Dylan

Dylan watched as big fat raindrops fell from dark skies. Rain splattered on the windshield of his truck in messy splotches as the storm rolled in. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a rolling boom of thunder.

The evening thunderstorm reminded him of the night Bonnie had arrived. The clouds were the same color, and the timing was similar. It made him smile. If the first storm had brought her into his life, he wondered what a second storm would bring.

He thought about their kiss last night. He worried that she was afraid of her ex coming back into the picture, but the way she’d spoken of him the other night made him think she was over the guy. She didn’t talk about him. The ex seemed to be a thing of the past.

He pressed harder on the gas pedal of the truck. He wanted to get home to see her. He’d spent the day helping Laura move a horse to a vet in Fort Collins. It had taken all day. He was glad the horse was doing well, but he hated that he’d missed the evening with Tyson and Bonnie. Spending time with the two of them was the highlight of his day.

He pulled the truck into the garage. He stood in the open garage door, looking out at the rain falling. It was mesmerizing to watch the big, fat drops plop onto the dry dirt and shake the needles on the pine tree. The smell was amazing. Fresh rain, dirt, and pine filled the air.

He wanted to see her. He thought about walking to her cabin. He knew a patch of wildflowers on the way. He thought of picking them to give her a bouquet. She deserved more. He thought of ordering flowers and having them delivered, but that didn’t feel as personal as picking them himself. He wanted to do something nice to surprise her.

The temperature was dropping. Summer was swift in the mountains. The evenings stayed cool, and the rain always made it cold. It would only be a month or two before the frost came with these showers and they turned to snow.

He looked out to see Bonnie walking through the rain toward her car. She had her red duffle-bag slung over her shoulder as she bent against the rain. There was only one reason for her to be out in the rain with that bag.

She was leaving. His chest contracted hard against his heart. He didn’t know why, but she was leaving.

He didn’t pause. He just ran out into the rain. It was cold enough to take his breath away as he ran across the rough grass and the gravel paths. He sprinted through the rain, thunder rumbling around him as he splashed through puddles and mud.

“Bonnie!”

She tossed her bag into her trunk and turned to face him. Her hair was dark with rain.

“I can’t stay, Dylan.” She shook her head, her brow drawn and sad. “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” He didn’t understand. “Why?”

He stood there in the pouring rain, thunder all around them, his shirt turning from light blue to navy with rain and his feet in the mud. What had changed? All thoughts of flowers left his mind.

“Why?” he repeated. His chest ached.

She swallowed hard. “I’m not safe here. I can’t stay.”

He took a step forward. “You were going to leave without saying goodbye.”

She shifted her weight and looked down at the ground. “I left a note in my room,” she said softly. She looked up, the rain streaking her beautiful face. “I have to leave.”

He took another step to her. His breath misted in the cold rain. She looked up at him, and he couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears on her cheeks.

“What about Tyson?” he asked, keeping his voice quiet and calm.

She looked away from him. “He’s better off without me.”

“That’s not true.” He thought of how much she’d gotten the little orphan boy to open up in just over a week. Tyson needed her. He needed her.

“You’re all better off without me,” she whispered. She looked at him again, her brown eyes big and full of fear.

He reached out and brushed a strand of wet hair from her cheek. “That’s certainly not true.”

“You don’t know,” she told him, pulling away.

“Then tell me.” He held his ground, the mist of his breath in the cold rain. The sound of thunder echoed between them.

She held still for a moment as if debating herself. Her eyes focused on him and her chin rose. “I’m not running from an ex-boyfriend. I’m running from the mob.”

He wasn’t expecting that. He blinked twice. “What?” Bonnie visibly sighed. She looked simultaneously like she had already told this story a million times and like she desperately wanted someone to confide in. “Please, at least come inside with me and tell me before you go.”

Her eyes lowered, then turned back toward her car. “You did fix my car. I guess I owe you that much.”

Dylan shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything, but I’d like to think that you can at least trust me enough to hear the real story before you go.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Okay. But it’s kind of a long one, so let’s go inside.”

He smiled, then put his arm around her as they walked inside.