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Holt took the backpack from her and unpacked, his head still reeling from their conversation. He watched as Joely spread out the blanket under a tree and opened the thermos, pouring them each a glass of POG juice. The pineapple, orange and guava was still ice cold. He drank two large glasses.
“The dust gets to you,” he said, handing her a chicken curry salad sandwich.
He devoured his, having worked up an appetite and leaned back against the tree watching her stare out at the ocean far in the distance.
“Any word from Amelia?” she asked.
“Timothy still doesn’t believe we’re gone. He’s conducting his own investigation.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“He’s not going to get very far. No one knows where we are. Just that you’re with me. And no one can connect me to this ranch without alerting Tetsuo. If it comes down to that, Timothy will have a lot more to worry about than his ex-wife.”
She nodded. “Is he really as bad as they say he is?”
Today was the day for painful questions, but it was also one for honesty. “Yeah.”
She nodded again. “It must have cost you a lot to ask him for us to stay here.”
“Didn’t cost me anything except for a few hours of hard work.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Joely turned to him and pierced him with a look. “You want nothing to do with his illegal activities.”
“The ranch is on the up and up. Trust me.”
“I do,” she said. “But by coming here, you’re one step closer to working for him.”
Sinking down onto his back, he folded his arms under his head. “I’m sure that’s what he thinks. But this is not my home. The resort is.”
Joely leaned over him. The ends of her ponytail tickled his cheek. “If something must be done about Timothy, I don’t want you paying my debt.”
“Nothing will be done about Timothy. No one is going to owe Tetsuo a debt. I won’t allow it.”
She poked him in the chest. “I can handle myself if it comes to it.”
“Ow.” He rubbed the spot. “You won’t have to.”
“Holt,” she warned.
“Joely,” he growled back.
She gave up and flopped next to him. “It’s quiet up here. I keep expecting to see some tourists ride by and ask for more towels or something.”
“Reason number two why Amelia shouldn’t book tours up here.” He hid a yawn behind his hand. He hadn’t slept well last night. Too many memories. And dinner last night had been a strained affair because Tetsuo blew them off. He was glad. He hadn’t felt up to sparring verbally with his uncle.
As his eyes drifted closed, he felt Joely prop herself up on her elbow and look at him.
“What?” he asked sleepily, wondering if there was something on his face.
“Thanks.” Leaning over him, she kissed him on the mouth.
He probably shouldn’t have parted her lips, but he did. She tasted like guava, which was his favorite. Turning on his side without breaking the kiss, he stroked his thumb across her cheek. Joely sidled in closer so their bodies were touching.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” he said. “But feel free to keep kissing me.”
She scooted closer still. “All right,” she whispered and pressed her mouth to his again.
Holt bit down on a groan, as he pulled her in. Her legs entwined with his and her arms wrapped around his neck. The little moans she was making in the back of her throat were driving him crazy. He could kiss her for hours. Rolling over on his back, he took her with him so she lay on top of him as their tongues dueled.
Running his hands down her back, he cupped her ass. Joely wiggled against his erection and the next thing he knew she was underneath him. He lifted his lips from hers to tease a trail of kissed along her jaw line. She tugged at the bottom of his shirt until he tossed it off. He was too impatient. As her hands travelled over his arms and back, he yanked up her T-shirt over her bra.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he groaned before taking one of her nipples into his mouth.
Joely cried out, digging her nails into his shoulder. He lifted his head up to verify that it was pleasure in her eyes.
“Holt,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
He wasn’t planning on it. He sucked on one nipple while he tugged on the other. Grazing the sensitive peak with his teeth, Holt moaned when she lifted her hips and rubbed against him. Pushing back against her, they rocked together like teenagers. He licked down her belly, his fingers on the buttons of her jeans, when he heard hoofbeats.
It was probably Uma and Scout coming back from the pond.
But what if it wasn’t?
“Damn it,” he growled.
“What?” she asked.
Holt licked her belly button one last time, and she took in an excited breath. Pulling her shirt down, he kissed her warm mouth and rolled off her. “Someone’s coming.”
She gave a little scream and scrambled to a sitting position. Jamming her hat back on, she tried for a nonchalant pose as he searched for where he threw his shirt. He shrugged into it, but had to adjust himself.
He was half right. Uma came back. “Cock blocker,” he muttered.
Joely laughed. “She just wants her apple.” She stood up and reached into the backpack for it.
