“No problem.” Elena waved to Bonnie before going back to serving drinks to the people at the bar.
Dylan led the way through the crowd to the front door with Bonnie right behind him. She was glad they were leaving the restaurant. The crowd and the noise had her nerves on high alert. She was actually glad they weren’t getting a table because she wasn’t sure she could have eaten comfortably in there with that many people.
Outside, the air felt crisp and clean. She took a deep breath in and felt less like throwing up. She wished she didn’t have to feel so afraid all the time. After the trial, she told herself, everything could go back to the way it was before.
“I know a great place we can go to eat this,” Dylan said, holding up the bag of food. “It’ll take just a couple of minutes to get there.”
“Okay,” Bonnie agreed. They were halfway to the car when Bonnie realized he’d paid for her meal yet again. “You didn’t have to pay again, you know. I should pay you back.”
He shrugged. “I can afford it. Promise.”
She crossed her arms. “No.”
He turned and looked at her. “Okay.” He smiled as if he were pleasantly surprised at her insistence. “Next time is on you. Sound good?”
She nodded curtly. “Yes.”
He chuckled and opened up her door for her. She slid inside, and he handed her the food. She put on her seat belt as he got in and started the car. The food smelled so good it had her mouth watering before they’d even left the parking lot.
Chapter 16
Dylan
Dylan revved the engine and headed out on the main highway before turning off onto a small side road. It was one of his favorite places to watch the sunset. He hoped Bonnie would enjoy it. The sports car didn’t struggle to speed up the big hill even a little bit. Dylan was fairly certain he would be pushing her car at this point. He still needed to put in the new equipment he’d ordered for her.
The road curved and wound its way through pine trees and aspen. They passed some large houses before coming to an open space where he pulled off to the side of the road.
“Here we are,” he announced, putting the car in park and stepping out.
He quickly went over and opened her car door, barely making it before she opened it herself. He enjoyed being a gentleman. She smiled as she got out of the car, even though she shook her head a little. She was her own woman.
Her eyes went wide as she saw where he had brought her.
The view was amazing. Spectacular, actually.
There was a wooden bench that sat perched on the edge of a cliff. The cliff gave way to a valley that then turned into the Rocky Mountains. He loved to sit here and contemplate the ancient peaks. It was always quiet and beautiful here, and he’d timed the sunset perfectly.
The sun blazed its final glory behind the tallest peak as it settled in for the night. The color was breathtaking. Orange and blue clouds filled the sky and reflected off the mountain peaks. Everything was bathed in color and light.
“It’s a Bronco sunset,” Dylan remarked. He stood next to her, looking out at the view.
“A what?” Bonnie asked, confused. She didn’t look at him but rather continued to stare at the sky.
“A Bronco sunset,” Dylan repeated. “The Denver Broncos are the football team here. Their colors are orange and blue. When the sky is like this, the locals say that it proves God is a Bronco fan.”
She looked out at the blue sky and the orange sunset. “I’m certainly a fan now.”
He chuckled and held up the bag of food. She’d forgotten it in the car, but he hadn’t. “Hungry?”
“Yeah. Sorry,” she said. He loved the soft blush that flattered her cheeks. She moved to the bench so they could sit and eat.
“Don’t be. You were looking at the scenery.” He pulled out a neatly wrapped burger and handed it to her before pulling out a container of food for himself.
“What did you get?” she asked, peeling back the paper and taking a bite of her burger. She groaned a little with pleasure. The sound went straight to his groin, and he had to concentrate on his food instead of her.
“Jambalaya,” he said, taking off the lid and showing her the inside. The spicy scent of the mixture of rice, shrimp, and sausage made his stomach growl. He was hungrier than he thought. “Want some?”
“Um, sure,” she said. He handed her his fork, and she took a small bite. She made that noise again, and he had to think of baseball stats. “Oh, that’s spicy. But definitely good.”