He could only assume her boyfriend had come to pick her up.
Jace’s earlier good mood faded. It was none of his business what Bonnie was doing on her day off. Whether she was shopping, going out with her boyfriend, or robbing a bank. Okay, maybe that last one would affect him somewhat. He chuckled to himself.
He drove through a crowded area in downtown Clearwater. A woman walking along the sidewalk ahead caught his eye. It couldn’t be.
She turned to cut across a parking lot. The moment she did, it was as though the subject of his thoughts materialized right before his eyes.
Acting on instinct, he turned into the parking lot and rolled his window down as he pulled up beside her.
She glanced at him and her eyes widened. He barely saw a stray tear on her cheek before she brushed it away and forced a smile. “Hey, you’re about the last person I expected to run into.”
“Are you okay?”
“Sure. Just taking a walk.” The shaky undertone of her voice contradicted her words.
Jace glanced around. “Where are you heading?” He didn’t want to push her, but he sure wasn’t going to leave her out here when she was clearly upset, either. Where was her boyfriend, and why wasn’t he escorting Bonnie?
Bonnie took in her surroundings as though she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going. Finally, she shrugged. “My brother gets off work in about thirty minutes. Truthfully, I’m just killing time. I was going to call and ask him for a ride home.” She bit her lower lip then.
As long as Jace had known Bonnie, she was the picture of composure.
Until now.
The vulnerability in her eyes had his heart turning over in his chest.
“I was headed back to the ranch. Why don’t you just ride with us?”
Bonnie stood on her tiptoes to look through the window into the back seat where Gunner was still sleeping. “He always looks so cute and innocent when he falls asleep like that.”
“Yeah, he does.” And once the boy was asleep, little woke him up. “Come on, hop in.”
Bonnie hesitated several moments before walking around the front of the truck and climbing into the passenger seat.
The radio was still on, and since Bonnie didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk, he left it playing to fill the void.
Once back on the ranch, he drove past the house to the garage, her vehicle still parked out front.
Jace put the truck in park and turned to look at Bonnie just in time to notice her chin quiver. She turned her head toward the window and some of her hair fell down to hide her face. “Thanks for the ride.”
Before she got out of the car, Jace reached for her arm to stop her. “What happened, Bonnie?” She said nothing, and he pushed a little harder. “Did he hurt you?”
Bonnie immediately shook her head. “No. Nothing like that.” She shrugged. “He hated that I kept this job and moved out here. He wanted me to quit and move in with him.” Her voice caught. She turned and looked at Gunner, her eyes full of emotion. “He knows I love my job, and that moving in with him was never an option. I broke up with him tonight.”
Jace’s instantaneous relief at that news surprised him. He ought to feel guilty about that. Instead, Jace kept his “good riddance” comment to himself. “He left you to find your own way back home, didn’t he?” She nodded. It was proof that Lew was certainly no gentleman, and a first-class jerk to boot. “I’m sorry, Bonnie.”
“It’s for the best. I’ve managed this long on my own, I’ll be just fine.” She offered him a shaky smile. “Lew said he loved me. I just wish I’d realized the truth sooner.”
Jace swallowed hard. If he knew where to find Lew, he’d hunt him down and give him a piece of his mind.
“I’m no expert on relationships.” The one he’d had with Samantha was anything but perfect. “I may not have love figured out, but I can tell you that treating you the way Lew did isn’t love. Bonnie, you deserve better.”
Jace dropped his hand then, when what he wanted to do was pull her into a hug. The intensity of that need had him grasping for some measure of sanity. Forget crossing a line. Hugging his son’s nanny would be akin to erasing it.
“Thanks. For the ride, and your kind words.” Bonnie sniffed and lifted her chin a little. “I’ll be okay. I’d been praying about it and hoping for a sign. Just didn’t expect it to be quite so blatant.”
She chuckled a little then. Even though she seemed far from okay, at least some of her humor was returning. Jace offered what he hoped was a comforting smile. “Let us know if you need anything, okay?”
Bonnie gave a small nod. “Thanks again.” She motioned to the back seat. “You’d better get him home and wake him up or he’ll never sleep tonight.”
