A Little Harmless Ride Read Free Page B

much older brother. Of course, Sam did nothing. He hired people to work his land while he sat around.
    It was a damn shame Joe was the one who’d died of cancer.
    “ Stop scowling.”
    The order took him by surprise and he glanced at Crysta. She was looking out over the crowd of people, a smile playing over her lips.
    “ Excuse me?”
    “ Stop scowling.”
    “ And I should listen to you, why?”
    She leaned so close he could feel her breath on his ear. “Because everyone is watching you and gauging your reaction. And the Kaheaku family would like nothing more than to upset you. One thing I learned from Texas beauty queens during my time there was never let them see you sweat. If you let them know how much they pissed you off, they won.”
    She offered him a triumphant smile when she pulled away. The fact that she was offering him advice was amusing at best, but there was one thing she didn’t understand.
    “ I guess that would matter if I cared what they thought. But the truth is, I’m like Joe. I don’t give a bloody damn if they’re amused or irritated. Their behavior or reactions have nothing to do with me. And—if you are the sub you just claimed to be—you would understand that any self-respecting Dom would say the same thing.”
    She said nothing for a while. They stood side by side as if they didn’t know each other. Then, she leaned closer and said, “Just so you know, it isn’t about caring what they think. It’s about fucking with their heads. And I would think any self-respecting Dom would know that.”
    She didn’t wait for an answer. She walked away and he was pretty sure she knew he was watching her.
    And damned if that didn’t make her more attractive.
    He heard someone clear his throat and found Joe’s lawyer standing beside him. Okay, that wasn’t good. Someone who was former Special Forces shouldn’t let a little old Hawaiian man sneak up on him—especially because of a woman.
    “ I think we should get this over with, Eli,” Mr. O’Keefe said.
    He nodded. “I agree. Let’s gather everyone up.”
    And then he could see what Joe had planned for him. He knew it wasn’t going to be the typical will. Joe did nothing normal.
    Eli glanced around the room. He knew one thing for sure. Someone was going to be very happy and someone was going to be very angry. Either way, there would be some kind of ruckus.
    He took one last sip of beer trying to fight a smile. Joe really never did anything as expected.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Three
     
    They sat in stunned silence after the attorney read the will. It was as if someone had sucked all the air out of the room. She looked at her mother’s family. Her Uncle Sam was glaring at her, as was his son, Sam Jr. She swallowed trying to contain her panic. She’d never felt such hatred before in her life, and that was saying a lot since she’d taught high school.
    “ I don’t understand,” Crysta said, her brain still trying to work out the situation.
    “ It’s very easy, Ms. Miller,” Mr. O’Keefe the executor said. “Your uncle left you half of the ranch. You must stay here for six months, then you have the option to sell to Mr. St. John or to someone else. If you don’t, it will be handed over to charity who will sell it to the highest bidder.”
    She glanced at Eli, who wasn’t looking at her. From the stony expression on his face, she knew he wasn’t happy with the situation. Hell, that was an understatement. He was furious. But he said nothing.
    The rest of the family only waited a few more seconds before they erupted with anger.
    “ What the hell was Joe thinking? She’s not one of us, not a real Kaheaku.”
    “ I think you misunderstand,” Mr. O’Keefe said. “This will has nothing to do with family and everything to do with Joe’s wishes.”
    “ She has no right,” Joe’s brother Sam bellowed. “This is my land.”
    “ Sir, I would like you to sit down,” Mr. O’Keefe said, but her uncle paid no heed.
    “ Do you