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But he wasn’t ready. He didn’t want to take her in public, when others might be tempted to try to help her. No, he wanted to get her alone so he could take his time with her punishment.

The dog would be a complication. So would the lawman. They’d seemed close, walking down the sidewalk, heads together, talking with such informal ease. Was the cop screwing her? What about the guy she’d been with last night? She was such a slut. His mother had tried to tell him, before he married her, that she wasn’t good enough for him, that she was unworthy.

Mother had been right. Maybe he could catch Gabi in the act with one man or the other and they could both die. That would be a fitting punishment.

Blake fidgeted, anxious to be on the move, to be doing something. Once he’d gotten the report about Gabi’s whereabouts he could’ve sent someone else to collect her and the kid, but that wouldn’t do. He wanted to punish her himself. Punish? He wanted to kill her, and he would.

After that he could return to his normal life and no one would ever question what had happened to her. He’d take the baby home with him, raise her himself, tell the child as she grew older what a horrible woman the mother who’d abandoned her had been. That’s what he’d tell everyone, that his ex-wife had called him, begging him to take their child because she could no longer be a single mother. She wanted to be free of her responsibilities.

If anyone didn’t believe him, they were welcome to try to prove him wrong. Good luck with that. Gabi’s body would be buried so deep no one would ever find it.

His mother had harassed him about grandbabies for years, and she’d been furious when she’d found out Gabi had been carrying his child when they’d divorced. The elder Mrs. Pierce seemed to conveniently forget that she’d been the one to insist that he sign the papers for the quick divorce, since Gabi, a woman who’d never been good enough for her son, had asked for nothing other than to be free. Good riddance, she’d said. He hadn’t bothered to tell his mother that Gabi had threatened to go to the police with pictures and medical reports, that she’d threatened to make his treatment of her public.

What a shame that his mother hadn’t lived long enough to finally get her hands on the grandbaby she’d wanted so badly. It was her own fault she was dead. She should’ve kept her big, nagging mouth shut.

It had taken too damn long, but he was finally going to get what he wanted. If he couldn’t have Gabi, no one else would.

He’d been in this hellhole of a town for two days. There was a big, white, empty house on the east side of town. An instinct had drawn him there; he’d driven down one road and then another as if on auto-pilot until he’d seen it. The empty house had once been a Bed and Breakfast, according to the sign out front, but no one was home. Judging by the dust and weeds, no one had been there for a while.

He’d parked his car in the separate garage and made himself at home. There were enough canned goods in the pantry to keep him fed for a while, and the power was still on. It was beneath him to live on a diet of canned soup and chili, but he hoped he was out of here before he had to eat the tuna. He’d make sure he was. What he had to do wouldn’t take long.

Yesterday he’d walked from the B&B to the small downtown area, wearing a baseball cap he’d found in the bedroom he chose as a disguise of sorts. His hair was a fair blond, distinctive, and it was best to cover it up. He’d stood at the end of the street and watched Gabi leave work. As soon as he’d seen the beauty salon, he’d known if she was in town she’d be there. He would’ve followed her home, but there had been too many people out and about so he’d gone back to the B&B and slept. He’d slept a lot since coming here. Normally he didn’t sleep more than five hours a night. He had to admit, he felt different here. Better. Stronger with each passing day. Maybe it was all the extra rest, but then again, maybe something in this shitty little town agreed with him.

His plan this morning had been to hide in the woods and watch the street, to watch Gabi return to work, to wait for his opportunity to reveal himself to her. But she hadn’t gone to work. No, she was out for a stroll as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She had no idea he was watching her.

Ignorance was bliss. Gabi’s ignorance wouldn’t last much longer.

* * *

Gabi felt better with the entrance to the woods behind her. She relaxed as she walked into Ivy’s bakery.

It was impossible to know what kind of mood Ivy would be in, from one day to the next. Her twin Eve was steady, almost always pleasant. She had a nice smile, and an easy way about her. Ivy, though she looked very much like her sister, had an unpredictable temper and an impressive scowl.

If Gabi was more curious she might ask why Ivy’s personality was so unlike her twin’s. What had made her so angry? Ivy got her red hair trimmed every couple of months, so she’d been in the chair in the beauty shop. But she didn’t offer much in the way of personal information and Gabi didn’t ask.

Every woman was allowed her secrets.

But man, could Ivy bake.

If Ivy hadn’t mentioned that they needed a hair stylist, that morning Mia’s screams had led them to Mystic Springs, Gabi might’ve gassed up and left town. Thank goodness Ivy had been in a friendly mood that particular morning. Otherwise, where might she be? There was no way to know.

The baker scowled at Judge, who refused to be left outside. Gabi thought that maybe she should’ve brought Judge’s leash with her, but she really didn’t want to harness the big bloodhound. It didn’t take a critter specialist to realize he wouldn’t like it.

Gabi ordered a variety of baked goods to go. A couple of cupcakes. A bear claw. Half a dozen of Mia’s favorite cookies. Chocolate chip. She’d cook dinner for Silas, but she didn’t know what he’d like for dessert. She added a couple of lemon bars to the mix.

As Ivy boxed up the order, she said, “So, Silas Hollister. I didn’t see the second date coming, not after the first one went so wrong.”

“Neither did I,” Gabi said honestly. Did Ivy know Silas had come back to the house last night, that he’d stayed a while? She wouldn’t think so, but in this town it was definitely possible. “He’s a nice guy. I like him. That first time things just weren’t right, I guess. It was a fluke.”

“I suppose he gave you the mutt.” Ivy placed the pretty lavender box of goodies on the counter and took the cash Gabi offered.

The bloodhound glanced up, as if he knew they were talking about him. “Judge is no mutt,” Gabi said, a little defensively. “He’s a new member of the family. He and Mia have taken quite a liking to one another.”

Ivy handed Gabi’s change across the counter. “I still don’t know why you gave Silas a second chance. I mean, he’s a nice guy and all, if you like the quiet type, but after last time…” She stopped abruptly. “It’s none of my business.”

I was lonely, so damn tired of being alone every night. I need the touch of another human being. “Silas asked, I said yes. It’s nothing serious.”

She couldn’t allow it to be.