BonnieHe held the restaurant door open for Bonnie like a gentleman. She smiled as she passed him, looking around as she entered. Inside, the restaurant was rustic and adorable. Everything appeared to be made of wood, and there was a friendly warmth to the restaurant. While it didn’t look like much on the outside, the delicious smell of food inside was enough to make her mouth water.Dylan waved to the bartender and grabbed a pair of menus from the hostess stand before guiding Bonnie to an empty table. She figured he had to be a regular here. There were several full tables, but still plenty of space for the dinner crowd to come in.“I highly recommend the green chili burger,” Dylan said, handing her a menu once she was seated in her booth. “It’s fantastic. Just the right amount of spicy.”She grinned and perused the menu. Her stomach rumbled. She was hungry after swimming. Everything on the menu looked good, but she was going to go with his personal recommendation.“Green chili burger
DylanDylan walked Bonnie to the door of her cabin, sad that the night was already ending. She paused at the door and flashed him a huge smile before disappearing inside. He smiled and waved before turning to head back.The sky was bright with stars. The afternoon storms had been short today, and now the sky was clear and full of tiny lights as he walked back to his car.He had butterflies in his stomach. They were dancing around with excitement from being around her all evening. He couldn’t believe how long they’d talked. The two of them had shut Sandy’s down. He watched as the light in her room flickered on. He liked knowing that she was safe.He had been worried that the ex-boyfriend was going to be a problem. He’d been worried that she was going to be still hung up on the guy, but that didn’t seem to be the case. She seemed barely able to remember him, other than the fact that he was out to get her.That was a good sign if he wanted to ask her out on a real date. He was going to d
Bonnie“That was amazing,” Bonnie declared. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face, despite the fact the water fight had ended fifteen minutes earlier. “I can’t believe you organized all this in one night.”She motioned around the pool area. It was a disaster now, but she was impressed with everything he’d set up. There were empty squirt guns laying haphazardly on the ground. They mixed with broken balloon pieces in the grass. She bent down to pick up a discarded squirt gun and put it in a bucket she carried on her arm.“Every once in a while I have a good idea,” Dylan told her, picking up a gun and putting it in the tub he held at his hip. He winked at her, making her grin.“This was beyond brilliant,” she told him. “Did you see how much Tyson enjoyed it? He didn’t even realize his hair was wet, and even when he did, he was having so much fun he didn’t want to stop.”“He was having a blast. I’m really getting to like the little guy,” Dylan agreed, picking up another squirt gun. He s
DylanDylan revved the engine and headed out on the main highway before turning off onto a small side road. It was one of his favorite places to watch the sunset. He hoped Bonnie would enjoy it. The sports car didn’t struggle to speed up the big hill even a little bit. Dylan was fairly certain he would be pushing her car at this point. He still needed to put in the new equipment he’d ordered for her.The road curved and wound its way through pine trees and aspen. They passed some large houses before coming to an open space where he pulled off to the side of the road.“Here we are,” he announced, putting the car in park and stepping out.He quickly went over and opened her car door, barely making it before she opened it herself. He enjoyed being a gentleman. She smiled as she got out of the car, even though she shook her head a little. She was her own woman.Her eyes went wide as she saw where he had brought her.The view was amazing. Spectacular, actually.There was a wooden bench tha
Bonnie“Thank you, Tyson.” Bonnie took the new roll of paper towels from him with a smile.“You’re welcome, Bonnie,” the boy replied. He flashed her a shy smile, his brown eyes happy. “I really liked today.”She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I thought you might. Was it worth missing our swim lesson for?”Tyson nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”He looked over at the table where his creation lay drying. Bonnie had set up pudding painting for any kids who were interested. She’d been surprised at the amount of kids that had opted to give up their free time before bed to do an art project. Granted, it was painting with pudding, so it was art and a snack.It was just Tyson and Bonnie now. He’d wanted to stay and help her clean up before getting ready for bed. She appreciated the company and loved the way he smiled at her. He was a great kid.“Is Dylan going to be at our swim lesson tomorrow?” Tyson asked. “I know he’s helping Ms. Laura do something for the horses tonight. But wh
DylanDylan watched as big fat raindrops fell from dark skies. Rain splattered on the windshield of his truck in messy splotches as the storm rolled in. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a rolling boom of thunder.The evening thunderstorm reminded him of the night Bonnie had arrived. The clouds were the same color, and the timing was similar. It made him smile. If the first storm had brought her into his life, he wondered what a second storm would bring.He thought about their kiss last night. He worried that she was afraid of her ex coming back into the picture, but the way she’d spoken of him the other night made him think she was over the guy. She didn’t talk about him. The ex seemed to be a thing of the past.He pressed harder on the gas pedal of the truck. He wanted to get home to see her. He’d spent the day helping Laura move a horse to a vet in Fort Collins. It had taken all day. He was glad the horse was doing well, but he hated that he’d missed the evening with T
