Page 4 of Haven Moon

John’s family would know it was me who had been the last to see him. They would assume I’d killed him, especially since I ran away with Chloe. His family wanted to take care of me themselves, without getting the police involved. Or they wanted to find me and punish me before turning me in to the authorities.

Chloe wasn’t exactly thriving in the new circumstances she found herself. She’d loved preschool and socializing with the kids, playing outside, and doing crafts. Spending our days in cruddy hotel rooms was a far cry from visits to the park and the library. The guilt crushed my spirit. Then, however, I would remember why I’d been forced to leave and that my most important job was to keep my daughter safe.

A few days before Thanksgiving, while searching for our next place to stay, I’d come across the website for Crescent Moon Ranch. It was a dude ranch, with horses and cattle and adorable cabins. I’d immediately thought it was the perfect way for Chloe and me to spend our first Thanksgiving alone. I’d made a reservation for four nights. A bit of a splurge, but it would be fun for Chloe if the promises of their online brochure were true.

The moment we turned down the dirt road toward the ranch, Chloe had quieted, perhaps as taken with the vast, sweeping landscape as I. When we arrived at a parking lot with signs that pointed in the direction of the cabin office, I unbuckled Chloe from her car seat, and we walked down a stone path toward the office. As we grew near, I stopped for a moment and stood hand in hand with my daughter, taking in the vast skies that stretched from horizon to horizon. Beyond the buildings, grassland dotted with sagebrush and pine trees was framed by a mountain range in the distance.

A variety of sounds greeted us. Birds chirped. Wind rustled through long grasses in the meadow adjacent to the barn and stables. An additional low murmur of other activities, including horses neighing, the clank of horseshoes, and voices of staff as they went about their daily chores provided background. Scents of pine, earth, and the distant smoke of a campfire wafted all around us.we

“Mama, we stay here?” Chloe looked up at me with her sweet blue eyes.

“Yes, for the weekend. Doesn’t it look fun?”

She didn’t answer, breaking away from me and running up the path. I followed behind, smiling at the sight of her short legs in a pair of jeans pounding along the dirt trail.

The ranch itself was a collection of rustic, yet charming wooden buildings. The Bunkhouse was obviously a restaurant. I remembered from the website that it had been the original building for the ranch’s staff but had been renovated into a bar and restaurant. I spotted people throughout a bank of windows dining. Several others, bundled up for the cool weather, enjoyed a beverage on the patio. Guest cabins nestled among trees or overlooked scenic vistas. A red barn and stables with horses were located not far from the restaurant. A gorgeous farmhouse with a wraparound porch stood in the center of things. I knew from the brochure that it was the original family home and still occupied by some of the Moon family. Well-worn paths led into the surrounding wilderness.

I unexpectedly shivered. There was something so familiar about the setting, as if I’d been here before. I had a sudden memory. Daddy and I had taken a camping trip to Montana one summer. I’d been around eight. Had we driven through here? We’d eaten food around the campfire and gone on hikes. One day we’d swum in a river. I could still remember the clear water, so unlike the lakes and rivers in the south. I could see all the way to the bottom where fish swam among the rocks.

At night, Daddy had been sure to lock all the food in the car in case a hungry bear showed up at our campsite. I’d been afraid of bears coming into our tent. Even my big, strong father wouldn’t be able to fight off a bear. None of that had happened. Instead, we’d had a wonderful week. Was that why I’d been drawn to the idea of Montana? I hadn’t thought of the connection until this very moment.

Chloe ran ahead, toward the office. She waited for me on the patio; we went inside together. A young woman sat behind a counter, working on a computer. At the sound of the bell that hung over the door, she stood, greeting us with a friendly smile. Slight, with long, dark blond hair and pretty blue eyes. One of those pert noses and a full mouth that made her look as though she could play the girl next door in an old-timey movie. Probably from California, I thought.

That assumption was tossed aside when she welcomed us in a crisp British accent. “Welcome to Crescent Moon Ranch.” Her perfectly shaped brows came together. “What name is the reservation under?”

“Sammie Scott?” I hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question. It would take some time for me to get used to my new last name.

Chloe clung to my leg. She’d started doing this since we’d been on the run, as if she were afraid, I would leave her.

“Yes, here you are. It’ll be quiet here for the next few days. Thad says it’s always slow around Thanksgiving but gets busier at Christmas. I’ve only just started working here, so this is my first holiday season.” She gave me another dazzling smile. Straight white teeth.

“I’m Finley, by the way. You’re here for four nights, is that right?”

“Yes. I’m Sammie, and this is Chloe.”

“I’ve put you in cabin C. They’re all pretty much the same, but this one is decorated in pink.” She grinned and winked at Chloe, who beamed back at her.

Finley had what Daddy would have called a sunny disposition, which worked well in this type of position. Regardless, there was a quality just under the surface that told me she’d been through hard times. Someone had hurt her—a betrayal of some kind. If things were different, we might have been friends. Not now, though. I couldn’t let anyone get close enough to guess all my secrets.

“She loves pink,” I said with a nod at Chloe.

“I did when I was her age too. Well, actually, I still do.” Finley peeked over the counter. “Chloe, would you like one of our stuffed mascots?”

Chloe didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was intrigued by the way she shifted her weight from foot to foot. “What mascot?”

“It’s like a thing that brings good luck to a club or group,” Finley said. “Anyone under twelve who stays here gets one.”

“Yes, thank you,” Chloe said.

Finley reached under the counter and came up with the strangest-looking stuffed animal I’d ever seen. Bright purple in color with a fluffy coat, the creature looked like a combination of a piglet and a puppy, with long ears and a fluffy tail.

“What is it?” I asked.

“This is a Slurfpig,” Finley said. “It’s a family mantra for the Moons. They recently made a stuffed animal to give out to our young guests. The explanation of its origin is in the story tied around its neck.”

Chloe did not seem to think it as strange-looking as I. Her eyes had gone round, and she was hugging it to her chest as if it were her long-lost best friend.

“Looks like you have a happy guest,” I said.

---