An Endless Kind of Love

by Krista Lakes

  “Should I cancel the trip?” she asked.

  “You don't have to. Just be cautious. You said you're going with Dylan Abbott, so that should be more than enough security,” he replied. “If anything, you've got better security now than your brother does.”

  She looked over at the door of her cabin. She could see the blinking lights of the security system Dylan had installed for her and she knew there was a guard patrolling around her cabin. He promised even more security for their trip. She hoped it would be enough.

  “Thank you, Mike.” She felt safer knowing that her former neighbor and friend was watching her back. She hated needing someone else to make her feel safe. She would be glad when this was all over.

  “Of course. You stay safe,” he replied. “I'll call you if I get any other news. I know this isn't much, but it does mean that the end is in sight. You'll be able to come home soon.”

  I am home, she thought. It surprised her.

  “Thank you again,” she said instead. She clicked the phone off and set it on the bed beside her.

  She didn't feel strong enough to get up, so she just kept her eyes closed as she lay on the bed. The world spun beneath her, and her fingers clung to the bedspread.

  The trail was coming. Her brother would testify, and this would all be over. She could go home.

  She swallowed hard. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to leave Dylan.

  Dylan. She was safe with him. She was home when she was with him.

  She turned her head and looked at her packed bag. The idea of traveling away from this safe haven made her stomach go sour.

  The trip was a bad idea. The trial date was set, and it put a deadline on finding her. They would be looking for her, and she was going to a big city. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay here. She was safe here. She had a bad feeling about this.

  She had to tell him no.

  Chapter 25

  Dylan

  Dylan hadn’t been this excited to visit his grandfather since he was a boy. He already had all the places he wanted to show Bonnie mapped out in his head. He wanted her to meet his grandfather. He wanted her to eat the food he remembered growing up. He wanted her to experience everything about the city that he loved.

  He wanted to share his world with her.

  Dylan had never brought another woman to New Orleans. His grandfather had never met any of his former girlfriends. It never felt right to introduce him to them. But, Dylan wanted his grandfather to meet Bonnie.

  When he thought about what the meant, it made him both nervous and excited. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. He knew in his bones she was the one for him. They had amazing chemistry both in and out of the bedroom. She made him smile without trying.

  He was head over heels in love with her.

  He put the last couple things into his small carry-on bag. He didn’t need much for the quick weekend trip, and if he did, it would be easy enough to buy things there.

  Dylan felt light. His heart was happy and his world full of goodness. He was finally doing work that mattered to him. He was helping foster kids find their way in the world. He had a good woman that he was proud to introduce his grandfather to.

  Life was good.

  He grinned and headed out of his trailer to go pick up Bonnie for their flight. He opened the door and nearly tripped over her. She sat on the bottom step, her bottom lip between her teeth and her brow tight. Her dark eyes were deep and unhappy.

  “What’s wrong?” He dropped his bag and immediately sat down beside her.

  She took a shaky breath. “I can’t do this.”

  His heart dropped straight down to his toes. This? Them? He did his best to keep his voice calm and centered. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t do this trip.” She sniffled. “I’m so sorry.”

  He relaxed a little. It was the trip, not them. Being in a relationship that really mattered to him like this was new to him. He still had some things to get used to.

  “Why?” He asked. He wanted her to go with him. He was so excited for her to meet his grandfather. This was important to him, but he wanted it to be important to her too. He wanted her to want to go.

  “It’s not safe,” she told him.

  “What?” He had taken all the precautions he and his security team could think of. He had the heads of security for three billionaires come up with the plan to keep her safe for the trip. The president of the United States had less security. “Where we’re going is very safe. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your safety.”

  She sniffled and smiled at the same time. He had no idea what that meant.

  “That’s not it. It’s not safe for me to go,” she repeated.

  He sighed. They’d been through this. They’d been through it several times. He understood that there were mobsters looking for her. He got that. He also understood that the Trio was a small organization that didn’t have a lot of power anywhere but in her town.

  Did she not realize how important this was to him?

  “Bonnie, we’ve talked about this,” he tried again. “We have enough security. You’ve seen what the heads of security came up with. You said it was enough.”

  He gently put his hand on her shoulder, and she pulled away hard. He tried to keep the hurt from her motion from showing.

  “Things change,” she snapped. She stood up, her arms wrapped around her.

  “Bonnie, what’s going on?” He kept his voice low and gentle. She was obviously upset about something. He didn’t know what, but she needed him. The protective part of him wanted to wrap her up and punch anyone that came close to hurting her. He wanted to fix the world for her.

  “They’re looking for me,” she whispered. “The trial’s been set. If they can find me before the third, they’ll be able to keep my brother from testifying.”

  He understood now. She was scared. She was pushing him away because she was terrified. His heart ached for her. The anger vanished instantly.

  He got up and pulled her into his chest. This time, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she tucked her head, burying her face in his shoulder. She shook like a leaf in the wind. He hated to see her this scared.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered into her hair. “I promise.”

