated, too. “And I’m going to focus for the rest of the day,” Darby muttered to herself. Trouble had come when she’d let her mind wander from Sugarfoot to the gate she’d planned to open for Gemma. Trouble had come just now when she’d tried to rush the plant-care job. No more, Darby thought. She’d do exactly what she was told.

48 E Wild Horse Island “Granddaughter!” Darby hurried toward Jonah. His arms were full of horse gear. Yes! Darby thought. She could hardly wait to take the tack and find Hoku. “I thought you’d fallen asleep in there,” he said, handing her the armload of tack. “Saddle, halter, lead rope, and sheepskin pad,” Jonah listed each item as he gave it to her. “Saddle?” Darby asked. Her horse wasn’t saddlebroken yet. “A little endurance saddle,” he explained. “Light, yeah? Broken in. Your big saddle for Navigator has a wood frame. This one’s some kinda superflex plastic.” An endurance saddle? It looked a lot like an English saddle, Darby thought, and she couldn’t imagine where Jonah, devoted to all things paniolo, had found it. It didn’t seem like a piece of tack he’d just have sitting around. “You want me to put this on Hoku. And ride her?” Darby gasped. “Or you can wear it,” Jonah said. How could he joke about this? She’d never ridden her mustang with a real saddle. “Now, watch.” Jonah squatted and used the point of a stick to sketch out the hillside on which she was to ride Hoku. He’d changed the subject, Darby thought. Did he think riding her horse with a saddle for the first time

Galloping Gold E 49 was just a step along the way of gentling the filly? “You know where I’m talkin’ about?” Jonah asked, tapping the stick on the diagram he’d etched in the dirt. “Yeah,” Darby told him. “It’s not too steep.” “But definitely a sharp slope. You keep your wits about you. If the saddle slips toward her tail, next time we’ll put on a breast collar.” “Okay,” Darby said. Because of the hilly terrain, most horses on the ranch were fitted with sheepskinlined breast collars that lay flat against their chests and buckled to the saddle on each side. Jonah drew a series of switchbacks ascending in continuous S’s. “Your filly will get bored with this. She’ll get it into her head that it’s faster to go in a straight line, to just leap on up the hillside instead of following the path. But you won’t let her.” “Okay,” Darby said again. “Today there’s no real reason for it—a bit easier on her legs, yeah?—but someday there will be a reason she has to trust you over her muddled mustang mind. Today’s practice for that day.” “Right,” Darby said, just as if she was taking Jonah’s directions—including the part about riding Hoku with a saddle for the first time—in stride. “Work her through the hills first, to drain off a little energy. Then ride her back up here,” Jonah said. With a swing of his arm, he indicated the ranch yard.

50 E Wild Horse Island “And make her stop and stand.” “Where, exactly?” Darby asked. “At the foreman’s house, the tack shed, next to the goat, the pig, the candlenut tree, next to all that hammering.” Although the construction racket grated on her nerves, the scent of freshly sawed boards made Darby smile. Three local guys were building a house on ‘Iolani Ranch property. She and her mother would live there when it was finished. “Got it,” Darby said before Jonah could accuse her of daydreaming. “I’m making her stop and stand because I say so.” Jonah pointed his finger at her as if she’d correctly guessed the answer to a riddle. There really was nothing to worry about. She’d ridden Hoku lots of times. A couple times she’d even done it with a leather strap, like a cinch, around the filly’s middle. Hoku already knew the feeling. Balancing the load in her arms against herself as she walked the path down to the pastures, Darby still felt surprised that Jonah expected her to do this alone, but she was happy she wouldn’t have an audience. Almost there. In a few more steps, fields full of horses would appear below her. The sight never grew old. There. The green unrolled in hills and dips, all sprinkled with horses.

Galloping Gold E 51 Hoku stood statue stiff, staring into Kanaka Luna’s pasture, until she spotted Darby. Then a streak of redgold, bright as a chip of sunset, came hurtling Darby’s way. Darby tried to jog to meet her. In boots, with an armload of gear, it wasn’t easy. Darby’s heart went out to meet her horse before her own feet stopped at the pasture gate. Pulling together, Darby thought. It was the name of the Potters’ therapeutic riding program, but it fit her and Hoku, too. Hoku made the happy grumbling noises Darby had taken for hunger when the filly was in her corral up in the ranch yard. But now Darby knew it as a greeting. Wait, Darby thought suddenly. Was there really a difference between Hoku’s exultant welcome and Sugarfoot’s charging? There was no time to mull over the question, because Hoku had reached the fence. The filly nickered, then lowered her head to look into Darby’s face. Darby dropped the tack and offered her fingers for her horse to sniff. “Hey, beautiful girl. I’m finally here.” Darby stroked Hoku’s neck, and then laid her hand against her horse’s cheek. Hoku blinked, but she didn’t shift restlessly. She was happy exactly where she was. They’d come close to losing each other when Shan Stonerow had tried to steal Hoku. First he’d tried fast-

52 E Wild Horse Island talking. Then, when he’d lost in a court hearing, he’d stolen Hoku from a horse trailer in Hapuna town. But Darby and her friends had caught him before he’d escaped, and since then, Darby and Hoku had been together. “This time for good,” Darby said. Hammering from the ranch yard underlined her words. Darby let Hoku sniff her neck over the pasture fence. After a minute or two, Darby touched the bolt on the gate. It didn’t make a sound, but Hoku backed off, tossing her flaxen forelock away from her eyes. “Ready to go, girl?” Darby asked. “Me too. I think.”

Chapter Five

Hoku didn’t care that Darby hadn’t brought wisps of

hay as she often did. “I think you like having a human herd member,” Darby said as she slipped into the pasture and dumped the tack on the grass. She bolted the gate, then watched as Hoku inspected the gear. Months ago, Darby had realized Hoku depended on scent and sounds far more than she did on her sense of sight. “Zeroed in on that saddle first thing.” Darby watched as Hoku nudged the saddle, then worked her nose underneath and flipped it over. Darby didn’t expect any fireworks when she

54 E Wild Horse Island mounted Hoku, but the filly made a habit of surprising her. If Hoku’s mustang ancestry told her to protest the saddle with a one-horse rodeo, the broodmares and foals around them could be upset. “Should we do this someplace else?” Darby asked her horse, and for a moment she heard wind chimes, both bamboo and brass; the green clapping of leaves; and the trill of birdsong. Darby shivered as if her great-grandmother, Tutu, had called her name. Darby looked toward Pearl pasture and the forest beyond. She didn’t see Tutu standing there, beckoning her toward the rain forest, but she felt her calling. Darby took a breath and released it slowly. She didn’t feel like Tutu was in trouble, but . . . Hoku shook her head so hard, her ears smacked her head. The filly’s effort was successful in chasing off a fly, but Darby knew it wouldn’t be so simple to jiggle her own imagination back to reality. “Taking our first saddle ride in the rain forest is a crazy idea,” she told Hoku. The young horses of Pearl pasture were a rowdy bunch. And once she and Hoku reached the forest, there’d be vines to trip over and low branches to duck under. It would be fun to ride out and visit Tutu, but not now. When the filly began pawing the grass, Darby asked, “Bored? We can’t have that.” Moving quickly, Darby haltered her horse, snapping on the lead line, which would become a single rein when she was in the saddle. Then, because Hoku

Galloping Gold E 55 had loved Darby’s singing since the snowy day they’d met, she hummed an old disco song that was one of her mother’s favorites. She couldn’t remember its title, but she remembered singing along with her mother’s CD player when they drove anywhere together. As Darby whisked the sheepskin pad under the filly’s nose, she thought of Sugarfoot again. Really, what was the difference between the gelding’s charging and Hoku’s greeting? “You don’t run up to everyone that way, do you, girl?” Darby asked as she rubbed the pad over Hoku’s neck and shoulders. Had Sugarfoot flattened his ears as he’d charged Mrs. Mookini? Darby tried to remember. “A photographic memory would help,” she told the filly. Her mental snapshot of Sugarfoot showed the gelding with his ears tipped far forward, as if he was overly excited. She massaged Hoku’s back with the sheepskin pad, then settled it in place and waited. “No big deal?” she asked her horse, and Hoku blew through her lips. While the filly considered a bite of grass, Darby picked up the saddle and carried it around the horse, slid it along Hoku’s sides, and finally placed it atop the sheepskin saddle pad. Once more, Darby waited. But Hoku only turned an ear toward her when Darby bent down to catch the end of the cinch. She

56 E Wild Horse Island buckled the leather strap so loosely, it barely grazed Hoku’s belly. “How ’bout a little walk over to that rise?” Darby asked. She led her horse for five minutes, then stopped to tighten the cinch one notch. She led her some more and took the cinch up to the next hole, repeating the process until the cinch was as tight as it should be. “It’s showtime,” Darby told the filly, but she looked around the surrounding hills hoping she didn’t have an audience. She saw no riders. The only movements were the swishing tails of horses. As she clipped the halter rope into a single rein, she noticed that most of the broodmares were dozing. Two foals were prone, napping with closed eyes in the sunlight. “Let’s not wake them up,” Darby said to her horse. She led Hoku to a rise in the pasture, just tall enough to make it easier to mount. Without a plan, she set one boot in the left stirrup and swung lightly into the air. If she could have hovered like a windblown feather before coming down on Hoku’s back, she would have, but she could only do her best not to disturb her horse. When the filly’s tail flicked, singing through the air, Darby made her arm muscles relax. When Hoku’s hindquarters shifted and she kicked a back leg forward toward the unfamiliar cinch, Darby

Galloping Gold E 57 slipped her feet out of the stirrups and let her legs hang as limp as overcooked noodles. Then Hoku’s head swung around. The whites of her eyes showed as she strained to see everything on her back. Widening her nostrils, she sucked in the strange smell, but then she shook her head and Darby guessed Hoku had realized the saddle was the same object she’d sniffed and overturned on the ground. Darby blew out a lazy breath and let her eyelids lower. Hoku did the same. Smiling, Darby stirred her legs against the filly’s sides and Hoku stepped out, headed for the gate. Yes! Darby thought. She didn’t shout in celebration, but she kept humming that mysterious song. “I don’t care what it’s called, do you, Hoku?” she asked. The endurance saddle was comfy, and they got through the pasture gate as if nothing had changed. They were about to pass Kanaka Luna’s pasture when Darby heard a faint equine snort. To Hoku, it must have sounded like a taunt. The filly’s ears flattened and she sidled toward the fence. “It’s okay,” Darby crooned. “It was the mare, not Luna.” As the stallion watched them go, Hoku shook off her irritation, but she wanted to trot.

58 E Wild Horse Island “Sorry,” Darby said, and she kept Hoku at a walk in case the saddle felt different with her bouncing on it. Instead, she headed for the hillside S’s and Hoku’s first frustration test. Hoku took the first few turns at a walk. Then, just as Jonah had predicted, she pulled to go straight up the hillside. “Nope,” Darby said. She kept the orange-andwhite-striped rope tight, refusing to give the filly her head. Although Hoku danced in place, trying to show Darby a more direct way up the slope, she didn’t break into a fretful sweat as she did when Darby made her obey in the round pen. So Darby rewarded Hoku, allowing her to extend her stride and walk faster. “As long as you do what I say,” Darby told the filly as they swooped around turns that doubled back over and over again. The crest of the hill was in sight and Hoku had developed an ambling rhythm when the lyrics to the mystery song popped into her head. “Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive,” she sang, and the words were interspersed with giggles. What a perfect song for her brain to bring up while she’d been preparing to try Hoku under saddle for the first time. As her laughter grew, she let Hoku trot, and by the time they reached the top, Hoku was almost running, whipping through each tight turn with the ease of a cow pony, and Darby was singing along.

Galloping Gold E 59 “Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive!” Darby was happy. Her horse hadn’t bucked a single time. The song grew louder with each hoofbeat, and Darby meant to hold the last note until her breath ran out. “Stayin’ a-liiiiiiii . . .” But Hoku shied at the sight of two mounted figures, making Darby’s teeth clack together just before they reached the hilltop and ran directly into Cade and Pauli. Darby knew the guys would blame her preoccupation on her horse. With Hoku carrying a saddle for the first time ever, of course she had to pay attention, but she was really looking down at her saddle because she was embarrassed by her loud singing. “I told you we didn’t have coyotes around here,” Cade joked. Very funny, Darby thought. Cade rode Joker. The gray-and-white Appaloosa almost blocked her view of Pauli Akua. But Darby made out the silhouette of his cockatoo-crested hair. Pauli attended her school and he was Tyson Mookini’s best friend, but since Pauli and Cade had become buddies, Darby tried not to hold that other friendship against him. After all, Pauli and Cade had pooled their money to buy Jellybean Jewel. Now Jewel lived in a newly repaired and enlarged corral on Cade’s land near

60 E Wild Horse Island Crimson Vale, and she even had a pasture pal, a pony named Honi. I know, Darby thought suddenly. She should casually tell the guys about Sugarfoot’s encounter with Gemma Mookini. As Tyson’s friend, Pauli might know enough about the family to guess what they’d do next. She was about to mention Sugarfoot when Pauli brought up her singing again. “I’m pretty sure I heard howling.” Pauli tilted his head back and started to demonstrate, but Cade thumped him on the shoulder. “What?” Cade nodded at Hoku. “She’s wearing a saddle,” he said quietly, “for the first time, and she still came up this hill just as pretty as you please. Nice work, keiki.” If Cade’s tone hadn’t been so full of admiration, Darby would have snapped at him for calling her keiki. Kimo had been joking with Kit, calling Darby the can-do keiki, and the nickname had stuck. Even if she liked the significance of it—and she did—it made her squirm. “Primo,” Pauli said. He gave the saddle a moment of confused study, then shrugged. “How’re you doing?” she asked Pauli, since he’d only begun riding a couple of weeks ago. He’d even found a pair of boots that fit him, which was a good thing. When Jonah had seen him riding the first day, with his frayed-hem jeans hanging over sandals with tire-tread soles, he’d forbidden Pauli to ride in shoes

Galloping Gold E 61 without heels the next time. “Pretty good,” Pauli said, patting Judge’s neck. The old bay horse had come from Nevada with Hoku, and the two were buddies. The filly surged forward to rub her muzzle on his neck. Judge lifted his head and gave Hoku’s mane an affectionate nibble. “Whoa!” Pauli yelled, pulling back on his reins. “It’s okay,” Darby said. “They’re pals,” Cade told him. “That was kinda gnarly. I thought he was biting her,” Pauli said. “He was, sorta,” Cade said. “Love bites,” Darby explained. It was her turn to make the guys squirm, and the simple phrase did the trick. They rolled their eyes like eight-year-olds thinking of cooties, and shifted around on their horses, searching for something to say. It was a perfect time to make her getaway, Darby thought, but then Pauli looked at Cade, jerked his cockatoo crest toward Darby, and said, “Ask her.” “I told you, it’s okay,” Cade insisted, then turned to Darby. “I told Pauli he could come to the luau on the Fourth of July.” “Sure,” Darby said. “It’ll be huge. All my relatives— at least the ones I know about,” she added, since she’d discovered an extended family she’d known nothing about before her arrival in Hawaii. “And the Potters, Patrick Zink, Kimo and his dad—” “Good fun,” Pauli said.

62 E Wild Horse Island “Guaranteed,” Cade told him. Darby laughed. It was nice seeing Cade act like a kid instead of a serious paniolo. “Gotta go,” she said. “You can ride with us, yeah?” Pauli offered. “Nope. I have instructions from Jonah.” She almost explained that she was supposed to frustrate Hoku, but she was pretty sure a new rider like Pauli would be confused. Darby waved good-bye and guided Hoku the back way into the ranch yard—down the switchbacks and up through the fold. It was after five o’clock, Darby guessed as she approached the half-built house. Shouldn’t the carpenters be finishing up for the day instead of dragging around orange cords, sweating, and using nods and hollers to communicate over the snarling saws? She felt a little guilty for riding around, carefree, enjoying the tropical breeze that lifted her ponytail, while they were hard at work. As Darby rode past, Hoku flattened her ears. She still hated most men on sight. She would allow Kit to come within touching distance of her, but she clearly didn’t enjoy it. All three of the workers flashed Darby a shaka sign and she returned the gesture. She had ridden on only a few steps when one of them started using a nail gun. Bam. Bam. Bam. Hoku startled away from the loud sound and

Galloping Gold E 63 Darby saw an opportunity to teach the filly that she was safe. “You’re fine,” she said in an upbeat tone, neither sympathizing nor criticizing. She gathered her rope reins and pulled back. Hoku understood, but she didn’t want to slow down or stop. The tallest of the men noticed Hoku’s agitation. He squatted in front of the guy with the nail gun and made a slashing motion across his throat. In the sudden silence, Darby felt shy. Her old hiding habit returned without her permission. She shrugged her shoulders almost to her ears, so that she looked like a prairie dog peeking out of its burrow. The tall man stood up slowly, pressing both hands to the small of his back. Darby noticed he wore a black support belt. She’d read that they really didn’t work, but this was no time to share that information. “Thanks!” Darby yelled, and then kicked herself. There was no need to shout with the power tools turned off. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered to Hoku. The filly’s steps were jerky, but she obeyed Darby’s signal to walk to Pigolo’s pen and halt. After a single short squeal, Pigolo realized Darby was atop the horse. He snuffled in delight and scuttled toward the fence of his pen. “My sweet little piglet!” Darby greeted him. Megan accused Pigolo of starting Darby’s life of crime because she’d stolen him from Manny. What else could she have done when she saw Cade’s evil stepfather

64 E Wild Horse Island kicking the orphaned animal? Every instinct had told her to just swoop in and scoop up the piglet. He’d been tiny then, and fit tidily in her arms, but now he was about half the size of an Australian shepherd. Darby knew that no matter how big he got, she would feel protective of Pigolo. She was 98 percent sure Jonah had been joking all the times he’d referred to cooking Pigolo for the Fourth of July luau, but she’d still be really happy to wake up on July fifth and see his squint-eyed face and twirly tail. “We’re just saying hi,” she told Pigolo. “You can go back in the shade now.” Pink skin showed through his coarse black-andwhite hair, and Darby was afraid he’d get sunburned. Hoku watched the pig move up and down his fence. The filly’s ears were backcast and her hindquarters shifted irritably. “You are not going to kick him,” she scolded Hoku. “He’s not wild. He’s our friend.” Hoku disagreed in a low rumble. When Pigolo lifted his snout, he looked like he was smiling up at her. “See?” Darby said, and then she whispered, “You have too many opinions for a horse!” Then something made Hoku tense up. She backed, then pivoted away from the fence. Darby placed a comforting hand on the filly’s mane and gazed around. She didn’t see anything that should

Galloping Gold E 65 have bothered Hoku. The construction guys were packing away their tools. Kimo was riding in from the direction of the fold on Baxter. Maybe there’d been a scent on the breeze, Darby thought. Francie’s bell tinkled and Jonah shouted “No!” from the tack shed. From inside the office, Aunty Cathy called, “Francie!” Francie the goat had learned to lean against her tie rope and saw back and forth until the rope frayed through and broke. She loved the freedom of escape and the fun of having everyone chase her. Megan’s solution had been to bell the goat’s collar and shout reprimands each time they heard the frenzied tinkling of her pulling. Darby wasn’t sure it was working, but she knew Francie wouldn’t be so mischievous if she knew she’ d been mentioned as a possible Fourth of July dinner. Darby urged Hoku toward the goat. Hoku’s head stayed high and her ears stood in starched points as they approached. “Loosen up, baby,” Darby told Hoku. “If Jonah comes out of the tack shed, you need to show him what a happy horse you are, even if you’re carrying a saddle for the very first time.” When Hoku swung her head around toward the new house, Darby looked again. “You know Baxter,” she reminded Hoku.

66 E Wild Horse Island Kimo had stopped the grulla cow pony next to the construction guys. He leaned forward to catch whatever the tall man was saying. And then Darby felt as uneasy as her horse did. The tall man was pointing directly at her.

Chapter Six

“She’s okay with that saddle, yeah?” Jonah asked,

and there was approval in his voice. From Jonah the comment amounted to a standing ovation for Hoku and Darby. Darby pulled her gaze away from the carpenter and grinned. “No bucking or anything. Even when we met up with Cade and Pauli on the switchbacks, no problem.” Jonah stayed about ten feet away, but Hoku’s edginess was building. “She’s had enough,” Jonah observed. “Don’t take her down by Medusa and her brood. She’ll have a breakdown. Put her back in the pasture, then we’re going over to the Potters’ place.”

68 E Wild Horse Island “Already?” Darby asked. She’d expected to go tomorrow at the earliest. “Cook’s night off.” Jonah gestured toward the ranch office, where Aunty Cathy was working. “Ramona invited us for dinner if we’ll bring that boy Patrick along.” “Great!” Darby said. Patrick Zink was one of her best friends. He was also one of the smartest. He could probably come up with an idea to save Sugarfoot if his accident-prone nature didn’t land him in the hospital again. Happy to be unsaddled, Hoku trotted into the broodmare pasture and rolled, then returned to Darby. “This is much better, isn’t it, pretty girl?” Darby asked her horse. They’d missed each other when Hoku thought she was being neglected. Darby had been busy with school, Snowfire, Black Lava and his herd, and the sick pony Honi. And though her thoughts were always with Hoku, the horse had no way of knowing. “And I have one little surprise. Ann sent it for you.” Darby worked her fingers into her jeans pocket and retrieved the peppermint horse treat. Hoku lipped it off her palm, gave a single crunch, then swallowed. Just as Darby turned to leave, Koko and Blue Ginger raced by. The mares were playing tag, nipping at one another’s flanks each time they got within range, and Hoku joined in.

