Beneath the Texas Moon

Mac and Daniel had ridden separately, but within shouting distance, for most of the search. As Mac neared the hill blocking his view of Spirit Canyon, Daniel joined him.

“Anything?” Daniel asked, reining in his horse beside Mac’s.

“No.” Mac scanned the countryside around them, searching the brown and green brush for the white goat.

The horses plodded along steadily, the tattoo of their hooves a soothing rhythm to Mac’s heightened senses.

“It just doesn’t add up.” He stared out across the brush land.

“What?”

“Leider lost a couple lambs less than a week ago. Huckabee’s missing a two-month-old Hereford calf. You’d think they’d at least find the carcasses.”

“Yeah. Kinda hard to lose an entire calf without finding a carcass.” Dan removed his straw hat and combed his fingers through his hair. “At least with a body, you have half a chance of figuring out what ate it. Hard to protect your livestock when you don’t know what’s stalking them.”

“We lose the young all the time. But we’re looking for a full-grown goat. You’d think we’d have found her by now.”

“Don’t look now, but I think we have.” Daniel nodded ahead.

Molly bounded to a spot a few hundred yards in front of them, barking wildly, scattering a half-dozen buzzards clustered on the ground. She sniffed the pile of skin and bones, and then tipped her nose skyward and howled, a long, eerie sound, shattering the stillness of the day.

The clumsy birds flapped their wings, heaving themselves from the ground into the air. Once aloft, they rose gracefully to circle and wait for the humans to move on.

With a sharp tug on his reins, Mac stopped his horse several feet from the picked-over carcass and swung to the ground. The smell of blood and dust assailed his senses, rendering useless his ability to block the memories of other bloody bodies strewn in the sandy streets of Fallujah. Mac’s gut clenched and churned, lifting the bile to his throat.

“What a waste.” Daniel’s words cut through Mac’s thoughts. “She was a good producer.”

With the toe of his boot, Mac nudged at something in the dirt. It was a yellow plastic ear tag with the number twenty-one on it. Mac studied the rocky ground around the goat, but the birds had disturbed any loose dirt. He couldn’t discern animal prints in the dust.

“What do you suppose got her?” Daniel asked.

Mac shook his head and widened his search in a growing circle. Nothing. Not a footprint, pawprint, disturbed grass or droppings from anything other than the greedy birds and Molly.

“I heard Mr. Largey say they’d seen a cougar around these parts last year,” Daniel said as he scanned the surrounding hills. “I hadn’t heard any more about it this year. I know they can have a pretty wide range.”

“You think a cougar did this?” Mac asked.

“Who knows? Could be anything. Been a rumor about some kind of cult in the county sacrificing animals and all. Suppose they got hold of her?”

“No.” Mac shook his head. “An animal did this.” Maybe a cougar. His gut clenched. Or maybe a dog. A big dog.

With her nose to the ground, Molly trotted away from the carcass.

Mac followed the dog until they reached the crest of the hill overlooking the little town. Molly paused and stared down the steep incline. Then she looked back at him and whined.

Spirit Canyon sprawled quietly in the meager, late-afternoon light, a few cars ambling along Main Street toward the Community Center. Addie had mentioned something about today being the annual Harvest Festival planning committee meeting. Should be a lot of people crowded into the Community Center. Mac could see Eve’s house, the old tire swing hanging from a tree in the backyard.

“Damn.” Mac frowned.

“Did you find anything?” Daniel joined Mac and followed his gaze. “Damn.”

“No kidding.”

Daniel shook his head. “Awful close to town.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t suppose whatever animal did this would attack during the daylight?”

“Most predatory animals are nocturnal,” Mac said. But he knew animals with rabies would attack day or night.

A movement caught his eye. Eve and Joey left the house and were walking down the street toward the Community Center.

“Whatever it was took out a pretty big goat. Almost as big as a man,” Daniel said.

Definitely larger than a child Joey’s size.

Mac looped the reins over the saddle horn and swung up into the seat. “Better warn the neighbors.”

Chapter Three

Exhausted from a full day of scrubbing floors and windows, Eve hung up her cleaning rag. With Joey in tow, she left the house and walked to the Community Center, only four blocks away.

