Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) by Bobbi Smith Page A

suffocated, as if all the open air in Texas wouldn't be
enough to help her draw a deep, peaceful breath ever
again.
    Distracted as Iona often was lately, she didn't
answer Abby right away. She appeared almost
confused for a moment before finally responding,
"No, dear, there's not. I wish I could make it easier
for you, but I can't."
    Iona's seeming confusion and the unsteadiness in
her voice made Abby feel worse, for it reminded her
of what she had learned in town earlier that day.
Iona had been like a mother to her since her own
mother had died. Abby loved her dearly. When
she'd overheard Mrs. Spindle and Mrs. Herbert talk ing about her in the general store, saying that she
had a problem with drinking spirits, Abby had been
ready to defend Iona. She had wanted to confront
them and make them apologize for their hatefulness,
but in that moment she'd realized that what they
were saying was the truth. It explained why Iona
always drenched herself in rose water-she did it to
cover the smell-of the liquor.

    Abby felt fiercely protective of Iona, and she
wondered where her daughter, Juliana, was. Juliana
had married young and then been widowed. The last
Abby had heard, she was living back east somewhere.
Abby believed Juliana should have come home to
take care of her mother. If her own mother had been
alive, she would never have abandoned her in such a
way.
    "I'm here for you, Abby," Iona told her with a
reassuring smile, extending a shaking hand to
her.
    "I know," she answered, smiling weakly in return
as the carriage turned up the road to the main house.
"I guess it's time to get this over with. It's not going
to get any easier, no matter how long I try to avoid
    She felt Edmund's eyes on her, and an
unexplained shiver went through her.
    "You're certain they'll be here?" he asked.
    "According to what Brent told me when he left,
they were due back today."
    He reached over and patted her hands, which were clutched tightly in her lap. "I'm glad that we're
with you."

    She shifted free of his touch.
    "I am, too," she said, and tried to mean it. Staring
straight ahead, she steeled herself for the
confrontation to come.
    Jack had been furious when he'd left the house.
Needing to get away, he'd headed for the stables to
have a look around.
    No liquor...
    He had been ten long years without a drink, and
he'd desperately needed one today. There might not
be any whiskey on the Half-Moon right now, but
he'd take care of that the next time he went into
town.
    "Jack? Is that you?" Curly had been working in
the stable and was surprised to see his old boss
standing in the doorway.
    "It's me. I'm back," he answered, glad to see the
longtime hired hand.
    Curly stopped what he was doing and went to
speak with him. "Brent said you'd be coming back.
It's been a long time."
    "Too long. How have you been?" he asked.
    "Fine. We had some hard years here on the ranch,
but everything's worked out now. Brent's done a
good job."
    Jack wasn't about to give Brent credit for
anything. He was the one who had worked endlessly to establish the Half-Moon as a thoroughbred ranch.
Raising racehorses was his dream. "What about the
bloodlines?"

    Curly shrugged. "Brent said there was more
money in breeding and training working stock, and
he was right. It's hard work, but we've gotten good
at it.
    Jack didn't want to hear him sing Brent's
praises anymore. By taking up mustanging
and concentrating on cow ponies and the like,
his son had forsaken everything he'd planned
for the ranch. The Half-Moon was his ranch,
not Brent's! He had worked his whole life
toward achieving his dream, and now he was
going to have to start all over again.
    Start over ...The thought jarred Jack, for in the
past he'd always had Beth's support.
    Beth...
    Jack suddenly needed to get away by himself for a
while.
    "Well, it's good to be here," Jack told Curly as he
moved off.
    The ranch hand nodded and watched him leave
the stable.