He nodded. “I know, right? Sandy’s is the only place out here that I’ve found that even gets close to the real thing.”
“Did you grow up in the south?” she asked, taking a bite of her burger.
He shook his head. “No. But, my grandfather is from New Orleans, so we used to go every summer when I was a kid. He made the best jambalaya I’ve ever had.”
He smiled, thinking of his grandfather. Those summer trips were some of his favorite times.
“Sounds like a good memory,” she said, watching him as he too
k a bite of his food. “Do you ever go back?”
He nodded as he ate. It tasted like home. “I try and go once a year. It’s a great city.”
“I’ve never been,” she said.
“Really?”
She shook her head. “My parents moved all over the place when my brother and I were kids, but it was mostly in the Midwest and then the East coast. My dad was a salesman.”
“My dad was an electrician,” Dylan said. “Then a farmer once he met my mom. But, he loved automating the farm for her.”
“Makes sense that you got into computers then,” she replied. “My mom was a nurse. I think I got the helper gene from her.”
Together they ate their meal, watching the sunset. As the sun dipped lower, the colors of the sky became more vivid and colorful. Dylan wasn’t sure he’d ever seen such deep oranges and such vibrant blues in the sky before.
“Where did you grow up?” Bonnie asked after a quiet moment. “I’m guessing not New Orleans since you said you went there to visit.”
“Kansas,” he replied. “It’s where my mother’s side of the family lives. My sister’s still out there. She married a farmer. She calls me the black sheep of the family since I didn’t go into farming.”
She looked over at him, her warm brown eyes taking him in. He liked the way she looked at him and wished again he could kiss her. He had almost done so earlier, but they’d been interrupted. He wanted it to be memorable since he had a feeling he’d never have another first kiss again after kissing her. He didn’t want another first kiss. Just her kisses.
“You could have been a farmer,” she told him. “You certainly work hard enough.”
He chuckled. “My dad used to say I got my mechanical brain from him, but that I got my work ethic from my mom’s side.”
She smiled. “He must be very proud of you.”
Heartache hit his chest. He looked out at the mountains and sighed. “He died just before I sold my company. He was proud of me even though he didn’t know exactly what I had made.”
She put her hand on his knee. Heat rose at her touch. “I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
“His death was actually a big part of why I sold FirmHard Tech,” he explained. Guilt wound in his stomach. “I was so busy. I knew he was sick, but I was working. I didn’t have time to visit him, even when we knew it was the end. I had to work. I was working in the backseat as they drove me to his funeral.”
He could still see his sister shaking her head at him. He could hear his mother asking him to come and stay before his dad went to the hospital. He said he was too busy. He was always too busy. And for what? His company didn’t save the world. It simply made tech companies more money.
“You miss him,” Bonnie said quietly. “I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
“Thank you.” He still wasn’t sure how to respond when people said that. Her hand was still on his knee. He put his own hand on top of hers. Her hand was small beneath his, and he never wanted to let go. “What about you? Do you have any family?”
“My parents are currently touring Europe,” she replied, letting him change the subject. “My brother... um, well, he’s in security. He’s figuring things out, but he’s really smart.”
“I’m guessing he’s younger,” Dylan said. He recognized the way he talked about his sister. She smiled as she spoke of him.
She grinned. “Yup. He’s always getting into trouble. He’s got a good heart, though. I think you’d like him.”
“If he’s like you, I’m sure I would,” Dylan replied. He liked that she flushed at the compliment.
“So, do you bring girls up here all the time?” she asked coyly. She pointed to the view of the mountains. The sun was almost set, but the sky was still filled with swirls of gold, orange, blues, and purples. “It seems like a great way to make an impression.”