It was definitely him. His hair was shorter, and he had on glasses, but it was him.
“No way,” she whispered. He laughed.
She held up the photo so she could compare him to it. The face was the same, but he looked older in the photo. He looked tired.
Dylan turned and smiled for her, giving her an even better comparison. There was a light in his eyes now that there wasn’t in the picture. He looked happier now. The person was the same, but yet totally different. She much preferred the current happy Dylan to the exhausted one in the picture.
“I can’t believe you sold it,” she said, putting the phone back in her lap as he turned into a parking lot. “I heard you could have gotten even more.”
“It was eating me alive,” he told her, pulling into a parking space on the edge of the lot next to a big blue spruce. “I hated my life.” His shoulders tensed and the dead look from the picture crept into his face as he remembered. He shook himself, bringing back the smile. “I’m much happier now.”
“I’m glad,” she told him. “But, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you here?”
“I’m here because I’m taking you to dinner,” he teased, pointing to the restaurant behind them. She rolled her eyes.
“You’re a freaking billionaire,” she replied, ignoring his joke. “You could be out on a yacht in Tahiti with female tennis players and lady active-wear models.”
“Did that already. I got bored.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t me. I wasn’t happy.”
“You weren’t happy in Tahiti surrounded by beautiful women catering to your every need?”
He chuckled. “It was fun, don’t get me wrong, but there was no life. There were no connections. I wasn’t making a difference in the world. I was just spending money and getting sunburned.”
“That doesn’t sound terrible,” she told him.
“It was a great vacation, but it wasn’t life.” He looked at her with his dark eyes and ran a hand through his messy black hair, ruffling it up at odd ends. “I wanted to find my passion. I’m still looking for it, but at least at the ranch, I’m making a difference. I’m helping people. I have meaning here.”
Bonnie thought of her own life. She thought of how good it felt to help Tyson today. To have that passion and reward for making a positive change in the world. A yacht in Tahiti was amazing, but changing a life was forever.
“I can get that,” she said slowly. “But, why not just
start your own charity? Isn’t that what billionaires do?”
“Why not just help a friend’s charity that I believe in?” he countered.
“Good point,” she conceded. She put on a pair of sunglasses from her purse. She wasn’t too worried about anyone recognizing her here, but she wasn’t going to be stupid about it either.
He grinned at her and clicked a button, opening up her door for her. She chuckled as he hurried out to offer her his hand to help her out of the low car. It was technology and chivalry all in one.
“A billionaire and a gentleman,” she said, taking his hand in hers. If felt right to touch him. “Two rare creatures. I should go buy a lottery ticket or something.”
“Even if you won, I’d still be richer than you,” he teased, making her laugh.
He shut the car door behind her before putting his hand on the small of her back and guiding her toward the restaurant. It felt good to have his hand on her. She liked him touching her. Not only did it feel good, but she felt safe.
For the first time in weeks, she wasn’t a nervous wreck about being in public. She was still being cautious and watching her surroundings like a hawk, but the anxiety wasn’t there. She wasn’t scared, just on guard. It was an amazing thing, and it was because Dylan was with her.
Chapter 13
Bonnie
He 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.