Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1)

by Bobbi Smith

  "That's right," Abby agreed with her brother. "The Half-Moon means too much to us."

  Iona stirred and glanced nervously in her husband's direction. Her smile was shaky as she said, "Well, let's just hope you never have to worry about that. You've made the ranch a success now, Brent. There's no reason why that should change."

  "Let's hope not," Brent said.

  "Who's here?" Jack's voice boomed out in a commanding, harsh tone as he mounted the steps and crossed the porch.

  They all looked up as he came through the front door.

  Jack stopped as he saw Abby for the first time. He was shocked to see that she was wearing pants, and he was also shocked when he realized how very much she resembled her mother. He stood there silently as his gaze swept over her, taking in the dark mane of her hair, her green eyes, and the pale beauty of her complexion. She was lovely in spite of her choice of clothing. She was a vision. "Abby..."

  "It's me, Papa." Her answer was almost a whisper, and her expression was guarded.

  Jack wanted to go to Abby and sweep her into his arms in a desperate, loving embrace. He wanted to hold her to his heart, but he knew by the look in her eyes that she wouldn't welcome any such overture from him. The little girl he'd loved and left behind was gone. In her place was a woman now-a beautiful woman-a woman who was the very image of her mother.

  He turned to Edmund and Iona, who were sitting together on the sofa.

  "Well, Edmund, I'd say seeing you again this way deserves a celebration drink, but Brent doesn't allow any liquor in the house." He cast an annoyed look at his eldest son.

  Edmund stood up and went to shake his hand. "That doesn't matter. It's just good you're home, Jack."

  "Yes, it is," he said, but even as he said it to his old friend, he wasn't sure his children agreed.

  "Welcome back, Jack," Iona offered as she attempted unsteadily to rise.

  "Hello, Iona." Jack was struck by how much she'd changed over the past ten years. Edmund was the same-tall, erect, with only a trace of gray in his hair, but not Iona. It almost seemed as if she had shrunk inside herself.

  Iona's smile was wan as she went on, "It is a shame we can't have a drink to celebrate your return. I know I'd certainly enjoy one."

  Jack was shocked by her statement. He quickly looked away from her as a hush fell across the room, adding to the already heavy tension in the air.

  "Come on, Iona," Edmund said, giving his wife a harsh look, "we ought to head back to town. These people need their privacy." He glanced at Jack. "We'll be talking."

  Edmund smiled patiently as he took his wife's arm to steady her on her feet.

  "Thank you for bringing me home," Abby said as they started from the house.

  "We wouldn't have it any other way," Edmund replied, looking back at her while he kept a firm hold on Iona.

  Brent walked outside to see them off, leaving Abby alone with their father for the first time.

  "You've been well, Abby?" Jack asked cautiously as he came to sit on the sofa near her.

  She stared at him for a moment, feeling that he was almost a stranger to her. She wanted to tell him of all the nights she'd cried herself to sleep missing her mother, aching for her loving embrace, but she didn't. She kept her voice cool as she answered, "Yes, I have, Papa."

  He was struck once more by how closely she resembled her mother. "I can see that. I worried about you while I was..."

  Abby found that very hard to believe, since he hadn't had any contact with her in all the years he was in prison. "There was no need to worry. The boys took care of me."

  "That's good."

  Abby finally blurted out what she desperately needed to know, "Are you planning to stay on?"

  "Yes. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than here on the ranch."

  The last flicker of hope that he would leave died within her. He was going to stay. She would have to face him every day, knowing what he'd done.

  "It's amazing," Jack said reflectively, his gaze upon Abby.

  "What is?" She was puzzled by the change in his mood.

  "How much you look like your mother. You've grown into a very beautiful young woman, Abby."

  "Thank you," Abby replied uneasily. She wasn't sure how to take his comment. She'd never thought of herself as beautiful. The idea made her uncomfortable.