  “I’m just so scared,” she admitted. “I’m scared for me. I’m scared for my brother. I just want this to be over. I’m so tired of looking over my shoulder all the time. I jump at every car that passes, even if I recognize them. I don’t want to hide anymore.”

  He rubbed his hands along her back in slow, soothing circles as she cried into his shoulder. He wished he could make this better. He wished he had a secret crime-fighting alter ego that could go to New Jersey and wipe out the Trio. He wished he had some way, other than hiring security teams, to keep her safe.

  But he didn’t. He had hired the best security team money could buy to go with them. He had private tours and fake names all set up for the two of them. No one but his grandfather would even know they were in the city.

  “Please come with me,” he said softly once her breathing evened out. “I want you to meet my grandfather. I will keep you safe.”

  She sniffled.

  “If you want, my grandfather can be the only person in the entire state of Louisiana that gets to see you,” he offered. “I’ll make everyone else leave.”

  She chuckled. “Having no one see me would make security hard. They should probably keep an eye on me.”

  He smiled. She was joking which meant she was feeling better. “You have a good point.”

  She pulled back and wiped at her face. Even blotchy from crying, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

  “You promise you’ll keep me safe?” she asked once more.

  He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Extra security. Extra everything. I promise.”

  She nodded slowly. “You want me to meet your grandfather that badly?”

  Embarrassment
tugged at him. He hadn’t told her how much this meant to him. “Yes. It’s important to me. He’s the reason I want to go. I want you to meet him.”

  She smiled at him. “He’s important to you. It’s important to you that I meet him?”

  He nodded. “Yes. He’s all I have left of my dad.”

  “So, this trip is really for me to basically meet your parents.”

  He shifted his feet. “More or less. You still need to meet my mom and my sister.”

  “I get the impression that you don’t care what they think as much as you do your grandfather.” Her brown eyes watched his face. How did she see him so easily?

  “They like everyone. My grandfather is more... picky.” There was a very good reason why he’d never brought a girl home to Grandfather. None of them measured up. He thought Bonnie would.

  She hugged him. “I now see how important this is to you. So, let’s go.”

  “Yeah?” His spirits lifted.

  “Yeah. But, no public areas. I’m still not sure going to New Orleans is a great idea,” she told him. “But, it’s important to you. So, I’ll go.”

  He grinned and hugged her.

  She was going to meet his grandfather.

  Chapter 26

  Dylan

  The plane ride went smoother than Dylan could have hoped for. He knew she was nervous about flying and leaving their safe haven of the ranch. He wanted her to feel safe. Luckily, being a billionaire had some perks. Like private jets.

  He’d loved watching her eyes go wide as they drove up to his jet. He’d loved watching her wander around the jet and asking if this was really all for them. He was fairly sure her mouth didn’t close the entire take-off because she was so amazed to have the plane all to themselves.

  That in itself made the purchase of the jet worth it.

  They’d flown out of the small local airport. Carter had made sure the runway could handle jets, so the entire airport serviced only small crop dusters and multi-million dollar airplanes. It always made Dylan chuckle to see a ten thousand dollar crop duster sitting next to his ten million dollar jet on the tarmac like that was a normal thing.

  The flight was quick and uneventful. She refused the champagne but loved the chocolate covered strawberries he’d had put on-board for her.

  “Tell me about your grandfather,” she said, settling into one of the over-sized white leather chairs. She popped a strawberry into her mouth.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked, taking the seat opposite of her and grabbing his own strawberry.

  She thought for a moment. “Your favorite memory of him.”

  “That’s easy,” Dylan told her. He smiled, remembering the moment. “I was nineteen and in college. I hated it. I hated going to classes that didn’t matter and listening to professors that were only teaching because they couldn’t get jobs in the field.”

  “Wow.” Bonnie raised her eyebrows. “I sense no bitterness there.”

  He chuckled at her sarcasm. “I was supposed to get a finance degree so I could manage the family businesses. It wasn’t what I wanted to do. I had this idea for a computer run business, but my dad was determined I would get this degree and that it would give me the best shot at a good future.”

  “You don’t strike me as someone who would enjoy a finance degree,” Bonnie replied.

  He shook his head and made a sour face. “I hated it. I liked computers. I liked programming. I was really good at it too, but my father was insistent on the finance degree.” Dylan shook his head slowly. “I wanted to tell him I was going to quit and do computer work, but I was terrified. I didn’t want to disappoint him.”

  Bonnie nodded, taking another strawberry.

  “It was Thanksgiving. We were all at my grandfather’s house, per tradition. We’d already eaten, and I found myself out on the porch with PawPaw,” Dylan continued. If he closed his eyes, he could still see it in his mind. The smell of leftover turkey and potatoes, the soft laughter of his mother and sister as they washed dishes, the cool breeze as it came in off the lake. It was all still fresh in his mind.

  “Wait, you call your grandfather ‘PawPaw?’” Bonnie asked, interrupting his memory.

  “Yeah. What about it?”

  She grinned. “It’s cute. I love it. Go on.”

