Beauty and the Beastmaster - Linda Winstead Jones Page 0,12

said gently. “You stay with Silas. Go, Judge. Go to Silas.”

The bloodhound didn’t pay a bit of attention to the words, but stubbornly stuck by her side.

“Come on, dog, give me a break,” Gabi said.

Silas lowered himself to the sofa in the living room, which looked to be furnished with whatever had been left behind because it hadn’t been worth moving, along with a few mismatched pieces she’d probably picked up at the antique store. Junk store was more appropriate, but to each his own.

He said, “Judge,” once, and the bloodhound came to him. Silas not only saw the dog’s displeasure, he felt it. It was strong, stronger than it should’ve been. Unhappily, Judge settled at Silas’s feet.

Mia started to scream again. The sound carried through the small house. That noise was downright piercing; it distressed Judge, who was torn between his new friend and his alpha.

How could something so small make so much noise? Now and then, mostly disguised by the racket the kid was making, he heard shushing sounds from Gabi. Soothing words that did not soothe. Sighs. Maybe a curse word, or two.

In minutes, Gabi and Mia returned to the living room. As soon as they appeared, Judge relaxed.

“I can’t stand it,” Gabi said. “I can’t stand for her to be so miserable.”

She put Mia down with caution, making sure the kid was steady before letting go. The sniffling child shook off her distress, squealed in delight, and ran to Judge to plop down not beside the dog but on him. Little arms wrapped around Judge’s neck.

It took no special abilities to realize that these two were now content.

Gabi sat down in a chair across from Silas and kicked off her shoes. Feet tucked beneath her, she relaxed visibly. She was resigned, it seemed.

Mia rested her head on her new friend and slept. Judge lowered his head to the rug and closed his eyes, too. Yes, they were content. Silas felt their bond, it washed over him like a wave. If he wanted that kind of commitment, that kind of connection, he might be jealous.

He listened as best he could for another hint that the kid was a Springer. Another mine; a word of happiness; anything.

Nothing.

“It appears I’m the proud owner of a bloodhound,” Gabi said.

“It appears so.”

“I’ll need a list,” she said sensibly. “Dog food, what kind, how much, and how often. Are there any meds? Shots? Is Judge an inside dog or an outside dog? How old is he? Does he need to be, you know, fixed?”

Judge narrowly opened one eye and glanced up at Silas.

“I’ll take care of everything, don’t worry.”

Gabi let her head fall back against the chair. She closed her eyes. “I never had a pet, growing up. Mom was allergic to cats and she said a dog would be too expensive and too much trouble. She argued that they’d make too much mess, and they’d just die anyway.” She screwed her lips up, for a moment. “Looking back, I bet she wasn’t allergic to cats. She just didn’t want one. I had a turtle, once,” she added with a sigh.

It was a sad way to live, with no animals in your life. He felt sorry for young Gabi. Judge would be good for her, and for Mia.

He stood, stretching out, making his own mental list. “I’ll be back in a bit with the dog food.”

“I’d appreciate it.” Gabi stood, too, seeming to unwind and unfold in the most sensual and natural way possible. Looking at her, he remembered the way her hands had felt on his head and shoulders as she’d cut his hair. He remembered the feel of her, the smell, the energy, as she stood close behind him.

He nodded in her direction and left more abruptly than was necessary.

Walking down the road, he already missed Judge. He cared for a lot of animals, they were all his, for a while, but Judge had been around for longer than most and dammit, he’d gotten accustomed to the dog being there.

But Judge had found his home, and that was what mattered.

For now. If and when he ran Gabi out of town, would she take the bloodhound with her?

Chapter 3

As much as she’d resisted the idea of taking on the responsibilities of a pet owner Gabi had to admit, Mia loved that big, ugly dog. How could she even think of separating them?

After a short nap Mia and Judge took over the living room floor, rolling around and laughing, nudging one another