Chapter 32: On His Trail

Hallie drove to the neighboring ranch where the barbecue was being held, hoping to surprise Luke. No doubt he would be in the middle of sweet-talking some naïve young lady, and Hallie wanted to have the satisfaction of catching him again, although part of her hoped she wouldn’t have to.

When she got to the ranch, the mood didn’t seem festive. People were milling about anxiously, and a few horses were saddled in the yard as a group was getting ready to go somewhere. Hallie got a bad feeling.

“Sorry, I tried to stop him,” Johnny said, rushing towards her.

“What is going on?”

“Okay, how do I explain this quickly? Luke was riding a wild horse, and it just took off, and he’s out there somewhere!” He pointed to the rolling pasture beyond the ranch.

Hallie tried to stay calm, her heart hammering away. “What do you mean? Why was he riding a wild horse?”