With her head tilted toward the troubled sky, Eve ignored the oppressive cloud cover and let the ambiance of the small Texas town wash over her. What a wonderful feeling to be in a place where she could walk anywhere she wanted or needed to go. To belong to a community where she could get to know everyone on a first-name basis. How different from Houston where she didn’t even know her next-door neighbor.

Yet, after the discovery of animal prints in her front yard, she wasn’t foolhardy enough to go without some protection. She tapped the end of the long walking stick on the ground with each right footstep. If something were to attack her, she’d come out swinging with enough ferocity to scare it back into the hills.

Halfway to the Community Center, she passed a five-foot-tall wooden fence. Behind it, an animal sniffed the base as they walked by. A gap at her level revealed a large black and tan rottweiler. Eve didn’t make a big deal about it, afraid Joey would freak out if he suspected a dog lurked behind the wooden slats.

Still, she couldn’t help wondering if this dog had left the pawprints in her yard, assuming the owners let him loose. She’d ask Addie.

Before reaching the door to the concrete block building painted the color of white limestone, she could hear the hum of voices from within. Excitement and nerves tweaked her stomach.

Joey dropped her hand and hooked his arm around her knee.

With a pat to her son’s head and a deep breath, Eve pushed through the screen door and stepped into the crowded building. She scanned the room for a familiar face and was about to give up when she spotted Addie.

The older woman smiled and waved. “Howdy, neighbor!” Addie weaved through the men and women to reach Eve’s side. “Glad you decided to join us.”

“I’m not so sure this was a good idea.” Eve tipped her head toward Joey.

“Give it a chance.” Addie patted her arm and drew her farther into the large room.

Walking was difficult with Joey clinging to her leg, but she managed to maneuver to the back of the building near a large serving counter. Men and women stood or sat in the available chairs, smiling and chatting in the way old friends do.

Like an outsider looking in, Eve wondered if she’d ever be this comfortable with the locals. She hadn’t grown up here, why should they accept her? Her mother and stepfather had moved every three or four years while Eve was growing up. She’d never felt like she belonged anywhere.

The same young man she’d seen yesterday in the General Store sat on the counter with the same teenage girl trapped between his knees. Today, he wore a muscle shirt exposing his broad shoulders. Tattooed on one was the face of a fanged wolf.

Eve fought a shiver. The guy was just creepy.

Without slowing her pace, Addie said, “Get off the counter, Toby Rice.”

Toby sneered. “You gonna make me?”

She tucked in her chin and glared up at him with a “don’t mess with me” look. Then her attention turned to the teenage girl. “Your daddy know who you’re hangin’ out with, Cynthia?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Cynthia smiled back at her.

Eve was surprised at the contrast between the insolent bulk of a young man and the slip of a sandy blond-haired girl who couldn’t be more than sixteen.

“Man ought to have his head examined.” Addie planted a fist on her hip and stared up at Toby. “You gettin’ off that counter or am I gonna have to have the sheriff remove you?”

“Ooo. I’m so scared.” Toby shot her a narrow-eyed look, his voice dripping sarcasm.

“Good thing your mother ain’t alive to see how rude her boy turned out.” Addie shook her head. “That woman was a saint. She didn’t deserve the likes of a bad-tempered, bad-mouthed, snot-nosed punk like you.”

Toby shoved Cynthia away and hopped off the counter to stand toe to toe with Addie Schultz. “Don’t you say nothing about my mother, you hear me?”

To her credit, Addie showed no fear, even though the big guy could have snapped her neck with one hand. “Grow up, Toby.”

“You’ll regret messin’ with me,” Toby rumbled in a low, menacing voice.

Cynthia stood to the side, her forehead creased in a frown, her hands clenched together. Toby grabbed her arm and jerked her toward the door. “Come on. This place sucks.”

“But I wanted to see Aunt Lois,” Cynthia said, her voice sounding soft and slightly apologetic.

“Forget it. We’ve got plans.” Toby jerked her arm again.

Cynthia leaned away. “I don’t want to go. Why don’t you go without me?” She twisted her arm, trying to loosen his hold.

“No way. You’re expected to be there with me. You’re going.” His hand squeezed tighter until Cynthia winced.

Tired of Toby’s bullying, Eve stepped forward. “She said she didn’t want to go with you. Perhaps you should let go of her arm, Mr. Rice.”

The young man towered over Eve and snarled. “Who are you, anyway? And who made you the law?”