Galloping Gold E 69 Darby lifted the saddle, sheepskin pad, halter, and lead rope off the grass, feeling contented as she carried them up the path to Sun House. Things are going to be okay, she thought. Jonah will diagnose Sugarfoot within minutes and the insurance company will accept his assessment as proof that Sugarfoot can be cured, and the Potters’ Pulling Together program will go on just as smoothly as it had before. Darby realized her satisfying scenario left out Gemma and whatever she decided to do, but she’d worry about that later. The gear in her arms was starting to feel heavy and she dreaded hauling it all the way back to the tack room, so she was pleased when she reached the top of the path and found Jonah’s brown Land Rover right there idling, waiting for her. As always, Darby appreciated the pale owl painted on the truck. The bird soared over the turquoise lettering that spelled out ‘Iolani Ranch. She arranged the tack in the vehicle’s cargo area, leaving the backseat for Patrick and his crutches, then climbed into the front next to Jonah and fastened her seat belt. Every surface of Jonah’s truck was shiny and smelled of the coconut oil polish he kept in a niche between the seats. Darby leaned back and closed her eyes as Jonah steered the Land Rover slowly away from the path. It felt like days, not hours, since she’d seen Sugarfoot, a whirlwind of cream and gold, zoom toward the fence

70 E Wild Horse Island and frighten Gemma into falling. Jonah turned the Land Rover left, onto the frontage road they shared with the Zinks’ property. Darby looked at the truck’s dashboard clock. Eight hours, she thought, since Mrs. Mookini had been scheduled for a ten A.M. session. In eight hours, Darby had been miserable with guilt, then giddy with possibilities after hearing Petra the pet psychic, frustrated with chores, and singing with pride for her horse’s first day under saddle. When you lived on a ranch, Darby decided, you squeezed a lot of living into eight hours. And that was the way she liked it. “I’m getting hungry,” Darby admitted as they drove over a cattle guard. “Good thing.” Jonah leaned forward with his chest almost touching the steering wheel as he drove. “Ed promised to show me some real Nevada cowboy cookin’.” Tall ohia trees stood side by side, shading the left side of the road. They were almost to Patrick’s house. “Ed said he’ll make me the biggest, baddest chickenfried steak I ever ate,” Jonah said. “That’s my dad’s favorite food.” Darby felt a stab of loneliness. “Never met ’im,” Jonah said. “I wish he could come to the luau,” Darby said, daydreaming of introducing her father to Hoku, Megan, Ann, and everyone else. “Maybe I’ll invite him to come

Galloping Gold E 71 visit”—Darby glanced at Jonah to gauge his reaction— “before my mom moves back here.” Jonah didn’t answer, but then, she hadn’t really asked a question. Jonah had never met his son-in-law. He hadn’t even met his only grandchild—her—until thirteen years after her birth. It was kind of sad, that a fight between a father and his daughter could go on so long. Like it had tentacles, she mused, and then, as Jonah turned left toward the Zinks’ driveway, she saw movement in the shade of the lehua trees. In an instant, she saw Patrick’s white pith helmet. She wished Jonah would slow down. Patrick was out of his walking cast and just on crutches and he was trying to hop out of the way. But he couldn’t move too fast. Maybe not fast enough! Jonah would hit him if he— “Watch out!” Darby yelled. Jonah slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel to avoid Patrick. “Killed the engine,” Jonah said, but his hands shook as he restarted the car. He looked at Darby to ask, “He’s okay, yeah?” “Sure,” Darby said, but her throat was so tight she barely managed it. If Patrick hadn’t used his crutches like a pole vaulter used a pole, Jonah would have run over him. She remembered thinking her first day on the island, when Jonah was driving with her to the docks

72 E Wild Horse Island to get Hoku, that Jonah wasn’t a bad driver, but he was jerky. Now that she knew Jonah had poor peripheral vision and had trouble seeing in low light due to an inherited disease, she wondered if that caused his uncertain driving. “Let it go,” Jonah snapped, and Darby realized that her hand had closed around the charm on her necklace. It was a winged gold heart the size of Darby’s little fingernail, and she had no memory of grabbing it. Darby opened her door. “Sorry!” she called to Patrick as she got out and opened the back door for him. “I could drive this road blindfolded,” Jonah muttered. “I know,” Darby said, but he couldn’t have seen Patrick and still come so close to him. “Here, I’ll take those.” As Darby took Patrick’s crutches, he leaned over and gave her a traditional Hawaiian greeting, kissing each of her cheeks before he clambered into the backseat. To be fair, Darby told herself, she didn’t know how to drive. Maybe Jonah’s mistake was one that could happen to anybody. But she didn’t think so. “Hi, Mr. Kealoha,” Patrick greeted Jonah. When Jonah cleared his throat to speak, Patrick said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to near misses.” “How’s the leg? You going to be working for my

Galloping Gold E 73 upstart sister anytime soon?” Jonah asked. Patrick had “degloved”—peeled back the skin on— one of his legs in an accident in the rain forest a month ago. Now he rolled on the backseat and bicycle-pedaled his legs in the air. “Whatever you’ve been doing, it looks like it’s working.” Darby tried to focus on Patrick’s elation, not Jonah’s failing eyesight. “My doctor says I’ll be able to work at the resort in time for the August polo match,” he said in a fluttering voice. “You know, when Philippe comes home.” “Ann called and asked if Sugarfoot could hide out at my place,” Patrick announced. “I told her not unless I could see him in action. Of course,” he confided, “that was a fabrication. I would do anything for a friend. I’m loyal to a fault, my father claims, although I can’t think what he bases that on. Until recently, Mistwalker was my only friend.” “I’m not real hopeful we’ll change this horse,” Jonah said. He’d turned the Land Rover around and was looking both ways before turning onto the highway, even though there wasn’t another vehicle in sight. “If he’s too much for Wild Ann to handle, the beast is probably beyond breaking.” With a burst of acceleration that snapped both passengers’ heads back, Jonah drove onto the highway. Even though the Potters’ place wasn’t too far away, Darby crossed her fingers for luck. After they’d been driving for five minutes, Darby

74 E Wild Horse Island saw her grandfather’s shoulders lower. He’d relaxed. Maybe he could see better now. “You know what we’re having for our Fourth of July barbecue, Patrick?” Darby moaned as her grandfather had known she would. “No, sir.” “Kalua pork.” “Yum,” Patrick said. “Not yum,” Darby said. “You don’t like it?” Patrick asked. Darby swiveled in her seat and told him, “Not when it’s made from a pet.” “You can’t possibly be speaking of Pigolo.” Patrick sounded horrified. “See?” Darby demanded. “Besides, he’s too young for . . . that.” “Never heard of suckling pig where you come from?” Jonah teased. “Why, the very idea turns my stomach,” Patrick said. “Then I guess we won’t invite you,” Jonah said. “Wait, Mr. Kealoha. Let me change your mind with a few little-known facts about our porcine cousins.” “Go ahead, but I’m no cousin to a dirty pig,” Jonah told him. “Actually, swine—given a choice—are not dirty. They have no sweat glands. That’s the only reason they roll in mud. If there’s clean water around, they’d

Galloping Gold E 75 rather swim. And all pigs keep their”—Patrick cleared his throat—“toilets far from where they eat. Why, newborn piglets will leave their birth nest and totter some distance to relieve themselves.” Jonah was smiling, but Patrick was behind him, so he couldn’t see that Jonah was struggling not to laugh. “My mind’s not changed,” Jonah said. “Perhaps it would interest you to know that pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal in our universe— tested by human standards.” “What’s smarter?” Darby asked. “Monkeys, horses, or dogs?” Patrick shook his head. “Chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants. By the age of two weeks, a piglet living with humans has not only learned its name, it will answer to it. “And they’re really quite affectionate. They love sleeping in close contact with other members of their—” “We’re here,” Darby said. “I see it,” Jonah said as the Land Rover slowed. “You’ll have something to do besides torment us,” Darby said, but her grandfather didn’t show even a hint of a smile. Ann and her mother waved as Jonah parked the Land Rover next to the house. They stood outside the pinto pasture. In just a few minutes, Darby, Patrick, and Jonah had joined them.

76 E Wild Horse Island “Aloha,” called Ramona. “Ed’s inside making dinner.” “I can smell it from here,” Jonah growled appreciatively and patted his stomach. “He thought you might want to get a preview of our bad boy before we sat down to eat.” “Suits me,” Jonah said. “This is really exciting!” Patrick said. “I’ve hardly been off the ranch since my mishap, and a puzzle like Sugarfoot is just what my stagnant brain needs.” “It’s good to see you, too,” Ann said, giving him a quick hug. “Good-lookin’ horse,” Jonah said, and then added, “For a paint.” “He looks absolutely serene,” Patrick observed. “Doesn’t he?” Ann asked. Sugarfoot grazed between Smudge and Red Cloud. The caramel-and-cream pinto grazed side-on to them. His two-toned mane touched the ground and his conformation showed the best of both breeds. He had the grace and finely molded head of an Arabian, but his deep chest and short-coupled body looked more like a Morgan. When Sugarfoot saw the newcomers, he lifted his head. With his gold-and-white forelock blowing clear of his face, he studied them, then snorted and came closer at a trot. “That’s not chasing, is it?” Patrick asked. “Not even close,” Ann said.

Galloping Gold E 77 Darby slipped in next to her friend at the fence. Ann’s eyelids were red-rimmed and puffy. Darby heard Jonah’s sigh. They’d both deduced from Ann’s eyes that she’d been crying. Had something else gone wrong? What was that book tucked under her arm? This wasn’t the time to ask, so Darby just squeezed Ann’s hand. Sugarfoot stopped a few feet from the fence and waited for Ann to call him closer. His dark eyes were confused. He didn’t know why Ann wasn’t coaxing and sweet-talking him. His ears cupped toward Ann as he waited for a sign that she cared. “This is not an aggressive horse,” Jonah said. Ramona agreed. “I don’t know how much Ed told you, but the man who used to own him had a stallion station, horses of all breeds, and he told us he bought this pinto for his color, conformation, and fire.” Jonah nodded, encouraging her to go on, and Darby wondered why. Her grandfather had told Ed that he wanted to figure out the puzzle of this horse on his own. Maybe Ann’s distress made him less inclined to treat the horse’s problem as a game. “You know how some people show off pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other dogs with bad reputations? They showed him off as a fierce stallion.” “I brought this out to show you.” Ann handed Jonah the book she’d had tucked under her arm. It

78 E Wild Horse Island was a small photo album filled with pictures of Sugarfoot. “These are the ones I thought you’d want to see.” Jonah, Darby, and Patrick looked as Ann indicated a business card imprinted with the words OLOWALU STALLION STATION over a background photo of Sugarfoot rearing. There was a magazine article featuring Olowalu Stallion Station, too. In it, Sugarfoot was shown racing head-on toward the camera. “Who wants to breed to a ferocious, angry horse?” Jonah asked. “But he’s not!” Ann insisted. “I can tell that,” Jonah said gently. “Still, a groom was injured while making him perform,” Ramona pointed out. “Sugarfoot just didn’t know when to stop. He was only four years old, just a baby,” Ann said. “But they gelded him and put him up for sale. I saw the ad in the Honolulu Horseman, and—” “Once we saw him, we had to have him,” Ramona said. “I’ve always wanted a Morab, and—well, does it sound show-offy to say Ed and I had never encountered a horse we couldn’t work around to our way of thinking?” “Nah,” Jonah told her. The corners of his eyes crinkled in a genuine smile. “It sounds like a couple of experienced horsemen. Or horsewomen.” At the ringing sound of an old-fashioned dinner triangle, they all hurried toward the house. “He’s an easy keeper,” Ramona said as they walked.

Galloping Gold E 79 “He’s never sick, only threw a shoe once, and really, he’s never cost us an extra dime. Until . . .” Ramona noticed Patrick was hanging back, still looking at Sugarfoot. “Patrick, dear, do you need any help?” Something in Patrick’s rapt study of Sugarfoot made Darby nervous, and she was glad when Ramona waited for him to catch up. Ann and Jonah walked in step. Her friend talked while her grandfather listened. Watching them, Darby felt a bounce of optimism. “He’s sweet, but we can’t use him as a therapy horse because he’s a chaser,” Ann confessed. Then she repeated what she’d told Darby when they’d camped near the Two Sisters volcanoes. “I think you don’t hear much about the vice of ‘chasing’ because people are ashamed to admit they’re afraid of their own horses.” They’d just reached the open front door of the Potters’ house when Ann tilted her head, looked intently at Jonah, and asked, “What do you think?” Just then Ed appeared in the doorway and shook Jonah’s hand. Jonah looked at the Potters, not Ann, and said, “Got one smart girl, here, and five or six empty stomachs, is what I think.” “Y’all come on in and grease your chins,” Ed drawled. “Oh, Ed.” Ramona pretended to shrink in embarrassment, then turned to Jonah and said, “That make-believe country accent only comes out when he

80 E Wild Horse Island cooks.” She used both hands to waft the aromas of steaks, mashed potatoes, and gravy toward them as they entered the kitchen, and said, “It’s a small price to pay.” Toby stood beside his father. They wore identical white chef’s aprons. Buck, the baby, sat in a high chair, kicking his feet. He pointed a spoon at Ed and said, “Eat, now!” “Amen to that.” Jonah’s eyes were so full of the feast covering the table that Darby was surprised her grandfather waited until Ramona finished saying grace before he dug in.

Chapter Seven

During dinner, no one mentioned Sugarfoot.

Patrick talked about the upcoming polo game. Toby described how their cat Mittens had hunted a mouse for breakfast. And Ed compared ranching in Hawaii with ranching in Nevada. Darby listened. She smiled when it was appropriate and frowned when that seemed more suitable, but she was worried about Jonah. And she couldn’t help noticing how often Jonah glanced toward the kitchen window. She thought he watched for the coming of darkness. Ed must have noticed the same thing, because once

82 E Wild Horse Island they’d finished the meal, he said, “Shall we save the apple pie for later, after you’ve had a real look at the colt?” Jonah agreed and they all left Ramona to her turn with the boys. The sky wore a silvery haze and the air smelled of salt. The men walked with such after-dinner laziness, Patrick stumped past them on his crutches. But Darby and Ann lagged behind. Darby bumped her shoulder against her friend’s, then raised her eyebrows at Ann, silently asking what had made her cry. “Gemma’s boss, the attorney, called our insurance company. He asked what kind of coverage we had because he’d advised Gemma to get checked out by a doctor,” Ann said. “But she’s okay, right?” Darby asked. She was pretty sure nothing had been hurt except Mrs. Mookini’s jacket. Ann started to answer, but the words caught in her throat. “Oh. My. Gosh,” Darby said. “This is so stupid.” She didn’t know whether to laugh at the attorney or feel insulted for her friend. “If I’d gone to a doctor every time I fell off, I’d have to live at the doctor’s off—” When the men looked back at them, Darby hushed, but she saw that her aggravation had brought a smile to Ann’s face. Together, she and Ann caught up in time to hear

Galloping Gold E 83 Jonah say, “You say he’s five, but you call him a colt.” It didn’t sound like criticism. Darby had been wondering the same thing, but Ed had a lifetime of horse experience and she didn’t. Ann’s dad scratched the back of his head and looked a little sheepish as he said, “I really thought this chasing was a colt thing that he’d get over.” Ann threaded her arm through her father’s, pleased that he was still making excuses for her horse, even if he didn’t mean to do it. When they reached the pasture, Jonah looked fortified by dinner and ready for action. “Let’s say I walked up to halter him and he tried chasin’ me off. What would you tell me to do?” Ed looked at Ann and gestured for her to answer. “Stand your ground,” Ann said, “and when he gets close, like a few car lengths away, start jumping up and down and waving your arms like crazy.” Jonah gave Ann a comical look that indicated such a reaction to a pushy horse was far below his dignity. “I know,” Ann said, “but it works.” “She’s right,” Ed admitted. “That paint puts on the brakes, walks around a minute giving you the stink eye, then goes back to what he was doing before you invaded his privacy.” At the sound of a pipe gate ringing closed, they looked up to see Patrick making his way across the pinto pasture. “He asked me where I kept the peppermint treats.”

84 E Wild Horse Island Ann suddenly realized the significance of Patrick’s earlier question. “And he left his crutches leaning against the fence,” Darby said incredulously. “What is he thinking?” Ann moaned. “I should have guessed! He was telling me about an article he’d read in some scientific journal about breed recognition among animals. You know, like golden retrievers will hang out with other goldens if they have a choice?” “Ann . . .” Her father sounded disapproving. “It’s not my theory, Dad. All I did was listen, but he was thinking it might be transferable. Something along the lines of, if Mistwalker is a paint and she likes Patrick, then Sugarfoot will bond with him, too.” “I thought he was smarter than that,” Darby said. “Guess we’ll see.” Ed shifted from foot to foot. “I’d like to go out, pick him up by the scruff of his neck, and give him a good talkin’ to, but I don’t want to spook the horse.” Sugarfoot didn’t look the least bit spooked, Darby thought. Swishing his tail, flicking his ears, shivering his skin as if he were covered by flies, Sugarfoot watched Patrick come toward him. And then he charged. Fooled again, Darby thought. But Patrick was ready for the horse. Patrick stood up as straight as his spine would allow, holding his ground, and Sugarfoot did just what

Galloping Gold E 85 the Potters had predicted. The paint veered away, then stopped and looked back at the boy. Ann smooched loudly, then called to her horse, “Shug, you’re a good boy.” Patrick stuck out a thin arm and opened his hand. Sugarfoot walked a step closer, then stretched his gold-patched neck as far as it would go, to lip up the peppermint cookie. It was gone in an instant. Patrick wiped his palm on his jeans, squared away his white pith helmet, and started back to the fence. “I think he likes me,” Patrick yelled, but his celebratory strut was cut short by a stumble. That leg’s still not healed, Darby thought, but she said, “Sugarfoot didn’t do it,” and her words were rushed, just in case anyone thought otherwise. “We all saw that,” Jonah told her, “but he’s going to investigate.” Dying sunlight burnished the gelding’s gold-andwhite coat as he took a step toward Patrick. The action reminded Darby of the times she’d fallen off Hoku and the filly had waited for her. Unworried, the boy called, “I just need a little help getting up.” Darby tensed to go to him. Ann reached for the gate and Ed muttered, but Jonah held up a hand to keep the others back. “I’ll take care of it,” Jonah said, “and have a talk with your horse.” As soon as Jonah walked off, Darby chanced a look

86 E Wild Horse Island at Ann. Her friend wasn’t angry, just determined. “You saw.” Ann didn’t look at her father, but she had to be talking to him, unless she was convincing herself. “He’s my horse and I’m not giving up on him.” Jonah helped Patrick to his feet and aimed him toward the fence, then turned his attention to Sugarfoot. Darby wanted to take Patrick’s crutches to him. She wanted to help him get the rest of the way back over to them, but when she glanced at Ed for permission, the man shook his head. “Let him come on his own.” Ed opened the gate when Patrick, red-faced with exertion, finally made it back. “You knew he might charge. That was dangerous, son,” he said, but Patrick was looking at Ann. “I stood my ground,” Patrick said proudly, “and it worked. I knocked myself down. It wasn’t him.” He continued chattering, so excited by his animal behavior experiment that even Ed couldn’t be mad. But they did gesture for him to keep quiet while Jonah approached the gelding. “He thinks it’s a game!” Ann couldn’t help calling out a reminder. Jonah heard and gave a short nod, then pretended to jog away from the horse. He looked over his shoulder, and though all three pintos watched him, Sugarfoot didn’t come a step closer. Jonah sauntered, jogged, and strolled all over the

Galloping Gold E 87 pasture, trying to provoke the horse into a charge. Darby noticed her grandfather always stayed near the fence, in case he had to jump over or roll under. Sugarfoot wasn’t pretending to graze anymore. His breaths came in loud huffs and his flanks darkened with sweat. He yearned to go after Jonah, even though he sensed it was a trap. Finally Sugarfoot gave in and charged. His first strides were full of fire and grace, but when Jonah put his hands on his hips the paint’s gallop slacked to a lope, then a trot, and then he stopped. “He’s looking past Jonah, like there’s something lots more fascinating just beyond him,” Darby said. “Is Sugarfoot embarrassed?” “He knows Jonah’s not going to run,” Ann said with a sigh. “If we could just get everyone to act that way, Sugarfoot wouldn’t get himself into any more trouble.” Jonah strode to the section of fence closest to them. Without glancing back at Sugarfoot, he asked, “What does he do for exercise?” “He chases people,” Ann answered, half-smiling. “Seriously,” Jonah asked, “how often is he ridden?” “Every few days or so,” Ann said. Ed offered an excuse: “We’ve got seventeen horses to work.” “He doesn’t care,” Jonah said. Darby knew he didn’t mean to be rude. He was

88 E Wild Horse Island just speaking up for Sugarfoot. “It’ll be more often now that it’s summer,” Ann put in. “My mom and I have already talked about it.” “Truth be told, Ann’s the only one who likes to ride him,” Ed admitted. “He’s a lot of work.” “But there’s not a mean bone in his body,” Ann insisted. “And how is he with other horses?” “Fine,” Ann said. “They understand it’s all a game, but people . . .” “See a half ton of horse barreling down on ’em and panic,” Ed finished for her. Jonah shrugged, then said, “Before I’d get rid of a nice horse like him, I’d try working him as hard as he can stand. He’s forgotten why he’s charging. It’s just a habit he can’t give up because he’s crawling out of his skin with nerves. Teach him something new. Demand something from him. He needs to work his brain and his muscles. “Look at where he comes from: Arab and Morgan. Those horses didn’t start off as pets. You got your Arab charging through deep sand, keeping pace with camels whose legs are twice as long. Your Morgan? He hauled logs and buggies before he was a police horse and da kine. “Tired horses don’t cause much trouble. If he’s worked, he—” Jonah’s lecture ended as Sugarfoot caught his attention. “Watch him,” Jonah said, pointing.

Galloping Gold E 89 Sugarfoot didn’t seem to be doing anything. Watch what? Darby was thinking, when her grandfather said, “Watch closer.” She did, and all at once she glimpsed what Jonah was talking about. Even though Sugarfoot’s restlessness was confined to ear-twitching, stamping, snapping at invisible flies, and swishing his tail, the gelding was never still. “He’s got a good life as far as food and shelter goes, but no one’s made him grow up,” Ed said. “So you start now,” Jonah said with a shrug. “There’s got to be something around here for him to do. Make him work for his ‘good life,’ and this game of his will stop.” Jonah’s words rung with such certainty, Ed shook his hand. “My advice is nothing,” Jonah said humbly. “Just remember, you get what you pay for.” “Dad’s paying you with pie,” Ann pointed out. “That’ll do,” Jonah said. “For that I gave him my all-time best tips. What’s more, I’m putting Darby on the job, too.” “What do you mean?” she asked. “Ann’s your best friend. You go home and dream something up that’ll keep her horse so busy, he won’t have the energy to run off patients.” “Ramona calls ’em clients,” Ed corrected, “since she’s not a doctor and all.” “Whatever,” Jonah said, and a few steps later he

90 E Wild Horse Island whispered something to Ed. Darby only caught a few syllables, but a quick glance at Ann convinced Darby that her friend had heard something, too. Before they could confer, Jonah said, in a louder voice, “Now, about that pie.” Since Jonah declared that they’d be driving home immediately after dessert, the girls regretfully skipped the apple pie and went to Ann’s bedroom to try to figure out what Jonah had whispered to Ed. Ann closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. Her arms were crossed as she said, “I for sure heard the name George.” “All I caught was something about your dad changing his mind,” Darby said. “And I don’t know any George, do you?” “No,” Darby said slowly. “But changing his mind . . . that could be good, right? Because your dad was thinking about, you know, getting Sugarfoot off the ranch.” “Who knows what he’s thinking now? He’s confused,” Ann said. “Mom and I know we can fix Sugarfoot, but Dad keeps switching around.” Ann turned on her radio and they both clapped when they heard the dramatic voice of Petra the pet psychic. The woman was channeling a parrot that plucked feathers from his wings each time there was a knock at the door.

Galloping Gold E 91 And then there was a knock, on Ann’s bedroom door. “It’s me,” Patrick said. “Come in,” Ann said. He did, smelling of peppermint. “We didn’t mean to ditch you,” Darby said, biting her lip and hoping they hadn’t hurt Patrick’s feelings. “I would have left when you did, but I wanted a slab of that pie.” The girls laughed when Patrick rubbed his stomach the same way Jonah had. “So, what are you doing?” “Listening to the radio . . . ,” Ann said, sidestepping the question. “You don’t believe in that charlatan.” Patrick looked aghast as the caller thanked Petra. “No,” Ann said. “But those peppermints were her idea,” Darby told him. With strained patience, Patrick pushed his glasses up his nose. “I thought you might have been eavesdropping on your father”—he nodded at Ann—“and Jonah. I heard what they said, but I’m in the dark over its meaning.” Ann pounced on him. “What did you hear?” “My hearing is quite good, you know. Cade may see in the dark like a cat, but I catch word reverberations, like a bat.” Darby counted to ten, letting Patrick enjoy his

92 E Wild Horse Island rhyme before she repeated, “Patrick, what did you hear?” “Well, Ed said nothing of significance, but Jonah said, ‘If you change your mind, just let me know. I’ll see if I can’t get George to call off his wife.’” Darby looked at Ann. “Hmm.” Her friend’s expression turned thoughtful. If Darby hadn’t known Ann well, she’d think her friend was doing nothing more than staring into her bedroom mirror as she bullied her springy red hair into a ponytail holder. But Darby would bet Ann was going over all the names on the island, trying to solve the “George” puzzle. “Do you know a George?” Darby asked Patrick. “One,” he said. “Who!?” both girls demanded. “George Yoshida at school. He doesn’t have a wife, though. At least I don’t think he does. Although”—Patrick paused—“I guess you never really know.” “He doesn’t,” Ann insisted before Patrick’s imagination shifted into high gear. “But then, wait,” Patrick said suddenly. “Someone— uh, my dad hired a crew to replace our barbed-wire fence with wood. Remember, Darby, that was your suggestion. Or Ann’s? One of you said Jonah scorned us for that awful fence. And though ‘Iolani hands built the section of fence on our shared border, we had some men finish the rest. In fact, my father recommended

Galloping Gold E 93 the same men to Jonah to work on your house, Darby. I think—” Patrick began, but then he yawned. “I’m sleepy. I’m not used to this much activity.” “We’ll be leaving soon,” Darby promised, feeling protective of frail, freckled, and accident-prone Patrick. “But you were talking about the guy your dad hired,” Ann said, to prod his memory. “George!” Patrick’s face brightened. “One of them was named George Moo—” “George Mookini?” Ann yelped. “You sound like a jungle bird.” Patrick laughed until Ann grabbed him by the shoulders. “Are you going to shake me?” “Not if you finish your sentence,” Ann promised. “George Mookini,” Patrick said. “He’s a construction worker. A super-tall one, as I recall, but maybe I misheard. It’s unlikely, but why would your father want your grandfather to have George Mookini ‘call off his wife’?” Darby and Ann shared a look, then told Patrick what they knew.

