Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) (22 page)

"I was worried about you," Abby told him.

"You shouldn't have been."

When he spoke, her expression darkened. "You've
been drinking again."

"Whether -I had a few drinks or not is none of
your business, little girl," he said. "Where's your
brother?"

"Gone." Her tone was flat, displaying little
emotion.

"Well, go get him. I've got something I want to
tell him," he said arrogantly.

"Brent moved out. If you want him, you'll have to
go get him yourself. He's living down at the cabin."
She started to walk away, but her father's next words
stopped her.

"Don't walk away from me! I'm your father."

She turned and glared at him. She wished he had
been the one who'd left. "Brent has been like a father
to me for the last ten years, and now you've driven
him away."

"Driven him away? What are you talking about?"

Abby went on, "After his fight with you this
morning, he packed up his things and moved out.
He's going to live in the cabin down at the creek."

"Let him move out. Who cares what he does?" Jack couldn't decide if he was glad Brent was gone or
angry because he'd dared to leave.

Abby looked at him coldly. "I care."

You can think what you want, little girl," he
replied snidely. "But I've got big plans. You'll see."

Abby had had enough. There were horses to
groom and work to do. It wasn't going to get done if
she stayed there listening to her father's boasting.
She walked out of the house.

Crystal completed her final performance on Friday
night and left the stage to mingle with the
customers. Outwardly she was smiling and friendly,
yet deep within, she was filled with disappointment.

Once again, Brent had not shown up. He hadn't
come to see her all week.

Crystal greeted the men by name now as she
circulated around the room, flirting outrageously
with them, as was her trademark. They responded
eagerly to her warmth.

"You're doing a good job, Ruby," Ken told her
when she came to the bar for her sarsaparilla. "I'm
glad I hired you."

"Thanks, Ken." Crystal managed to smile at him,
but her heart wasn't in it.

She looked around the crowded saloon and
wondered how she could be with so many people
and still feel alone.

She wasn't sure she liked caring so much for
Brent.

Late Saturday night Crystal spotted Brent entering
the Lone Star during her performance. Her heart
lightened and her spirits soared. Her fears of the
night before disappeared. Brent had come back to
her! That was all that mattered.

Brent went to stand at the bar, but he didn't take
his eyes off Crystal as she sang for her audience. The
Lone Star was as crowded as the Six Gun had been
that first night they'd met, and he knew the men
were there to hear her.

"What'll it be?" Ken asked as he came to wait on
him. "You want a beer?"

"Sure," Brent answered. "And give me a
sarsaparilla, too."

"Coming right up." He quickly brought the drinks and Brent paid him. "Did your pa come with you
tonight?"

"No. Why?"

"He was in the other day, and I was just
wondering if he bought the property."

"What property?" Brent was suddenly wary.

"Looks like he didn't buy it if you don't know
about it. Edmund Montgomery came in while your
pa was here, and they started talking about
improving your ranch. Edmund mentioned buying
some land before they went off together. Your pa
didn't come back, so I didn't hear any more. It
probably was nothing. Your pa was drinking pretty
heavily that day."

"We haven't bought any more property," Brent
stated firmly, but he felt uneasy. The first chance
he got, he was going to ask his father about it. For
right now, though, he had only one thing on his
mind-and that was enjoying an evening with
Crystal.

"I guess they were just talking then." Ken looked
back up at the stage and Ruby. "Well, enjoy the
show."

"There's no doubt about that. She sure puts on a
good show."

"Yes, she does," the bartender agreed.

Crystal was singing even more enthusiastically now
that Brent was there, watching her from where he
stood at the bar. The rest of her performance seemed to take forever, but finally she finished her
last song and left the stage. It took her a few minutes
to work her way through the crowd of admirers to
where Brent awaited her.

"You came," Crystal said breathlessly. She wanted
to kiss him right there in front of everybody, but she
knew she couldn't. Any kiss she gave Brent would
not be an "Andy" kiss.

"You knew I would." He handed her the
sarsaparilla he had ordered for her.

"Thank you. I missed you." She looked up at
Brent, feasting her eyes upon him, ashamed, now,
that she'd ever doubted him.

"A lot happened this week-there was no time to
leave the Half-Moon. But what about tomorrow?
Can you get away? I'd like to take you out to the
ranch again. There's something I want to show you,"
Brent said as they went to sit at a table where they
could talk for a while.

"I'd love to. Are your father and Abby with you?
Did they come into town, too?" Crystal was looking
forward to seeing them again.

"No. I made the trip alone. You're the only reason
I'm here."

Their gazes met and locked, and they shared a
look of longing and remembrance.

Brent wanted to tell Crystal about moving into
the cabin, but he decided to just wait and show her.
He stayed on at the Lone Star until she got off work
and then escorted her to the boardinghouse. They made arrangements to leave bright and early for the
ranch, for they wanted to have as much time
together as they could manage.

Anne was home this evening, so Brent did not go
inside. He stole only one quick kiss before bidding
Crystal a reluctant good-night.

Crystal's mood was light as she quietly went up to
her room and got ready for bed. Any doubts she'd
had were gone.

Brent had come to her.

She slept deeply that night, her dreams sweet.

Brent returned to his hotel room and bedded
down. He was eager for the new day
to come. He wanted only to spend time with
Crystal. Morning couldn't arrive fast enough to suit
him.

