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There was time to think it over, to ponder his options. Not a lot of time, but… time.

Silas had another reason for delaying the inevitable. Hanging around Gabi would give him time to figure out what was going on with the kid. Tonight he’d caught a hint of something he couldn’t quite explain. It hadn’t been much, and could’ve been nothing more than wishful thinking. Kids normally didn’t develop abilities until their teenage years, but now and then there was an aberration. Now and then? They were all aberrations. Every time they accepted the rules that guided who and what they were, those rules changed. Magic waxed and waned. Something once thought impossible happened. Something once thought undeniable was denied. The only truth that was inescapable was that everything changed.

What he caught from the baby wasn’t at all like his connection with animals. That was clear, unmistakable, and unique. Most animals had few words, but their emotions, their needs, were always crystal clear. There was no deceit, no playing games. He communicated with animals on a primitive level, but it’s not like they could talk. Silas Hollister was no Doctor Dolittle.

If he could literally talk to animals he’d ask Judge exactly what he was worried about where Gabi and Mia were concerned. Was it him? Jenna’s plan? Or was there something else that had triggered this protectiveness? It was impossible to know.

If it turned out Mia had Springer blood, she and her mother would be allowed to stay. He’d see to it himself. It was a good thing that Gabi had no plans beyond another date or two. She wasn’t looking for permanent any more than he was. If anything happened between them, anything beyond dinner, it would be nothing more than a fling.

If he ever did decide to get serious about a woman again, it wouldn’t be a Non-Springer.

The last time he’d made the mistake of falling for someone who wasn’t from Mystic Springs it hadn’t gone well. That was an understatement. How could he marry a woman without letting her know what he was, what he could do? How could he have known she’d freak out as if he’d grown horns and wiggled a forked tongue in her direction? The woman he’d believed himself to be in love with had acted as if he would hurt her, as if he were a freak she should be afraid of. Her exit from town had required a big dose of amnesia punch, and since then Silas had kept all his relationships with women brief, easy, and as far away from his home as possible.

It made sense to stick to that plan. Broken hearts were for saps. That pretty, airhead Non-Springer had left town years ago. He was over her. Completely and totally over what’s-her-name.

Samantha.

As he walked into the house, night birds who’d gathered in the trees around his home chattered and twittered, as if they were laughing at him. One dog howled, and others joined in. The howls didn’t last. The birds’ twitters and caws continued.

Silas went to the kitchen and the old-fashioned wall phone hanging there. He dialed Clint’s home number from memory. This was a call he should’ve made days ago.

Marnie answered, and Silas almost hung up without saying a word. That woman could talk! In this case, caller-ID was not his friend. She’d just call back.

“This is Silas. Is Clint around?”

What followed was a too-long, rambling explanation about a book deadline, long hours in the office, and her desire not to interrupt her husband unless it was an emergency.

Was it an emergency?

Not yet.

After he hung up Silas stood there a moment, his hand on the phone. Should he call Luke? No, since Jenna was involved Clint needed to hear the news first. It was only right. If he interrupted Clint with this news, that book would never be finished. According to Marnie he was close to being done.

What could a delay of a few days hurt?

* * *

Gabi looked at the painted window of her shop as she unlocked the door. Beauty Shop. It was so plain, such an ordinary designation, and the paint was chipped here and there. If she ever owned her own shop, she’d give it a snazzy name of some kind. It might be elegant, or funny, or enticing in some way.

Gabi’s Glamor.

Mia’s Mama

Curl Up And Dye

Love is in the Hair

Tangled

The possibilities were endless, but it was a waste of time to think about what she’d name a shop of her own. A woman who didn’t dare to open a bank account or renew her driver’s license couldn’t own her own business.

She swept, wiped down her station, and organized her tools. There was no one on the books until eleven, but there was always something to do. She’d left Mia and an attentive Judge with Cindy, who seemed to be feeling much better this morning. What was she going to do when Cindy couldn’t watch the baby anymore because she had a baby of her own? Maybe someone else in town would fill in, but Gabi liked and trusted Cindy Benedict. She didn’t like or trust that many people.

Well, Silas, but he hardly struck her as the babysitting type.

Dating him again was going to be interesting. That first date didn’t count, she decided. They’d both been coerced. Tricked, even. This time the decision to have dinner together had been their own, and they were going into it with their eyes wide open. Dating Silas might be fun, as long as they were both good with the rules and restrictions. She hadn’t decided what those rules might be, but she’d give it some thought. He did turn her on, she had to admit. He was good-looking, oozing testosterone, and he was at least a little bit interested in her.

Sex? Maybe. Love? Never.