Chapter Eight

The next day, Darby had a chance to see for herself

that Jonah had been right: A horse with a job was a happy horse. She and Megan escorted a dude ride. With the adults on Makaha and Maggie and their eight-year-old son, Jason, on Judge, plus three experienced riders who’d trailered their own horses out to the ranch for a day of trail riding, it was a fairly large bunch. Megan rode Tango, her rose roan mare, and Darby rode Navigator, the brown gelding that had picked her for his own on her first day at ‘Iolani Ranch. Both horses understood their jobs. They kept the

Galloping Gold E 95 group together, but spread out enough that the horses didn’t annoy each other with nips or kicks. They stopped at gates and watched for obstacles, and Tango even used her ears to point out a wet-winged pueo, an owl that had been bathing in the dew. “Do they do that?” Darby asked Megan as they watched the moon-faced bird cross silently above them. “I guess,” Megan said. “I’m not a naturalist.” Darby noticed the owl had caught the attention of the three experienced riders, who were all young, blond, and fit. The two girls rode bright bay horses and the guy rode a sleek black horse with a wide blaze. It had to be a Thoroughbred, Darby thought, just as the three humans had to be related. She’d been tightening Maggie’s cinch when they’d done introductions at the ranch, and she’d just given a wave. As soon as she had a minute, though, she’d try to talk with them. But just then, eight-year-old Jason saw the thick rain forest ahead and convinced himself that bears were hiding there. Not just bears, but “grizzledy bears,” and he was afraid to ride alone. Either of his parents would have carried him, but Megan and Darby weren’t sure how Maggie and Makaha would react to an extra—jiggling—burden. “Miss Darby will carry you on her horse,” Megan told Jason.

96 E Wild Horse Island “Me?” Darby asked. “You’re a more experienced rider!” “Yeah, but Tango’s never carried double.” Megan kept her voice pleasant for the benefit of their guests, and her wide eyes urged Darby to do the same. “That’s true,” Darby agreed, and gave in with a strained smile. Together, the girls made a squeeze chute of their horses. They probably didn’t need to, since Judge was such a calm, obedient horse, but they couldn’t take a chance that he might bolt. So, under the watchful eyes of the little boy’s parents, Megan rode Tango up on Judge’s left side while Darby maneuvered Navigator alongside Judge on the right. Then she held her arms out. “Hey, Jason, buddy, want to come ride on my big horse?” Darby asked. “Yeah!” he said, temporarily forgetting the bears. Wow. Jason was a lot heavier than Pigolo, and squirmier than a fifty-pound bag of grain. But Darby didn’t drop him. She took the boy onto her saddle and settled him in front of her. “Ta da!” She sang a fanfare for Jason and he mumbled something Darby couldn’t understand. She looked at the child’s mother and asked, “What did he say?” “Jason, what did you say to the cowgirl?” While Jason whispered to his mother, Darby sat up a little straighter. She loved being called a cowgirl. “Jason said you’re on a King Arthur horse,” the

Galloping Gold E 97 mother recounted. “He has an educational DVD about the knights of the Round Table. Can I take a picture of you two together?” “Absolutely,” Darby said. And maybe it was just her imagination, but after that, it seemed to her that Navigator pranced all the way home. “I got a tip!” Darby flashed the green bill from Jason’s parents and pretended to tap-dance, even though she wasn’t very graceful in her boots. Navigator watched with rust-ringed eyes, and Megan stuck her tongue out. “I’ll share,” Darby promised, and then she noticed that the experienced riders were still there. All three had dismounted and held their horses’ reins. And they were watching, too. Darby wondered if she’d ever stop embarrassing herself. “Hi,” she said anyway, and the greeting drew Megan’s attention, too. “Hi again,” Megan said, and then moved to introduce them. “Darby, meet the Crays—Luke, Sheila, and—no, please don’t tell me.” Megan closed her eyes, then blurted out, “Sissy!” “It’s nice to meet you,” Darby said. The three didn’t look as identical as they had out on the trail. Lanky and athletic-looking, Luke was the oldest, maybe thirty. He had white-blond hair and a ruddy, permanently sunburned face.

98 E Wild Horse Island Darby guessed that Sheila and Sissy were in their twenties. Sheila had a big white smile. Super-short hair curled behind her ears. Sissy’s honey-colored hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she was the tallest of the three. “We have a proposition for the owner,” Luke said. “And I wanted to introduce myself, too, since I haven’t ever been out here before.” “That’s pretty amazing in his line of work,” Sheila pointed out. “He’s a vet.” “Oh, sure,” Megan said. “Dr. Cray! You work with Cricket sometimes at the rescue barn, don’t you?” “And weren’t you taking care of a tame gecko over at, uh . . .” Darby pointed vaguely. “The Hapuna . . . ?” Everyone laughed except Luke. “That was me,” he said. “I’ve only been on the island for six months, and I don’t know everyone and everywhere yet, either. But I’ve been drafted by the Community Housing Project to help with fundraisers.” “Isn’t CHP like a government agency?” Megan asked. “Why would they need to have fund-raisers?” “Even though the earthquakes did a lot of damage, the island wasn’t given federal money for repairs, because it’s so small,” the young vet explained. “It wasn’t?” Darby said, surprised. She thought of Gemma Mookini trapped under her desk at work. How bad must her office have been? Here on the ranch, the bunkhouse foundation had cracked. And down near

Galloping Gold E 99 Crimson Vale, Cade’s mom’s taro patch had been covered by a mud slide. “And the Community Housing Project is supposed to do . . . what?” Megan asked. “Like, have bake sales and flea markets?” “Pretty much,” Luke said. “People on Moko Lio Hihiu still want to help one another, and so CHP talked to me about using the ride-and-tie event we planned when I first moved here as a fund-raiser for trails and barn repairs.” “Oh, wow, ride-and-tie. I’ve always wanted to watch one of those,” Megan said. “Great!” Luke rubbed his hands together. He continued, “If your boss says yes to my proposition, you’ll definitely have a chance.” Darby had no clue what “ride-and-tie” was, but if it involved horses, she wanted to be there. “We’ve ridden in several ride-and-ties with Samba.” When the black Thoroughbred turned attentively at his name, Sissy smooched at him and added, “He’s really Samba Splash, a retired racehorse.” Okay, Darby thought, so a ride-and-tie was some kind of a horse race. Luke wasn’t being at all pushy, but what was he telling them all this for? Did he want them to enter? “This event is going to be great,” Luke said. “We’re holding it on the Fourth of July. We’ll have a free hot dog and soy dog picnic, and there’ll be entertainment by

100 E Wild Horse Island a local slack-key guitar group. Everything’s arranged, except we don’t have a place to hold it.” So they wanted to use ‘Iolani Ranch. Darby didn’t know if Jonah would go for strangers enjoying a guitar concert and soy dogs on his property, especially on the day of the family luau. But she thought it would add to the fun. Luke sighed. “We planned the course to take horses and riders over Wild Horse Island’s roughest terrain, but the earthquake and tsunami made some changes, so we’re looking for a new home.” “And you think ‘Iolani Ranch would be a good location.” Megan nodded slowly, and for a few seconds she looked so much like her mother, Darby couldn’t believe it. She’d bet Megan was calculating publicity advantages compared to the wear-and-tear on the ranch. “We’d bring in our own support team,” Luke promised. “There’d be no extra work and you’d get to enter the race for free. Plus, I’ll give a workshop for new competitors. Right here, if you want.” “How many horses and people would there be?” Megan asked. “Fifteen horses max, so that means thirty people,” Luke said. “We had to limit the number of entries because Cricket and I are the only equine health officials on the island.” Twice as many people as horses, Darby thought. Weird horse race. Did they ride double?

Galloping Gold E 101 “Wait, Dr. Luke, I think this is something we should do,” Megan said, “but I’m just the ranch manager’s daughter.” A quick look passed among the siblings that said they thought their battle was already half won. “She’s the owner’s granddaughter,” Megan said, pointing to Darby. Darby held up her hand as if she wanted to be called on in class. “And I’m the owner,” Jonah said, stepping out of the ranch office and extending his hand. “Aloha, Dr. Luke, I’m Jonah Kealoha.” “It’s good to finally meet you,” Luke said. “You must take good care of your animals,” Sheila said, “if you’ve never had to call my brother!” “We get by,” Jonah said. Luke was clearly self-conscious, but he turned his discomfort into a joke. “These are my sisters Sheila and Sissy, and they have to say nice things about me because I’m putting them both through nursing school.” “I knew there were drawbacks to being an only child,” Megan said. “I’ve been eavesdropping,” Jonah admitted. “So, what would you need from us?” Dr. Luke blinked, surprised, but able to organize his thoughts in an instant. “Riders will be bringing horses from Oahu and the mainland, and I know some will want to work their horses on the course beforehand. And they wouldn’t

102 E Wild Horse Island expect to do it for free. Some might even ask to camp here on ‘Iolani land if you agree. . . .” “Hmm,” Jonah said, but the sound was noncommittal. “I’m the race mentor for novices, along with being the race vet. That means that I give a preview class and hand out my phone number so that people can call me with questions right up until race day. I’ll also examine all the horses entering the race to make sure they’re in good condition.” “You’re not competing?” Jonah asked. “Not this time, but my sisters will. This is their mount.” Jonah walked around the Thoroughbred, and he must have seen something Darby had missed, because he asked, “His legs—they’re strong enough for this?” “They are now,” Luke said. “All three of us have worked hard with him. One reason we moved to Hawaii was to work him in the surf.” Luke’s chin lifted a bit. Did he think one of them would mock making such a big decision for a horse? “Sweet,” Megan said. “It helped my filly’s legs after an injury,” Darby put in. But Jonah said, “Fourth of July is coming up soon.” “Really soon,” Sheila and Sissy said together.

Galloping Gold E 103 “This ranch is suited to the race. You’re sure?” Jonah asked. “It’s our favorite site so far,” Luke said. “The terrain’s varied. There are plenty of naturally occurring hitching posts.” “Trees, you mean?” Jonah asked. Luke nodded. “Both upright and fallen.” “I’ll let you know tomorrow, yeah?” Jonah said. “I’ve gotta talk to my bookkeeper and see what she says.” “Sounds good,” Luke said. The minute Dr. Luke, Sheila, and Sissy left, Megan turned to Darby. “If it weren’t for Ann’s old soccer injury, this would be perfect for her and Sugarfoot.” “Perfect,” Jonah echoed. “The horse would have to train every day, up and down hills, through rivers, yeah? That will make charging less fun for him.” “But Ann . . .” Megan reminded him. “She wants to keep that horse,” Jonah said. “We can ask,” Darby said. “You know she’ll say yes,” Megan told Darby. “But I was on the field with her the last time she wrecked her knee. You don’t want to see your best friend in that kind of pain.” Hoofbeats punctuated the evening calls of birds. Kit was working in the dark with Medusa, while Jonah

104 E Wild Horse Island leaned against the fence rails offering rare words of advice. Inside, Darby settled on a kitchen chair to phone Ann. Sun House was open to the night because it had been such a hot day. The floorboards were silent overhead, but Darby heard the occasional swish of water. In the upstairs apartment, Aunty Cathy was probably in bed reading while Megan soaked in a deep bath. Darby was still flinching from Megan’s words. Of course she didn’t want to see her best friend in pain, but she didn’t want her heartbroken over the loss of her horse, either. So Darby put off that phone call by calling her mom instead. This time her mother wasn’t much help. Her cell phone rang in Tahiti, and eventually it went to voice mail. “Hi, Mom,” Darby said. “I can’t wait to see you. And, hey, you don’t think Jonah is really serious about roasting Pigolo or Francie for the luau, do you? I don’t think so, but I have this creepy feeling I’ll wake up on Fourth of July morning and smell a barbecue going. But I don’t think he’d do that. Anyway, aloha! I love you.” Darby made a kissing sound into the phone, and even though she hadn’t talked with her mother, she felt a little better about calling Ann. As she dialed, Darby decided she’d just act like a reporter. She’d tell Ann the news about the ride-and-

Galloping Gold E 105 tie race without offering an opinion. “That is so cool!” Ann screeched. “Perfect, perfect, perfect! We have to do it! You and me and Sugarfoot will be a team, okay? “ “What about your knee?” Darby blurted. “But I won’t be using my own legs, silly.” “Yeah, you will,” Darby said. “Have you ever seen one of these races?” “No,” Ann said sullenly. Don’t be mad, Darby thought, but she didn’t say it. Instead she asked, “Do you want me to read the description from the CHP’s website? Dr. Luke wrote it.” “I don’t have to hear it to know that it would be great for Sugarfoot. And I’d be okay. Riding is not like soccer,” Ann said stubbornly. Darby didn’t answer, though she’d learned that when someone was upset, even staying quiet could get her in trouble. Ann exploded. “How could you think I’d worry more about a sore knee than Shug? Tell me, huh?” Darby didn’t know what to say. She swallowed. She took a breath. And before she decided how to explain, Ann said, “Okay. You can read it to me. But I’m not changing my mind.” “‘A ride-and-tie race involves teams comprised of two people and one horse. The sport combines trail running, endurance riding, and race strategy. Horses and their first riders leave after a flag drops or a gun fires to start the race—’”

106 E Wild Horse Island “Whoa. We all start at once?” Ann asked. “That’ll be a rodeo.” “‘—then gallop to someplace ahead and tie the horse. Then the first rider begins running.’” “Where’s the other team member all this time?” Ann asked, and Darby continued reading. “‘The first runner reaches the horse, unties it, mounts, and then rides past the partner on foot, ties the horse, and takes off running.’” “So we’d just kind of leapfrog each other,” Ann said. She stayed quiet for a few seconds and Darby heard the sound of a sketching pencil. “I’m drawing it out. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. We can do this. How do we win?” “Ann!” “What?” Darby shook her head before answering. “I don’t mean to sound sappy, but winning totally isn’t the point.” “Yeah, yeah,” Ann teased. “No, listen. The point is to use up Sugarfoot’s extra energy so he’ll be too tired to charge people. Maybe he’ll get out of the habit and forget he ever did it.” “That could happen, couldn’t it?” Ann said. “Hey,” Darby said, lowering her voice, “have you asked your dad about George Mookini?” “No, have you asked your grandfather?” “No, because they were whispering and we were

Galloping Gold E 107 eavesdropping,” Darby explained. “But we could both ask tomorrow morning. I’m sure he just meant he’d—” “Use his horse-charmer mind tricks to get Gemma’s husband to ask his wife to reconsider?” Ann asked, laughing. “Something like that,” Darby said, and she might have sounded absentminded, because she heard a creaking hinge. Wait. The front door was already open. So were the doors to the lanai. Still, just to play it safe, Darby didn’t second Ann’s remark. “Jonah’s going to decide by tomorrow if he’ll let them have it on our ranch,” Darby said. “Keep your fingers crossed.” A loud sound made Darby jump. “And my toes,” Ann promised. Jonah had cleared his throat. He’d come into the house sometime during her phone call and now he was in the living room. She heard the television click on. “Because today we got a black-edged notice in the mail,” Ann continued, “and it said Mr. Mel Border, equine specialist for the insurance company, will ‘drop by’ for an inspection on July fifth.” Who even knew that insurance companies had equine specialists, Darby thought. But that was exciting. If Mr. Mel Border knew horses, he couldn’t help being impressed that Sugarfoot could chase humans

108 E Wild Horse Island and other horses in a controlled manner. “You haven’t been talking,” Ann said. “Do you, uh, have company?” “Yep, I do,” Darby answered. “Okay, well, call me the minute you know anything. Promise?” Ann said. “Promise.”

Chapter Nine

“So then my mom said, ‘Ed, he’s a good-hearted

horse and once we work through his problem, he’ll be an asset to the ranch. I just know it.’” Ann and Darby were sitting in the ‘Iolani Ranch office waiting for Dr. Luke’s ride-and-tie class to start, and Ann was explaining how she’d persuaded her parents to let her enter the event. “And then my dad said, ‘If you’re set on keeping him, we can give it a try.’” “That’s cute,” Darby whispered. “They didn’t even mention my leg,” Ann whispered in amazement. “I just had to promise that if this transformed Sugarfoot, I’d continue working with him. Mom found out there are ride-and-tie races throughout

110 E Wild Horse Island the islands, and if competing in them is what works, that’s what we’ll do. But if I let him relapse into his bad habits, he’s gone.” “But you wouldn’t do that,” Darby said. “Of course not,” Ann said, and she followed the direction of Darby’s glance over her shoulder. Darby pointed out two-thirds of a ride-and-tie team from Oahu. Jack and Jackie Olson were already camping on ‘Iolani land with a gray Arab named Joy Ride. They were quiet, serious, and certain they’d win the race. Next, Darby saw Luke’s energetic sisters, Sheila and Sissy Cray. She waved and the pair sat behind them. “Is this your friend Ann?” Sheila asked, and the girls all introduced themselves. “You’ll have so much fun,” Sissy said, and then she and Ann began talking about Samba Splash and the ugly fact that one-third of all racehorses went to slaughter after they no longer had jobs entertaining humans. Megan slipped into the seat beside Darby. “I’m just listening,” she said. “I think this is kind of cool.” “So Samba’s really pretty lucky,” Sheila was saying to Ann as Darby turned back to their conversation. “Pretty lucky you found him,” Ann corrected her. “It wasn’t us. It was Luke,” Sissy said. “He was supposed to put Samba down. The trainer thought he was

Galloping Gold E 111 doing Samba a big favor, paying Luke sixty dollars for a shot to put him to sleep, and when he refused . . .” Sissy grimaced. “Never mind about that part,” Sheila said. “When the trainer said that he wanted Samba gone in the morning one way or another—voilà! Luke gave him to us.” “That is so cool,” Darby said, and as the young vet sidled through the crowd of people who’d shown up for the class, Darby thought the smiles that his sisters sent him looked a lot like hero worship. Darby and Ann were furiously taking notes when a rustling at the doorway drew their attention. Pauli, Cade, and Tyson slipped into their row. Cade blushed. Pauli smiled. Tyson’s face stayed blank. Darby figured it was an improvement over his usual sneer, but Ann leaned close and hissed, “It’s eighty degrees outside and he’s still wearing that stupid sweatshirt!” Of all the things Darby disliked about Tyson, his sweatshirt was last on her list. Darby glanced up to make sure they hadn’t distracted Dr. Luke, then wrote in the margin of her notes, What about his mom? Nothing yet, Ann wrote back. She drew a face with a wavy mouth, as if Gemma’s silence could mean good news or bad.

112 E Wild Horse Island So Tyson’s mother hadn’t retracted her threat to sue the Potters, Darby thought as she tried to turn her attention back to the young veterinarian. It would be just like Tyson to ambush them with some evil bit of news right after the class. Why was he here, anyway? He didn’t ride, did he? Tyson was friends with Pauli, but so what? Pauli + Cade + Jewel = a good team. Where could surly Tyson fit in? Megan must have come to the same conclusion, because she shook her head as she considered the guys and whispered, “Someone’s going to get punched if those three hang out together very long.” Darby nodded in agreement, but then something came back to her that Kimo had said about Tyson months ago. He’d said Tyson and his rough friends got into plenty of trouble, but he’d mentioned Tyson had one thing going for him—he was the fastest crosscountry runner the island had ever seen. Still, Darby couldn’t imagine Cade and Tyson as partners. Did Cade know Tyson had called her a haole crab? Had he heard that Tyson jumped tourists who wandered into secret surfing spots? But Cade was smart and he knew all about bullies. He’d figure Tyson out before it was too late. This time, refocusing on the class worked. Darby turned back in time to hear Dr. Luke explain that a ride-and-tie competitor didn’t have to be a good rider, but must be able to handle an excited horse.

Galloping Gold E 113 “The rider needs confidence,” the vet said. “He can’t be afraid of the horse, because an out-of-control horse and a fearful rider are dangerous to themselves and every other living thing on the racecourse.” “Ow!” Darby muffled her gasp, but elbows had jabbed both sides of her rib cage. Megan rolled her eyes toward Tyson. Ann smiled at her and whispered, “One good thing is that if this doesn’t work, we’ll find out in a big hurry.” After the class, Darby and Ann were more convinced than ever that the race was just the challenge Sugarfoot needed. “His speed will count, but he can’t do all that rowdy chasing,” Darby said. “I think the hard part for Sugarfoot—” “What?” Megan asked, shouting over the racket of power tools. “If I’m going to be your coach, I have to be able to hear what you’re saying.” “Are you going to be our coach?” Darby asked. “Sure,” Megan said, and while Darby’s fist shot up in celebration, Megan motioned for Ann to go on. As they moved farther away from the construction, Ann said “I think the hard part for Sugarfoot will be standing there, tied to a tree, while he waits for one of us, and all these other horses and riders go stampeding past.” Sheila must have overheard Ann, because she put

114 E Wild Horse Island in, “That was the hard part for Samba. He was born to run, and he couldn’t figure out why we made him stand still while there was a race going on. But he got it, after a while.” Walking as they talked, Sheila and Sissy met up with their brother at the same time that Megan, Darby, and Ann became part of the guys’ group. Cade and Pauli were talking about the race entry fee. “Two hundred dollars, bro.” Pauli gave a low whistle. “Outrageous good luck that Dr. Luke’s got us covered.” Tyson stood a step apart from the others. Megan considered him openly, then asked, “Can you ride?” “He’s learning,” Pauli said, sounding sort of protective. But when Tyson answered, his tone was bored. “I guess, but I still can’t believe they’re not givin’ no prize.” Darby had thought the same thing, but the words sounded rude coming from Tyson, so she said, “It is a fund-raiser.” When supercompetitive Ann chimed in to say “It’s all about teamwork and determination,” her lecturing tone was aimed at Tyson. “And speed,” Tyson scoffed. “Otherwise you wouldn’t catch me doin’ it.” Tyson probably knew he wouldn’t have been included if he hadn’t been so fast, Darby thought.

Galloping Gold E 115 Pauli gave Tyson a playful punch, then said, “It’s about bragging rights, too. When Jewel whips everyone else, they’ll be standing in line for one of her foals.” “That’s a good idea,” Megan said, but she was looking at Cade. “We’ll see,” Ann taunted the guys. “We’ve got a pretty fast horse, ourselves.” “Pretty pupule, you mean,” Tyson sneered. Tension crackled between Ann and Tyson. Of course he knew, Darby thought, but did he have to bring it up? “No joke,” Tyson went on, turning to Pauli. “Her crazy horse tried to kill my mom.” “Oh, come on!” Ann snapped. “My horse didn’t touch your mom. She just fell off a completely different horse because she was scared of mine.” Megan grabbed Ann’s sleeve and jerked her sideways. “Back off, Crusher,” Megan said, but Ann wrested her arm from Megan’s grip. “No! He can back off!” Ann moved closer to Tyson. “I’ve seen this show before”—Megan tried to make their anger into a joke—“and don’t anybody say anything about a redhead’s temper.” No one thought it was funny. Darby had felt this building pressure before, too, just as fights were starting at school. But she couldn’t

116 E Wild Horse Island let her best friend pick a fistfight with Tyson right here at ‘Iolani Ranch. “Ann,” Darby said under her breath, “is your dad going to let you race, if—” “Naw, don’t call her off. Let the malihini take a swing,” he taunted. All of a sudden the racket of sawing and pounding stopped and Darby saw the tall construction worker headed their way. For a fraction of a second she almost felt sorry for Tyson, because he didn’t see his father coming after him. “I know,” Darby blurted. “We’ll have a practice race, like—in three days, yeah?” “A grudge match,” Megan said, backing her up. “Then we’ll see who’s got a fast horse.” “And an out-of-control rider,” Pauli said, smiling at Ann. “Tyson.” Darby’s voice was just above a whisper, but he heard and looked in the direction she did. Tyson turned. He pretended to storm away from the conflict, but he wanted to face his father before George Mookini confronted him in front of his friends—and enemies. Darby exhaled, and she must have closed her eyes for a second, because when she opened them, everyone was looking at her. “What?” she asked. “Why did you do that?” Ann demanded. “Do what?” Darby blinked innocently, even though

Galloping Gold E 117 she knew her act was unconvincing. “You know what,” Pauli said. He studied her for a few seconds, then looked away. Cade beamed at Darby, and she couldn’t figure that out at all. “No big deal,” Megan said. “I’ve seen her rescue a pig before.” “Megan!” Darby gasped. “The pig was cuter,” Megan added. “Why? He’s always picking on you. Why would you save—” Ann broke off when Pauli refocused on the girls. “You’re just way too nice for your own good, girlfriend,” Megan said, slinging her arm over Darby’s shoulder. “Uh-huh!” Ann hung her arm over Darby’s other shoulder. Bonded together that way, with Darby in the middle, they faced Pauli and Cade and made a date for a ride-and-tie showdown.

