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

never cost the Half-Moon anything. Right now he's
in England, looking to buy a thoroughbred with the
money he's won."

    "So what you really mean is, he's run off again."
    "I told him that's what he was doing, but it didn't
stop him from going." Brent shook his head,
thinking of his youngest brother and the wild streak
that hadn't faded with the years. He'd told Matt he
was stupid to waste his time and money going to
England, but his brother was not to be deterred.
Racehorses were an obsession with him. They were
his passion. Matt was very much like their father that
way.
    "I'm sure it didn't," Jack said, sneering. "And I'll
bet that's the last you'll see of him. He won't be
back."
    Brent was shocked. "Sure he will. Matt thinks he
can make us some big money with the horse he's
after."
    "We'll see." Jack did not want to hear another
word about Matt. "How is Abby?"
    "She's not the little girl you remember."
    "No, I don't suppose she is."
    "She works hard around the ranch. She can ride
and rope with the best of the men."
    "So she hasn't married yet?"
    "Not yet." Brent didn't remark on the trouble he
had trying to get Abby to start dressing and behaving like a female. Brent girded himself as he went on,
finally broaching the subject he'd so far avoided.
"You know, this isn't going to be easy, you coming
back to the ranch."

    "I didn't think it would be."
    "I'm just telling you the truth. We're never going
to be able to forget what happened that day, though
God knows we've tried over the years."
    "The Half-Moon is my home. That's where I'm
going. If you don't like it, you can leave."
    Brent looked him straight in the eye, his
expression stony. "That isn't going to happen. You
put me in charge ten years ago, and I intend to stay
in charge."

     

It had been five days of hard riding and little
conversation, but Brent and his father had finally
arrived. They were at the Half-Moon.
    They were home.
    Leaving the horses hitched in front of the house,
they walked up the few porch steps to the door.
Brent knew this would be his father's first time in
the house since the day of the shooting, and he
wondered how he was going to react. He waited as
his father entered the house before him, then
followed him in.
    Jack stopped just inside the door and stood
looking around.
    "Nothing's changed." He sounded amazed.
    "Everything has changed," Brent stated flatly,
closing the door behind him.

    Jack moved forward. When his gaze fell upon the
portrait of Beth still gracing the wall over the
fireplace, turbulent emotion was evident on his face.
    "Your mother was a very beautiful woman."
    "Yes, she was," Brent answered. He clenched his
fists in an effort to control his anger. He wanted to
rage at his father that it was only because of him that
she was gone. "We buried her in the family plot."
    Jack nodded, then looked around. "Where's
Abby?"
    "Hard to say."
    "You don't keep track of your little sister?" he
asked.
    "Abby is not so `little' anymore, and besides,
I've been gone for almost two weeks. There's no
way of knowing where she might be," Brent said
coldly.
    "Well, she should be here at the house."
    Brent's mouth twisted in a sardonic smile. "Abby
doesn't spend much time around the house. Usually
she's out working with the horses or checking stock.
I already told you she can ride and rope."
    "That's no job for her."
    "I'm sure she'll be interested to hear your
opinion on that, since she's been doing it for years
now.
    "Oh, Brent, you're back." Frances Riley, the
housekeeper who'd been hired while Jack was in
prison, had been working in the kitchen when she'd
heard the sound of voices.

    "We just got here," Brent told her.
    "You must be Frances," Jack said quietly. "Brent's
told me about you."
    She nodded in his direction, then quickly looked
back at Brent. She didn't want anything to do with
Jack.
    "Is Abby around?"
    "No. She went into town yesterday for a visit with
Iona."
    "Iona?" Jack