by Krista Lakes
“Yeah,” she agreed. “So I ran. I know that he’s out there. I think I’m safe for now. I’ve crossed state lines, and I don’t think he has a good way to track me, but...”
She shrugged. She hoped they weren’t tracking her. She hoped that they still had the wrong last name for her. She knew her files were being monitored by the police. She would hopefully get some warning if they accessed anything the police had marked. But that wasn’t something she had control over. Anxiety crept up in her chest.
She needed to change the subject.
“So, is this the main restaurant in town, or are there others I need to try?” she asked with a smile.
He took her hint and let the subject drop. “This is basically it for Silver Springs,” he replied. “There’s a grocery store nearby, but if you want more than that, you have to go to the next town over. Evergreen has a Walmart and a Walgreen’s.”
“Wow, that sounds like the place to be,” she told him. He grinned.
“Sandy’s is still better than anything they have there,” he assured her. “I promise.”
She grinned. “Well, hopefully, our food comes soon to prove it,” she said. “I’m hungry.”
“Speak of the devil.” He nodded behind her at the server returning with two plates piled high with food. The spicy smell of the chilies made her mouth instantly start to water.
She was barely able to wait until they both had their plates in front of them before taking a bite. He watched as she brought the burger to her mouth and took a bite.
It was just as good and even better than he promised. She moaned, and he grinned before taking a bite of his own dinner.
Chapter 14
Dylan
Dylan 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 do it, and just the thought made him nervous and happy at the same time.
She made him feel light. When she smiled, he wanted to smile too. When she spoke about her passion for kids and helping them with their needs, he wanted to help them too. She made him want to do more.
She was a perfect fit for the ranch. Mia had been right to hire her. Her experience with special needs kids would be incredibly helpful at the ranch. There were so many kids in the system that needed a little bit more help, and she would be able to do that here. It felt almost like fate.
He hoped she was going to stay. He could tell himself it was because she was good for the ranch, but really he wanted her to stay because she was good for him.
He opened the car door, and a drop of water from the big pine tree sprinkled onto his cheek. He wiped at it absentmindedly, but the water on his face made him think of Tyson and what she’d said at dinner.
An idea formed in his head. She said to do something fun, so that was exactly what he was going to do. He grinned and hopped into his car and drove quickly to the garage. He had things to do before morning.
“Okay, are you ready Tyson?” Dylan asked the boy.
Tyson stood before him in his swim trunks and a rash-guard shirt that was a little too big for him, but a smile plastered across his face. Dylan couldn’t help but like the kid.
“Do you think she’ll be excited?” Tyson asked. His smile faltered slightly. “I don’t want her to get mad.”
Dylan put his hand on the kid’s shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. He thought of what Bonnie had said the night before. “No, she won’t be mad as long as you’re having fun. Follow me.”
Tyson nodded and carefully tiptoed behind Dylan as they circled around the pool shed in the direction of Bonnie’s cabin. She would be coming out any moment, and they had to be ready.
They hid in the shadow of the shed as she approached. She had on a bright blue full piece swimsuit with her gray sweats from the day before. The suit accentuated the soft curves of her hips and bust, and he found his mouth going dry. He was glad to see she didn’t bring a jacket today and just had her towel wrapped around her shoulders.
He stepped out of the shadow, leaving Tyson ready for their surprise.
“Hi, Dylan,” she greeted him with a smile. He loved the way she said his name. “You’re coming to the swim lesson, right?”
“I am. You don’t have anything on you that can’t get wet, do you?” he asked.
She frowned and shook her head. “No. Why?”
“No reason.” He handed her a small squirt gun he had hidden behind his back. “You may want this.”
She took it, looking completely baffled. “A squirt gun? What...”
That was when all the kids came out. Tyson and most of the other kids at camp all emerged with squirt guns and began an all-out epic water battle.
Dylan had planned it all. It was a water free-for-all. He had large plastic storage bins full of water balloons and filled squirt guns placed around the pool area. He’d gotten all the camp hoses and had them spraying sprinkler style to create a water playground for the kids to run through as they squirted and threw balloons at one another.
The air around the pool filled with the sounds of water and shrieks of laughter. He looked over at Bonnie and for a split second was terrified he’d done something wrong. But, then her beautiful brown eyes lit up. She dropped her swim towel and aimed her gun directly at his chest, letting out a long stream of water and drenching him. With a laugh, she then ran to squirt Tyson next.
