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

nothing.
    When Jack won some land outside of Diablo,
Texas, in a poker game, Edmund had followed them
west. He had wanted to stay close to Beth. He had wanted to be there when she finally came to her
senses and turned to him; then he would make her
pay for his years of frustration.

    Eventually he had married a wealthy widow, Iona
Sullivan, in the hope of making Beth jealous. Iona
adored him and was easily led, which made it simple
for him to control her. He had never loved her.
    But Beth was dead now. And Jack was
responsible.
    Edmund was glad Jack had been sent to prison.
He was glad that he had suffered all those years
behind bars, but no matter how much Jack had
suffered, it wasn't enough.
    Nothing would ever bring Beth back.
    Pain filled Edmund, and he got up to pace the
room. Jack would be returning to the Half-Moon
soon, and Edmund knew he was going to have to
deal with him again. He would make Jack pay for all
the pain he'd caused. He was going to make Jack's
life a living hell.
    Jack deserved no less for what he had done.
    Edmund frowned thoughtfully, wondering how
best to accomplish his goal without anyone
discovering what he was doing. Early on after Beth's
death, he had pressured Brent about his father's
loans. He had claimed it was strictly business, but in
truth he'd been determined to ruin Jack and his
sons.
    Edmund hadn't believed Brent was smart enough
to be able to come up with the money to repay his father's debts, but the young man had surprised him.
He had proven to be nothing like his father. Brent
was intelligent, hardworking, serious, and tenacious,
and he had managed to stay current on the
payments. Brent had paid off the entire balance and
had refused to borrow any more money when
Edmund had extended the offer.

    Damn Brent Hunter!
    Edmund was going to have to find another way to
get to Jack Hunter. And he would; he had no doubt
about it.
    Edmund went to stare out his office window. It
appeared a calm, ordinary day on the streets of
Diablo, but deep in his heart he knew there was
nothing ordinary about it.
    It was almost dark when Brent and Jack finally
decided to stop and make camp for the night. Little
had been said during the day, and the tension had
worn on Brent. They were going to have to set
things straight between them before they reached the
Half-Moon, and as far as he was concerned, the
sooner they did it, the better.
    "We need to talk," Brent declared as he sat down
across the campfire from his father.
    "What about?" Jack returned.
    "About what's going to happen once we get back
to the ranch."
    "We're going to go to work-that's what's going
to happen," his father answered.

    "What the hell do you think I've been doing
while you've been gone?" Brent demanded,
becoming angry. "I've done nothing but work-to
keep from losing the ranch. Did you have any idea
how deep in debt you were?"
    "I had to build the bloodlines. It was the only way."
    "No, it wasn't the only way, and I've proven
that."
    "You've proven what?"
    "I got us out of debt by learning everything I
could about horseflesh, by hard work, and by saving
every penny I could. We don't owe anybody right
now, and I intend to keep it that way."
    "You intend to keep it that way?"
    "That's right."
    "My name is on the deed," Jack said coldly. "The
Half-Moon is my ranch."
    "Because I saved it." Brent glared at his father.
    "You? What about your brothers?"
    "Quince and I had a fight, and he left about five
years ago."
    "What did you fight about?"
    "Quince didn't like the way I was running things.
I told him if he didn't like it he could leave, and he
did. Last we heard, he was out hunting renegades for
the army."
    "And Matt? Did he ever show up?"
    "He started mustanging and training horses for
ranches west of here. He brings us some mustangs
and the money he's earned, but otherwise we don't see much of him. He did some betting on horse
racing, but he used his own money. His gambling