BonnieAs soon as they were back inside, she threw her bag by the door and sat on the bed. Bonnie sighed. Better clear up the little white lies I told first, she thought.“There really was a fire, but it wasn’t started by an ex-boyfriend.”Dylan nodded at the confession, but didn’t seem fazed by the fact that she had told a little white lie.“When I got there, I knew it was a message. And the message wasn’t for me, it was for my little brother,” she said.“Your brother? The security guard?”Bonnie nodded. “He witnessed a murder. Unfortunately, the murder was a professional hit by a crime family called the Trio. They’re a small organized crime group, but they’re growing. He’s in Witness Protection now.”Dylan frowned. “So what led you to here?”Bonnie sighed again, then began to tell the story.* * *She told Dylan everything that happened in her dream. The fire. The man in the crowd. The gesture he made. The overwhelming feeling of dread that she felt.She looked around, trying to fig
Bonnie“Follow me,” Dylan whispered, his lips barely leaving hers. Bonnie nodded, and he took her hand.She held Dylan’s hand firmly as they traversed through the storm, making their way toward his trailer. She already felt better about everything. Partly because the weight was off of her shoulders. She had come forward with the truth about why she was running. Dylan had believed her, and he had promised that he would keep her safe. She believed he would.“Just a little further.” Dylan squeezed her hand and continued leading her across the field.The rain was coming down in sheets, and there was virtually no visibility. She clung to him, trusting him to find his way to his home. They passed the camp cabins and went to the edge of the property.“We’re here,” he announced.Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted her head, squinting against the rain.“This is your cabin?” she asked.“I asked Carter if I could use a trailer instead,” Dylan explained, going and opening the door for he
Bonnie~Four months later~Bonnie smoothed the front of her skirt. There wasn’t a wrinkle to be found on the soft gray fabric, but she smoothed it anyway. It helped calm her nerves.“We’re up,” a lawyer told her. The man carried himself with such ease in the courthouse. He knew where to go, where to stand, how to dress. The lawyer knew the name of the security at the front entrance even. He was comfortable. Confident.Bonnie was not.“It’ll be fine,” Dylan whispered, taking her hand in his. He gave her a gentle squeeze. She nodded. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she’d throw up. That would definitely be worse than a wrinkled skirt.Dylan held her hand as they walked into the courtroom. She was glad he was there. She was glad that Dylan was with her for this. They’d started this as a couple. It was best they finished it as a couple.The carpet was some sort of gray-green mixture. Two wooden tables sat before the judge. A stern looking woman looked out over her tall wooden bench
BonnieThe next week was a blur of police officers, questions, security upgrades, and lawyers. Bonnie was overwhelmed by it all, especially after just being kidnapped and locked in a trunk.But, through it all Dylan was there.He was there when the security team found the two of them walking up to the house.He was there when the police caught her kidnapper trying to get onto the highway with two flat tires.He was there when she had to tell the police what happened and explain the bruises.He held her hand when the lawyers came to explain what was happening next.He promised her he would always be there.And she believed him.Every night, she slept in his bed. He was there when the nightmares of being trapped in the trunk again would wake her. He would hold her and whisper calming words into her ear. He saved her every night, just as he had saved her from the trunk of that car.A week after the incident, things finally seemed to settle back to normal. Well, as normal as things could
DylanDylan was worried. He’d seen Bonnie walk to the barn, but then she didn’t come back. He was waiting for her to come back so he could show her the updated car. He finally had it all fixed and ready for her. He’d basically put in a new engine, and he wanted to surprise her with it.But he couldn’t find her.He called her phone and smiled when he heard her ringtone from inside the barn.“There you are,” he said, coming inside and looking in one of the horse stalls.Except she wasn’t there. He found her phone tucked in a saddlebag. It was only because the ringer was perpetually stuck on the loudest setting that he even found it.Anxiety tumbled in his belly. There was something very wrong about this. Bonnie always had her phone. It was part of her escape plan if the Trio ever came here. She needed it. It was as much a part of her as her hand or her head.Tension crept into his jaw.He grabbed his phone and called security.“This is Dylan Abbott. Bonnie Kincaid is missing,” he announ