  Jack sensed her coldness toward him and knew he should address it straight-on. "Abby, I understand how you must feel right now. It's not going to be easy for any of us-my coming back here after all that's happened."

  "I don't think you have any idea how I feel, but you're right: it's not easy," she said bluntly.

  He went on, "But the Half-Moon is my home, too. Somehow we'll find a way to make this work."

  Abby had her doubts, but she said nothing. Just then Brent returned from seeing Edmund and Iona off. She was glad for the interruption and excused herself. She wanted to get away from the house and go to work. The farther she stayed away from her father, the better; and the busier she stayed the happier she would be.

  Abby had heard the old adage that time healed all wounds, but she wondered if that were really true. Ten years had passed, yet the pain of losing her mother was still with her. In her heart she knew it always would be.

  Abby realized now that she had lost her father ten years ago, too. The man she had loved and had thought wonderful was gone, and she wondered if he had ever really existed. The ugliness of what he had done had stripped her of her childhood innocence. She had been forced from the warmth of her mother's love into a cold, heartless world. Thanks to her brothers, she'd survived, but her scars ran deep.

  Bill was in the back hallway of the Six Gun when he saw Opal come in.

  "You're showing up awful early today," Bill said, surprised to see her. It was only midafternoon, and she wasn't due to perform until that evening.

  "I needed to see Belle. Is she here?"

  "No, not yet. I don't think she'll be here until closer to six tonight," he told her. Then he added, "I wish I'd known you were going to come by."

  "Why?"

  "A stranger was in looking for you. He was wanting to know what time you would be on tonight. He said he used to know you and wanted to see you again."

  "Is the man still here?" she asked cautiously.

  "No. He just left. From the way he was talking, though, he'll be back."

  "Did he say who he was?"

  "No. I asked him, but he said he wanted to surprise you."

  "What did he look like?" Crystal tried to sound casual.

  "Dark-haired, about six feet tall, I guess. Dressed nicer than most."

  "Sounds like any number of men I've known," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry I missed him."

  "He'll be here at showtime, I'm sure. See how you draw them in, Opal? We've got men riding into town from miles around just to see you perform. You've put the Six Gun Saloon on the map," Bill said as he headed back out to resume bartending.

  Crystal smiled at Bill's praise, but the moment he had gone, her smile faded. A terrible sense of unease gripped her. She hoped everything was just as Bill thought-that word of how good she was had spread and that she really was drawing customers from far and wide. The fact that the stranger claimed to know her, though, worried Crystal. She had never told Bill the truth about her past. He knew her only as Opal.

  Crystal grew tense as the fear that she might have been found haunted her.

  It might be her brother-or it might be the law coming after her.

  She tried to stay calm. She did not want to give in to her sense of panic. She still had time to get away before that evening's show. She knew she had to learn the identity of the man looking for her. She could take no chances.

  Leaving the saloon by the back door again, Crystal made her way down the alley. Bill had said the man had left only a short time before, so she hoped she would be able to spot him on the street. She was glad she was wearing a demure day gown that would not draw attention to her. She wanted to blend in wit
h the townspeople as she searched for him. She was glad, too, that it was a busy time of day. There were people on the streets, so she wouldn't be obvious as she searched faces looking for her mysterious "admirer."

  It didn't take Crystal long to find him. She was only a block from the saloon when she saw him walking ahead of her-a dark-haired, nicely dressed man. Even from a distance there was no mistaking him: it was her brother Dan.

  Fear and dread and anger surged through her. Dan had found her! And if Dan had found her, had he brought the law with him, too?

  The desire to break into a dead run seized Crystal, but somehow she fought it down. Instead she calmly turned away and deliberately walked in the opposite direction. Turning at the first comer she came to, she hurried toward the boardinghouse. She had to pack and get out of town as quickly as she could. She had to get away. She'd managed to escape from her brother once, and she could do it again.

  Crystal reached the boardinghouse and entered unnoticed. She was glad no one was around, for she didn't want anyone to know the exact time she left.

