Read Online Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) by Bobbi Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Bobbi Smith
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, adventure, Romance, Historical, Saga, Adult, series, Action, Western, Prison, 19th century, multicultural, father, secrets, Past, Texas Hill Country, American West, Saloon, Rescued, HUNTER'S MOON, Half-Moon Ranch, Hunter Family, Grassland, Four Siblings, Solvent, Brent Hunter, Hellion, Spice
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hesitated to
take it if they'd fallen behind.
"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,
take it if they'd fallen behind.
"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,
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