Chapter Ten

During their first day of practice, the girls rode in the

rain forest. “We won’t know what the course is until they put the markers up the day before,” Megan said, “but I think this area has the most hazards.” “That’s comforting,” Darby said as she readied herself to mount Sugarfoot for the very first time. “Anyone can ride him,” Ann promised. “I believe you,” Darby said, but when she put her boot in the left stirrup, Sugarfoot’s head swung around and he stared at her. The gelding looked more startled than Hoku had the first time she’d worn a saddle, and suddenly Darby wondered how Hoku would act, running at the head of the herd in a ride-and-tie race.

Galloping Gold E 119 “You know her. It’s Darby,” Ann’s voice crooned to her horse as she brought Darby’s attention back in time to hear Sugarfoot blow a loud breath. “He’s waiting for you to get on,” Ann explained. “Nice,” Megan commented as Darby swung aboard Sugarfoot. But once Darby was in the saddle, she felt the cream-and-gold gelding vibrate like a volcano about to erupt. “Don’t anyone run away from us,” Darby ordered, and when Megan gave her a sly smile, Darby said, “I mean it.” But Sugarfoot obeyed every lift of the reins and touch of her heels. In minutes, she was loping him over the course they’d already laid out, while Ann ran along behind her. Sugarfoot was so well behaved, Darby was able to search for exposed tree roots and other hazards that might trip him. Or Ann. She watched for low limbs that could sweep her off Sugarfoot’s back, too, and old fence posts that might cut through her jeans or scratch Sugarfoot if they were crowded by another horse. When Darby dismounted at the designated stop, Sugarfoot swung around at the end of the reins, looking back with pricked ears for Ann. “He knew you were on your way,” Darby said as Ann, followed by Megan, jogged into sight, “and he didn’t act up or try to see you until now.”

120 E Wild Horse Island “That’s my Shuggie boy.” “Yuck!” Darby said as Ann baby-talked to the horse before she mounted. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Megan agreed. “Whatever works,” Ann said as she landed in the saddle. And then her attitude changed. Ann leaned over her horse’s neck and made a ssssssss noise while she pushed her reins forward, giving the gelding all the rein he’d take. They plunged into a gallop before Darby could take a single step. “I can see how this is going to go,” Darby said, but she jogged after her friend, following the drift of Sugarfoot’s long tail until it vanished from view. On the way back to ‘Iolani Ranch, Ann stayed in the saddle and asked Megan and Darby to walk ahead. “Like bait?” Megan said, looking over her shoulder. “I won’t let him trample you,” Ann promised. “You know,” Megan said suddenly, “a lot of those things you have to watch out for—like exposed roots and low branches and old fence posts—we could use those.” “To sabotage other riders?” Ann joked. “No, to tie him.” Megan jerked her thumb toward Sugarfoot. Something in the gesture must have provoked him,

Galloping Gold E 121 because Ann yelled, “Heads up!” Darby and Megan darted off the path into the undergrowth, but Sugarfoot fought the bit, going after Megan. He only took a few steps before Ann turned him around. Now facing away from the girl he’d wanted to chase, Sugarfoot fretted and stamped. Without saying a word, Ann refused to let him move until he dropped his head in cranky submission. “Back,” Ann said. She tightened her reins and stirred her legs against the paint, making him back down the trail. When Ann finally turned the horse toward home again, Megan put her hands on her hips. Looking up at her friend, she said, “I suppose you want me to do that again.” “Would you?” Ann asked. Megan rolled her eyes, but she and Darby fell into step just as they had before. And for about ten minutes, Sugarfoot was a dream horse. Darby glanced back. She could only see the top of Ann’s red curls. Her friend seemed to be concentrating either on her hands or on Sugarfoot’s withers. Darby didn’t understand what was going on. Why was the gelding sweated up worse than he’d been after their workout? “Tell him he’s a good boy, Ann,” Darby urged. “Not yet,” Ann told her. “He’s still thinking about

122 E Wild Horse Island his next move. I can feel it.” They stood stiffly, waiting, until Megan’s off-topic question surprised them. “How should we decorate him?” she asked. “I haven’t even thought of that,” Darby answered. “Dr. Luke said teams did that so that they could tell one tied brown horse apart from the others. Do you really think Sugarfoot will be hard to pick out?” Without thinking, Darby gestured at Sugarfoot just as Megan had. “Heads—” Ann called out. “I don’t like this game!” Megan shouted as she dashed off the trail into a garrote of drooping vines. This time when Sugarfoot lunged, Ann was ready for him. She snapped his reins taut before his front hooves landed. He squealed in frustration, but once more she turned his tail to the girls and made him stand still. He pawed the earth spitefully, ripping up grass and dirt clods, until Ann said, “That’s not still. You have to stand still, Shug.” The words must have meant something to him, because the gelding snorted, blew a loud breath through his lips, and hung his head so low his forelock brushed the ground. Then, before Ann forced him to back down the trail, he did it himself, stepping so fast, it looked to Darby like Sugarfoot could trot backward.

Galloping Gold E 123 “That’s one smart horse,” Megan said, and then she covered her mouth. “Oh no, did I just sound like Jonah?” “Little bit.” Darby’s sing-song voice made the other girls laugh. For the rest of the walk home, Sugarfoot really was perfect. Their next practice went even better. Despite sore muscles from the day before, Darby managed to ride Sugarfoot faster, so he wasn’t as frisky as Ann mounted him. As Darby started her turn afoot, Megan jogged beside her. “Know what I’m starting to realize?” Darby gasped. Megan shook her head, conserving oxygen. “How much we ask them—h-horses—to do.” Darby gestured for Megan to stop, then took a drink from her water bottle. She choked on her first swallow. “You okay?” Megan asked, and Darby nodded. When she finally got her breath, she leaned forward with her hands on her thighs. “What I mean,” she said, smothering a last cough, “is that by running this course like Sugarfoot’s doing” —Darby wiped her sweaty forehead and arranged her thoughts—“it makes me appreciate horses even more.

124 E Wild Horse Island They spend their energy for us whether they’re thirsty or their muscles ache, just because we ask them to. It’s amazing.” Jonah’s prescription for Sugarfoot was amazing, too. Just as her grandfather had predicted, as the gelding worked more, he charged less. Although many people didn’t believe horses thought, Darby knew they did. How else could you explain the way Hoku had stayed next to her each time she’d fallen off? And what about the proud way Navigator had pranced when he was leading the ride and carrying Jason the other day? Some horses just wanted to have a purpose to their exercise. Like us, Darby thought. Even after long, hot days of ranch work, she, Megan, and Ann dove into training as if it were a cool swimming pool, because training Sugarfoot had a serious goal. Ann would lose him if he didn’t reform. “Do you have heatstroke or are you just daydreaming?” Megan asked, looking over her shoulder as Darby lagged behind. “Neither!” Darby said. She took another sip of water, swallowed carefully this time, and caught up. The gelding hadn’t charged even once on the way home, and the girls were standing with him in front of the tack shed, bragging to Kit and Kimo. As Darby took her turn with the sweat scraper, she

Galloping Gold E 125 admired Sugarfoot’s lean muscles, then asked Ann, “Even if his coloring makes him easy to tell apart from other horses, can we decorate him?” “Yeah, that would be fun,” Megan agreed. “Decorate him how?” Ann asked. She leaned an ear toward the gelding’s lips and pretended he’d confided something to her. “He has his dignity, you know.” “Not sissy stuff,” Megan promised the horse. “We wouldn’t paint pink hearts or daisies on you.” “Nothing wrong with flowers,” Kimo insisted. “Paint a lehua lei on him.” Kimo drew his index finger in a half circle below his collarbone. “It would look real nice.” “Make him a war pony,” Kit suggested. “That would be so cool!” Ann said. “No offense, Kimo, but I used to have this coloring book when I was little that showed all these Native American designs. I wish I knew where it was. Maybe my mom could find it.” “I know a few,” Kit said. “How ’bout, on race morning, we let that be my contribution to the team? I’ll surprise you.” “Yeah!” Ann said, and when she gave Kit a highfive, they all ended up doing it. Except for Kimo. “Okay for this time, but your Hoku?” he said, pointing at Darby. “She’ll have a Hawaiian foal someday and you’ll want him to wear lehua lei.” The mental image made Darby smile, but since her

126 E Wild Horse Island tomboy mare didn’t like stallions any more than she liked guys, that day seemed awfully far away. “I wonder when Cade found the time to lay out the course for the”—Darby punctuated the sentence with a yawn—“training race.” “Grudge match,” Ann corrected her. Mist as thick as clouds lay over the ranch as Darby and Ann came out of Sun House and Megan trudged down from her upstairs apartment. Cade had persuaded the girls to meet him and Pauli before the air turned hot and humid. Riding at dawn made sense, but no one was very happy about it. Pretending to be grumpy, Megan squinted at Ann and commented, “Clown hair,” as she fell into step with the others. Ann retaliated by snatching the blue baseball cap from Megan’s head. “Hat hair,” she said, but her comeback was a failure. Megan’s hair still fell sleekly down her back and Ann’s hair, looking like red cotton candy, refused to fit under the cap. Not awake enough to start a full-on scuffle, Ann flipped the cap back to Megan and kept walking until they heard hooves. They were still pretty far away, but Darby was sure the figures coming up the dirt road from the cattle guard were Pauli and Tyson. They walked on each side of a jumpy horse.

Galloping Gold E 127 “Who woulda guessed they were such early birds,” Darby said. “Don’t talk. You’re keeping me awake,” Ann grumbled. Then an equine rumble answered her, and Ann grinned. “It’s my Shuggie boy.” “You do that just to make me crazy,” Megan complained, but Ann was rushing toward the round pen, where Sugarfoot had spent the night. As the boys led Jellybean Jewel closer, Darby was stunned by the change in the mare. Her grass stains and tangles were gone. Her red-and-white coat shone even in the early light, and though she looked jumpier than she had the day Shan Stonerow first touched her, Pauli and Cade had transformed her into a beauty. Sugarfoot whinnied in greeting, Medusa neighed a warning, and when a neigh floated up from the lower pasture, Darby smiled. Her filly’s voice was like a melody. Hearing all this, Jewel’s polished hooves danced faster. “Look at that horse.” Megan spoke to Darby but didn’t look away from the Appaloosa. “You didn’t tell me she was so gorgeous.” “The last time I saw her, she wasn’t,” Darby answered as she glanced at the boys beside the horse. Tyson slouched along in detached indifference, hood up, sneakers dragging in the dust, but Pauli strutted and smiled. He loves that horse, Darby realized. He’s proud of her. I

128 E Wild Horse Island bet he put hours into grooming her. Darby wanted to stroke the mare, not just to feel a coat that looked as smooth as if a pitcher of cream had flowed over her head and down to her hooves, but to soothe the anxiety from her eyes. The mare’s freckled ears flicked forward in recognition as she spotted Cade. Walking up from the fold, the young paniolo looked proud, too. Cade leaned forward a little, as if his whole body welcomed the sight of the mare. “Take her on down to the fold,” Cade called to Pauli. “I left her gear there and we’ll bring Sugarfoot along in about . . . ?” “Ten minutes,” Ann called. Munching the granola bars Darby had stashed in her windbreaker pocket, the girls readied Sugarfoot for his first horse-to-horse competition. Then Darby and Ann rode double while Cade and Megan followed behind, heads close together as if they were telling secrets. “Our manager doesn’t look like she’s enjoying her conversation with their manager,” Ann said, watching the two. Darby glanced back. By the look of things, Cade and Megan weren’t fighting, but Ann was right. They didn’t look happy with each other. Darby wished she could hear more of what they were saying, though a fragment of conversation came through loud and clear.

Galloping Gold E 129 Cade said, “Give him a chance.” Megan insisted, “I’m nice to everybody.” “Yeah, everybody,” Ann said, and giggled. “I can’t help thinking of how she helped me twist Stonerow’s arms up behind his back.” “He deserved it,” Darby said. Anyone who tried to steal her horse deserved a lot worse than being tackled and subdued by a bunch of teenagers. “But who do you think they’re talking about? Pauli or Tyson?” Sugarfoot must have known they weren’t paying attention, because, without slowing down, he grabbed a bite of trailside grass. “Hang on,” Ann warned Darby, and instantly Ann closed her left leg against Sugarfoot and tipped his head to the right. The gelding hesitated, trying to chew his mouthful of greenery, but Ann wouldn’t let him. Darby balanced herself as Sugarfoot carried them in a right side pass. As soon as he’d done it, though, Ann reversed her cues and sent the paint into a left side pass. “What are you doing?” Darby asked as Sugarfoot dropped the grass and carried them on down the trail. “I can’t always stop him from a snack attack,” Ann said, “but I can make sure he doesn’t enjoy it.” Every day Darby learned there was lots more to communicating with a horse than most people knew. “Good idea,” Darby said, but Sugarfoot blew through his lips, clearly disagreeing.

130 E Wild Horse Island Sugarfoot responded to the slight pressure of Ann’s right leg and moved closer to Cade and Megan in time for the girls to hear Cade say, “He’s not so bad. Pauli’s putting pressure on him as a pal.” To do what? Darby wondered. Be in the race? “He’d better be,” Ann said quietly to Darby, “because there’s not much time left before the race, and if we don’t have another team to practice against, Sugarfoot might not understand what we want from him.” Darby nodded. Ann had staked everything on the chance that this race would prove that Sugarfoot wasn’t dangerous. Practicing against a strong competitor like Tyson could make a difference in how Sugarfoot performed on race day. Kit had driven into town to buy plastic flags at a party store and Cade had used them to mark a course that ran from the fold, across the ridge above Two Sisters pasture, then zoomed downhill and into the rain forest. “If we do it again tomorrow,” he told them, “we might start in the rain forest and go toward Crimson Vale, but I didn’t know how much time everybody had.” “Dawn and dusk are best for us,” Megan said. She spoke for the team, as if Cade didn’t already know the schedule at the ranch. “Me too,” Pauli said. “I’m working the lunch shift at the resort most days.” Arms crossed, head bowed inside his hood, Tyson

Galloping Gold E 131 appeared to be napping. Darby wanted to shake him, but she kept quiet and so did everyone else, just assuming he kept the same hours as the rest of them. The team managers had decided that Pauli and Ann would ride first, while Tyson and Darby jogged first. Great, Darby thought. After the irritation flashed over her, she realized she’d probably grimaced. “Don’t worry,” Tyson said lazily. He peeled off gray sweatpants to show muscular legs in black athletic shorts. “We won’t be together for long.” He was so right, Darby thought five minutes later. Cade had learned that Dr. Luke used a popgun to start the race, so he did, too, and though Sugarfoot only took in the strange horse and unfamiliar surroundings with his senses, Jewel hopped sideways, almost dumping Pauli, before she bounded into a run. Tyson was jogging ahead of the Appaloosa when Darby realized her own Lehua High sweatpants, T-shirt, and windbreaker weren’t the right clothes for the running part of the race. Oh well, that’s why it’s called practice, she thought. Besides, Sugarfoot was going to save them. During their trial run, they learned that Sugarfoot used up more energy waiting for his next rider than actually running. As Darby approached the gold-and-white gelding, tied at a fence post on Two Sisters ridge, she saw he was dark with sweat. She worried for only a few seconds

132 E Wild Horse Island because he was usually so difficult to mount anyway, but it was clear that the only thing wrong with him was impatience. He wanted to run after Jewel. “Let’s see what you do when we catch up,” Darby said. She leaned into the gelding’s mane as Ann had, and Sugarfoot streaked after the Appaloosa. Before they reached her, Pauli pulled Jewel up short, slid off, and tied her to a fence post. He spent a long time doing it, as if he and Tyson hadn’t practiced their knots. Sugarfoot rushed past Pauli and Jewel, acknowledging them with only a flick of his ears. A few strides later, she thought she heard Tyson shout, but it didn’t matter, because Darby was in the midst of learning she’d rather ride Sugarfoot uphill than down. Was it the inviting green slope rolling bare and horseless before him? The sight of Ann trying to run rather than roll downhill? Whatever inspired him, Sugarfoot chose the steepest slant as the place to show off his speed. I do not have the nerves for this, Darby thought. Each charging step tipped her closer to the saddle horn, closer to Sugarfoot’s neck, closer to tumbling over his golden ears, past his lightning-bolt blaze, into the path of his hooves. She wanted off. Now. But Darby waited until they reached level ground to gather her reins and stop Sugarfoot. Snorting and tossing his head, he compressed

Galloping Gold E 133 himself into a bundle of energy, capering sideways as they reached Ann. “My turn,” Ann called as they jogged past. “Absolutely!” Darby yelled, but it took her so long to find a place to tie Sugarfoot that Ann caught up with her. She couldn’t do that in the real race, she knew, but Pauli and Tyson were breaking even more rules. They hadn’t switched. For some reason, Tyson had run right past Jewel. He should have mounted the Appy by now. But he hadn’t, so Pauli ran in the opposite direction, back to get his horse. For a few minutes, Darby jogged alone. Ann and Sugarfoot had gone out of sight, and Tyson hadn’t caught up yet. Yards ahead of her, an animal bumbled along through high grass. Darby changed her course to avoid it, and the move cost her her lead over Tyson. “Why—you still running?” she asked him. “Pauli tied such a stupid knot, I couldn’t get the horse loose,” he said, with no sign of breathlessness. And then he passed her. It sounded like an excuse to Darby, and she was happy when she looked back and saw Pauli riding at a lope, catching up with them, passing them, moving into a copse of young trees. With the Appaloosa mare out of sight, Darby was more aware of the cadence of her hooves. Pauli might

134 E Wild Horse Island be a new rider, but he and Jewel matched. The rhythm of Jewel’s lope was the same four-count beat, over and over again. But Pauli made a second mistake. Darby was back on Sugarfoot, and she’d loped past Tyson’s sweaty back, when she saw the Appaloosa tied to a sapling. The baby tree had the diameter of a pencil, and Jewel had pulled it level with the ground as she reached for grass. “Don’t know if that’s strong enough,” Darby muttered to Sugarfoot, but she kept riding. Ann had taken the edge off Sugarfoot’s energy, and riding him now was fun—more bouncy than Navigator, not quite as smooth as Hoku, but enjoyable, until Jewel raced by, dragging the sapling. “Whoa, Jewel!” Darby yelled, but the Appaloosa kept running. A few seconds later, as Darby dismounted for what she hoped was the last time, Tyson sprinted by. Breathing hard for the first time in the race, he looked angry. Tyson and Jewel were out of sight when he caught her, but Darby heard a surprised squeal. He wouldn’t hurt her, would he? But what did Tyson know about horses? He could harm her without meaning to do it. Darby was dizzy and ready for a drink of water when Cade and Megan flashed by on ‘Iolani Ranch’s

Galloping Gold E 135 newest ATV and stopped at what Cade had marked as the end of the race. “We won,” Megan said as Darby collided with her. “But only because Tyson wasn’t on Jewel when she crossed the finish line.”

Chapter Eleven

Darby saw Tyson walking in circles, trying to catch

his breath just like she was. Sweat dripped off his brow and hair. “Where is she?” Darby gasped. Ann, still astride Sugarfoot, pointed ahead. “Still dragging the sapling,” Megan said, then lowered her voice. “He caught up with her and grabbed it and—” Megan broke off and cut her eyes toward Tyson. “I won’t be surprised if her mouth is bleeding.” For a moment Tyson looked shocked. Then he shouted, “What do you expect? How was I supposed to get her to stop?” In that instant, he reminded Darby of his mother,

Galloping Gold E 137 Gemma. After her fall, Gemma had bristled with a mix of fear, anger, and frustration, just like this. Realizing he was finished racing, Sugarfoot was about to snatch a mouthful of grass until he heard Cade’s voice. “Can I borrow Sugarfoot?” Cade asked. His jaw was set so hard, his words were hard to understand, but Sugarfoot recognized his name. Cade was furious. He kept glancing down the trail as if his owl eyes could conquer distance as well as darkness, but Jewel, his new horse, was gone. Ann slipped off Sugarfoot and extended the reins. “I’ll be careful,” Cade said sharply. “Cade, Ann trusts you not to wreck her horse, yeah?” Megan looked between her two friends. “Sure. He needs to be cooled out anyway,” Ann said. Sugarfoot rolled his eyes toward Ann, wondering what she’d volunteered him for, but the paint stood quietly as Cade mounted. The instant the paniolo took up the reins to make contact with the paint’s mouth, the horse was electrified. He seemed to run in place for a second, then snorted and set off at a walk. “Now that,” Megan said, “is a horseman.” Darby and Ann met each other’s eyes, then looked away. It was the wrong time to tease Megan about liking Cade as more than a friend.

138 E Wild Horse Island “It’s not my fault I couldn’t get on the dumb horse,” Tyson snapped. “What?” Megan asked. At first she looked puzzled, because she had not been comparing him to Cade; she’d just been admiring Cade’s skill. But Ann and Darby recognized his ugly tone and the way he scuffed his shoe in the dirt, then kicked off the head of a wildflower. Pauli ran panting into the clearing. “Where’s my horse?” he asked, looking around. “And Cade?” When no one answered him, breathlessness turned to fear. “What happened?” Megan folded her arms. Darby did the same thing. Ann took a deep breath, as if she was about to explain, but then she nodded at Tyson. “Ty?” Pauli asked. Tyson’s face darkened. Maroon with embarrassment or rage or a combination of the two, he opened his mouth, then looked away. “I know I messed up the knot and you couldn’t get her loose the first time,” Pauli said, “but why didn’t you ride her to the end?” Pauli pointed at the ground. “To here?” “She pulled up that”—Tyson gestured as if he couldn’t think of the proper word for the sapling— “baby tree, and ran off with it.” “Oh.” Pauli frowned. “I caught up with her,” Tyson bragged.

