Page 36 of Beauty and the Beastmaster

“I’ll teach you everything I know, but before you take Gabi and Mia and get out of town I want to be pregnant with your child.”

Blake started to balk at her suggestion. She’d eventually show up wanting child support. She’d hold a kid over his head from now until the end of time. Jenna might say she didn’t want anything from him, but one day…

“In less than two weeks, I’m going to cast a spell that will isolate this town and everyone in it from the rest of the world. We need to heal, to grow, to reclaim who and what we are. You’ll be long gone by then. You’ll forget me, you’ll forget that there’s a baby. And there will be no way for me to get to you.”

Had she read his mind? That was a ridiculous idea, as was everything else she’d said.

Jenna made herself look like Gabi again, and she whispered, “Yes, I did.”

“What the hell?” he said, giving in, grabbing the woman who offered herself to him and pulling her close. He was unable to resist the temptation of Gabi’s face on a willing body.

Chapter 12

Gabi ran from Silas’s truck to Cindy’s front door. What if Blake had been here, what if he had Mia? She knocked frantically, and was answered by Judge’s bark. That sound reassured her. The dog had been hers for a few days, and she already knew his barks. That was a simple “someone’s at the door.”

Cindy opened the door a minute later. She’d been working on a painting, and had a smudge of pink on her face and several smudges in different colors on her smock. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

Gabi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mia toddling for the door, a happy “Mama, Mama, Mama,” on her lips. Judge trailed close behind.

“I’m taking the day off,” Gabi said. Her voice shook a little.

Cindy waved to Silas, who was making his way to the door.

Gabi already regretted telling him everything. She sure as hell didn’t want everyone knowing her business. Maybe the man looking for a haircut hadn’t been Blake at all. Maybe she was being paranoid. Lots of men had blond hair and blue eyes, and any one of them might’ve been annoyed and unpleasant when they found a place of business closed.

Paranoia was reason enough to pack up and move on. It was time, anyway. There was a sadness in the knowledge that she had to move on. She liked it here. She had friends. She had Silas…

No, Silas was just a distraction.

And now he knew the truth. In a panic she’d told him everything! She had no choice but to leave.

She collected her daughter, the diaper bag, and the dog, and with Silas beside her they walked across the neighboring lawn to her house. Judge seemed to be especially on guard. The bloodhound stayed close, his gaze scanning the path ahead and on occasion behind. Animals were more empathetic than humans. Judge had picked up on her mood. He knew something was wrong.

Gabi half expected Silas to peel off and head back to his truck. Knowing what a fool she’d been, how gullible, how blind… he’d lose all respect for her. Assuming he’d had any respect for her to begin with. But he didn’t leave. He stayed beside her, as on guard as Judge.

Juggling Mia, the diaper bag, and her purse, Gabi reached inside the purse and felt around for her house keys. Silas tried to take Mia from her, to help, she knew, to take something off her hands, but she wouldn’t let him.

She needed her daughter in her arms right now. Holding Mia grounded her. She needed that as she thought ahead to what she’d need to run again.

Her head was spinning. She had cash, but her car tag had expired months ago. If she was stopped by the police, maybe a state trooper, she had no valid driver’s license to offer. Maybe some women could talk themselves out of that kind of situation, but not her. She’d stammer and get flushed and look guiltier than she really was. Then what?

Inside the house, she dropped the diaper bag and her purse on the couch. She would’ve liked to hold Mia a while longer, to cuddle while she gathered her thoughts, but the baby squirmed and kicked her feet until she was released. Mia ran for her bedroom, and her toy box. Judge trailed behind, casting one long glance back.

Leaving Gabi alone with Silas.

She looked at him. Not long ago she’d been so satisfied to simply lie with him. She’d let her guard slip; she’d let herself believe, for one long and wonderful moment, that she could have a man like him in her life.

“You can go,” she said, forcing the words past the knot in her throat.

He didn’t move. “No. I’m not leaving you alone until we know for sure if the man Jordan talked to is your ex-husband, or not.”

“It doesn’t matter.” If she told Silas she was going to run, would he try to stop her? She’d told him she didn’t, couldn’t, love him, but did he think there might be more, in spite of her protests? “I need time to think, and I can’t do that while you’re here.”

“Fine.” He leaned in and down, kissed her in an achingly familiar way, and headed for the door.

Maybe she could smear another layer of mud over the date on the license plate. It was a short-term solution, but better than stealing someone else’s tag. Would she take Judge with her or leave him with Silas? She didn’t want to separate Mia and the bloodhound, but traveling with a big dog would be a challenge.

Handling Mia would be a nightmare if she took her dog away. She loved that bloodhound. One day Mia would learn that love wasn’t real, but for now…