  It didn't take Crystal long to pack her things. The only dress she didn't pack was the one she had bought some months ago in anticipation of a night like this one. It was a widow's black dress with a veil. She hoped the ugly gown would provide the perfect disguise.

  Crystal quickly changed into the smothering, high-necked, long-sleeved garment and then donned the veil. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and nodded in approval to herself. Her disguise was complete. No one would ever guess she was Miss Opal from the saloon, and that was just the way she wanted it.

  Crystal left enough money out on the dresser to pay for the rest of the month's rent and then slipped away, carrying her bag with her.

  It was still early afternoon as she made her way to the stage depot. She offered up a silent prayer that there would be a stagecoach leaving town very shortly. She had to get away fast.

  As she started into the stage office, Crystal saw the schedule posted out front. According to the listing, there were two stagecoaches leaving within the next several hours, and she offered up her thanks. One was heading to San Miguel and then on to a town called Diablo; the other stage was destined for Houston. She knew Dan would expect her to go to Houston, so she chose the other route.

  "Is the stage to Diablo on time?" Crystal asked the clerk behind the counter.

  "Yes, ma'am. It'll be leaving in less than an hour."

  "Good. I'd like a ticket to Diablo, please."

  She paid him, then went to sit on the bench in the office. She felt the clerk's gaze upon her, but made sure to keep her face averted for fear that even with the veil, he might somehow recognize her.

  The minutes that passed as she waited there were some of the longest in her young life, but finally the stagecoach was ready to depart. The clerk stowed her bag and then took her arm to help her climb on board.

  "Have a safe trip, ma'am." He still stared at her, thinking she seemed somehow familiar, but he wasn't sure just why.

  "Thank you," she responded, and quickly looked away from him.

  There were two other passengers, a husband and wife, already on the stagecoach. They ignored her as she sat down across from them. She was glad. The less attention anyone paid to her, the better. She wanted to make this trip unnoticed. She didn't want anyone to remember her. She didn't doubt for a moment that Dan-or the law-would toy to track her down again, and she wasn't going to leave them a trail.

  Crystal didn't breathe a true sigh of relief until they had put San Antonio well behind them.

  Dan Stewart smiled to himself in satisfaction as he returned to the Six Gun Saloon.

  Tonight was the night. Tonight he honestly believed he was going to catch up with Crystal. It hadn't been easy tracking her down, and once he found her, he was going to make sure she never got away from him again.

  It had been a long afternoon, but this moment was worth the wait. Dan smiled thinly to himself as he strode up to the bar.

  "Evenin', friend. I figured you'd be back," Bill greeted him.

  "I told you I would," Dan replied.

  "What'll you have?"

  "Give me a beer."

  Bill set the drink before him.

  "How much longer until Miss Opal goes on?"

  "About fifteen minutes," Bill assured him.

  "Good." Dan turned and positioned himself so he had, an unobstructed view of the stage. He wanted to make sure he could see her perform.

  Bill turned to wait on other customers. The saloon was busy, and he was glad. Opal always played to a full house. He was pouring a whiskey for a man at the far end of the bar when Belle came up to the bar and signaled for his attention.

  "What is it?" He noticed she looked worried.

  "I have to talk to you," she said urgently, but kept her voice low.

  "So talk. I got customers to wait on."

  "Not here."

  Bill finally understood something was really wrong. "Let's go in back for a minute."

  Belle came around the bar, and they disappeared into the small storage room.

  "It's Opal," she began.

  "What about her?"

  "She's not here, and she's due to go out onstage in a few minutes," Belle explained.

  "Opal will be here," he said. "She came by earlier this afternoon looking for you, and she seemed fine."

  "She may have been here a while ago, but she ain't here now," she insisted.

  "You checked her dressing room?" He frowned.

  "I've checked everywhere. There's no sign of her."

  "This isn't like Opal," Bill said, growing concerned. "She's never missed a performance before."