Galloping Gold E 139 “Then . . . ?” Pauli looked around again, as if his horse and Cade might be just out of sight. Megan’s hands were on her hips, about to reveal the truth to Pauli, if Tyson didn’t tell on himself. “Will somebody explain? Please?” Pauli asked. “I grabbed her reins, but she pulled loose.” Hooves plopped on the soft dirt as Cade and the two horses returned to the clearing. Sugarfoot moved at a sedate walk, even though his eyes shone and his nostrils flared with excitement. “I moved his neck rope onto her,” Cade told Ann. At first, Darby thought Jewel was chewing something. Then she saw the pink foam puffed at the right corner of the mare’s mouth. The Appaloosa tasted her own blood. “Man!” Pauli’s outburst was more appeal than anger. He looked between Jewel and Tyson, then added, “You can’t treat her like a machine.” “I didn’t,” Tyson snapped back, but he seemed confused. “He shouldn’t be doing this,” Ann said, shaking her head as she walked toward the horses. Of course Tyson heard her, and tried to make his failure into a joke. “I treated her kinda like a bike, not a machine.” It wasn’t a bit funny, and no one laughed. Pauli stood by, hands moving aimlessly as Cade took off the mare’s bridle and hung it on her saddle horn. “No, she’s this live thing. She has like, feelings,

140 E Wild Horse Island man,” Pauli tried to explain. “He—” Megan began, but then she met Cade’s eyes and shut her mouth. Pauli was Tyson’s friend and he’d handle this best. When Tyson whirled on Megan, eager to argue with her in place of Pauli, Megan shook her head and said, “Nothing.” “That horse is totally unpredictable,” Tyson said weakly. “She’s never been here before. She’s guessin’ where to put her feet, how fast to run. Just like you.” Pauli studied his horse’s mouth again, even though Cade had made a gesture indicating it would be okay. “There are three team members,” Cade said, but his point was too subtle for Tyson. At least, he pretended it was. “And that member’s totally replaceable,” Tyson said. “I mean, there are a mess of horses. Nothing’s so special about this one, yeah?” Pauli and Cade refused to look at him. Neither guy said that Jewel was special to him, but Tyson would have to be deaf not to have heard it in their silence. “It’s a team, dumbhead,” Ann snapped. Her voice was muffled because she’d bent down to massage her knee, but everyone heard her. “And you’re not the star,” Megan explained. Was Tyson so dense he still didn’t understand? Or was he unwilling to apologize? Responding to the strain all around him, Sugarfoot

Galloping Gold E 141 pawed the earth, huffing with worry until Cade gave the reins a twitch. The paint’s lightning-bolt-blazed face tilted to the right, and Darby saw Sugarfoot accept the movement as reassurance, not a correction. Cade really was an amazing horseman. “We all have to cross the finish line together,” Pauli tried once more. “All this for no trophy, ribbon, or prize?” Tyson asked, then shook his head and glared at them all before walking away. “It’s six miles to Sun House,” Cade told Pauli. “Let him walk,” Pauli said. They all stood quietly as Sugarfoot sniffed Jewel’s foreleg, shoulder, and then her face. Insects hummed and Darby realized the sun was rising. She should be back at the ranch, freeing the dogs and feeding Pigolo and Francie. “Tomorrow we’ll try it again, yeah?” Pauli said to Cade. “With a bitless bridle,” Cade confirmed. “Now, though, ride her back without reins. Hold on to the saddle horn and I’ll lead her with the neck rope.” Pauli frowned, and began, “She—” “She’s fine,” Darby blurted, because she saw confusion in Jewel’s eyes as she watched Pauli. “Show her you’re not part of what scared her.” Megan and Ann made sounds of agreement, but Cade asked, “Think you can ride that way?”

142 E Wild Horse Island Even though he’d only ridden for two weeks, Pauli looked sure of himself as he leaned his shoulder against the mare’s and smoothed a lock of strawberry mane back on the side where it belonged. “Her, I can ride any way,” Pauli said. The sun was fully up. Darby pulled off her sweatshirt and tied it around her waist. They took turns riding the horses back. Still, Jewel and Sugarfoot looked alert and refreshed as they turned toward the fold, the last set of small hills before they reached the ranch yard. That’s where they saw Tyson. “He waited for us?” Darby couldn’t believe it. “Huh.” Megan sounded skeptical, but when Tyson didn’t say anything about storming off, neither did they. When Tyson worked his way between her and Cade, Darby wondered if this was Tyson’s way of apologizing. But then they crested the last rise and Darby saw George Mookini. He’d turned away from his work on the new house and stood with feet apart and arms crossed. He seemed to have sensed his son’s approach. And he didn’t look happy about it. No wonder Tyson waited for us, Darby thought. Cade pushed up the brim of his lau hala hat. He assessed George Mookini’s attitude, and when Tyson

Galloping Gold E 143 said, “I’ll lead her, yeah?” Cade nodded and handed him the end of Jewel’s neck rope. With the grace and strength of the athlete he was, Tyson strode ahead of the others. “Whatever,” Megan said quietly, but within five minutes, they all felt a little sorry for Tyson. Buckets clashed and dogs barked. An ATV engine snarled and Pigolo grunted, but the morning sounds left a pool of quiet around George Mookini. Though he didn’t say a word, George Mookini was analyzing and criticizing his son. He expected the worst from Tyson. He looked for it and waited for it, certain it would come. Feeling his father’s stare, Tyson turned clumsy and tripped. Swinging his arms to stay on his feet, he accidentally bumped Jewel’s mouth, making it bleed again. Tyson handed the tail of the rope up to Pauli. Darby expected Pauli to stop Jewel and unsaddle her, but he didn’t. Cade, Pauli, and Tyson passed Sun House. George Mookini hadn’t said a word of greeting to his son and he didn’t say good-bye, either. He just watched him out of sight, then jerked a hammer from his tool belt and set to work. Later, as they washed the dinner dishes, Megan told Darby she’d overheard something strange that morning while Darby was helping Ann load Sugarfoot into his horse trailer. “George Mookini was holding a level—you know

144 E Wild Horse Island those tools with a little bubble in it that shows if a board is . . .” “Level?” Darby teased. “Yeah,” Megan said, but she refused to be sidetracked. “Kimo was standing back, kind of squinting at it, and what George said to Kimo . . .” Megan chewed her lower lip. “I just don’t get it.” “What did he say?” Darby asked, but Megan just stared into the dishwater, as if an explanation would be spelled out in bubbles. “Kimo is their neighbor, you know,” Megan said, “so I’m sure he got it but, well, no one else was around, and I don’t think they knew I was in the tack shed.” “What did he say?” Darby repeated. “First Kimo told George that he thought it was cool that Tyson was going to be in the race. Tyson’s dad just . . .” Megan pantomimed the man spitting. When Darby recoiled, Megan added, “And that’s not even the worst part. You know what he said?” Darby shook her head and Megan imitated George Mookini’s deep, slow voice to say, “‘Before long, he’ll be followin’ the footsteps of you-know-who and find himself in jail.’” In hushed tones of their own, Darby and Megan discussed what Megan had overheard until the dishwater had turned cold. The only person they knew who’d gone to jail was Manny, Cade’s stepfather.

Galloping Gold E 145 “But this island has a long memory,” Megan said. “He could be talking about some ancestor from a hundred years ago.” Darby folded the dish towel and hung it up, then said, “I’m going to ask your mom what she thinks, okay?” “Sure,” Megan said with a shrug. “She’s probably in watching the news with Jonah.” Darby paused before she got all the way into the living room. Clouds had rolled in, so the usual light from the lanai was faint. No lamps were turned on. The room looked empty, but it didn’t feel empty. The front door opened and closed. Megan’s feet tapped upstairs to her apartment. Pip barked and her doggy toenails clattered in a mad tap dance. Then, illuminated by the television screen, showing just above the back of the couch, she saw Cathy and Jonah. They sat so close together, their heads touched. Darby froze. And stared. Jonah’s arm lay across the back of the couch. When the phone rang, Darby jumped and Jonah looked back, staring into the darkness. Darby ran on tiptoe, glad for once that Jonah’s sight was poor. Glad he hadn’t caught her watching. Darby felt dizzy by the time she grabbed the phone to talk to Ann. She didn’t try to figure out what she’d just

146 E Wild Horse Island seen. Instead, feeling like a complete gossip, she told Ann what Megan had overheard. Ann was quiet for long enough that Darby heard Ed and Ramona Potter talking about putting Buck to bed earlier. Then, finally, Ann said, “Are you sure that’s what he said? I mean, this isn’t like that game— what is it?—telephone, yeah, where something keeps getting repeated until it—” “I don’t think so.” Ann sighed. “Well then, as much as I can’t stand Tyson . . .” “It’d be awful to have your dad think you couldn’t do anything right and you were just bound for prison, wouldn’t it?” Darby asked. “Yeah, so maybe when Sugarfoot shakes off his bad reputation, Tyson can, too. If he hasn’t done something illegal lately. And if Cade and Pauli don’t kick him off their team,” Ann said. “I don’t think they will,” Darby said. “Even though we’re all trying to keep him from getting an even bigger head about it, he’s awfully—” “I wish I could run better,” Ann interrupted. “Me too,” Darby said, a little surprised by how intense Ann sounded. “Thanks.” “No! I meant, I wish I could run faster, too.” “Sure you did,” Ann teased, and Darby guessed she must have been wrong about Ann’s vehemence. “Tyson makes us all look slow,” Darby said.

Galloping Gold E 147 “You’re still faster than me,” Ann said. “And you’re a gazillion times better at strategy,” Darby told her. “Just because I know Sugarfoot,” Ann said modestly, but then she asked, “Want to hear my new plan?” At first, their idea had been for the rider to gallop past the runner, tie Sugarfoot, then keep on running. That’s what they’d done at practice that morning. But Ann suggested it would improve their time if, after dismounting, the rider didn’t start running but waited to help the incoming runner to mount Sugarfoot. “You really think that will make us faster?” Darby asked. “Yep, especially if he gets excited around all of those other horses,” Ann said. Darby thought Ann was wrong, but there were two reasons she didn’t say so. First, she’d just finished saying Ann was best at strategy. She couldn’t change her mind one minute later. Second, Ann had more at stake than anyone else on the racecourse, so she should make the big decisions. Just in case. Darby was nearly asleep when she heard a tap at her bedroom door. It had to be Jonah, and she immediately flashed on the scene she’d come upon in the living room. She didn’t know what to think or how to feel about Aunty Cathy and Jonah sitting so close

148 E Wild Horse Island together. Of course they were too old to be boyfriend and girlfriend. He probably hadn’t seen her, anyway, and his visit might have something to do with the horses, so Darby answered, “Come in?” Jonah stood in the doorway a few seconds, as if locating the dark lump of her on the bed. “Earlier, what did you want?” Okay, so he had seen me. Darby swallowed hard, but the question she’d meant to ask Aunty Cathy could be asked of him, too. Totally awake, now, Darby began, “Well, you know I’m not a gossip.” Jonah chuckled. “If we’re going to talk story, I’d better sit down.” Her grandfather made his way farther into the room and sat on a corner of Darby’s bed. “It’s just that, anyone can tell that there’s something really wrong between Tyson and his dad.” “I thought you didn’t like that kid,” Jonah said, something sly in his tone. Yuck, did he think she like liked Tyson? That was an idea she’d get rid of fast. “I don’t like him. He’s a jerk, but Megan heard his dad say something about him going to jail.” “And you don’t want someone like that around your horses, yeah?” Jonah was still joking, but when Darby stayed quiet, Jonah sighed. “Tellin’ you this means I trust you not to tell Megan, Ann—”

Galloping Gold E 149 “—Or Cade, Pauli, or anyone. I won’t. I promise,” Darby said. “Those two already know, but I wouldn’t strike up a conversation about it.” Hmm. Cade and Pauli already knew. How did that fit in with the fact that they’d both been a little too tolerant of him when he’d hurt Jewel? “It’s a short story, so don’t interrupt,” Jonah said. Darby held up her crossed fingers and her grandfather nodded. “Tyson got caught up in Manny’s web. The man had him sneaking into burial caves and stealing stuff. Manny did the selling. George found out, and let him have it.” Darby wasn’t sure what Jonah meant by that. Had George beaten his son, or Manny? “After the police started following the money, turned out Tyson had some of it. He’s on probation with the police, and his parents. Kid’s got a lot of trust to rebuild.” As Jonah stood up, the crackling of his knees reminded Darby her grandfather was old, and she would have reached out to hug him if he hadn’t walked toward her door. Then he stopped. “George and Gemma are hard on him, yeah? But he’s hard on them, too. George’s gone from a quiet guy to a stone man. Gemma’s always been feisty, but now she thinks everyone’s out to get her. Spends all night

150 E Wild Horse Island writing letters of complaint to stores, TV stations, and da kine.” “So, it’s not just the Potters,” Darby said, but Jonah didn’t go on. “I mean, it wasn’t that big a deal, falling off Soda. And she’s talking about suing. . . .” “You California girls like to talk a man to death,” Jonah said. “Get some sleep.” Her grandfather slapped his hand against the doorjamb like a judge concluding a trial, and then he was gone.

Chapter Twelve

The next day, it was clear the boys had done some

planning, too. They didn’t say anything about how pale beneath his suntan Tyson grew, trying to balance on Jewel’s back. And no one mentioned the faint violet stain beneath his left eye or the fact that they’d given up any pretense of keeping running and riding time equal. Since Tyson was the better runner and Pauli the superior rider, Tyson would ride only enough to qualify them as a team. Pauli, the rider Jewel trusted most, would ride as long as possible. Tyson hadn’t said a word all morning. Even when Darby said, “So it’s up to me and Tyson to do all the running,” he just sneered.

152 E Wild Horse Island She’d expected that, but Darby hadn’t expected Ann’s reaction. She looked ashamed. And there were tears in her eyes. Darby knew she was the only one who’d noticed, because Pauli was babbling about something entirely different. “I was so bogus with my knot tying yesterday, I spent all night workin’ on ’em,” Pauli promised. “This time they’ll hold her for sure.” Darby nudged Ann away from the group and apologized. “I’m sorry. You know, I was kidding.” “Yeah,” Ann said. “But I’m not running well at all.” “Shut up,” Darby joked. “Besides, you should be doing all of the riding because you’re like a, you know, like a centaur compared to me!” “Yeah, yeah,” Ann said, and even though she was clearly pleased, her smile looked forced. Darby ran first, but she was no match for Tyson. He was out of sight in the first two minutes and Darby probably wouldn’t have noticed George Mookini standing behind a screen of horse-high ferns, watching his son pass by, if Jewel hadn’t shied. Pauli calmed the horse in seconds, but Darby couldn’t help glancing at the tall man. She could just make him out as he strode through the foliage, back toward the ranch.

Galloping Gold E 153 No wonder Tyson had hoped for a ribbon or trophy to prove he’d done something right. As long as Sugarfoot proved to those insurance people that he’d reformed, Darby thought she wouldn’t mind if Tyson, Pauli, and Jewel came in ahead of them. But then she settled back into running, rediscovering the fact that humming one of her mother’s favorite songs kept her at the perfect pace. When she came upon Sugarfoot dancing at the trailside, she was surprised that Ann wasn’t with him, but she just jerked the quick-release knot Ann had used to secure his neck rope, mounted, and rode on. “There she is,” Darby told the gelding. Even though the rain-forest trail was level and shaded, Ann wasn’t running. There wasn’t a rock or vine to trip on, but Ann was moving little faster than a walk. Darby flashed her friend a shaka sign as they passed by, and she tried to concentrate on riding steady and strong, but her mind replayed the image of Ann limping. Sugarfoot picked up Darby’s uneasiness. His gait faltered. “No big deal,” Darby told the gelding. She leaned back a bit, balancing and steadying the paint’s head with the reins as they descended a sudden downhill. She didn’t look over her shoulder to see how Ann was doing, but she was glad they’d decided, the previous night, for the rider to wait for the runner and help her mount.

154 E Wild Horse Island By the time Ann came out of the woods to the spot where Darby held Sugarfoot, the gelding was grazing steadily and Darby didn’t stop him from taking a deep drink of water. There was no chance they’d catch up with the boys. Ann’s way of walking made Darby stare at the leg her friend favored, and a single glance told her Ann’s soccer-injured knee was not only swollen, but sore. “This was a stupid idea!” Ann shouted before she reached Darby. Sugarfoot’s head jerked up and grass fell from his mouth as he stared at Ann. “Why did you just stand around waiting for me?” Ann accused. “Don’t look at my leg! You could be a mile on down the trail and then Shug and I could catch you easily.” “Last night, I thought that’s what you said you wanted to do.” “Well, maybe under normal circumstances, but look at me!” Ann said. She’d just said not to look! Ann was silly with pain and Darby wanted to hug her, but she knew that wasn’t what Ann needed right now. “I didn’t know . . .” Darby began, but the patience in her voice infuriated Ann even more. “Just start running, okay?” Ann’s voice cracked. “Go!” Darby ran, but her pace was uneven, fractured with feelings.

Galloping Gold E 155 How badly was Ann hurt? Should she be running at all? That very first day of school, when Megan had asked Ann if she was going to play soccer that season, Ann had said her parents had forbidden her from doing it. Hadn’t she said she’d suffered through three surgeries in two years? It was something like that, and now, when Ann needed her leg to work just right to save her horse, it was breaking down on her. Hooves came up behind Darby. She glanced over in time to see Sugarfoot. Mane blowing, eyes sparkling, tail tilted up in high spirits, the paint was having the time of his life, but Darby noticed Ann’s knee more than the gelding’s fluid lope. When practice was over, Ann climbed carefully from Sugarfoot, and Darby couldn’t help staring at her knee. Shiny, hot, and red, it was swollen to about one and a half times bigger than its usual size. “It doesn’t hurt, now that I’ve been riding,” Ann said, “but I’ve got to hide it. Can I borrow some sweatpants or something before my dad gets here?” “Sure,” Darby told her. She knew if Ann’s parents saw that knee, they’d make her pull out of the race. Darby didn’t want to be even partly responsible for more damage to Ann’s knee, but she also knew Ann would hate to hear that. “Do you want to lean on me? Or, I bet I could carry you.” Darby’s hands rested on her hips as she assessed her friend.

156 E Wild Horse Island Ann stopped limping toward the house and laughed. “Yeah, that wouldn’t attract much attention.” Ann glanced toward Kimo, who was talking to Cade and Jonah. “I’ll take care of myself. Promise,” Ann said. “I don’t want this to be permanent, either.” When Darby saw Kimo about to leave for the day, she couldn’t help thinking about Tyson’s black eye. Jonah had said not to tell anyone about Tyson’s association with Manny, and she wouldn’t, but if George Mookini had beaten Tyson, that was just too much. “Hey,” Darby said, running to catch up with Kimo. “Aloha, keiki, I’m goin’ home to cook for my old man,” Kimo said. “But wait,” Darby said. “It’s about Tyson.” “I thought you hated—” Darby waved her hands, erasing whatever Kimo was thinking. “I’m not taking his side,” she snapped, “but you saw his eye.” “His eye?” Kimo looked startled. “His black eye,” Darby said. “Do you think his dad hit him?” Kimo thought for a minute, and though he tried to keep his expression bland, Darby would bet Kimo knew about Manny and Tyson, too. “Pretty sure Mookini didn’t give his boy a shiner,”

Galloping Gold E 157 Kimo said, shaking his head slowly. “You better learn to read boys as well as you do horses.” “What are you talking about?” Darby asked. “Ask Pauli about that eye.” “Pauli? He’s Tyson’s best friend!” “Boys fight,” Kimo said, shrugging. “But, what about—” Darby broke off. She couldn’t say any more without breaking her promise to Jonah. Kimo rolled his eyes, then said, “Two things goin’ on here, and I gotta get home, so listen up, yeah?” “Absolutely,” Darby promised. “First, Tyson’s done stuff that shamed his dad. Second, some of his people are Chinese.” “So?” Darby didn’t like this conversation. Kimo acted like stereotypes about boys, and now Chinese people, were to blame for everything. But she listened. “In the old days, the Chinese, here on the island, anyhow, they thought if you talked nice about your kids, some demon would come get them. So they’d never say anything nice. You could see the love in their eyes, but what came out of their mouths? ‘Why am I cursed with this ugly girl child, so clumsy and stupid?’” He wailed the words, aiming them at Darby. She stuck her tongue out at him. “But see? What demon’s going to snatch such a kid?” Kimo insisted. “Mo bettah that demon look for a bright little fella with a ‘my child is an honor student’ bumper sticker on a pricey car, yeah?”

158 E Wild Horse Island “I think I get it,” Darby said, and Kimo didn’t give her time to change her mind. He flashed her a shaka sign and headed for his truck. With four days left before the race, Darby and Ann tried to hide the injury, but things only got worse. No matter how she favored the leg, the knee twisted and she fell. Each new effort only made her knee more swollen and inflamed. Megan was first to spot what was going on, but Pauli and Tyson were next. “That’s lookin’ mal,” Pauli said, wincing at the sight of Ann’s knee when she’d taken a break to elevate her leg on a pile of rocks to try to reduce the swelling. Tyson stood silent behind Pauli as his friend showed off his own “knots,” as he called the calluses from kneeling on his surfboard. “I’m not tellin’ you how to run your life,” Tyson said to Ann, “but that’s bad.” “I’m fine while I’m riding,” Ann countered. “If only one rider could do all the riding . . .” Megan began, and then finished, “it wouldn’t be a ride-and-tie race.” “Besides, I couldn’t run a full twenty miles,” Darby said. “Ten is killing me.” “It’s a good thing Cade’s been too busy to train with us the last couple of days,” Megan said. “He’d tell Kit or Jonah.” “No, ya think?” Pauli asked.

Galloping Gold E 159 “Absolutely,” Megan said. “If it weren’t so close, I’d tell your parents myself.” “Meggie, don’t be such a—” “I can’t believe they haven’t noticed on their own,” Megan said. “Why don’t you take over for me? Dr. Luke would understand,” Ann begged. “I told him I’d do check-in, and I’ve got to do it,” Megan said, “and I already talked to Cade—” “You what?” Ann yelped. “You asked Cade to ride on our team? So why do you think he doesn’t know?” “All I did was suggest that if something went wrong, maybe he could fill in, but he’s too busy working off his half of Jewel’s purchase price at the Hapuna stable. And he said he wouldn’t ride against Jewel.” “I know this isn’t a perfect solution,” Ann said, “and you guys can tell me if you hate it, but what if we shorten our practices for the next two days? Then I wouldn’t have to run again until race day, since we were already planning to take the day before off.” “That’s fine with me,” Megan said. “Me too,” Darby said. “Hoku wants me to play with her more.” “Lucky you. My mom’s already a little cranky because I’m not spending enough time working in the office. It’s a good thing your mom volunteered to bring stuff for the luau,” Megan said to Darby. Darby smiled. “She’s bringing lots of fruit—papaya, mangos, and oh, a surprise.”

160 E Wild Horse Island “Takeout pizza?” Megan teased. Darby smiled. The best thing she’d heard when her mother called back was that Jonah would never roast her pets. “Okay with me to cut things short, too,” Pauli said. “I’ve been missing the brunch shift and those bigtippin’ tourists.” They all agreed, but it turned out their plan changed yet again. Riding back toward Sun House, they encountered Aunty Cathy leading two guest riders. The guests, on Maggie and Charisma, were chatting happily, but Aunty Cathy rode Megan’s rose roan, Tango, and the young mare was acting up worse than Darby had ever seen her since she’d been back in captivity. “What’s wrong with your horse?” Ann asked Megan. Even from this distance, they could see Tango’s flattened ears and flared nostrils. “She wants to run, I guess,” Megan said, but she didn’t sound satisfied with her diagnosis. “It’s hard to tell from here, but it looks like she’s got her back all humped up to buck.” “Good thing your mom’s a mondo rider,” Pauli said. He glanced up at Tyson, who was still astride Jewel. It hadn’t taken long for him to learn that uneasiness spread quickly among herd animals like horses. “Pig!” Ann yelled in warning as a wild pig burst through trailside foliage.