He tried to follow but was ambushed by a group of kids with squirt guns. He emerged a few moments later, completely soaked and his squirt gun empty. He needed to reload and get back into the fight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bonnie trying to sneak up on Tyson to get him with her squirt gun.
Dylan ran to the nearest bin of water balloons as and threw one at Tyson. The kid ducked, and the balloon sailed over Tyson’s head and landed squarely in on Bonnie’s chest. She narrowed her eyes and ran at him, with her gun pointed directly at him once again. She squirted him until her gun ran out.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to where he had several loaded squirt guns ready to go. They each grabbed one, and he made sure to squirt her before she could get him this time. She laughed as the water splattered against her swimsuit.
Dylan couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun. He was laughing so hard his chest hurt, and he was fairly sure his face would be frozen into a smile for the rest of his life.
A water balloon smacked square into his chest. If his shirt wasn’t already drenched, he certainly was now. He looked up to find the attacker and saw Tyson reach for a second water balloon. But, Dylan didn’t care about the balloon.
He cared that Tyson was soaking wet. His hair was drenched, and water was streaming down his cheeks. And the best part was that Tyson was having so much fun, he didn’t care. Dylan found Bonnie grinning as she noticed the same thing. Their eyes met, and she smiled.
She gave him a thumbs up, and her eyes told him he’d done a good job.
Dylan had been having an amazing time, but her smile sent him to the moon with joy.
Chapter 15
Bonnie
“That was amazing,” Bonnie declared. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face, des
pite 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 still wore his wet swim trunks, and his gray t-shirt hugged his chest and abs like a second skin. She was just as wet in her own swimsuit and soaked sweatpants.
“This was fantastic. I had a lot of fun,” she told him. She wished she had better words to describe how happy the water fight had made her, but she couldn’t seem to find them. “Thank you.”
He grinned at her. His smile made her feel tipsy when he looked at her like that. It made her think that he knew how she felt. That he knew she was happy.
“I think we should bring some of these to our swim lesson tomorrow,” she said, shifting the nearly full bucket full of squirt guns to her other arm. “I think it would make the lesson even more fun.”
“That sounds great,” he agreed. He looked around. “I think we’ve gotten all of them.”
She looked around the pool area. Most of the kids had helped pick up the squirt guns before running off to dinner, and it did look like she and Dylan had found most of the guns that didn’t make it into the bins. One of the ranch hands was carefully sweeping up the balloon pieces that were on the concrete by the pool with a broom.
“And you’re sure the balloons are okay to leave out?” she asked, looking at all the brightly colored pieces in the grass.
“Yes,” he assured her as they walked to the pool shed. “They’re biodegradable. They’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.”
“That would have been so nice when we were kids,” she remarked, remembering her parents making her pick up all the tiny latex pieces of summer fun.
He opened the pool shed, and together they walked inside to add their squirt guns to the pile inside. He set his bin down in the corner next to the others before taking her bucket and adding it to the pile.
“Would you be interested in some dinner?” he asked nonchalantly as he organized the plastic weapons.
“I could go for some,” she replied. She thought of her green chili burger from the night before, and her stomach grumbled, betraying her hunger.
“Are you thinking about Sandy’s burgers?” he asked with a chuckle.
“How did you know?” she asked. She didn’t think her stomach was that loud.
“Your face got all far away and dreamlike,” he replied. He smiled at her. “Most people get that way when they think of Sandy’s burgers.”
“You got me.” She shrugged and smiled. “They’re just so good.”
He nodded in agreement, and she turned to exit the small pool shed. She pushed open the wooden door of the shed and stopped short. She stood in awe, caught full blast in the beauty of the mountains in front of her.
She stood in the doorway taking them in. The green of the pine trees, the perfect blue of the sky, the brown and purple of the mountains with just the tips of white. Standing there, she finally understood the “America the Beautiful” lyric of “purple mountain majesty.”
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Dylan’s voice was soft behind her shoulder. He was close enough to touch her if he wanted and she found herself wanting him to do so.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to trap you in there,” she said quickly, stepping out and turning to the side to let him out. But he didn’t move. He stood there, looking at her.
He was so handsome in the late afternoon sunlight. It accented the strength of his jaw and the line of his nose while softening his dark eyes with warmth. Droplets of water from their squirt gun fight glimmered in his dark hair and dripped down the back of his neck.
His eyes met hers, and she swore her heart stopped. Deep pools of rich brown enveloped her and warmth spread through her entire body. He moved toward her, tipping his chin and angling his body into hers. She forgot how to breathe as she realized he was going to kiss her.
