Page 68 of Rough Ride

Eli chuckled. “We’ll keep a lookout for little green men.”

“I’d appreciate it. Let me follow up on the rest of these leads and then I’ll get back to you.”

“Sounds good.”

Eli clicked the phone off and looked out over the horizon from the back lanai. He hadn’t realized how quiet it was at that moment. It was…wrong. Then, he saw Danny walking across the yard.

“Hey, Aiona, have you seen Crysta?”

“She went out with Jerry. They were staying within the safety perimeter.”

That had been the hardest thing for him. Crysta hadn’t been happy about it, but unless Jerry or he was with her, he’d cut down on her time outside of the house.

Still, there was something bothering him, something in his gut that told him there was something wrong.

* * *

“It’s a beautiful day out here,” Jerry said.

Crysta looked over the ridge and smiled. “It is. But then, what day is bad in Hawai’i?”

He nodded. “I’m not sure how to say this.”

She glanced at him. “My father always says you should just say what you’re thinking.”

He looked at her then back out over the horizon. “The men, they wanted to thank you for staying around. We understand you could walk away. This isn’t…well…it isn’t your home. Your heart.”

She understood that sentiment. It had been less than three months, but she had started to fall in love with the island, with the people, the life. And there was something pulling at her, more than just that. She knew it was a man and she wasn’t too sure she liked that idea.

“What I mean is, after everything that happened, we’re glad you didn’t leave.”

She glanced at him. “I understand that if I leave, the ranch will be sold for charity.”

“And there’s no telling what would happen then.”

“What do you mean?”

“Land developers. They’d ignored us for a while since we’re further from the shore, but they’re running out of that. And, of course, since we get less rain than the rest of the island…perfect for golf.”

The disgust in his voice made her smile. “You golf?”

“But I don’t want to do it on prime pasture land. There are some things you just don’t do.”

“Well, I happen to agree. And if I didn’t, I understand about family. Joe didn’t want that. He wanted the ranch to stay. It will stay.”

He turned to say something else, but he never did. There was a crack in the distance. She glanced back, but before she could figure out where the sound came from, she saw Jerry’s face drain of color and he slumped forward.

“Jerry,” she yelled. There was another crack and her horse reared. She lost her grip and fell to the ground, busting her head against the hard earth. She sat up to watch as Maisy galloped in the direction of the house.

Jerry’s horse stayed steady enough for her to gain a footing. She slipped Jerry’s foot out of the stirrup and replaced it with her own. She mounted the horse behind him, and dug her heels into his sides. The horse took off as she ignored the shots behind them.

Fear pulsed through her blood, but she ignored it. She needed to get as much space between them and the person shooting at them.

It felt like forever before she sighted the ranch. There was activity in the yard. Eli was already mounted on his horse.

She rode into the yard at full speed. There were so many people running around. Eli was off his horse and beside her before she could dismount.

“Crysta, baby, are you all right?” His large fingers biting into her arms as he shook her. “Answer me,” he shouted.

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