Galloping Gold E 161 Sugarfoot reacted to the wild pig—which came toward them like a hairy black cannonball—by backing up at high speed. Darby darted out of the way, but she was close enough to see that when Ann closed her legs against Sugarfoot to drive him ahead calmly, he hopped forward. Horse and rider would have recovered just fine if Jewel hadn’t shied off the trail and blocked Sugarfoot’s way. Their collision sent both riders flying. Jewel stayed put, standing stiffly where she’d stopped as the pig plunged into the undergrowth on the other side of the trail. But when Sugarfoot started into a heavy curtain of vines, Darby bolted after him. “You’re not chasing that pig!” she yelled, then Darby glanced back. “Ann?” Her friend rose gingerly from the ground, using a tree trunk for balance. Darby sprinted after Sugarfoot, her head crowded with images of the rabid boar that had died in this forest. But she had to catch Sugarfoot. This close to the race, they couldn’t allow the gelding to recall the fun of chasing. He didn’t go very far. Darby was still running when she caught the smell of hot horsehide and heard the clack of hoof on rock behind her. She stopped running and turned around to face Sugarfoot. He hadn’t chased her. He’d followed, but

162 E Wild Horse Island his attention was directed at the splattering sound of the pig, rolling in a mud puddle. “You didn’t chase me,” Darby congratulated the horse. In all that commotion, she would have expected him to stampede after her, but he hadn’t. “Hey, boy,” Darby said as she approached. The paint just glanced at her, then swung his muzzle toward the pig as if he was encouraging Darby to watch, too. “I know,” she said as she caught his reins. “It’s pretty exciting out here, isn’t it?” Sugarfoot was learning. Maybe he was even cured. Her spirits soared and though Sugarfoot was reluctant to leave the piggy sideshow, she led him at a trot back to the group. “Hey!” she shouted. “Guess what . . . ,” but her voice trailed off. First she saw Megan, ducking out of her mom’s hug. “Mom, I’m fine!” Megan insisted as she took Tango’s reins. “I’ll stay with our guests while you check these two.” Megan talked to the wide-eyed guest riders while Aunty Cathy knelt next to Tyson. “What hurts?” she asked. “Did you fall?” Pauli shouted. “No, man,” Tyson said. He started to get to his feet, but Aunty Cathy gave a warning shake of her head. “I’m okay.” Aunty Cathy pointed her index finger in his face, nearly touching his nose.

Galloping Gold E 163 “I didn’t fall,” Tyson repeated. “I bailed. When Jewel slewed sideways like that—” “In the horse world, we call that shying,” Megan joked for the entertainment of the guests, but Tyson didn’t notice. “I heard something,” Tyson insisted. “There between her neck and her back. Like a bone breaking.” Darby’s elation vanished. Pauli gasped. Aunty Cathy was gently touching the mare, eyes half closed as she concentrated on finding a sensitive spot. “Found it,” she said after just a minute. “Not a broken bone, I don’t think.” “It’s that stupid Shan Stonerow,” Darby snapped. “The way he had her head tied to her tail, I bet she pulled a—I don’t know, like a ligament or tendon or something.” “Sounds about right,” Aunty Cathy said, but she was already handing Pauli the end of the mare’s neck rope. “I think she’ll follow you back okay.” The words were unspoken, but Jewel’s stiffness and the relief with which she nuzzled Pauli said the rest: don’t count on racing her. “Ann, honey? Why are you standing like a flamingo?” Caught, Darby realized. Just when Sugarfoot had given up his bad habit, just days before the race, Aunty Cathy had noticed that Ann was injured. “She’s okay,” Darby yelled, because once Aunty Cathy saw that knee, it would be the end of their

164 E Wild Horse Island secret, the end of practicing for the race, the end of saving Sugarfoot. “She certainly is not,” Aunty Cathy said, and she flashed Darby a look of disbelief. “Why would you say such a thing?” Darby just shook her head. And maybe it was Aunty Cathy’s suspicion that made her stay with Pauli, Tyson, Ann, and Darby while Megan continued the guest ride. Once Aunty Cathy had boosted Ann back onto Sugarfoot, she led him herself. Pauli and Tyson followed behind, leading the stiff Appaloosa, letting her set her own pace, and Darby was so sad and disheartened, she felt like a cloud of crows flew above them all the way back to the ranch.

Chapter Thirteen

It was too depressing to go stand with Pauli as Jonah

examined his mare. The boy who usually looked as perky as his cockatoo-crested hair didn’t understand half of Jonah’s diagnosis, but each time Jonah shook his head and frowned, Pauli’s hands went to his chest as if Jonah had plunged in another knife. “She already told my mom,” Ann said dully. She still sat on Sugarfoot, and the gelding had picked up her mood. His head hung level with his chest and he didn’t even roll his eyes when Bart, the youngest Australian shepherd, bounced up and tried to get him to play. “I know,” Darby told Ann. “I heard her on her cell.

166 E Wild Horse Island It sounded like your dad was on his way. I really think Sugarfoot’s cured, though.” “That’s good. Really good,” Ann said, “and I’m sure I’d be jumping up and down celebrating if I could.” They both sighed, and it was their sudden silence that allowed them to overhear a conversation they shouldn’t have. Behind them in the construction site, Tyson was talking to his father. “We’re gonna cut down on practice, Dad. We might not even do the race, I guess. So, want me to help out, since I’m here anyway?” Darby winced. Bitter, sharp-tongued Tyson sounded about six years old as he talked to his father. And she knew that wouldn’t count in his favor. Darby felt the chill of George Mookini’s answer even before he uttered it. “What do I need with a quitter on my crew?” Why didn’t Tyson say something? He hadn’t quit! Tell him what happened to Jewel. Darby tried to send him brain waves that would help. “We’re right here,” she whispered to Ann. “We could back him up!” “And isn’t that a sad comment on a father-son relationship,” Ann said. Darby stared at her friend. “You sound about forty when you talk that way.” “I feel about eighty,” Ann moaned. “If I didn’t hate

Galloping Gold E 167 myself for falling off and giving away our secret, I’d be glad I could stop walking on this. It really does hurt.” While they waited for Ed Potter to come pick up Sugarfoot and Ann, they sat in the ranch office. Aunty Cathy brought them glasses of iced tea, but the frosty glasses were still untouched when Cade came in with Pauli. Cade had left ‘Iolani Ranch at four thirty in the morning to go work at the Royal Hapuna hotel. His long-sleeved blue shirt and jeans were powdered with dust. He pushed Peach off the office couch and collapsed onto it. “You look like you already put in a full day’s work,” Aunty Cathy said. “Let me get you guys some tea.” For a few seconds, the boys said nothing. Pauli must have told him all that had happened, Darby thought, because both looked like they were in shock. “No thanks,” Cade said, but Pauli raised his hand and gave a formal smile that said he could use one. Where’s Tyson? Darby wondered, but she didn’t ask and she tried not to care. And then she had another, even worse thought. “Jewel’s okay, isn’t she? Jonah didn’t say—” “Just a pulled muscle,” Pauli said. “But he says we’ve got to scrap her.” Cade’s head turned in slow motion toward Pauli, and Darby couldn’t believe what she’d heard. Scrap

168 E Wild Horse Island her? Did that mean put Jewel down? “Could it have been ‘scratch her’?” Ann asked. She gave a low laugh that fell somewhere in between amusement and misery. “That means cross her off the list of horses in the race.” “That’s probably it,” Pauli said. Darby shot a quick glance at Ann. Her friend gave a firm nod. “You could ride with me,” Darby suggested. “Whoa!” Pauli said, holding both hands out as if Darby was the one known to charge. “I’d for sure wipe out if I tried to ride him.” “He’s sweet!” Ann insisted. “Look at his kind eyes,” Darby said, but Pauli wouldn’t back down. “Well, we oughta be able to salvage one team outta the two we had,” Cade said. Shielding a yawn, he let his gaze wander toward Tyson, who had just entered the yard. “No way!” Ann snapped, as if she’d been waiting for someone to make such a suggestion. “Don’t even say it.” “Say what?” Pauli asked, glancing between Cade and Ann. Then he raised his shoulders in a mystified shrug. It was an uncomfortable moment, and Darby was glad when she heard Ed Potter’s truck and horse trailer rumble over the cattle guard. Cade and Ann’s stare-off was so intense, Darby

Galloping Gold E 169 doubted either of them heard the truck’s approach. “He already injured Jewel’s mouth,” Ann said without breaking the gaze. “Not on purpose,” Cade answered. “I’m not letting that kid take my place on Shug.” “Well, I can’t do it and neither can Meg.” “You two aren’t the only riders on the island.” “No,” Cade agreed. “Kimo and Kit can ride with the best, but they’re not exactly joggers.” “So?” “So,” Cade lowered his voice, “he’s the obvious choice if you want Sugarfoot to win.” For a minute, Darby thought Cade had persuaded Ann, but she was wrong. “He’s heavy-handed. He doesn’t know anything about horses.” Pauli broke in, “But he rips through the air like a freakin’ shark zooms through water.” Hands flattened together with matched fingertips, Pauli swooped an imaginary shark toward Darby. “He’s not riding my horse,” Ann said finally. Darby didn’t ask, How much longer will he be yours, if he doesn’t perform like a champion? Minutes later she was glad she hadn’t. Ann’s dad did the job much better than she could have. “Annie, I’m so sorry you’re hurt. I know you were doing your best, but you’re showing really good judgment, not goin’ ahead with this crazy idea.” Not going ahead? Darby wondered what Aunty

170 E Wild Horse Island Cathy had told Ann’s mom, Ramona, and what kind of conversation Ramona and Ed had conducted before he left Heart of Hawaii Ranch to come collect his daughter and Sugarfoot. Darby couldn’t see Ann’s face because, despite the rising heat of the day, Ed Potter wrapped Ann in a bear hug and pressed his graying red hair against his daughter’s wild curls. Then he kissed her cheek and added, “Some things just aren’t meant to be.” “But this was meant to be. I mean it is,” Ann insisted, but her voice was muffled until Ed pulled back. The corners of his eyes drooped to match the corners of his lips as he said, “I don’t see what we can do between now and July fifth. Those straight-laced individuals at our insurance company want him reformed or recycled.” “I’m pretty sure he is reformed,” Darby began. “But can you prove it?” Ed gave the paint a loud pat. “We just need to find old Shug a good home.” “Let me think,” Ann said to Darby and Cade. She allowed her father to carry her to the truck cab and fuss over her to the point of fastening her seat belt. By the time the truck door slammed with Ann inside, Darby had stripped the tack off Sugarfoot and stowed it in the trailer trunk, and Cade had led the gold-and-cream gelding inside. Ed thanked them, looked sorrowfully at the paint, then nodded across the ranch yard where Pauli and

Galloping Gold E 171 Tyson stood with Jonah. “Say, who’s that boy that looks like a sad little monk?” Ed asked. Tyson’s gray hood was raised again and his hands were jammed into his pockets. He didn’t look like a monk to Darby. Still, even standing with Jonah and Pauli, he looked lonely and hopeless. When she didn’t answer, Cade did. Darby didn’t stay to listen; instead she went to Ann’s window to say good-bye. Ann grabbed her hand. “Expand this teammate search to anyone you could stand working with,” Ann said, “and I’ll do the same.” With a wave, Ed began driving, but Ann still wasn’t finished talking. “I wish my mom didn’t have a bad Achilles tendon, or I know . . .” The breeze snatched away the rest of Ann’s sentence, but Darby knew what she’d said, and she immediately began her hunt for a new partner. Cade wasn’t the sort to say “I told you so.” However, when Darby reported that besides picking up every piece of paper, every feed-sack string, and every animal dropping on the two-thousand-acre ranch—or at least that was how it seemed—and that she had begged about a dozen people to be her teammate in the ride-and-tie race and they’d all said no, he wasn’t sympathetic. She told him that Aunty Cathy, Jonah, Kit, and

172 E Wild Horse Island Kimo had each claimed they couldn’t run ten miles. Even when Darby swore they’d only have to do five miles and she’d do the rest, they’d insisted it was too much, especially in such heat. Besides, there was the luau to prepare for, too. She told Cade that she’d almost phoned Patrick Zink for suggestions, but she knew he’d feel sad that he couldn’t run since he’d injured his leg. She told him she’d even called school acquaintances. “But Cheryl Hong is spending the next two weeks with her grandmother on Santa Catalina Island. Monica Davis told me the only creature she’s ever bonded with is her computer mouse, and at Miss Day’s house I got a lady who was watering the plants because Miss Day’s doing teacher training someplace in New Mexico!” “Hmm,” Cade said, and he was so unsympathetic that Darby didn’t tell him how, as a last resort, she’d called Sugar Sands Cove Resort and asked for her cousin, Duxelles Borden. Although she was as unpleasant as Tyson and had no use for horses, Duckie was, as Pauli might say, a primo athlete. “Don’t I wish,” Duckie said when she finally came to the phone. “You do?” Darby sat up straight. She’d expected another refusal. “Then why not?” “This whole place is on lockdown until Phillipe comes home for the polo match! Everything has to

Galloping Gold E 173 be perfect. Can you believe I even had to clean the glass on the giant aquarium?” Duckie gave a disgusted groan. “We have people for that, but no, I have to do it. You would think he was like royalty, like his homecoming was a condemnation or something.” Coronation, Darby had corrected silently, but she hadn’t contradicted Duckie. “Just ask Aunt Babe. I know she’ll say yes. She has to!” Darby begged, but Aunt Babe wouldn’t even discuss the possibility. “Don’t be so stubborn. Ask Tyson,” Cade said when Darby ran out of breath. “You heard Ann,” Darby told him. “He’s hot to do this.” “Well, then maybe he—” Darby broke off, and she admitted to herself that she was searching for a way to blame this all on Tyson. “His mother started all of this.” “I think he knows that.” “But does he care? Has he tried to talk her into forgetting her lawsuit?” Cade removed his hat, brushed off the day’s dust, and glanced back toward the growing frame of Darby’s new house. He’s thinking the same thing I am, Darby decided. For Tyson, this race was about impressing his critical father. But instead of hinting at that, Cade said, “Could you get your mom to call off a lawsuit?” Darby ignored him. Cade knew how easy it was

174 E Wild Horse Island to get ensnared in Manny’s web. And he knew what it was like to have a mean father. That’s why he tried to understand Tyson. Fine, but he sure wasn’t being much help to her. “I’m going to go eat dinner,” Darby said, “and when I phone Ann tonight to tell her how bad I am at persuading people to join me, she can decide what to do.” As she dialed, Darby hoped her friend was asleep. The only good thing she could tell Ann was that Jonah and Aunty Cathy had promised to leave Darby free of chores both tomorrow and on race day, just in case she came up with a partner. “I don’t have good news,” Darby said as soon as Ann came on the phone. “Well, I do. Kinda,” Ann said. “Tell me!” Darby pleaded. “So, first Pauli called to tell me how competitive Tyson is. He admitted Ty wasn’t a team player, but he’d been a lot nicer to Jewel since he’d taught him”— Ann’s tone turned ominous—“how she felt.” “What does that mean?” Darby asked. “I had no idea what he was talking about, either, until he said, ‘He’s lucky I didn’t hit ’im in the mouth.’” “He gave him that black eye,” Darby said, and heard the bewilderment in her own voice. Kimo had been right.

Galloping Gold E 175 “Pauli hurt Tyson because he hurt Jewel,” Ann agreed. “‘No heavy hands,’ he said, or something like that.” “He rides with really light hands now, holding on to the horn more than the reins,” Darby agreed. “Oh, and today he bailed off and went rolling across the ground when he thought Jewel was hurt, according to Pauli,” Ann continued. “He told you all that?” Darby asked. “Yeah, but he had an ulterior motive. He wanted me in a better mood when Tyson called me.” “Tyson called you?” “Granddaughter,” Jonah shouted from the living room, “is that you screeching?” “Sorry,” Darby shouted. “Yeah,” Ann said, yawning. “And you want to know how nice I am?” “You said yes?” Darby asked, and though her fingers were crossed on both hands, she didn’t know what she was hoping for. “Better than that. I didn’t blackmail him. It just flashed across my mind to say, ‘Yes, you can ride my horse if your mom drops her idiot lawsuit.’ But I didn’t say it.” “I guess that’s good,” Darby said. “I told him yes, under the condition that he practice with you all day tomorrow and you approve. Is that okay? My dad said he’d call Jonah.” “I think it’s okay,” Darby said. She tried to swallow

176 E Wild Horse Island the uneasy feeling of having to depend on a guy who’d mocked her by calling a haole crab. “I’ll have Dad call anyway,” Ann said. “And you know what I think? Really? Shug and Tyson are a better match than he was with Jewel.” Darby had to agree. Sugarfoot was spirited and Jewel was gentle. Sugarfoot tested his riders and Jewel tried to understand what they wanted. That was okay with an experienced rider, but Tyson was too new at riding to know what he wanted. “Say good night, Annie.” “Is that your mom?” Darby asked about the voice that cut across their conversation. “Yes, it’s my mom. She’s been playing Nancy Nurse to me ever since I got home—kidding,” Ann said suddenly, and her tone changed. “She’s been taking really good care of me and she’s going to allow me to come to the race, but only if I spend the next two days doing exactly what she says. Right, Mom?” But Ramona Potter didn’t exactly answer her daughter. She took the phone away from her and said, “Good night, Darby.” “Good—” But Ann’s mother had already hung up.

Chapter Fourteen

Ann was right. Tyson and Sugarfoot took to each

other at once: They were both competitive, they’d both learned to play the ride-and-tie game, and they both loved running. Maybe all the similarities made Darby notice that Tyson and the paint had the same habit of jerking their chins up. And once she noticed, she couldn’t help telling Tyson. “It makes you both look full of yourselves,” Darby said as they led Sugarfoot toward the fold. It was seven o’clock in the morning, forty-nine hours before the race began, and they were heading for the fold because most of the ride-and-tie teams that

178 E Wild Horse Island had camped at the ranch the previous night had gone in the other direction, past Sun House, and down the trail that crossed between the broodmare pasture and Kanaka Luna’s compound. Darby was pretty sure that’s what had Hoku stirred up. Her filly and Luna had begun neighing before sunrise. She pushed aside worries about Hoku being disturbed. Instead, she concentrated on being grateful that Ann’s dad had not only brought Sugarfoot over to stay until the race, he’d stopped by Tyson’s house, too. “We aren’t full of ourselves, but we are gonna win,” Tyson said. “Just finish the race,” Darby told him, “and don’t let Sugarfoot run amok. I mean, it’s not like the insurance guy will be here watching, but you know how gossip travels on this island.” As usual, Tyson didn’t respond to what she’d said, but he didn’t sneer, either. “You’re riding the start, yeah?” he asked. Darby nodded. She didn’t admit that she wished Ann was riding the start. Dr. Luke had stressed that the beginning of a ride-and-tie race could be crazy. “Good,” Tyson said. “If I got thrown at the start, I’d never see him again.” If Tyson the fleet-footed couldn’t catch up with Sugarfoot, then she certainly couldn’t, Darby thought. She had to stick like a burr in Sugarfoot’s mane, as her friend Sam had said once.

Galloping Gold E 179 A sudden snapping from the branches overhead made Sugarfoot shy into Tyson. “What was that about?” Tyson asked. “It was just a twig.” Darby had seen a yellow bird jumping along an ohia branch, probably pursuing a breakfast bug, when the twig broke. Now she saw Tyson regarding Sugarfoot as if the horse wasn’t as smart as he’d thought. “I guess you can’t learn horse psychology overnight,” Darby said, “but you’ll be happier if you just remember three things—and all three relate to horses thinking like prey animals.” “Three things.” Tyson’s face twisted in mock concentration. “I think I can do that.” “They look for danger everywhere,” Darby said, holding up her index finger. “Their eyes are on the sides of their heads, so they see danger everywhere,” she said, counting off another finger. “And safety is with the herd. So if a horse has a choice, he’ll stay with his buddies.” “Not very good race thinkin’,” Tyson said, then, turning to Sugarfoot, he said, “Hope you like going fast more than you like other horses.” Tyson accepted her minilecture so well, Darby decided to ask what she’d wanted to since the first day he’d shown up. “Before we get going, want to give me some running tips?” “It’s too late,” he said.

180 E Wild Horse Island “Fine,” Darby said. She held her breath to keep from saying anything worse. That’s what she got for treating the guy like a human being. He shrugged, then said, “Tips would be like conditioning stuff, yeah? With only two days left before the race—and one of ’em has to be a day off—I can only tell you tricks.” Darby’s first impulse was to tell him she wouldn’t do anything underhanded, but then she’d be assuming the worst, just like his father, so she just said, “That’d be great. The only kind of competition I’ve done before is swimming.” It turned out that some of it was the same. Tyson told her to load up on carbohydrates the night before and eat lightly on race morning. He told her to listen to her body and reconsider her speed if her muscles burned or she couldn’t breathe. “Yeah, I know, you never would have thought of that on your own,” he joked. Darby laughed, and it might have been the first time Tyson had said something she thought was genuinely funny. Encouraged, he said, “You’ve gotta worry about hydration and foot placement more, too.” “I thought maybe that was the case,” Darby said, and then Tyson’s expression turned serious. “And since I don’t want our guy to get sold off for glue”—Tyson turned toward the paint with exaggerated casualness—“I’ll tell you the chant I use while I run.”

Galloping Gold E 181 Tyson looked back over his shoulder with raised eyebrows, as if he expected her to mock him. “That would be cool,” she said. “So far I’ve been using songs.” “It’s better than that, at least,” Tyson told her, then cleared his throat and recited, “The only barrier is in my brain.” The only barrier—that must be to speed, or winning, Darby thought—is in my brain. She nodded with satisfaction, then said, “I can remember that.” On race day, Darby woke to the smell of wood smoke. Jonah had allowed the visiting riders to camp on his land and Kit had built a central fire ring for use on the night before and the morning of the ride. Before she went out to Sugarfoot, Darby walked through the silent living room and onto the lanai. She looked down on the broodmare pasture and smiled. Like sunflowers, all the horses faced toward dawn’s golden glow. She looked for Hoku next to Tango, but her filly wasn’t there. Changing her position slightly, Darby spotted Lady Wong. Sometimes the gray mare, undisputed queen of the pasture, permitted Hoku to graze alongside her. But not this morning. “Change your mind?” Jonah asked as he bustled down the hall from his bedroom. “No way!” Darby said.