BonnieIt was hot and hard to breathe. Her head hurt like hell.Bonnie woke and struggled to remove the cloth from her face. She pulled at the dark fabric, finding that her hands were tied together in front of her and she was in a small enclosed space. She managed to get the pillowcase, or what she assumed was a pillowcase, off her head.Then she had to work on not panicking.Bonnie wasn't a fan of tight spaces. She wasn't exactly claustrophobic, but she didn't enjoy spelunking or being buried in a pillow fort. She liked being able to breathe and to stretch out without touching anything.She couldn't do either of those things.Panic clawed up from her stomach and gripped at her throat. She wanted to scream. She wanted to kick and thrash and fight for her freedom, but she knew that it wouldn't do any good. So, she closed her eyes, counted backward from ten and focused on her breathing.It was an exercise she did with her autistic kids when they got overwhelmed. It worked. Her chest loo
BonnieBonnie couldn’t sit still. She jumped at every sound. She saw shadows around every corner, and she heard every squeak, step, and breath of every person walking down the hall.She was a mess.Four days. Four days since they’d left New Orleans. She’d been jumping and living on little to no sleep for four days. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the man with the scar on his cheek. He would grin and then lunge for her.She’d wake up screaming and afraid to go back to sleep. Not even Dylan could get her to relax.She’d called Detective Patton, but he said there was nothing he could do. They didn’t have any reports coming into the station about the Trio. It was still business as usual. As far as the police knew, the Trio was still looking for her and didn’t know where she was.So, today, she sat outside watching the horses and trying to stay calm. She felt better by the horses. Anytime anyone approached, they would lift their heads to see who it was. They were better at spotting
BonnieBonnie was sad to leave. She loved this house. She loved PawPaw's hospitality. She loved how Dylan shared his childhood with her and the way he smiled at everything. She was happy here. She felt almost as safe here as she did at the ranch.But, she wanted to get home. They were still too close to the city for her to feel comfortable. Dylan had made sure there was plenty of security, and while they did blend into the background, she could always tell that they were there. She saw them out of the corner of her eye and would startle until she realized they were security and not intruders.“Thank you so much for having us,” Bonnie told PawPaw as the limousine drove up to get them. “I hope you'll come out and visit us sometime soon.”PawPaw wrapped her up in a big bear hug and squeezed. “I'd love that. You know you're invited out here for Thanksgiving, right?”“I wouldn't miss it for the world,” she assured him. PawPaw grinned before turning to Dylan.“This one's a keeper,” PawPaw t
BonnieBonnie woke up the next morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She was perfectly comfortable and didn’t want to move. At the same time, though, the idea of coffee sounded pretty amazing.After a while, she finally opened her eyes. The sun was pouring in through the bedroom window, brightly illuminating the room.It must be late morning, she thought. That’s weird. I never sleep in. Am I actually feeling relaxed for once, that my mind let me catch some much-needed sleep? If no, then this vacation is already the best thing I’ve done for myself in years.She glanced over to the opposite side of the bed where Dylan had slept that night. He wasn’t there, though. However, there was something in his place.Bonnie kicked off the covers and reached over to the other side of the bed. Folded neatly on top of the blanket was a beautiful sundress. She picked it up and let it unfold in front of her.The blue fabric was soft and light- perfect for a day out in the New Orleans’ heat. Th
BonnieBonnie tiptoed down the hallway to Dylan’s room. She felt like a teenager again, sneaking past her parents to meet the love of her life. Only this time, she really was with the love of her life.“You know he can’t hear you,” Dylan said, opening up the door to his room. “That door is solid, plus he sleeps with a white noise machine on. Nothing wakes him up.”“Don’t spoil my fun,” she replied. “I’m being sneaky.”He chuckled and together they went into his room. Where Bonnie’s room was delicate and feminine, Dylan’s was masculine and nautical. It had the same French doors leading out to a balcony, and the bathroom was similar, but it was much more male. It suited him.“This was always my room as a kid,” Dylan explained. For a moment he looked small and innocent before returning to the powerful man Bonnie knew.“You ever think you’d bring a girl up here?” she asked, looking around. She went to the French doors and opened them up. The magnolia-scented breeze was heavenly if a littl
BonnieBonnie descended the beautiful grand staircase and felt as regal as Scarlett O'Hara meeting Rhett Butler. Dylan waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes on her as she came down, step by step. He wore dark dress pants and a dark gray dress shirt that showed off his shoulders and trim waist. He looked good enough to eat.“Wow,” he said as held out his hand for her. “You look beyond amazing.”She grinned. “You have good taste,” she told him. “Thank you for the dress.”“My pleasure,” he replied, holding out his arm. “This way to dinner.”She rested her hand on his forearm as they walked. She could get used to this, she decided. She could get used to an elegant life with him. They stepped outside and into what Bonnie would classify as the backyard, but it was less backyard and more magical fairy garden.A small stone fountain gurgled in the center with neat paving stones leading off into different paths. The scent of magnolias was thick on the humid air, and the hum of i