trained mustang, at a flat-out gallop in the midst of a volcanic eruption.
Even I canât believe that, Darby thought wryly, and I was there!
But she wanted to go. She wanted to feel like part of a wild horse herd. She wanted to make sure the wild horses werenât mistreated. And, though it wasnât a very mature motive, she wanted to show Mr. Klaus that while he might be a big shot at the Department of Health, he wasnât the boss on this ranch.
âYou wouldnât leave me out, would you, Kit?â she asked, and when the foreman looked pained, she added, âItâs not like Iâm going to sue the ranch.â
âNot the ranch, the federal government,â Mr. Klaus corrected her. âAs government representatives,we couldnât allow that, could we, Mike?â He turned to Mr. Nomi.
âKit?â Darby insisted, before a startled Mr. Nomi could reply.
âThatâs up to the boss,â Kit reminded her.
Mr. Klaus looked from Darby to Kit, let out a deep exhalation of annoyance, then gulped the last inch of cold coffee from his cup.
âThanks,â he said, handing the empty mug to Kit.
Heâs the ranch foreman. Heâs a bronc rider. Heâs the oldest son of a Native American family, not a waiter, Darby thought. She felt insulted for Kit.
âThanks for your time. All of you,â Mr. Nomi said. He smiled politely at Cricket, Kit, and Megan, but it felt to Darby like his eyes purposely skimmed past her. He headed for the car, saying, âTalk to you soon.â
She felt self-conscious. Sheâd obviously made Mr. Nomi think less of her. When Mr. Klaus pulled open the car door, he glanced back at them and chuckled. âThink about using helicopters,â he said. âMost would say theyâre more efficient than kids playing cowgirl.â
Chapter Seven
K ids playing cowgirl!
Resentment flashed through Darbyâs entire body.
She turned to Kit and Cricket, pretty sure theyâd stop being so nice now that the two men had left.
But neither of them said a word. In the quiet, she heard nearby hooves. Blue Ginger and Blue Moon thudded along with grudging patience, while Hokuâs hooves danced eagerly as she kept watch to figure out what the other horses were doing.
At least, thatâs how Darby heard them. For the thousandth time, she realized she was a lot more sensitive and sensible when it came to horses. If only she were half as good with people.
Something was wrong in the slow-motion way Kiteased off his black Stetson, showing even blacker hair, then rubbed the back of his neck. He was choosing his words carefully.
âYou blew it bad, keiki ,â Kit said.
â I did?â Darby squeaked. That was the opposite of what sheâd expected to hear.
Whose side are you on? Darby wondered, but she didnât ask.
âI got as healthy a distrust of strangersââ specially those workinâ for the governmentâas anyone, but you missed a good chance to keep quiet and let things roll out the way they were meant to.â
âButâ¦â Darby glanced at Megan for support and saw the older girlâs discomfort.
So, Megan wasnât on her side, either.
Darby took a deep breath. She felt a cold stab in her chest. She was relieved when Megan gestured vaguely toward Sun House and left.
Kit wasnât going anywhere, though. He was brushing dust from his hat brim. Three knuckles showed torn skin and dried blood. He must have more to say.
âThose guys liked the look of our well. They didnât order any extreme conservation measures, and they couldâve. They didnât insist a vet come out and look at Blue Moon. They trusted us to take care of business.â
One thing sheâd learned from Samantha Forster and Mrs. Allen in Nevada was that ranchers prided themselves on being independent and self-sufficient. Jonah and his cowboys were no different, and Mr.Nomi and Mr. Klaus knew it.
For
Even I canât believe that, Darby thought wryly, and I was there!
But she wanted to go. She wanted to feel like part of a wild horse herd. She wanted to make sure the wild horses werenât mistreated. And, though it wasnât a very mature motive, she wanted to show Mr. Klaus that while he might be a big shot at the Department of Health, he wasnât the boss on this ranch.
âYou wouldnât leave me out, would you, Kit?â she asked, and when the foreman looked pained, she added, âItâs not like Iâm going to sue the ranch.â
âNot the ranch, the federal government,â Mr. Klaus corrected her. âAs government representatives,we couldnât allow that, could we, Mike?â He turned to Mr. Nomi.
âKit?â Darby insisted, before a startled Mr. Nomi could reply.
âThatâs up to the boss,â Kit reminded her.
Mr. Klaus looked from Darby to Kit, let out a deep exhalation of annoyance, then gulped the last inch of cold coffee from his cup.
âThanks,â he said, handing the empty mug to Kit.
Heâs the ranch foreman. Heâs a bronc rider. Heâs the oldest son of a Native American family, not a waiter, Darby thought. She felt insulted for Kit.
âThanks for your time. All of you,â Mr. Nomi said. He smiled politely at Cricket, Kit, and Megan, but it felt to Darby like his eyes purposely skimmed past her. He headed for the car, saying, âTalk to you soon.â
She felt self-conscious. Sheâd obviously made Mr. Nomi think less of her. When Mr. Klaus pulled open the car door, he glanced back at them and chuckled. âThink about using helicopters,â he said. âMost would say theyâre more efficient than kids playing cowgirl.â
Chapter Seven
K ids playing cowgirl!
Resentment flashed through Darbyâs entire body.
She turned to Kit and Cricket, pretty sure theyâd stop being so nice now that the two men had left.
But neither of them said a word. In the quiet, she heard nearby hooves. Blue Ginger and Blue Moon thudded along with grudging patience, while Hokuâs hooves danced eagerly as she kept watch to figure out what the other horses were doing.
At least, thatâs how Darby heard them. For the thousandth time, she realized she was a lot more sensitive and sensible when it came to horses. If only she were half as good with people.
Something was wrong in the slow-motion way Kiteased off his black Stetson, showing even blacker hair, then rubbed the back of his neck. He was choosing his words carefully.
âYou blew it bad, keiki ,â Kit said.
â I did?â Darby squeaked. That was the opposite of what sheâd expected to hear.
Whose side are you on? Darby wondered, but she didnât ask.
âI got as healthy a distrust of strangersââ specially those workinâ for the governmentâas anyone, but you missed a good chance to keep quiet and let things roll out the way they were meant to.â
âButâ¦â Darby glanced at Megan for support and saw the older girlâs discomfort.
So, Megan wasnât on her side, either.
Darby took a deep breath. She felt a cold stab in her chest. She was relieved when Megan gestured vaguely toward Sun House and left.
Kit wasnât going anywhere, though. He was brushing dust from his hat brim. Three knuckles showed torn skin and dried blood. He must have more to say.
âThose guys liked the look of our well. They didnât order any extreme conservation measures, and they couldâve. They didnât insist a vet come out and look at Blue Moon. They trusted us to take care of business.â
One thing sheâd learned from Samantha Forster and Mrs. Allen in Nevada was that ranchers prided themselves on being independent and self-sufficient. Jonah and his cowboys were no different, and Mr.Nomi and Mr. Klaus knew it.
For
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