Beauty and the Beastmaster - Linda Winstead Jones Page 0,6

keep going to whatever barbershop or salon he’d been going to? “It looks fine to me,” she said casually.

Eyebrows lifted slightly.

Gabi sighed. It didn’t make sense for her to refuse to cut his hair. Might as well get it over with. “I have an opening at two.”

He nodded and left, running to catch up with his dogs. Judge followed. The bloodhound glanced back once. Silas did not.

“I don’t need a man,” Gabi whispered. “I don’t want a man.”

The tingle that worked its way through her body called her a liar.

Silas ran toward home, the pack a short distance ahead and Judge trotting along beside him, only occasionally veering off to investigate an interesting smell or noise. He himself felt the stir of smaller animals, birds, even insects who were drawn to him, who were disturbed by his presence. They didn’t move close, not without invitation, but they connected to him on a level no one outside Mystic Springs could ever understand.

With a scowl on his face, Silas looked down at the bloodhound who once again ran beside him. “What is it about the beauty shop that makes you stop there nearly every damn day?” Something was up. The dog had been drawn to the beauty shop well before Jenna had mentioned Gabi’s name and Silas’s part of her scheme.

Judge didn’t answer. He was too caught up in the exhilaration of the run, the smell of the woods, a squirrel not too far away.

Silas had been mulling over Jenna’s request for the past week. February had gone and March had arrived, while he’d pondered. Like many in town, he saw the appeal of complete isolation. Not everyone agreed which is why Jenna and Donnie, and whoever else they were working with — they’d kept that information to themselves — wanted to keep their plan quiet.

According to Jenna it would be Silas’s job to get Gabi Lawson out of town, to make sure she and her kid were well away from the town limits when the spell went down. Did she know about their one date months ago? If she knew much about that night, she would’ve gone to someone else.

Clint’s new wife had been certain he and Gabi would be well suited. She’d wanted to play matchmaker and had been very disappointed their dinner together hadn’t been more successful. Neither of them had wanted to be there. Gabi wasn’t chatty and neither was he. When he’d gotten the phone call about the bats in Lilian’s attic it had almost been a relief.

It had been stupid of him to suggest they try again. At least she’d been smart enough to shut him down.

He had less than three weeks until the equinox. It would arrive at a late hour, which meant getting Gabi out of town for the day wouldn’t do the trick. Jenna wanted all the Non-Springers gone before she cast the spell that would isolate Mystic Springs and the people who lived here.

Silas didn’t have any love for Non-Springers, as a whole. Their presence meant Springers had to hide their abilities, which was annoying. And if heaven forbid those without magic found out what was going on all around them, their reactions varied from horror to sick fascination to jealousy. There were a few exceptions, of course, there always were, but still…

Jenna’s reasoning seemed to be motivated by more than a simple dislike. Non-Springers would weaken the spell, she said. She’d grudgingly decided to allow a few to stay, specifically those who were married to Springers, knew their secrets, and — most importantly — were carrying Springer babies. Marnie Maxwell and Cindy Benedict, in particular. Everyone else had to go. He hadn’t known Cindy was pregnant until Jenna told him.

He still wasn’t sure why Jenna had chosen him to run Gabi out of town. She knew he was in favor of isolation, but there was no way for her to be certain he’d cooperate. Maybe she’d come to him because he led such a solitary life. If he was going to tell anyone it would probably be one of the dogs, who’d keep his secrets well as they always had. Maybe she thought she could charm him into doing as she asked. Jenna had always been able to get men to do what she wanted them to do.

For the past week he’d considered his options. He could do as Jenna asked or he could flat-out refuse. He could go to Clint and spill the beans about his ex’s return and her