182 E Wild Horse Island “Could be a pretty tough ride.” “We’ll make it,” Darby answered vaguely. “What are you looking at?” Jonah asked. Darby tried to hold on to the tranquility of grazing horses as she reached for Jonah’s arm and hung on. “Do you see Hoku?” “Don’t you?” Jonah asked. When Darby shook her head, Jonah grabbed the binoculars he kept on the lanai and lifted them to his eyes. Darby tried to feel excited. She tried to believe that any second now, Jonah would point out her horse. She wanted him to prove her wrong, to say she was blinder than he was. Grumbling, he adjusted the binoculars for a second scan of the broodmare pasture. “Checking the fences,” Jonah said. “They all look fine.” A sharp whinny floated up to them and the thump of hooves followed. “That sounds like Hoku,” Darby said, “but not as sweet.” “Got her,” Jonah said. He shoved the binoculars at Darby. “That crow bait’s about to cost me my livelihood.” “Where?” Darby asked, blinking. She tried not to sweep the binoculars around so fast that she only saw green blurs. “Check Luna’s pasture,” Jonah said as he stopped

Galloping Gold E 183 to tug on his boots. “Luna?” Darby gasped. Oh, no—if Hoku had jumped her own and Kanaka Luna’s fences so she could turn her tomboy rage on the stallion, the filly’s life on ‘Iolani Ranch was over. Not only was the Quarter Horse stallion the biggest moneymaker on the place, but Jonah loved him. There. Darby saw a circle of chocolate-brown hide. The visiting mare. Then . . . “Oh, my gosh!” Ears flat and teeth bared, Hoku chased the other mare into the corner of two fences. “What is wrong with you?” Darby yelled. “Pretty sure she’s not in the mood to answer,” Jonah said as he stormed from the house. “If you’re going with me, better hurry.” Trying to make sense of what she’d just seen, Darby sprinted after Jonah. She almost collided with the vehicle that was parked next to the Land Rover. “Shall I go get her halter and—” “In back.” Jonah jerked his thumb toward the ATV’s small cargo area, indicating the plain rope halter and lead rope. “Get on, or step back.” Darby jumped up behind her grandfather and held on tight. Jonah shouted “Aloha!” as he swerved to miss a race entrant who’d camped overnight at ‘Iolani. There were thirty entrants, and she should be

184 E Wild Horse Island relaxing with them, gathering around a campfire with cups of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate before they fed their horses. She’d promised Ann that Sugarfoot would be eating by seven A.M., so she still had a little time, but— Jonah hit a bump that almost launched Darby off of the ATV. She held on, wishing she could see around the next corner. “I’ll just catch her and put her back in with the broodmares,” Darby said. “Might be easier to move Banshee,” Jonah said. “Okay.” Darby didn’t know what her grandfather was thinking. Jonah understood how savage Hoku could be with men and stallions. But it wouldn’t hurt to remind him, so she said, “I just don’t want her to hurt Luna.” As they came around the last corner, green pastures unrolled before them. Darby couldn’t believe the scene before her. “I think he’ll be okay,” Jonah said, and Darby was pretty sure he was right. Hoku stood beside Kanaka Luna. Her slim sorrel body mirrored his muscled bay one. Necks cloaked with heavy manes—one black, one ivory—they grazed, shoulders touching. “Hoku,” Darby said in soft surprise. Jonah didn’t joke that Hoku had gotten over her tomboy phase. He didn’t say anything, in fact, and Darby was glad. She tried to feel happy that Hoku

Galloping Gold E 185 had adjusted to ranch life, but all she felt was sad. It’s selfish, Darby thought, but I liked being her best friend. Jonah turned off the ATV. He’d stopped halfway down the hillside on the trail that ran between the broodmare pasture and Kanaka Luna’s compound. Darby didn’t want to move, but she felt the pressure of time pushing against her back. Every minute she stayed here was a minute she should be spending with Sugarfoot. “She’s safe, Granddaughter.” Jonah sounded totally unfamiliar, like a kindly grandfather from a fairy tale, instead of his usual gruff self, and tears stung Darby’s eyes. “What are you waiting for?” he snapped. “Go get that paint horse fed and ready.” “But—” “I’ll get Banshee out of there so your pupule mustang doesn’t eat her alive. You can put her back where she belongs later.” “Okay,” Darby said. She climbed out of the ATV and took a step up the trail, back to the ranch yard. She looked back at Hoku shining fire gold beside Luna, still unable to believe her eyes, said “Okay” again, and broke into a run. She’d almost made it to Sugarfoot’s corral when something loomed up in her way. “Morning.” Darby startled, because she’d noticed the brown

186 E Wild Horse Island velvety ears of a Maui mule named Lark before she noticed Clint, the man who was bucket-feeding him. “Aloha,” Darby greeted the man. Still dazed, Darby smiled at other people she’d met yesterday when the course had opened. Although they weren’t allowed to ride it, at least one team member from each pair had walked it. Darby wondered if there’d ever been this many people on the ranch before and if there’d ever be this many again. Minutes later, Dr. Luke’s sister Sheila stood beside Darby, feeding Samba, her black Thoroughbred, as Darby fed Sugarfoot. Neither of them said much as their horses ate from their buckets of grain mixed with beet pulp, water, and shaved apples. Like Sheila, Darby ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich she’d made and stuffed in her pocket the night before. I’m befuddled, Darby thought as her eyes followed Sugarfoot’s lightning-bolt blaze over and over again. I feel bewildered, bemused, and befuddled. Couldn’t Hoku have chosen some other morning to surprise me this way? Darby swallowed the last bite of her sandwich, and Sugarfoot looked up from his bucket just as Kit came striding toward them. “What’s up?” she asked. “War paint,” Kit reminded her. “I’ll brush him and

Galloping Gold E 187 dude him up before you come down.” Darby had totally forgotten Kit’s offer to decorate Sugarfoot so that he’d stand out from the other horses, but she said, “Okay.” Kit frowned. “Bring the other two when they get here.” “Other two?” Darby asked. “I’m talking about Tyson and Ann.” “Oh,” Darby said, nodding. “You feelin’ a little fuzzy-minded?” Kit asked as he took Sugarfoot’s lead rope. Darby sighed. “Hoku’s in Luna’s pasture,” she told him. “Hmm,” Kit said, then grinned. “She picked her time and she picked her fella.” “I guess,” Darby said. The Nevada cowboy’s words lightened her mood and Darby was feeling eager to get started when she saw Tyson walking down the dirt road past Sun House. She strode toward him, but right off she had to jump back and suck in her stomach to keep from being bowled over by a girl on a pony. Biggy Nuff, she thought, remembering the pony’s name first. His rider was Carrie. She wore braids and a Hapuna Prep School sweatshirt. Her teammate was her mother. And then Darby saw Ann. Although she was limping, Ann had caught up with Tyson by the time he reached Darby.

188 E Wild Horse Island “You guys look so cute,” Ann said, indicating their shirts. They both wore old Hawaiian shirts of Jonah’s. Tyson had cut the short sleeves off his so it looked more like a racing singlet, and Darby had tied hers up at the waist, but both shirts were patterned with huge red hibiscus flowers, which should make it easy for them to spot each other. They found Kit and Cade putting the finishing touches on Sugarfoot’s eye rings. “Wow!” Ann stepped closer to greet her horse and examine the red paint surrounding Sugarfoot’s eyes. “The old ones say it will improve his vision,” Kit told them. “Anything that helps,” Tyson said. He lifted the heavy Western saddle they’d decided to use in place of the endurance saddle, since it would give Tyson more security. But Tyson was surprised when Kit asked him to press his hand palm down in the tray of red paint. “Now put it on Sugarfoot’s left flank,” Kit said. “Pele red,” Cade said approvingly. Then, using Sugarfoot’s right flank as their canvas, Darby and Ann dipped their hands and pressed palm prints with their thumbs overlapping so the pattern looked like an owl. “Caught you red-handed, didn’t I?” Darby decided shock had damaged her brain. The voice sounded like her dad’s.

Galloping Gold E 189 And when she turned around, there he was, handing off a huge stack of pizza boxes to Ellen Kealoha Carter, her beautiful movie-star mother. “What?” Darby croaked. “This is my surprise,” her mother said. “I brought the fruit, too, but I thought pizza would be better than fried goat or pork chops.” “Mom!” Darby said, looking in the direction of Pigolo’s pen, and then at Francie. “Should I have gotten my hands on tempura shrimp instead?” Ellen asked, pretending to worry. “Daddy!” Darby said, and she launched herself into her father’s arms, trying to keep her red hands off his shirt. “Baby,” her father said. “Have I ever missed you!” It was undoubtedly the weirdest morning of her life. Darby decided that she’d have to ask Tutu what kind of magic cloud had fallen over ‘Iolani Ranch, but she’d have to do it later because her teammates were growing impatient. They allowed themselves to be introduced, and promised to look for the Carters and Aunt Babe, who’d just arrived out on the course with Duckie and trays of ginger-fragrant spring rolls. Darby waved at her parents, then quickly and quietly put them out of her mind to focus on the race. While Tyson led Sugarfoot around to dry, Ann’s parents caught up with her and talked to Darby while she tied back her hair and put on her helmet.

190 E Wild Horse Island Darby didn’t hear a word of anyone’s advice, but she did say, “I wish you were going, too,” as she hugged Ann. “Me too, and—ow! What, Dad?” “Sorry sweetie, nothing,” Ed Potter said. “Nothing, except that you stomped my toe.” Ed stopped scanning the crowd, and said, “Just for a minute there, I thought I saw our insurance man.” “My dad’s paranoid,” Ann told Darby. “He’s been seeing the guy everywhere.” Ramona patted her husband’s arm. “Ed, Mr. Border will be at the ranch tomorrow. What reason would he have to show up today?” “None, I s’pose,” Ed said. “I wouldn’t bet on it,” Darby said. “It’s been a bizarre morning.” When Sugarfoot’s cinch was fastened for the last time, and Darby had swung into the saddle, she couldn’t help wondering if the insurance man really was there. “See you under the big ohia tree,” Ann promised. Darby nodded, recalling that at their first stop, the rules allowed a horse to be “hand-tied.” That meant it could be held by an extra team member who’d calm the horse and make sure everything was going as planned. Ann’s parents had agreed to let her be that team member.

Galloping Gold E 191 “See you there,” Darby replied, but her mind was on Ed Potter’s so-called paranoia. Then, even though he was a levelheaded rancher, not prone to silly worries or extravagant shows of emotion, Ed took hold of Sugarfoot’s bridle by the cheek straps and kissed the gelding’s nose. “Aloha!” Darby called to them all, then bent down close to Sugarfoot’s ears and whispered, “Do your best, boy. It’s your last chance.” The race started at an open spot in the forest. Fifteen runners warmed up by stretching and gobbling energy bars. Fifteen horses pawed the ground with nerves, spooking at flags and radio static from walkie-talkies, sweating in anticipation. Fifteen riders reminded themselves they’d walked the course, scheduled each stop, practiced each swap between rider and runner. “All this planning. What a waste,” Tyson muttered. “Don’t start!” Darby snapped at him. Tyson shrugged off her irritability, then said, “How ya gonna plan for what forty-five living things are gonna do?” Forty-five living things. The phrase echoed in Darby’s mind as Pauli kissed each of her cheeks for luck, then did the same to an unreceptive Tyson. He not only didn’t look like the kid with the hooded gray sweatshirt who’d said he treated Jewel like a bicycle; he wasn’t even thinking like him.

192 E Wild Horse Island “Is everyone you know here?” Tyson scoffed. Just when she started believing the kid was human, Darby thought, Tyson wrecked the illusion. “Almost,” Darby answered, and waved again at her proud, blue-eyed father. Judging by the way he kept talking to the people around him and pointing, she could tell that everyone on the island of Moku Lio Hihiu now knew he was her father, the best pizza baker in the world, and he had brought his girl’s favorites all the way from California. “Seen my dad?” Tyson muttered to Pauli. I’m so lucky, Darby thought, but she didn’t listen to Pauli’s answer or look for her mother or think about Hoku. All at once Darby shrank in on herself, but not in a bad way. She felt centered and balanced, as a professorial voice in her mind ticked off items from their plan. I ride first. Tyson runs. Ann meets us at the first stop to help Tyson mount Sugarfoot, because he’ ll be bursting out of his skin with the thrill of galloping. After that, we’re on our own. At last they were lined up in three rows of five horses across. Darby thought her heart would pound out of her chest with eagerness before Dr. Luke dropped the flag, but then he was shouting, “Go!,” and they started. Electricity wasn’t really jolting down her arms and legs, so it must have been adrenaline. The horses leaped forward as one.

Galloping Gold E 193 What am I doing in the middle of this wild herd? A rush of fear filled her as she was surrounded by horses. Light, Darby thought, I need light and space. Then the horses were spreading out, but some slammed into trees and each other. It was an unpredictable herd, just as Tyson had said, and she heard shouts over the pounding hooves. What were they saying? “Loose horse!” Sugarfoot. She hadn’t given a thought to the gelding and what he must be feeling. Head held high, body tense between her knees, he was elated. For a fleeting second, so was she. And then a riderless horse crashed into her and she was falling, with someone’s words— Ann’s? Tyson’s?—playing in her mind: If you get thrown at the start, you’ ll never see him again, so stick on, no matter what you do! And she would have, if a bald-faced, Clydesdalesized bay hadn’t plowed into Biggy Nuff, sending the pony into Sugarfoot’s right flank. “Loose horse!” The words were still ringing in Darby’s ears when she hit the ground. At least I’m at home here, she thought giddily— facedown in the dirt. I’ve fallen way too much to be a real horse charmer like Jonah. She’d managed to get up on her hands and knees and she was yelling, “Shug!” when a flea-bitten gray horse jumped over her. She had time to cover her head,

194 E Wild Horse Island but that meant she didn’t see if Ann’s gelding slowed at the sound of his name. Don’t be at the start. Darby sent the Potters’ insurance man a desperate message, hoping the day was weird enough that her order would reach him and keep him from seeing the mess she was in. Because it wasn’t Sugarfoot’s fault. Wrapped in a haze of dust with hooves all around, Darby crouched, covering her ears, shutting her eyes, thinking, This is the meaning of chaos. “Hey! You blew it!” The voice was Tyson’s. Darby opened her eyes enough to see a flash of hibiscus red as he ran past. “I’ll keep going until I see you and Shug bearing down on me.” Change of plan. Just like that, the first minute of the race had turned their entire strategy upside down. All because she’d fallen from the horse she’d been trying to show off as a well-mannered mount. She thought of flopping back down in the dirt, just giving up, but Tyson turned and looked over his shoulder at her through the dust. Darby imagined him shouting, “Get up, you moron!,” but that wasn’t what happened. Instead, just like a real teammate, he grinned, flashed her a shaka sign, and ran on. Darby bolted to her feet and started running and there—right there!—was Sugarfoot. Frolicking in the midst of the stampede of riderless horses, he was

Galloping Gold E 195 having too great a time to run very far or fast. She lengthened her stride. Eyes set on the galloping herd, she pumped her arms and called on every muscle to catch up. All around her there was laughter, swearing, and groans. She wasn’t the only rider who’d been dumped or the only one sprinting after her excited mount. She coughed against the dust. This was why the experienced runners and riders wore bandannas over their noses and mouths. She stepped on a pair of fallen sunglasses, but she was close enough to the horses now that rocks flying up from hooves hit her, peppering her shins. She smelled greenery trampled by horses that veered off into the foliage to explore, but Sugarfoot didn’t follow them. By now he knew the rain forest, and he loped on ahead. The trail narrowed and the trees closed in again and suddenly the gold-and-white horse ran out of sight. Rain forest flanked the path, offering cool shade, and she knew a mile had passed since the starter’s flag had fallen. She pushed back despair with the thought that Sugarfoot was probably just ahead. She passed a few tied horses. A bay with a rainbow of ribbons in his mane and tail was being hand-held for this first exchange and so was a gray Arab with purple pompons on her small saddle and a grease pencil heart

196 E Wild Horse Island drawn on one hip. Everything had worked just as Luke had said it would, Darby realized. No runners, including her, wasted time by slowing, searching for the right horse among wrong ones. Around her, riders were becoming runners, but her team didn’t have a rider! Darby ran faster. Ann! There she was, just as she’d promised. But she was running out onto the course to catch Sugarfoot! Oh my gosh, her parents would kill her, Darby thought, or me. But Ann had caught her horse and she was already leading him back under the big ohia tree. Almost there, Darby watched as Ann kept her arms extended, holding Sugarfoot’s reins on each side of the bit. A celebration rocked in Darby’s chest as she headed for the caramel-and-white coated paint with Pele-red handprints on each flank. As if he recognized her footsteps, Sugarfoot looked back and whinnied at the sight of her, urging her to hurry up. Ann’s red curls felt crispy as they brushed Darby’s cheek, and Ann talked a mile a minute as she turned the stirrup for Darby’s foot. “Tyson’s already gone by. He was the first of the runners. He told me what happened, but he said you were okay.” Darby only realized she was mounting slowly,

Galloping Gold E 197 listening, when Ann boosted her into the saddle. “Thanks,” she said, settling herself, and when she looked down, she saw that Ann had tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Ann said, and then, just as her father had, she grabbed the cheek pieces of Sugarfoot’s bridle and kissed his nose. “And you, too.” That was a dangerous thing to do. Sugarfoot was so excited by the horses running by, he could have pulled away or tossed his head, breaking Ann’s nose. Darby would have scolded her friend, but she couldn’t. Her chest hurt and she was out of breath. Ann stepped back, clearing the way for Sugarfoot to join the passing herd. As soon as Darby lifted the reins, the palomino paint was off, and then he was loping smoothly, accelerating into a gallop, surging forward, trying to lead the herd! “You go, Shug!” Darby yelled, and the horse lined out in a full run. A mile later, Darby felt the gelding shift from a head-flattened run to a more collected gait. And then they began passing more horses tied to trees. It seemed like she’d been riding forever. Had she missed Tyson? Should she turn back? There! Tyson ran at the front of the pack, ahead by at least ten horse lengths. What do I do now? she thought wildly, but her memory told her to pass him and spot a good place to stop. She’d barely dismounted and started to tie Sugarfoot when Tyson was coming at her.

198 E Wild Horse Island Dark face flushed, arms and legs churning, he might have bowled Darby over if Sugarfoot hadn’t shied. “Go! Go! Go, now!” Tyson was shouting. Darby didn’t know where he got the breath, but while she was wondering he kept yelling, “Gogogogo” an annoying number of times. Finally, he broke her trance with a push and she jogged away from him. I hope he remembers to lengthen the stirrups, Darby thought. Afoot, she noticed horses standing in clouds of steam from their own body heat. Sleek flanks moved in and out. Nostrils flared wide open, showing red inside. Eyes flashed with excitement as they stared down the trail, looking for their next rider. Tyson and Sugarfoot loped past, and though Tyson looked scared, his stirrup leathers weren’t flapping and he appeared secure in the saddle. After five miles, the single herd thinned out and groups of two or three horses formed. The riders and runners around Darby seemed pensive. Just like her, they were remembering the course map and planning for what lay ahead. She spotted a rider pounding something metal into the ground. An artificial tie. She remembered Dr. Luke saying that horses had to be tied to something already on the course—a tree, an old broken gate, a hiking trail signpost—but you couldn’t bring along your own.

Galloping Gold E 199 As she glared at the guy and hoped he got caught, Darby tripped. Watch where you’re putting your feet, she reminded herself. And then she settled into what Tyson called the “zone,” reciting his chant to herself: The only barrier is in my brain. She felt hypnotized until Sugarfoot picked her out of a crowd of runners, whinnied in greeting, then turned to face the direction they’d be riding. Tyson was nowhere in sight, but she and Sugarfoot took care of each other. I love this, Darby thought. Minutes later, they reached the race’s midway point and the vet check. Cricket was all business as she examined Sugarfoot, checking his pulse and respiration. And then Dr. Luke was beside her, looking into Sugarfoot’s eyes. “Hydration’s fine. Is he showing any signs of fatigue or sickness? Lameness?” he asked Darby. “Nothing like that,” Darby said, and then, when Sugarfoot leaned against the reins, watching Samba leave the checkpoint, she added, “Just impatience, maybe.” “We can fix that,” Dr. Luke said. “You’re good to go.” Before she turned to another horse, Cricket flashed a shaka sign. ***

200 E Wild Horse Island Darby didn’t know how it happened, but Tyson was the one riding Sugarfoot when the finish line came into sight, and as far as she could tell, he was in second place. Her heavy legs moved her feet. Right, left, right. She tried to conserve energy by not swinging her arms. She ignored the sudden slap of her hair breaking free of its ponytail to cover her neck and back. She expected Tyson to holler at her as another team passed the finish line, but when she finally reached Tyson and Sugarfoot, he wore a half smile. Glancing around to see that no one else was near them, Tyson held tight to the saddle horn and reached down to grab Darby’s hand. Together he, Darby, and Sugarfoot crossed the finish line to take fourth place. The postrace party was in full swing by the time Darby and Ann had cooled out Sugarfoot, showered, and changed clothes. Darby’s hair hung damp down her back and now, besides the layers of fragrant leis encircling her neck, Darby wore a red, white, and blue halter dress her mother had brought for her and insisted that she wear. It was cooler than jeans, but as she licked off mustard that had gotten on her nose from sampling a soy dog, and held a piece of her Dad’s pizza in one hand and a glass of papaya-pineapple punch in the other, she had the feeling it might not be so cute by the end of the day.

Galloping Gold E 201 For a minute Darby was alone, breathing the sweetness of pikake flowers as she gazed at the celebration. The first thing she noticed was Kit and Cricket, who were watching the band set up. Then she saw Aunt Babe and Tutu, strolling in long white muumuus across the grass. Kimo stood beside his father as the old man showed off the stump of a finger he’d lost roping bulls to a fascinated Carrie, who still led her pony Biggy. Then Darby saw her mother. In a shocking pink blouse and white jeans, she walked with her dad around the frame of the new house. As a child, Darby had hoped her parents would get back together. She realized that wasn’t about to happen, but she still loved seeing them at ease with one another. They were both happy in their new lives. That was enough. And it had been amazingly nice of them to set up this surprise. At the sound of laughter, Darby looked toward the concrete pad where Dr. Luke was barbecuing. Nearby, his sisters—who’d come in second on Samba—flirted with volunteer firefighters, coaxing them to eat and make donations to the earthquake repair fund. Suddenly Ann was beside her, whispering, “What’s up, do you think?” “Huh?” Darby asked, but then she saw Kimo leading Tyson by the arm. Megan sidled up next to Ann. Pretending to hide

202 E Wild Horse Island from anyone who’d give her more work, she said, “I’m off duty. Fill me in.” Megan nodded in the direction in which they were staring. Kimo and Tyson had almost reached George and Gemma Mookini. “This is gonna be interesting,” Ann said. “But it shouldn’t be,” Darby insisted. “After all, they’re his parents.” “They should all just enjoy the party,” Megan agreed. And celebrate Tyson’s success, Darby thought. After all, that’s what Jonah and Kit, Cade and all the best riders did with horses. They gave them credit for what they did right. That must work with people, too. But there was George Mookini, standing with his arms crossed and feet spread apart like some kind of chieftain. And Gemma stood behind him, craning her neck to one side so that she could see Tyson. Darby was a little embarrassed that she, Megan, and Ann were standing close enough to hear, but that didn’t keep them from eavesdropping. “Have your say,” George Mookini told Tyson. For a second Tyson didn’t look up at his father, and Darby wanted to run over and shake him. With his voice aimed down at the ground like that, his parents wouldn’t be able to hear him no matter what he said. But then he looked right at them. “I’m gonna quit messing up,” Tyson said.

Galloping Gold E 203 “I’ve heard that before,” George said, but his dismissive gesture stopped in midair when Tyson answered back. “No, you haven’t. I’ve said I’d try not to mess up. Now I’m telling you I won’t.” When Tyson crossed his arms, too, Darby wanted to applaud. “Give me another chance, yeah?” George looked at Gemma. Her shiny bowl-cut hair made a blur of nods. “If your ancestors forgave you enough to let you finish that”—he gestured toward the hills of the racecourse—“with your life, we must do the same.” Gemma lifted a maile lei from her neck and placed it over her son’s shoulders. “Thank the ancestors and your friends for showing you a new way,” Gemma said, kissing him on each cheek. “And for showing me how silly I’ve been, threatening such nice people with a lawsuit.” “I was right, wasn’t I?” Tyson teased his mother. “That horse isn’t mean.” “Just goofy, like the girl said,” Gemma joked back. When Gemma Mookini closed her husband and son in one gigantic hug, the girls moved away. “Fantastic!” Megan celebrated by taking off one of her own leis, whirling it around her head like a lasso, then dropping it over Ann’s wild red curls. “One down, and only the insurance guy to go.” “Not even,” Ann said, grinning.

204 E Wild Horse Island She reached into her pocket, pulled out a white business card, and reverently smoothed down one bent corner. MELVIN XAVIER BORDER, EQUINE SPECIALIST, it read, followed by a bunch of phone and fax numbers underneath. “He said we passed the ‘Border’ check,” Ann said with delight. “He watched the whole race, and he sure looked like it. He had grass stains all over and he’d ripped out the elbow of his shirt. He’s still coming by tomorrow, but just for fun!” The girls whirled in a spontaneous ring-aroundthe-rosy. “Mekana!” Jonah’s voice snapped them to a stop, but he was smiling. And he was holding Aunty Cathy’s hand. “Y-yes?” Megan stuttered, clearly as surprised as Ann and Darby. “For an aunt, you’re not acting in a very dignified manner,” Jonah said. “An ant?” Megan asked. She turned to Ann and Darby, arms wide in a gesture of bewilderment. “I’m guessing my father means an aunt,” Ellen said, coming up with Tutu to stand behind Darby. Her mother had pronounced the word ont, and Darby was beginning to blame her confusion on the exertion of the ride when her mother asked, “You two are getting married, yeah?” Her grandfather and Aunty Cathy looked at each

Galloping Gold E 205 other, and then, like two teenagers, they nodded. “Isn’t that perfect!” Ann shouted. “I’ll be your aunt instead of your sis,” Megan laughed. “And Mom, I can’t believe it!” “But you approve?” Aunty Cathy asked, blushing. “Of course!” Megan said. “And you?” Jonah asked gruffly, looking at his daughter and mother. “Oh, Jonah, you always do what you want,” Ellen said, shaking her head. “But this is one of your better headstrong decisions.” Tutu walked close to her son. He bent for her kiss. Next, she pressed frail hands to his cheeks. “I named you for the man who left the whale’s belly for a second chance,” Tutu said. “I know you’ll make the best of this one.” And then she kissed Aunty Cathy, too. The whooping and hugging lasted for nearly an hour. Every time the laughter tapered off, someone else would hear the news and pass it on. Darby felt tender and bruised from her fall and all the hugs that followed. And, she admitted to herself, she kept thinking about Hoku. What did it mean that she was no longer a tomboy mare? That she’d chosen Kanaka Luna for her mate? Grinning like he was host of the party, her father approached and Darby smiled back, despite her worry.