She refused to be intimidated. “Eve Baxter, and no one made me the law. But you should treat her with respect, not like some piece of meat to jerk around.”

“She’s my girl. I treat her any way I want.”

Addie crossed her arms over her bosom. “Not if she don’t want it and not with me around.”

“Don’t piss me off.” Toby warned, his eyes tapering to a squint.

Eve and Addie stood their ground, refusing to back down.

Toby glanced from one woman to the other, and then snorted, turning toward the door. “Had enough of this place.” When he passed Cynthia, he shot over his shoulder, “You comin’ or not?”

Cynthia frowned at Toby’s back and then shrugged at Eve and Addie, her gaze cast down. “I’m coming.” Before another word was spoken, the two disappeared out the door.

Addie clucked her tongue. “I don’t know what a sweet girl sees in that good-fer-nothin’. I’ve a good mind to talk to her daddy.” Then she shook her head. “Never mind him.”

She took Eve’s hand and led her over to a couple closer to Eve’s age. At their feet, a girl about the same size as Joey played with a plastic bag full of rocks.

“Tom, Laura and Katie Taylor, this is Eve and Joey Baxter. They just moved to Spirit Canyon.” Addie turned to Eve. “Tom and Laura moved from Amarillo last January.”

The little girl shoved chubby hands toward Joey. “See my fossil?” In her palms was a chalky white rock the size of Eve’s fist.

Joey stared at the rock and then up at Eve.

Eve held her breath, hope rising like adrenaline in her system. She prayed Joey wouldn’t shy away from this attempt at friendship.

“Don’t you like fossils?” Katie tipped her curly blond head to the side.

Joey nodded but didn’t let go of Eve’s leg. At least he hadn’t hidden behind her.

“Here, you can have this one,” Katie said. When Joey still didn’t move, she set the rock on the floor and dug in her bag for another.

The boy sat on the floor and reached for the rock and held it in his hands.

“I got ’nother one. See?” Katie held out her hand.

This time, Joey took the rock.

Katie stared up at the scar on Joey’s face. “You got a booboo.” She went to Joey and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I kiss it better.”

Joey didn’t shrink back. He scooted closer to Katie’s bag of rocks.

Eve straightened and smiled at Tom and Laura. “Nice to meet you,” she said, and meant it. Addie was right, Joey needed other children to remind him how to act like the child he was.

“It’s hard moving to a new place and starting over. I imagine it’s even harder when you’re a single parent.” Laura squeezed her husband’s hand.

Tom laughed. “I’m beginning to wonder if we picked the wrong year to come. What with the drought, we’ll be lucky if we can pay back our loans at the end of growing season.”

When a familiar voice spoke in a low, rumbling tone to a group of folks behind Eve, every hair on the back of her neck rose in salute. Without looking in that direction, she could sense Mac had entered the Community Center. She couldn’t resist easing her head around, just enough to see him through the corner of her eye.

Just like the day before, Mac stood with his hat shading his face from the overhead lights. He moved through the crowd, stopping to shake hands with fellow ranchers.

Heart rate speeding up, Eve turned to Addie, hoping her face would cool by the time Mac reached the back of the store.

“So, Eve, are you up for a little meddling from all your new neighbors?” Addie winked at Eve. “Most folks around here see a single female as a challenge.”

Eve shook the man out of her head and concentrated on what Addie was saying. “What kind of challenge?”

“We’re still in the old-fashioned mind-set. A woman can’t possibly be happy unless she’s married.”

Eve’s stomach knotted. “Been there, done that, got the scars and the divorce decree to prove it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been hard.” Laura leaned into her husband. “Not every marriage ends in divorce, though. Right, sweetie?”

Tom squinted, a smile toying with the corner of his mouth. “Is this the place where I’m supposed to answer ‘Yes, dear’?”

Laura dug an elbow into his ribs, but Tom pulled her close for a loud, smacking kiss.

Eve smiled. She wished she’d had such a relationship with her husband. But he’d been more interested in himself and his dogs than her and Joey.

“I take it you’re not on the market?” Laura asked Eve. “Officially or unofficially?”

Eve blushed. “Unofficially. I’m not interested in dating right now.”

“What a shame. And I’d hoped to convince you otherwise.” Warm hands gripped her shoulders to turn her around.