Oh good lord did she want him to kiss her. She took a step forward, her hands trembling in anticipation. If this were a movie, there would be swelling romantic music right now.
But, then he paused, catching himself before he touched her. He cleared his throat and looked away as if he had thought better of what he was doing. He stepped back into the shed, shadows falling across his face and hiding his eyes.
“I need to change before dinner,” he said quickly. “I’ll meet you at your place.
“Um, sure,” she stammered, unsure of what was happening. Had she misread him? Her arms wrapped around her middle. She put on a smile she knew didn’t reach her eyes. “See you in a few minutes.”
Stupidity and embarrassment flowed through her in hot, heavy strokes. She shook her head as she hurried to her cabin. Why would he want to kiss her? He was gorgeous. And a billionaire.
She was a woman on the run with messy hair.
She turned before she could make a bigger fool of herself and saw a teenager staring at them. He was probably around sixteen. She recognized him as one of the younger camp counselors. He often worked with Elena, and she knew the two of them were close. He walked over to her.
“I found this.” He held out a squirt gun from the earlier fight. “I thought I’d put it away.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” The teen smiled at her and turned to leave. She felt like an idiot. No wonder Dylan didn’t kiss her. They had an audience.
She took the squirt gun back to the shed and handed it to Dylan. He took it without a word.
“See you in a little bit,” she said lamely, and she quickly turned to walk to her cabin. The moment was gone.
She walked quickly. She wanted that kiss, but she knew it wasn’t happening. She just had terrible luck. She told herself it was probably for the best.
Sure, they had fun together. He certainly made her laugh, and he was funny and smart. They’d had a great time at dinner the night before. However, she was on the run. If the police called, if a strange car showed up, if she saw something odd, she would have to run. It was better not to get attached, no matter how good looking he was.
She opened the door to her cabin and went inside to change, muttering to herself that she needed to get a grip.
She rinsed off in the bathroom and quickly changed into jeans and a cute t-shirt. It was a good thing there wasn’t a dress code at the camp or at Sandy’s because she had nothing else to wear. Since the fire burned most of her clothing, she’d been living out of a suitcase. She’d packed a few things, but she’d never intended to only have three outfits. The suitcase was supposed to be a temporary thing, not her long-term wardrobe.
She wished she had something to put on that wasn’t jeans and a t-shirt. She wished she could look cute tonight. It would certainly help her mood.
She ran a brush through her hair and decided she would pick out some new clothes online. She was finally someplace she could stay long enough to deal with shipping. A few new shirts and maybe a skirt or dress would make her feel prettier.
She sighed and headed out to meet him. She still felt like an idiot, but she was hungry, and they were getting dinner. He was still the closest thing she had to a friend here. She didn’t want to be alone just because she was on the run. It was just her luck she’s meet a great guy when she had to hide from the mob.
; She stepped out onto the porch of the cabin and took in a deep breath. He wasn’t here yet. There wasn’t a thunderstorm today, which she was glad of. The sun was starting to creep closer to the mountains for the night, and the scent of pine was thick in the air. It always amazed her how late the sun set in the summer.
She stepped off the porch and saw him walking toward her. Her body heated as she looked at him. He had on his faded jeans, low-slung and ripped at the knee and t-shirt that fit him perfectly. Somehow still looked like he just walked off the catwalk. She had a hard time believing that this guy had sat behind a desk to make his living. His broad shoulders and trim waist made it look like he’d worked on cars and with his hands his whole life instead.
“All ready?” he asked. He stopped short of her with a friendly smile.
Friends, she told herself. Just friends. He had seemed to have completely forgotten their almost kiss earlier if it hadn’t been all in her mind in the first place. Maybe she was just hallucinating due to hunger.
“Yup,” she said, putting on a smile of her own. “I’m ready for that hamburger.”
This time he’d left his car in the garage, so they walked across the ranch. She made sure to keep her distance and not accidentally bump her hand into his. Even though she wanted to. The last thing she wanted was for him to stop spending time with her because she tried too hard to kiss him.
The car ride down to Sandy’s was comfortable, and she started to relax. He liked alternative rock on the radio, and they talked about music. She preferred country, and he only teased her a little bit about it before turning on a country station.
“Wow, the place looks packed,” Bonnie said as they pulled into the parking lot. Every spot seemed to have a car in it. Dylan pulled around to the back and managed to find a spot just as someone was leaving.
“It’ll be fine,” Dylan promised, but he didn’t sound terribly confident about it.
They got out of the car and walked into the restaurant. The night before, they’d walked in and sat right down, but tonight they could barely get in the entrance.