206 E Wild Horse Island “You like it here,” he said. “So much, Daddy!” Darby answered. “Too bad for me,” he said, shrugging. “But your mother tells me it’s not this island paradise that’s hooked you.” “It’s Hoku,” Darby told him. “Come see her with me!” “I thought you’d never ask,” her father joked. Leaving the crowd, the food, and the swaying notes of slack-key guitars behind, Darby and her father walked past Sun House toward the downhill path. Neither of them spoke, but Darby felt proud when her father caught his breath at the beauty of the emerald pasturelands. This was her heritage, her home, and there was her horse. Before Darby called out, Hoku saw her. As one, Hoku and Luna threw up their heads and neighed. Darby gathered her black hair atop her head and Hoku answered their secret signal. “She’s magnificent.” Darby nodded, eyes and heart full as the flamegold sorrel came to her. But Luna used his body as a barricade. Ears back and eyes narrowed, the stallion arched his neck and pranced toward the fence, standing firm between Hoku and Darby.

Galloping Gold E 207 “Show-off,” her father said. Luna rose in a half-rear, blowing a high-pitched reprimand and pawing the air. Hoku walked around him. “He thinks he’s some kind of a fire-snortin’ Pegasus. But she’s about to show him who’s boss.” Her father chuckled and Darby did, too. Even when the stallion rushed to cut her off, Hoku pushed past him. Silently, Hoku moved close enough to the fence that she could extend her neck and head to reach Darby’s offered hand. “She’s not afraid of you,” Darby marveled when Hoku ignored her father. “Why should she be?” he asked, but Darby just shook her head. With velvet lips, Hoku counted Darby’s fingers. “She’s not looking for food,” Darby explained to her father. “Of course not,” he said. “Even I can see she’s telling you that you’re still her favorite.” Darby soaked up the words and the glow in Hoku’s eyes, and she knew it was the truth.

Darby’s Dictionary

In case anybody reads this besides me, which it’s too

late to tell you not to do if you’ve gotten this far, I know this isn’t a real dictionary. For one thing, it’s not all correct, because I’m just adding things as I hear them. Besides, this dictionary is just to help me remember. Even though I’m pretty self-conscious about pronouncing Hawaiian words, it seems to me if I live here (and since I’m part Hawaiian), I should at least try to say things right.

ali’i — AH LEE EE — royalty, but it includes chiefs besides queens and kings and people like that ‘aumakua — OW MA KOO AH — these are family

Galloping Gold E 209 guardians from ancient times. I think ancestors are supposed to come back and look out for their family members. Our ‘aumakua are owls and Megan’s is a sea turtle. chicken skin — goose bumps da kine — DAH KYNE — “that sort of thing” or “stuff like that” hanai — HA NYE E — a foster or adopted child, like Cade is Jonah’s, but I don’t know if it’s permanent haole — HOW LEE — a foreigner, especially a white person. I get called that, or hapa (half) haole, even though I’m part Hawaiian. hapa — HA PAW — half hewa-hewa — HEE VAH HEE VAH — crazy hiapo — HIGH AH PO — a firstborn child, like me, and it’s apparently tradition for grandparents, if they feel like it, to just take hiapo to raise! hoku — HO COO — star holoholo — HOE LOW HOW LOW — a pleasure trip that could be a walk, a ride, a sail, etc.

210 E Wild Horse Island honu — HO NEW — sea turtle ho’oponopono — HOE POE NO POE NO — this is a problem-solving process. It’s sort of cool, because it’s a native Hawaiian way of talking out problems. ‘iolani — EE OH LAWN EE — this is a hawk that brings messages from the gods, but Jonah has it painted on his trucks as an owl bursting through the clouds ipo — EE POE — sweetheart, actually short for ku’uipo kanaka — KAH NAW KAH — man kapu — KAH POO — forbidden, a taboo keiki — KAY KEY — really, when I first heard this, I thought it sounded like a little cake! I usually hear it meaning a kid, or a child, but Megan says it can mean a calf or colt or almost any kind of young thing. kupuna — COO POO NAW — an ancestor, but it can mean a grandparent too lanai — LAH NA E — this is like a balcony or veranda. Sun House’s is more like a long balcony with a view of the pastures.

Galloping Gold E 211 lau hala — LA OO HA LA — some kind of leaf in shades of brown, used to make paniolo hats like Cade’s. I guess they’re really expensive. lei — LAY E — necklace of flowers. I thought they were pronounced LAY, but Hawaiians add another sound. I also thought leis were sappy touristy things, but getting one is a real honor, from the right people. lei niho palaoa — LAY NEEHO PAH LAHOAH — necklace made for old-time Hawaiian royalty from braids of their own hair. It’s totally kapu—forbidden— for anyone else to wear it. luna — LOU NUH — a boss or top guy, like Jonah’s stallion mahalo — MAW HA LOW — thank you malihini — MUH LEE HEE NEE — stranger or newcomer mana — MAW NUH — this is a power you’re born with. It’s kind of a combination of instinct and intelligence. māna — MAH NUH — I think to say this, you just hold the ah sound longer in your mouth and that

212 E Wild Horse Island makes sense. Māna means “knowledge you’ve gained from the mouths of others.” menehune — MEN AY WHO NAY — little people ohia — OH HE UH — a tree like the one next to Hoku’s corral pali — PAW LEE — cliffs paniolo — PAW NEE OH LOW — cowboy or cowgirl papala — PAW PAW LUH — cool fireworks plant! pau — POW — finished, like Kimo is always asking, “You pau?” to see if I’m done working with Hoku or shoveling up after the horses Pele — PAY LAY — the volcano goddess. Red is her color. She’s destructive with fire, but creative because she molds lava into new land. She’s easily offended if you mess with things sacred to her, like the ohia tree, lehua flowers, ‘ohelo berries, and the wild horse herd on Two Sisters. poi — rhymes with “boy” — mashed taro root with the consistency of peanut butter. It’s such an ancient food,

Galloping Gold E 213 Jonah says you’re supposed to assume the ancestors are there when you eat it. pueo — POO AY OH — an owl, our family guardian. The very coolest thing is that one lives in the tree next to Hoku’s corral. pupule — POO POO LAY — crazy tutu — TOO TOO — great-grandmother wahine — WAH HE NEE — a lady (or women)

Darby’s Diary

Ellen Kealoha Carter—my mom, and since she’s responsible for me being in Hawaii, I’m putting her first. Also, I miss her. My mom is a beautiful and talented actress, but she hasn’t had her big break yet. Her job in Tahiti might be it, which is sort of ironic because she’s playing a Hawaiian for the first time and she swore she’d never return to Hawaii. And here I am. I get the feeling she had huge fights with her dad, Jonah, but she doesn’t hate Hawaii. Cade—fifteen or so, he’s Jonah’s adopted son. Jonah’s been teaching him all about being a paniolo. I thought he was Hawaiian, but when he took off his hat he

Galloping Gold E 215 had blond hair—in a braid! Like old-time vaqueros— weird! He doesn’t go to school, just takes his classes by correspondence through the mail. He wears this poncho that’s almost black it’s such a dark green, and he blends in with the forest. Kind of creepy the way he just appears out there. Not counting Kit, Cade might be the best rider on the ranch. Hoku kicked him in the chest. I wish she hadn’t. He told me that his stepfather beat him all the time. Cathy Kato—forty or so? She’s the ranch manager and, really, the only one who seems to manage Jonah. She’s Megan’s mom and the widow of a paniolo, Ben. She has messy blond-brown hair to her chin, and she’s a good cook, but she doesn’t think so. It’s like she’s just pulling herself back together after Ben’s death. I get the feeling she used to do something with advertising or public relations on the mainland. Jonah Kaniela Kealoha—my grandfather could fill this whole notebook. Basically, though, he’s harsh/nice, serious/funny, full of legends and stories about magic, but real down-to-earth. He’s amazing with horses, which is why they call him the Horse Charmer. He’s not that tall, maybe 5'8", with black hair that’s getting gray, and one of his fingers is still kinked where it was broken by a teacher because he spoke Hawaiian in class! I don’t like his “don’t touch the horses unless

216 E Wild Horse Island they’re working for you” theory, but it totally works. I need to figure out why. Kimo—he’s so nice! I guess he’s about twenty-five, Hawaiian, and he’s just this sturdy, square, friendly guy. He drives in every morning from his house over by Crimson Vale, and even though he’s late a lot, I’ve never seen anyone work so hard. Kit Ely—the ranch foreman, the boss, next to Jonah. He’s Sam’s friend Jake’s brother and a real buckaroo. He’s about 5'10" with black hair. He’s half Shoshone, but he could be mistaken for Hawaiian, if he wasn’t always promising to whip up a batch of Nevada chili and stuff like that. And he wears a totally unHawaiian leather string with brown-streaked turquoise stones around his neck. He got to be foreman through his rodeo friend Pani (Ben’s buddy). Kit’s left wrist got pulverized in a rodeo fall. He’s still amazing with horses, though. Cricket—is Kit’s girlfriend! Her hair’s usually up in a messy bun and she wears glasses. She drives a ratty Jeep and said, to his face, “I’m nobody’s girl, Ely.” He just laughed. She works at the feed store and is an expert for the Animal Rescue Society in Hapuna. Megan Kato—Cathy’s fifteen-year-old daughter, a super athlete with long reddish-black hair. She’s

Galloping Gold E 217 beautiful and popular and I doubt she’d be my friend if we just met at school. Maybe, though, because she’s nice at heart. She half makes fun of Hawaiian legends, then turns around and acts really serious about them. Her Hawaiian name is Mekana. The Zinks—they live on the land next to Jonah. Their name doesn’t sound Hawaiian, but that’s all I know. Wow, I met Patrick and now I know lots more about the Zinks. Like, the rain forest—the part where Tutu told me not to go—used to be part of the A-Z (Acosta and Zink!) sugar plantation and it had a village and factory and train tracks. But in 1890, when it was going strong, people didn’t care that much about the environment, and they really wrecked it, so now Patrick’s parents are trying to let the forest take it back over. They hope it will go back to the way it was before people got there. I still don’t know his parents’ names, but I think Patrick said his dad mostly fishes and his mom is writing a history of the old plantation. Oh, and that part Tutu said about the old sugar plantation being kind of dangerous? It REALLY is! Patrick Zink—is geeky, super-smart, and seriously accident-prone. He looks a little like Harry Potter would if he wore Band-Aids and Ace bandages and had skinned knees and elbows. He says he was born for adventure

218 E Wild Horse Island and knows all about the rain forest and loves Mistwalker, his horse. He’s not into his family being rich, just feels like they have a lot to pay back to the island for what their family’s old sugar cane plantation did to it environmentally. He likes it (and so do I!) that they’re letting the rain forest reclaim it. Tutu—my great-grandmother. She lives out in the rain forest like a medicine woman or something, and she looks like my mom will when she’s old. She has a pet owl. Aunt Babe Borden—Jonah’s sister, so she’s really my great-aunt. She owns half of the family land, which is divided by a border that runs between the Two Sisters. Aunt Babe and Jonah don’t get along, and though she’s fashionable and caters to rich people at her resort, she and her brother are identically stubborn. Aunt Babe pretends to be all business, but she loves her cremello horses and I think she likes having me and Hoku around. Duxelles Borden—if you lined up all the people in Hawaii and asked me to pick out one NOT related to me, it would be Duxelles, but it turns out she’s my cousin. Tall (I come up to her shoulders), strong, and with this metallic blond hair, she’s popular despite being a bully. She lives with Aunt Babe while her mom travels with her dad, who’s a world-class kayaker.

Galloping Gold E 219 About the only thing Duxelles and I have in common is we’re both swimmers. Oh, and I gave her a nickname—Duckie. Potter family—Ann, plus her two little brothers, Toby and Buck, their parents, Ramona and Ed, and lots of horses for their riding therapy program. I like them all. Sugarfoot scares me a little, though. Manny—Cade’s Hawaiian stepfather pretends to be a taro farmer in Crimson Vale, but he sells ancient artifacts from the caves, and takes shots at wild horses. When Cade was little, Manny used him to rob caves and beat him up whenever he felt like it. Dee—Cade’s mom. She’s tall and strong-looking (with blond hair like his), but too weak to keep Manny from beating Cade. Her slogan must be “You don’t know what it’s like to be a single mom,” because Cade repeats it every time he talks about her. My mom’s single and she’d never let anyone break my jaw! Tyson—this kid in my Ecology class who wears a hooded gray sweatshirt all the time, like he’s hiding his identity and he should. He’s a sarcastic bully. All he’s really done to me personally is call me a haole crab (really rude) and warn me against saying anything bad about Pele. Like I would! But I’ve heard rumors that he mugs tourists when they go

220 E Wild Horse Island “off-limits.” Really, he acts like HIS culture (anything Hawaiian) is off-limits to everyone but him. Shan Stonerow—according to Sam Forster, he once owned Hoku and his way of training horses was to “show them who’s boss.” My teachers— Mr. Silva—with his lab coat and long gray hair, he looks like he should teach wizardry instead of Ecology Miss Day—my English and P.E. teacher. She is great, understanding, smart, and I have no idea how she tolerates team-teaching with Coach R. Mrs. Martindale—my Creative Writing teacher is not as much of a witch as some people think. Coach Roffmore—stocky with a gray crew cut, he was probably an athlete when he was young, but now he just has a rough attitude. Except to his star swimmer, my sweet cousin Duckie. I have him for Algebra and P.E., and he bugs me to be on the swim team. E ANIMALS! F Hoku—my wonderful sorrel filly! She’s about two and a half years old, a full sister to the Phantom, and boy, does she show it! She’s fierce (hates men) but smart, and a one-girl (ME!) horse for sure. She is definitely a herd girl, and when it comes to choosing between me and other horses, it’s a real toss-up. Not that I blame

Galloping Gold E 221 her. She’s run free for a long time, and I don’t want to take away what makes her special. She loves hay, but she’s really HEAD-SHY due to Shan Stonerow’s early “training,” which, according to Sam, was beating her. Hoku means “star.” Her dam is Princess Kitty, but her sire is a mustang named Smoke and he’s mustang all the way back to a “white renegade with murder in his eye” (Mrs. Allen). Navigator—my riding horse is a big, heavy Quarter Horse that reminds me of a knight’s charger. He has Three Bars breeding (that’s a big deal), but when he picked me, Jonah let him keep me! He’s black with rusty rings around his eyes and a rusty muzzle. (Even though he looks black, the proper description is brown, they tell me.) He can find his way home from any place on the island. He’s sweet, but no pushover. Just when I think he’s sort of a safety net for my beginning riding skills, he tests me. Joker—Cade’s Appaloosa gelding is gray splattered with black spots and has a black mane and tail. He climbs like a mountain goat and always looks like he’s having a good time. I think he and Cade have a history; maybe Jonah took them in together? Biscuit—buckskin gelding, one of Ben’s horses, a dependable cow pony. Kit rides him a lot.

222 E Wild Horse Island Hula Girl—chestnut cutter Blue Ginger—blue roan mare with tan foal Honolulu Lulu—bay mare Tail Afire (Koko)—fudge-brown mare with silver mane and tail Blue Moon—Blue Ginger’s baby Moonfire—Tail Afire’s baby Black Cat—Lady Wong’s black foal Luna Dancer—Hula Girl’s bay baby Honolulu Half Moon Conch—grulla cow pony, gelding, needs work. Megan rides him sometimes. Kona—big gray, Jonah’s cow horse Luna—beautiful, full-maned bay stallion is king of ‘Iolani Ranch. He and Jonah seem to have a bond. Lady Wong—dappled gray mare and Kona’s dam. Her current foal is Black Cat.

Galloping Gold E 223 Australian shepherds—pack of five: Bart, Jack, Jill, Peach, and Sass Pipsqueak/Pip—little shaggy white dog that runs with the big dogs, belongs to Megan and Cathy Pigolo—an orphan (piglet) from the storm Francie—the fainting goat Tango—Megan’s once-wild rose roan mare. I think she and Hoku are going to be pals. Sugarfoot—Ann Potter’s horse is a beautiful Morab (half Morgan and half Arabian, she told me). He’s a caramel-and-white paint with one white foot. He can’t be used with “clients” at the Potters’ because he’s a chaser. Though Ann and her mother, Ramona, have pretty much schooled it out of him, he’s still not quite trustworthy. If he ever chases me, I’m supposed to stand my ground, whoop, and holler. Hope I never have to do it! Flight—this cremello mare belongs to Aunt Babe (she has a whole herd of cremellos) and nearly died of longing for her foal. She was a totally different horse— beautiful and spirited—once she got him back! Stormbird—Flight’s cream-colored (with a blush of palomino) foal with turquoise eyes has had an exciting

224 E Wild Horse Island life for a four-month-old. He’s been shipwrecked, washed ashore, fended for himself, and rescued. Medusa—Black Lava’s lead mare—with the heart of a lion—just might be Kit’s new horse. Black Lava—stallion from Crimson Vale, and the wildest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! He just vibrates with it. He’s always showing his teeth, flashing his eyes (one brown and one blue), rearing, and usually thorns and twigs are snarled in his mane and tail. He killed Kanaka Luna’s sire and Jonah almost shot him for it. He gave him a second chance by cutting an X on the bottom of Black Lava’s hoof wall, so he’d know if he came around again. Wouldn’t you know he likes Hoku? Soda—Ann’s blue-black horse. Unlike Sugarfoot, he’s a good therapy horse when he’s had enough exercise. Buckin’ Baxter—blue roan in training as a cow horse and I can stay on him! Prettypaint—used to be my mom’s horse, but now she lives with Tutu. She’s pale gray with bluish spots on her heels, and silky feathers on her fetlocks. She kneels for Tutu to get on and off, not like she’s doing a trick, but as if she’s carrying a queen. Mistwalker—is Patrick’s horse. She’s a beautiful black-

Galloping Gold E 225 and-white paint—bred by Jonah! He could hardly stand to admit she was born on ‘Iolani Ranch, which is silly. Her conformation is almost pure Quarter Horse and you can see that beyond her coloring. And what he doesn’t know about Mistwalker’s grandfather (probably) won’t hurt him! Honi—Cade’s mom’s gray pony. Her name means “kiss” and she really does kiss. Cade jokes that his mom likes Honi best. He also says Honi is “half Arab and half Welsh and all bossy.” And, she likes to eat water lilies! Snowfire—an amazing mustang from Sky Mountain. He reminds me of Tutu’s story about Moho, the god of steam—Pele’s brother, too, I think—who could take the form of a powerful white stallion. Snowfire’s conformation is like Black Lava’s. He looks just as wild and primitive, and though they’re about the same size, Snowfire just seems wiser. E PLACES F Lehua High School—the school Megan and I go to. School colors are red and gold. Crimson Vale—it’s an amazing and magical place, and once I learn my way around, I bet I’ll love it. It’s like a maze, though. Here’s what I know: From town you can

226 E Wild Horse Island go through the valley or take the ridge road—valley has lily pads, waterfalls, wild horses, and rainbows. The ridge route (Pali?) has sweeping turns that almost made me sick. There are black rock teeter-totter-looking things that are really ancient altars and a SUDDEN drop-off down to a white sand beach. Hawaiian royalty are supposedly buried in the cliffs. Moku Lio Hihiu—Wild Horse Island, of course! Sky Mountain—goes up to five thousand feet, sometimes snow-capped, sometimes called Mountain to the Sky by most of the older folks, and it’s supposed to be the home of a white stallion named Snowfire. Two Sisters—cone-shaped “mountains”—a borderline between them divides Babe’s land from Jonah’s, one of them is an active volcano. Sun House—our family place. They call it plantation style, but it’s like a sugar plantation, not a Southern mansion. It has an incredible lanai that overlooks pastures all the way to Mountain to the Sky and Two Sisters. Upstairs is this little apartment Jonah built for my mom, but she’s never lived in it. Hapuna—biggest town on island, has airport, flagpole, public and private schools, etc., palm trees, and coconut trees. It also has the Hapuna Animal Rescue barn.

Galloping Gold E 227 ‘Iolani Ranch—our home ranch. 2,000 acres, the most beautiful place in the world. Pigtail Fault—near the active volcano. It looks more like a steam vent to me, but I’m no expert. According to Cade, it got its name because a poor wild pig ended up head down in it and all you could see was his tail. Too sad! Sugar Sands Cove Resort—Aunt Babe and her poloplayer husband, Phillipe, own this resort on the island. It has sparkling white buildings and beaches and a four-star hotel. The most important thing to me is that Sugar Sands Cove Resort has the perfect waterschooling beach for me and Hoku. The Old Sugar Plantation—Tutu says it’s a dangerous place. Really, it’s just the ruins of A-Z sugar plantation, half of which belonged to Patrick’s family. Now it’s mostly covered with moss and vines and ferns, but you can still see what used to be train tracks, some stone steps leading nowhere, a chimney, and rickety wooden structures that are hard to identify. E ON THE RANCH, THERE ARE F PASTURES WITH NAMES LIKE: Sugar Mill and Upper Sugar Mill—for cattle

228 E Wild Horse Island Two Sisters—for young horses, one- and two-year-olds they pretty much leave alone Flatland—mares and foals Pearl Pasture—borders the rain forest, mostly twoand three-year-olds in training Borderlands—saddle herd and Luna’s compound I guess I should also add me . . . Darby Leilani Kealoha Carter—I love horses more than anything, but books come in second. I’m thirteen, and one-quarter Hawaiian, with blue eyes and black hair down to about the middle of my back. On a good day, my hair is my best feature. I’m still kind of skinny, but I don’t look as sickly as I did before I moved here. I think Hawaii’s curing my asthma. Fingers crossed. I have no idea what I did to land on Wild Horse Island, but I want to stay here forever.

DARBY’S GENEALOGY

ROBERTO “BOOT” ROJAS

TUTU

IKENA KAMAKAU ROJAS

JONAH

AUNT BABE

ALEXANDRA ROJAS KEALOHA

PHILLIPE

MOM (ELLEN KEALOHA CARTER) DADDY (ROB CARTER)

ME (DARBY LEILANI KEALOHA CARTER)

About the Author is the author of the wildly popular Phantom Stallion series, which has sold one million copies. For her new series, Wild Horse Island, Terri volunteered on a horse ranch in Hawaii for three weeks. After much coaxing, she returned to her husband in Verdi, Nevada, where she lives and writes. To learn more about Terri’s books and the wild horses of Nevada and Hawaii, visit her online at www.phantomstallion.com. Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Check out the series, also by Terri Farley! 1 THE WILD ONE 2 MUSTANG MOON 3 DARK SUNSHINE 4 THE RENEGADE 5 FREE AGAIN 6 THE CHALLENGER 7 DESERT DANCER 8 GOLDEN GHOST 9 GIFT HORSE 10 RED FEATHER FILLY 11 UNTAMED

12 RAIN DANCE 13 HEARTBREAK BRONCO 14 MOONRISE 15 KIDNAPPED COLT 16 THE WILDEST HEART 17 MOUNTAIN MARE 18 FIREFLY 19 SECRET STAR 20 BLUE WINGS 21 DAWN RUNNER 22 WILD HONEY 23 GYPSY GOLD 24 RUN AWAY HOME

Read all of Darby’s adventures! wild horse island 1 THE HORSE CHARMER 2 THE SHINING STALLION 3 RAIN FOREST ROSE 4 CASTAWAY COLT 5 FIRE MAIDEN 6 SEA SHADOW 7 MISTWALKER 8 WATER LILY 9 SNOWFIRE 10 FARAWAY FILLY

Credits Cover art © 2009 by John Rowe

Copyright PHANTOM STALLION: WILD HORSE ISLAND #11: GALLOPING GOLD. Copyright © 2009 by Terri SprengerFarley. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader March 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-188992-9 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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