Read Online Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) by Bobbi Smith - Free Book Online Page A
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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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
"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
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