Brent awoke at dawn as he usually did, but he
knew it was too early to pick Crystal up. He lay in
bed and tried to relax and bide his time, but his
overactive imagination would not rest. He pictured
himself arriving at the boardinghouse early, only to
discover that Crystal was still asleep and he would
have to go up to her bedroom and awaken her.
Memories of the last time he had been in her
bedroom returned, and Brent was driven from his
own bed. He busied himself packing up and getting
ready for the trek back to the ranch.

Crystal woke early and dressed in the clothes
Abby had given her. She was ready for her excursion
to the Half-Moon. When Brent drove up in the buckboard, she had been watching from the parlor
window and hurried out to meet him.

"Good morning," Crystal said with a smile as he
helped her up to sit beside him.

"Yes, it is a good morning-now that you're here
with me."

"You are a charmer, Brent Hunter."

"I only tell the truth, ma'am," he drawled.

Brent urged the team on, and they rode for the
ranch. The miles passed quickly as they enjoyed each
other's company.

"Where are we going?" Crystal asked when he
didn't follow the main road that led to the house.

"There's something I want to show you."

"What?" She was curious.

"You'll see."

Brent said no more until they reached the stream
and she could see the cabin in the distance.

"I've been working on it all week. What do you
think?" he asked as they drove up and stopped out
front.

"It looks wonderful, but why did you fix it up?"
She jumped down by herself and went to take a look
around.

"This is my new home."

"You're living here now? But why?"

"I decided it was time I moved out on my own."

Crystal went up the newly repaired steps and
crossed the porch to let herself in. She was
delightfully surprised when she stepped inside.

"So this is why you were so busy all week,"
Crystal said as he joined her there.

"It took some work, that's for sure."

"You did a good job. I wouldn't have guessed that
it would turn out so well."

The main room was spotlessly clean. It was
dominated by a kitchen table and two chairs. She
cast a quick glance into the bedroom and saw his bed
and a trunk in there. He had even hung some plain
sheets at the windows for curtains.

"It is clean-and the roof had better not leak."
Brent grinned. "It wasn't easy getting it ready. Hank
and Curly worked with me the first day on the major
repairs, and I've done the rest. I know it could still
use a woman's touch, though."

Crystal would have loved nothing more than to
be the woman giving him the "woman's touch" he
wanted, but that was a dream she knew would never
come true for her. The lightness of her mood fled as
she mentally struggled to suppress thoughts of her
past.

Brent saw the change in her and was sorry he'd
even mentioned it. He hadn't wanted to put any
pressure on her. He wanted to enjoy their time
together.

"What about Abby? She could help you, couldn't
she?" Crystal asked.

"The `woman's touch' I was wanting isn't the
kind my sister could give me," he said in a lower,
seductive voice.

"It isn't?" She looked up at him and saw the
glimmer of intent in his eyes. When
Brent looked at her that way, her heartbeat
quickened, and it was easy for her to forget
everything but the joy she would ultimately find
in his arms. She smiled invitingly in return. "Then
what kind of `woman's touch' were you hoping
for?"

He needed no further invitation to take her in his
arms. He'd been thinking about this moment all
week as he'd worked on the cabin. He didn't want to
wait any longer.

"Any kind of touch you want to give me," Brent
said in a low voice just as his lips claimed hers.

The past seven days had seemed an eternity to
Crystal as she'd waited in vain each night for Brent
to come to her. But now they were finally together
again.

It didn't matter that it was broad daylight outside.
Being in his embrace was heaven.

With eager hands they stripped away their
clothes and came together in a blaze of glory. Fiery
kisses and searing caresses flamed the heat of their
passion. A fever burned within him at her
womanly touch.

They found their way to the bed and lay together
on its feather mattress.

Crystal held Brent close and thrilled to the touch of
his hard body against her. She caressed him daringly,
sliding her hands over his broad shoulders and down his back. She found she loved to touch himhe was so solid, so strong.

Brent responded to her caress, his need for her
growing more and more powerful. His mouth
claimed hers in a demanding kiss that left them both
breathless and hungry for more. He pressed hungry
kisses to her throat and then lower....

Crystal gasped at his intimate touch and arched
beneath him. She was desperate to be even closer to
him.

Brent moved over her and made her his.

They came together, two becoming one. A
rapturous blending of male and female. A perfect
union.

And then he began his rhythm.

It was a sensuous waltz that took them higher
and higher. Passion lifted them. Ecstasy awaited
them.

And they reached it together-the peak of bliss.

Heart-stopping excitement coursed through them.
They held tightly to each other, finding the
perfection that is love.

Brent shifted onto his side, keeping Crystal
cradled against him. He wanted to stay as they were
forever-their bodies joined, their limbs entwined,
their hearts beating as one.

He kissed her, gently this time, adoringly. She
gave a soft sigh of contentment.

"Was that the `womanly touch' you had in
mind?" Crystal teased easily.

"That was exactly what I had in mind," he
answered with a low chuckle.

His lips sought hers in a tender exchange.

"I think I need a `manly touch.' What do you
think?" Crystal asked with a slow, enticing smile.

Brent didn't bother to answer; he just obliged.

Melinda was pouting. She didn't know why she'd
been hoping Brent would be in town for church
again this Sunday, but she was. She'd worn her best
Sunday dress and taken extra care with her hair, just
for him. And he hadn't come to church, and neither
had any of his family. She was frustrated as she
returned home with her parents.

Melinda was pretending to be fine, but deep
inside she was upset. How was she ever going to get
Brent to marry her if she never got to see him?