“Well, she’s going to have to earn it.” Holt hoisted himself into the saddle. “Let me go find the other juvenile delinquent and bring him back. Are you all right staying here by yourself?”
“Are you kidding me?” She laughed. “I’m going to take a nap. Or maybe read a book.” She pulled out her phone. “It will be nice to relax. Thanks for making me feel so safe.”
“I hope that’s not all I make you feel,” he said.
Her eyes twinkled at him. “We can talk about that later.”
“We will.” That was a damned promise.
Signaling Uma into a gallop, Holt admitted he was showing off just a bit. But the mare got into the spirit of things. Scout wasn’t by the pond and Holt wondered if the horse just trotted back to the barn. That didn’t make sense, though, because Uma would have gone with them.
As the terrain flattened out a bit, he caught a scent of wild lavender, and he turned his head to see where it was coming from. His gaze caught on movement in between a thick cluster of kauri pines and camphor trees that made up a small forest bordering their property with their nearest neighbors. He steered Uma towards it, wondering if they had poachers or a horse thief skulking around.
He didn’t think to bring out a shotgun or a pistol because the four-legged predators were almost non-existent. Holt had forgotten about the two-legged kind. Still, there was a good chance there was nothing there and he was being overly suspicious. Loosely tying Uma up, he ducked through an opening in the forest.
Crouching down, he saw hoofprints. If they were Scout’s, Holt couldn’t figure out why the horse would have gone in on its own. He heard voices and saw that there was a makeshift clearing up ahead. As he approached, he recognized his brother’s yurt. Trepidation swapped with annoyance.
“Damn it, Mike,” he said, barreling into the makeshift camp. “You’re lucky I didn’t have my Glock. What the hell are you doing ... here?”
His brother stared at him with his arms crossed. “I could ask you the same question.”
But Holt’s attention was on the older man, who held Scout’s reins and was brushing him. He wouldn’t look at him and jammed his cowboy hat low on his face, but only an idiot wouldn’t recognize their own father.
“I don’t believe this shit.” Holt snatched the reins out of Mel’s hands and turned to lead the horse out of the clearing.
“What’s your problem, Holt?” Mike said, pushing his chest into him.
“My problem is you rustled my horse.” Holt effortlessly shoved him back.
“Your horse?” Mike trailed after him. “Since when do you come out here?”
“Since Joely and I are on vacation.”
“Wait.” Mike stopped dead in his tracks. “You and Joely? It’s about time brah.” He slapped him on the shoulder.
“What the hell does that mean?” Holt asked.
“Just what I said. She’s been eyeing you for a long time.”
“Don’t be an ass.” They were far enough away that when Holt lowered his voice he didn’t think his father could over hear them. “What the fuck is he doing here?”
Mike’s eyes rolled back in his head. “He got fired from his job on the Big Island. The foreman was a young punk who had it in for the older guys.”
“I can’t believe you’re still buying his bullshit.” Holt continued walking.
“It’s not bullshit this time.”
Holt made a frustrated noise in his throat trying to keep everything he wanted to say to his brother inside.
“He’s been sober for two years.”
Holt snorted.
“He’s just here until he can get back on his feet again. Do you think Uncle Tetsuo would hire him?”
“Are you completely out of your fucking mind?” That one was so out of the realm of possibility, Holt had to stop in his tracks.
“Yeah.” Mike jammed his hands into his board shorts. “I was thinking of seeing if there were any openings at the Palekaiko Beach Resort. He’d get free room and board there as well as a job.”
“You mean the resort that he used to own and ran into the ground, before selling it to the current owners?”
“You don’t think that’s a good idea? He has experience.”
Shaking his head, Holt led Scout to the entrance. After untying Uma, he leapt into Scout’s saddle. “Do what you want. Just leave me out of this. He’s your responsibility. If Tetsuo catches you, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“You’re not going to tell him?” Mike asked anxiously, running after the horses to keep up.
“There’s not a chance in hell I’m going to open that can of worms.”
“Awesome. Thanks brah, I knew I could count on you.” Mike gave him the shaka.
Holt slowed the horse down and stopped. “Try not to get hurt. He can’t be trusted. You know that.”
“I believe him this time.”
He tried. “Then you’re almost as big of an idiot as he is.”
Holt galloped away, trailing Uma after him.
His father was back, after all these years.
Just what he didn’t need.