  "That's why I'm so worried. She would have told one of us if there was going to be a problem."

  "Maybe she got sick and went back to her room at the boarding house. I'll send one of the boys over to check."

  "Thanks, Bill." Belle was relieved that he was as concerned as she was. Any of the other working girls they wouldn't have been worried about. The other girls were known for their wild ways, but not Opal. Opal was far different from the rest.

  Bill took Gus, one of the men who worked for him, aside and sent him off to the boardinghouse to see if Opal was there. He went back to tending bar, hoping that everything was all right, and that she would show up on time for her performance. He didn't need a bunch of drunk cowboys getting angry at him.

  Just a short time before Opal was due to make her grand entrance, Gus returned. Bill was relieved when he saw him.

  "Well? Is she on her way? What did you find out? Is she sick?" he asked when they'd gone in the back room to speak privately.

  "I don't know what happened to her, but she wasn't there."

  "What do you mean, Opal wasn't there?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

  "Damned if I know," Gus answered. "The lady who runs the boardinghouse checked her room and said it looked like Opal packed up her things and took off. She didn't realize she'd left until then."

  Bill was shocked and troubled by Opal's sudden and unexplained disappearance. It wasn't like her. She'd proven herself reliable the whole time she'd worked for him. He couldn't believe she'd go off without a word-especially since he'd just talked with her that afternoon.

  Disgusted, he prepared himself for the fury to come as he went out into the crowded saloon to announce that the show had been canceled.

  "I got bad news," Bill shouted out as he climbed up on the stage.

  "What kind of bad news?" one cowboy yelled back as a rumble of discontent went through the crowd.

  "Miss Opal won't be performing tonight."

  The rumble turned to a roar.

  "Quiet down, now! The poor woman's feeling sickly," he lied. "She'll be back performing tomorrow night. She sends her regards to you."

  The roar didn't abate much.

  "Tell you what-I'll buy everyone a drink, and you can toast Opal's health. How's that?" he offered, desperate to quiet them down.

  Their
anger abated at the offer of free liquor, but their disappointment was still obvious.

  Bill managed to keep smiling as he served up the liquor, but he couldn't help wondering what had really happened to Opal.

  "Does Opal do this often?" Dan asked as Bill set his free drink before him.

  "No. As a matter of fact, this is the first time."

  "If you'll tell me where she lives, I'd like to go pay her a visit. I'm not going to be in town for very long, and I don't want to miss seeing her."

  Bill didn't know what it was, but something about this man bothered him. "Sorry. I don't give out that kind of information. Come back tomorrow night. She'll be here."

  Dan was furious. He wanted to grab the bartender by the shirt and beat the information out of him, but he didn't. Instead he merely smiled.

  "I'll do that. I'm looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with her."

  "I'm sure she'll be glad to see you, too."

  Dan didn't respond as he took a drink. He didn't want to wait until tomorrow, but what was one more day after all these months? He believed he'd finally caught up with her despite her efforts to hide, and that was all that mattered.

  Dan got another drink and went to join in a poker game to pass the time. If he was going to be stuck at the Six Gun, he might as well enjoy himself.

  "Damned shame Miss Opal ain't performing tonight," one of the men lamented as he anted up.

  It sure is. It ain't like her not to show up. She must be sick, like Bill said," another added.

  "I'll bet you she ain't sick," the first man said with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

  Dan listened attentively to their conversation, hoping he could learn more about her whereabouts.

  "Why ain't she here, then?"

  "I say she ran off with Andy!" He guffawed.

  They all laughed except Dan.

  "What's so funny?" Dan asked, suddenly fearing Crystal had gone away with some man, eluding him again.

  You ain't from around here, are you?" The first man looked at him.

  "No. I'm) ust passing through, but the way you've all been talking about Miss Opal, she sounds real special." He pretended not to know anything about her to find out what these men knew. He hoped they might be able to tell him where she lived.