  He evaluated her for a moment before continuing. “Anyway, PawPaw and I were out on the porch, and he asked me how school was going. I almost told him it was great, and I was really enjoying it, but he put his hand on my shoulder, and I couldn’t do it. I told him I hated it, and I wanted to quit, but I didn’t want to crush my dad. I told PawPaw I had this idea for a computer tech company and I knew it was going to change the industry.”

  “How’d he react?” Bonnie’s beautiful brown eyes watched him closely, taking in his story.

  “He told me, ‘Screw your dad. Do what makes you happy. You start that business.’” Dylan smiled at the memory.

  “I think I like your PawPaw,” Bonnie said with a nod.

  “I was shocked. Family’s important. Family is everything with my grandfather,” he told her. “I couldn’t believe it.”

  “Then what happened?” Bonnie asked.

  “He wanted to know about my idea. He asked me all sorts of questions,” Dylan replied. “After about an hour of me talking about it, he went to his office and came back with a check. He gave me two thousand dollars to start my business.”

  Bonnie’s face softened with a sweet smile. “He did that?”

  Dylan nodded. “He told me I could cash it as soon as I told my dad. And that I was to tell my dad that I already had an investor.”

  “What’d your dad say?” Bonnie asked, taking another strawberry.

  “It took me until the next day to tell him,” Dylan replied. “He was mad, but since I already had an investor, there wasn’t much he could do about it. So, I finished the semester and then did my own thing.”

  “I’m guessing FirmHard Tech was your idea,” Bonnie said. She looked around at the private jet. “I’d say your grandfather invested wisely.”

  Dylan chuckled and nodded. “My first and only investor. I think he’s made his money back.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him.” Bonnie stood up from her chair and kisses his cheek. “Anyone who believes in you like that has to be an amazing person. Thank you for introducing us.”

  Dylan’s heart swelled. He couldn’t wait for PawPaw to meet her too.

  They arrived at another small airport north of his grandfather’s house just as the sun was starting to set.

  True to his word, he had security out the wazoo. He couldn’t look around without seeing someone either in a suit or wearing plain clothes with an earpiece. Dylan had seen world trade meetings with less security.

  He was going to keep Bonnie safe.

  They took a limo to his grandfather’s house. Again, her reaction to the limo made him smile. She loved playing the with various windows, music, lights, and features that he’d forgotten were novel.

  It wasn’t until they were a block away from his grandfather’s house that he started to get nervous. He knew his grandfather would love Bonnie. He knew because Dylan loved her, and anything Dylan loved, so did his grandfather.

  He was nervous because this was a big step for him. This truly meant that he loved her. This was the test to himself. He’d never brought anyone here because he’d never felt this way about anyone before. Bringing her to this place, the place he loved as a child, meant that it was real. That their relationship was a real thing.

  The limo turned onto the road leading to the manor and Dylan started to sweat. He turned up the air and sat in front of the vent, doing his best to keep a calm face. He hadn’t felt anywhere near this nervous during negotiations with Google for his company.

  The limo came to a gentle stop in front of the house. Dylan waited patiently for the driver to open the door. Dylan stepped out first, wanting to see Bonnie’s reaction to the house.

  His feet crunched on gray pebble
s as he stepped out. The humidity of the south hit him full in the face, warm and sweet. The scent of magnolias and night blooming jasmine drifted on the hot damp air. The hum of katydids, frogs, and the call of a whippoorwill called out like familiar friends saying hello.

  He turned and offered Bonnie a hand to exit the limo. She stepped out with a grin.

  First, she took a deep breath of the air, feeling the new humidity and the heat. Her eyes went big, and her jaw dropped as she took in the home.

  “Oh my, it’s so pretty,” she whispered, stepping away from the limo.

  He smiled, feeling a little bit of his nerves calm. Meeting his grandfather was the real test, but the fact that she liked the house bode well.

  He turned and looked at it with new eyes. It was as stereotypical southern plantation as he could imagine. Two stories with long, graceful white pillars and big porches wrapping around at perfect intervals made the house look suited to a Civil War documentary. Giant oak trees draped with Spanish moss flanked the white home.

  The big center door opened, and yellow light poured out into the soft twilight as PawPaw came to greet them.

  Dylan took a deep breath. It was time.

  Chapter 27

  Bonnie

  Bonnie stood on the edge of the large front porch as Dylan embraced his grandfather. She waited politely, her hands clasped neatly in front of her as the two men greeted one another.

  PawPaw was tall like his grandson. He had the same broad shoulders and lean frame, but where Dylan’s hair was black, PawPaw’s was silver. They had the same strong jaw and easy smile, but Dylan’s eyes were darker. The family resemblance between PawPaw and Dylan was strong, which meant that Dylan would be a very attractive old man in fifty years.

  “And you must be Bonnie,” PawPaw said, releasing his grandson and stepping toward her. “I can’t tell you how nice it is to meet you.”

  The man spoke with a soft southern drawl that Bonnie found incredibly endearing. She shook his hand, and he grinned at her.