Eve stared up into Clint Logan’s blue-gray eyes. “Like I said, I’m not interested.”

“I can be very persuasive. Am I right?” He winked at Addie.

Eve shook her head. “I have Joey to consider.”

“And why would your dating be a problem for Joey?” Clint asked.

“I’m not in the marriage market and I won’t force a stepfather on Joey,” she said.

Addie tipped her head to the side. “Don’t you think a boy needs a man in his life?”

Years of heartache surfaced, blocking Eve’s throat. All the times she’d tried to do just as her stepfather wanted in order to gain his respect and love. As she had in the past, she swallowed her disappointment. “Not always. Depends on the man.”

Joey jumped up from the floor and raced past Eve.

“Hi, Joey, whatcha’ got?” Deep tones rumbled immediately behind her.

Tingly surges raced across her nerve endings. That voice could only belong to Mac.

Eve turned as Joey launched himself into Mac’s arms and waved his rock beneath the cowboy’s nose. The two looked as though they belonged together, like father and son. How she wished Joey could have had a father like Mac. But Mac could never be his father; the best he could be was a stepfather. And Eve wasn’t going there.

“I don’t see anything wrong with a son being raised by his mother.” Clint stepped closer to Eve and laid a hand on her shoulder. “A mother loves and protects her children. She stands by them and defends them no matter what.”

Mac’s head jerked up at the words. His jaw tightened and his brows dipped slightly.

“Did I say something wrong?” Clint shrugged his shoulders.

But Mac only stared hard into Clint’s eyes and then broke the visual contact to look down at Joey. “I like your rock, Joey. Keep your eyes open, and you’ll find lots of sea fossils in the hill country.” Mac set the child on his feet, tipped his hat at Addie and strode over to a group of men.

Addie shook her head at Clint. “Wish you hadn’t said that to Mac.”

“Am I missing something?” The mayor gazed after Mac, an apologetic frown creasing his brows.

“No. You’re not missing anything. Why don’t you go do your politicking with the ranchers?” Addie pushed Clint away from the little group. “Go on, shoo!”

“Okay,” he said, moving away. He glanced back at Eve and smiled. “But I still want to take you to dinner, Eve.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m—”

“I know. Not interested.” Clint nodded. “I’m patient, I can wait.”

MAC HALF LISTENED to the local ranchers and businessmen discussing plans for the Harvest Festival. He’d never been one to join in the planning, choosing to help out when the time came to build booths and make repairs to the community building where the dance would be held.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Eve smiling and talking with Tom and Laura. Her laughter floated to him, hitting him in the gut. Mac turned away before he started thinking of something as ridiculous as white picket fences and a yard filled with children remarkably similar to Joey.

When talk about the festival tapered off, Mac brought up the topic he’d come here to discuss in the first place. “I found one of our breeder goats just over the hill from town.” Everyone within hearing distance turned toward him. “Wasn’t much left for the buzzards.”

“That’s too bad, Mac.” Bernie Odom looked up from playing checkers with Hank Bleumfeld. “Have anything to do with the drought?” he asked.

“No.” Mac glanced down at his hat and back up to Bernie. “Looked like an animal attack.”

“Any idea what?” Sheriff Hodges twirled an unlit cigarette in his fingers but didn’t light up. He’d told Mac he was in the second week of his campaign to quit smoking after thirty years in the habit. “We’ve had several reports come in about missing animals in the area. Might be a pattern.”

Mac shook his head. “Too dry for tracks. But whatever it was had to be big enough to take down a goat weighing more than a hundred pounds.”

“I’m missing a lamb, haven’t seen her since the day before yesterday,” Tom said. “Thought maybe its mother wasn’t feeding and left it laying somewhere out in the brush. I looked, but didn’t find a carcass. Not even any buzzards.”

“I lost a calf last week,” Bernie Odom said. “I found it, but the buzzards had taken care of the remains. Didn’t think much of it at the time. You tend to lose the small ones for one reason or another. Especially as dry as it is out here. But a breeder is an entirely different story.”

“Kinda reminds me of way back when we had the big drought some thirty years ago. Animals kept disappearing all mysterious like,” Bernie mused. “Think it ended up being a wolf. Isn’t that right, Hank?”

Hank’s hand hesitated over a game piece, and he glanced over at Art Nantan, the feed-store owner. “That’s right. Got quite a few lambs, goats and a couple calves.”

