Bonnie

Bonnie was sad to leave. She loved this house. She loved PawPaw's hospitality. She loved how Dylan shared his childhood with her and the way he smiled at everything. She was happy here. She felt almost as safe here as she did at the ranch.

But, she wanted to get home. They were still too close to the city for her to feel comfortable. Dylan had made sure there was plenty of security, and while they did blend into the background, she could always tell that they were there. She saw them out of the corner of her eye and would startle until she realized they were security and not intruders.

“Thank you so much for having us,” Bonnie told PawPaw as the limousine drove up to get them. “I hope you'll come out and visit us sometime soon.”

PawPaw wrapped her up in a big bear hug and squeezed. “I'd love that. You know you're invited out here for Thanksgiving, right?”

“I wouldn't miss it for the world,” she assured him. PawPaw grinned before turning to Dylan.

“This one's a keeper,” PawPaw told him.

“I already knew that,” Dylan replied, but he beamed with pride. PawPaw hugged his grandson.

The limo pulled to a stop, and Dylan helped PawPaw put their things in the trunk before one more round of goodbyes. PawPaw stood on the porch, waving goodbye as they drove away. Bonnie opened the window and waved for as long as she could before the limo turned, and PawPaw was obscured by the trees.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said softly, rolling up her window. The air conditioning felt cold after the heat of the sunshine. Even though it was still early in the day, the New Orleans' southern heat was rising.

“Thank you for coming,” he replied. Dylan leaned over and kissed her cheek, making her smile.

She watched as they drove, taking in the sights. The big oak trees covered in Spanish moss were so different than the big pines of home. With a start, she realized that she now thought of Colorado as home, rather than New Jersey.

She looked over at Dylan as he too watched the world out the window. It wasn't Colorado that was home. It was Dylan. Where ever he was, that was home.

The limo came to a stop just outside the tarmac of the small airport. It was larger and busier than the one in Silver Springs. Several people with suitcases walked along the sidewalk. Most were busy talking into cell phones or checking their departure times, but it made her uneasy. There were a lot of eyes here.

“You're just being paranoid,” she told herself as the driver opened the door. She wished she'd remembered to bring her sunglasses with her in the limo, but they were packed in her bag. She felt very exposed all of the sudden.

She stepped to the side and opened up her carry-on bag from the trunk. She wanted the sunglasses for the quick walk to their plane. She had a horrible sensation that something was about to happen. She needed to hide.

“Are you okay?” Dylan asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“I just need some sunglasses,” she replied. She couldn't find them. They had to be in the bag somewhere.

“Okay. We can wait,” he replied. “Do you want mine?”

"No, that's okay, I'll find them in just a second," she replied digging further into her bag. Her fingers felt the curve of plastic, and she sighed with relief as she pulled them out. They were big and mirrored and perfect for hiding her face.

She turned to grin at Dylan when she noticed someone standing directly behind him. At first, he looked like just another traveler on his way to a plane. He wore a dark polo shirt and was putting his phone into his pocket. He pulled a small suitcase behind him.

He checked to make sure his phone was safe and looked up and directly at her. Recognition glowed in his eyes. She saw the scar on his cheek.

He had been at the fire. He knew who she was.

Their eyes met, and the man grinned. He pulled his phone back out, hit a button, and she could read his lips.

“I found her.”

“Dylan,” she whispered. She grabbed at his arm, forcing him to turn, but the man was already gone.

“What? What am I looking for?” Dylan asked. “Are you okay? You're shaking?”

“He was there,” she whispered. “He was at the fire. I saw him.”

Dylan's face went hard. He motioned to security, but Bonnie knew it was too late.

Security swarmed around her, but it didn't matter. The damage was already done.

They'd found her. They'd seen her with Dylan, and she knew a simple Google search would lead them right to Silver Springs. Dylan wasn't in hiding, so it would be easy enough to locate him. Hell, all they had to do was ask at Sandy's for him.

She suddenly regretted not being more careful. She should have taken more precautions. She should have stayed hidden.

“It'll be okay,” Dylan told her, guiding her toward the plane. “Security is on it. You don't have to worry.”

She let him take her onto the plane. She felt numb all over. She had hidden successfully for weeks now. If she had just walked to the plane without the stupid sunglasses, the man would have never seen her. They would have missed each other by seconds.

Instead, she had failed her brother.

She sat down in the soft leather chairs but didn't feel comfortable. She was clammy and hot and cold at the same time. Her stomach threatened to expel her breakfast.

They had found her.