“You’re at Mountain Hope Ranch in Silver Springs,” Mia replied. “We’re a camp for foster kids to come learn life skills and make great memories in the process.”
Dylan quickly dropped a chamomile tea bag into the cup and poured the hot water over it, scalding his hand in the process. He soldiered on, wanting to get back to their guest.
“I’m Mia Williamson. I’m the director,” Mia continued in the other room. “This is Laura. She is our barn manager. Let’s get you dried off.”
He realized Laura must have appeared with the towels as he set the teapot of hot water back on the stove. He picked up the mug and hurried back out to the cafeteria to see the woman wrapped up in fluffy towels. She looked warmer and most certainly happier.
“And of course, you’ve already met Dylan, our resident handyman,” Mia added motioning toward Dylan.
The woman looked over and smiled at him as he set her tea down on the table in front of her. Now that she was warm, her smile was softer and less forced. It made his heart flutter. If just a small smile could do that to him, he wasn’t sure what would happen if she really smiled at him. He was fairly sure he’d die of a heart attack.
He smiled back and took a seat off to the side. He didn’t want to intimidate her. She’d already had a rough night, but he did want to hear her story. He found himself wanting to know everything about her. Thunder rumbled outside, and he had to wonder what he’d brought into his life with this storm.
Chapter 3
Bonnie
For the first time in weeks, Bonnie felt safe. She had a fluffy towel draped over her shoulders with another wrapped around her body and a third drying her hair. She sipped gingerly at the hot chamomile tea in her hands. A small sigh of relief rippled through her.
The knot of tension that seemed to live in between her shoulder blades relaxed just a little bit. She wasn't shivering anymore, and she wasn't afraid. It almost felt like a dream after the past few weeks.
"So, what were you doing out on No-man's Road?" Laura asked, drinking from her cup of tea. "It's kind of off the beaten path."
She and Mia sat across from her at the large square table, and Dylan had pulled up a chair catty-corner to them. Bonnie was doing her best not to look at him too much. She had a bad habit of staring at handsome men.
“I was trying to enjoy the mountains,” Bonnie explained. “I thought my car could handle it since it didn't look too steep. Apparently not.”
Laura nodded. “Are you from around here? Or just driving through?”
“Um, just passing through,” Bonnie replied. She adjusted the towel over her shoulders.
“Where are you headed?” Laura pressed. Her voice was friendly, but the tension in Bonnie's shoulders started to creep up again.
“Laura, stop interrogating the poor woman,” Mia said gently, setting her tea on the table. “If she doesn't want to tell us, she doesn't have to.”
“Thank you,” Bonnie replied quietly, looking into her own cup of tea. She looked up at the faces of the people around her. They were kind. It gave her courage. “Actually, I'm kind of on the run.”
“From what?” Laura asked, leaning forward with excitement in her eyes. Mia gave her a stern look that Laura completely ignored.
"My ex. It's a bad situation, and I needed to get away from him," Bonnie lied. It was her standard go-to lie now, but she couldn’t talk about them. Her most recent ex-boyfriend was happily married and living in Reno. He wouldn't appreciate being used like this, but it was better this way. She hated lying to these people who were helping her but, no one asked questions about why she was running from an ex. No one asked her to prove it or said she was making things up. It was far more believable than the truth.
“That's terrible,” Laura whispered, her green eyes wide. Mia nodded as well.
“I was taking the back road because it not only looked prettier, but I'm trying to stay away from busy places. I don't really feel safe in crowds right now,” Bonnie explained with a shrug. She happened to look over at Dylan to see his brow darken. He looked over at the door like he was expecting her ex to walk through it at any moment and he was going to beat the shit out of the guy.
“He won't find you here,” Dylan assured her, his deep brown eyes meeting hers. She believed him. The knot in her shoulders relaxed a little more.
“Anyway, that's why I was out there,” she finished lamely, forcing herself to look away from him. “I was looking for scenic views and once again chose poorly.”
“That's terrible,” Laura said, shaking her head. She paused and frowned. “I just realized that we didn't get your name.”
“Oh! I'm Bonnie.” She smiled at the two women and Dylan. “Bonnie Kincaid. It's nice to meet you all. Thank you for all the help today.”
“You're most welcome,” Mia assured her. She looked thoughtful as she sipped her tea. “If you're looking for some good mountain views, I recommend going up the mountain on Turnback Road. Once your car is fixed up, of course.”
“I'll make sure I do that,” Bonnie replied. She set her empty mug down on the table. “Do you have a mechanic in the area you would recommend? Once the rain stops, I'll call for a tow.”
“There's no need to do that,” Dylan said quickly. “We have plenty of people here at the ranch that can fix your car. Besides, this storm isn't going to let up for a while.”