“Took one of my prize Merino lambs that year my breeder came in first at the state fair,” Art said and shrugged. “Happens when you’re in ranching. Thank God I’m not ranching anymore.”

“Nor are a lot of us,” Jack Adams grumbled. “If it weren’t for droughts and the animals dying, the big farming and ranching conglomerates were going to put us out of business eventually. Sure miss the old place, though.”

“What are you complaining about?” Art asked. “You telling me you don’t want to work at the feed store?”

“No, no,” Jack said. “You know I appreciate havin’ the work. I just hated losing land that had been in my family for a century.”

“Probably better off. Those of us who’ve managed to hold out are barely makin’ ends meet.” Hank scratched his head and shrugged. “The drought ain’t helpin’, and if there’s something out there pickin’ off the livestock, won’t be a lot to show at the market next year.”

“Yeah. Guess I’ll have to bring in the lambs and goat kids at night,” Tom said.

“You gonna bring in the breeders, too?” Bernie pulled a round can from his back pocket, pinched a wad of tobacco and shoved it just inside his mouth between his bottom teeth and gums. When he’d pushed it into place, he spoke over the lump behind his lip. “Can’t figure. Haven’t seen wolves in these parts since that last time. Maybe it’s just a coyote.”

“Maybe. Wolves don’t normally come this far south.” Hank studied the game board. “You gonna play or flap your gums?”

Ignoring his partner, Bernie nodded toward Mac. “That last time was bad because Jenny McGuire was attacked by the critter. That’s how come we know’d it was a wolf.”

Mac’s stomach tightened. He didn’t want to hear the story he’d heard all his life. It always ended the same.

“She’d been Homecoming Queen the year she graduated high school. I remember. I was captain of the football team, so I got to escort her down the aisle at the coronation.” Sheriff Hodges stared at a corner of the room as if seeing into the past. “She was the most beautiful girl in the county, with all that long, black hair and those blue eyes. A guy could see all the way to China in ’em.”

“She was a pretty little thang, until that wolf got hold of her,” Bernie said, concentrating on the checkers.

Mac almost turned to leave when he noticed that Eve, Laura and Addie had joined the group.

“She never was the same after that.” Bernie chewed on his tobacco. “Left town a few months later. Mac was too young to remember most of it. Ain’t that right, Mac?”

Not young enough to forget, Mac thought. His mother had left her husband behind to pick up the pieces. Mac’s only response to Bernie’s question was tightened lips. The pain and anger had long since evolved into a dull ache that never seemed to go away. Even after thirty years. “Point is,” Mac said, interrupting Bernie’s story, “whatever got that goat did it over the past two days, not thirty years ago.”

“Think whatever done it might still be out there?” Addie asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Mac inhaled deeply and let it out. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d gotten. “Although predators come out mostly at night, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on the little ones.” His glance rested on Joey and Katie where they sat on the floor just beyond the group of adults, sifting through the collection of fossils. Here in the Community Center they could play happily, oblivious to the danger that lurked near town. Outside the limestone block walls, who knew?

Eve’s voice pulled him back. “You don’t think Joey’s in danger from whatever killed the goat, do you?” Her words wobbled and her face paled.

“It doesn’t hurt to be overly cautious. Keep an eye on him and don’t let him wander far from the house.”

“Speak of the little devil, looks like someone’s getting tired.” Addie nodded toward Joey.

He set the rock he’d been holding on the ground and stood, rubbing bunched fists into his eyes.

“Come on, Joey, we should go.” Eve smiled at Tom and Laura. “It was really nice meeting you. Let me know what I can do to help with the Harvest Festival.”

Mac found himself envious of that smile. Would she ever turn to him with such a smile? Did he really want her to? She’d pretty well stated her stance on relationships. She wasn’t interested in another man in her life. Not that he was the one for her. His mother had left him and he’d watched as his father died of a broken heart. Not to mention, Mac had failed his men in combat. How could he possibly add any value to Eve’s life?

Joey walked out the door ahead of Eve.

“Joey, wait a minute.” Mac moved to snatch Joey up in his arms.

Mac’s chestnut horse stood next to the curb tied to a lamppost. Molly lay on the ground next to the big beast, her stumpy tail flicking side to side.