wasout there waiting for Cadeâs father?â Darby didnât think she could have gotten it right.
âStepfather,â Megan corrected her, âand heâs an evil little guy.â
âLittle?â Darby asked.
âShort,â Megan amended. âI only saw him once, the time he came and tried to take Cade back. I was twelve. Jonah made me and Cade hide in his library and lock the door, but before he did, I saw Manny out the window.â
Megan wrapped her arms around herself as if, even in the steamy laundry room, the memory chilled her. âYeah, heâs short, but kind of built, you know. Too muscular, like if you only lift weights but donât do anything else?
âKimo said he was built like a pit bull, but Iââ Megan swallowed hard, then gave Darby a self-conscious glance before she went on. âI remember thinking he looked like a fist.â Megan gave a shrug. âAnd his head was like a coconut, all dark and stringy.â
Both girls jumped when Auntie Cathy rapped on the laundry-room door.
âHello? Are you taking a sauna?â Auntie Cathy called. âIf you two have a masseuse in there, can I come in?â
Megan opened the door, but turned to Darby and asked, âHave you noticed how weird my mom is?â
Darby put her hands up. She didnât want to get into that discussion.
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Darby worked with Luna until Jonah told her to tie him up at the hitching rack.
âI donât mind leading him back down to his pasture,â Darby offered.
She and Luna were building a friendship of sorts. He regarded her with grave acceptance and, probably because she smelled of Hoku, he liked having her near.
âItâs good for him to be in the middle of things,â Jonah said. âCanât have him turning into a hermit.â
He put a neck rope on the stallion and tied him in the center of all the ranch activity.
As Darby and her grandfather walked back to Sun House for lunch, Jonah gave his permission for her to go riding with Megan.
âI wish youâd sit down at the table to eat,â Auntie Cathy said, fussing as Jonah and Darby munched peanut-butter sandwiches at the kitchen counter.
âItâs a wild-goose chase, you know, looking for that horse,â Jonah told Darby. Although she hadnât even mentioned looking for the notched-hoof stallion, he obviously knew sheâd be hoping to find him.
âAre you sure itâs safe?â Auntie Cathy asked.
âIf they donât bring a stud with them, sure,â Jonah said.
He ignored Auntie Cathyâs you- know -thatâs-not-what-Iâm-talking-about stare.
âThe three of you must stay together,â AuntieCathy said. âNo excuses.â
âThree?â Darby asked.
âAnd be back by dark,â Auntie Cathy insisted, then she looked up at the ceiling as if she could see through to her apartment. âIâll go hurry Meg along.â
She left without answering Darbyâs question, so Darby looked at Jonah.
âMegan and me,â Darby counted on her fingers meaningfully.
âCade goes with you,â Jonah said.
âDoes he have to?â She lowered her voice and said, âMegan doesnât like Cade. I donât know why, do you?â
âAsk her,â Jonah said.
âI did, but she doesnât make sense.â
Jonahâs only answer was to drink a glass of milk.
âCanât Megan and I just go alone?â
Jonah didnât bring up the last time the two of them had gone into Crimson Vale alone, like Darby expected he would. He just said, âCade knows Crimson Vale. He grew up there.â
Would Cade want to go home while they were there? It didnât seem likely. Still, all the bad stuff sheâd heard had been about his stepfather, Manny.
âWhat about Cadeâs mother?â Darby asked. âWas it okay with her that you took him in?â
âDee is a weak woman.â Jonah
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