Read Online Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) by Bobbi Smith - Free Book Online Page B
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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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 with 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
She was glad she was wearing a demure day gown
that would not draw attention to her. She wanted to
blend in with 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
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