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Desi walked over to the coffee table, sitting on the couch, she started clearing up the mess from their dinner. “American dollars, roughly, $6000.00. With her not being spayed, that could be higher yet.” Her hands stilled as she looked up at him and frowned.
“What is it?”
“If Brian is actually planning on paying Pete back double like he said, that could only mean one thing...”
“He or someone else has plans on breeding her,” Lane said, finishing her words for her.
“He took her three weeks ago, that means we have time!” She stood, dropping the takeout container to the table. “A cat’s gestation period is about 2 months.”
A lightbulb went off in Lane’s head. “And what better place to do it then in some little lakeside village tourist area where you can blend in, and no one be the wiser?” Lane looked at his phone and checked the time. “Grab whatever it is women take with them and that photo of you holding the cat.”
“Do you mean a purse? Why?”
“Yeah, that, and because Mack closes the store in a half hour. If anyone knows anything about newcomers, it’s him.”
Chapter 10
Brutus whined at Ben’sfeet. He quietly shushed his as he stood in the darkness rocking Anabelle to sleep while staring out the window. He’d been there for so long he was starting to go bug eyed, watching for Abbi’s SUV to turn down the road.
When he left this morning, she’d told him she was heading to Springbank for the day to get last-minute décor for the wedding. When the storm rolled in, he’d called her phone multiple times and each time it had gone straight to voicemail. Which wasn’t worrisome, she always kept it on silent since Annabelle had been born. He decided that she likely ran into someone and decided to have dinner with them. What wasn’t likely, was her not letting him know her plans.
He peeked down at his daughter to see her sound asleep. Turning, he gently changed her position and cradled her in his arms. Carefully, he placed her in her crib and covered her with the blanket. The flash of headlights on the wall in front of him, told him someone was driving towards the house. Looking out the window, he saw it was Abbi. Quietly he went to the door and whistled softly to the three dogs that had been lying on the floor. Without a sound he gently closed the door behind them.
Ben headed down the hallway to the kitchen and let the dogs out to do their nightly prowl of the backyard before bed. Expecting her to walk in any minute, he started loading the dishwasher but stopped when the front doorbell rang. He snorted out a laugh. “She must have a ton of stuff,” he said to himself, walking to the door. Pulling it open, he was mildly shocked to see Lane and Destiny standing on the porch looking like two drowned rats.
“Hey guys,” Ben said, looking around them for Abbi.
“Hi,” they said, in unison.
“We just came from Mack’s and wondered if we could talk to you for a minute?” Lane said.
“Ah sure.” Ben took a step back for them to enter. “Where’s Abbi? Is she still getting stuff out of the car?”
Lane and Destiny looked at one another, then at Ben.
Lane shook his head. “She isn’t with us. She’s here... isn’t she?”
