She pushed her way past her neighbors up to the police line and watched as her world burned. It was the physical manifestation of what the last few days felt like. Everything in their home was gone. Everything they had was lost. She wasn't sure what she was going to do next.
The acrid smell of burnt plastic filled her nose. She was just glad her brother Brett wasn't there to see this. He was safe and hopefully didn't know all his things were on fire. She was glad she wasn't going to have to be the one to tell him his collection of video games was gone. He was going to flip out.
The small hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It wasn't just the fire that had her edgy. Someone was watching her. She turned slowly. It felt like she was moving through honey. He was watching her. She had seen him before. He had dark hair speckled with gray, a perfectly trimmed goatee, and aviator sunglasses. There was a distinctive scar across his right cheek that stood out pale against his tan skin.
The world went cold. Her breathing came fast and uneven. She felt like a rabbit cornered by a wolf. She wasn't safe here.
He made sure she knew he saw her. He made sure she saw him point to the fire and then at himself. Then he pointed at her. A slow, cruel smile moved across his face.
And suddenly, he was gone. He was smoke in the wind.
But the hateful smile remained in her mind.
Bonnie awoke panting with fear. In the dark, she couldn't remember where she was. Nothing was familiar. She wasn't in her room at home. She reached for her phone and knocked it to the floor. It was so dark she couldn't see her hand in front of her face as she scrambled down to find it. She dropped to the floor, her knees cold against the short carpet as her fingers searched and finally found the plastic case.
Her phone screen glowed blue in the night, illuminating the plain bed and nightstand. Memory flooded back to her as she sagged against the bed. She was still safe. She was at the ranch. The fire was just a nightmare. The man, he was real, but he wasn't here.
Bonnie sucked in a jagged breath and forced herself to take another. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could still see that smile promising death.
It took a good minute of focusing only on breathing to calm down. She concentrated on the feel of the firm carpet beneath her fingers and the sound of crickets outside her window. Finally, her heart rate slowed from outrunning death to just an intense cardio workout.
She wasn’t there any more, in front of that burning house. Now, she was here, in this idyllic mountain town. They didn't know where she'd gone, and she was determined to keep it that way. She was going to keep her brother safe.
The room was now a pale gray, and she could make out the details on the dresser. She stood up and stretched, feeling her tight muscles complain and then relax. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She wanted to get to work and have something to keep her mind off things, but work didn't start for another two hours.
Instead, she went and put on her running shoes and workout clothes. If she couldn't work, she could go for a run. She could focus on music and run the crazy off. She was already covered in sweat, so she was going to need a shower before work anyway.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror over her dresser and didn't recognize the woman standing there. The hair was shorter and darker. She'd made sure to change up her appearance to make it harder to spot her in a crowd.
“Might as well burn the calories,” she told herself as she bent over and laced up her shoes. She stepped out into the crisp morning air and took a deep breath. It smelled of clean pine and morning dew. The fire was becoming a memory again. She put her music on speaker and started to run along the path to the barn.
With every step, the fire faded from her mind, and she let the mountains give her peace.
Chapter 6
Bonnie
Sunlight flickered and danced through the pine boughs, and birds sang squeaky melodies as Bonnie walked along the gravel path to the cafeteria building. The long thin grass was still wet from the night’s rain, and everything smelled of wet pine and fresh dirt. She took a deep breath in and immediately felt like she was where she was supposed to be.
The path to the cafeteria flat and easy to walk, but with a view of the Rocky Mountains that took her breath away. The mountains were so much bigger and grander than she had imagined. It was so different from New Jersey that it felt like she’d stepped through a magic mirror and into a world of myth. A friendly little squirrel chattered at her from the top of a bright green pine tree as she walked past. She was fairly certain if she burst into song, the squirrel would sing the melody with her just like in a princess movie.
She turned a corner to find the large building that housed the cafeteria and kitchen. The big wooden structure stood at the heart of the camp with all the gravel paths leading toward the center where food and fun could be found. From here, she could see a barn, a garage, and several smaller structures she assumed were the bunks for campers.
None of the children of the camp were up and about yet, but Dylan was. She could see him in the open garage.
He was under the hood of her ancient station wagon, his hands deep in the engine. The car, and the handsome man working on it were in a large open garage filled with all sorts of shiny tools. She wondered just how many cars broke down around here to justify a garage like that. It was huge and definitely nicer than the mechanic she took her car to at home.
The garage wasn’t on her path to the cafeteria building, and she couldn’t see a way to walk over there without making it very clear that she was looking for him. She liked him, but she didn’t want to appear desperate. Besides, she didn’t want to be late for her first day on the job. Still, she couldn’t help but glance over as she walked.
Dylan had on ripped jeans that hugged the curves of his body and looked like they were made just for him. His light blue t-shirt already dirty with grease and a long cloth hung from his pocket. The angle of his body gave her the perfect view of his very muscular ass as he leaned over to work on her engine.
Heat fluttered in her low belly. She wasn’t usually a car girl but seeing a handsome man working on her car was something to be enjoyed. She did her best not to stare but still managed to nearly trip at least three times as she walked because she wasn’t watching her feet.
All too soon, she found herself on the front porch of the cafeteria. The wood was still damp from the rain as she climbed the three steps up to the two big heavy doors and stepped inside.
The eating area was better lit now that it was full of sunshine, but it still held the warmth and friendship from the night before. All the tables were set out with extra napkins, and she knew the children would be ready to eat soon.
“Hello?” she called out, unsure if she should head to the kitchen to find a guide. For a second, she thought about going and asking Dylan, if only for the chance to speak to him again.