Midnight Wrangler (10 page)

It was like a dream but it was very real. In the darkened movie theater, Rohn was actually kissing her.

Her first real kiss.

She'd never admit it to him, but except for a quick game of spin the bottle in eighth grade during a birthday party, she'd never been kissed.

How pitiful was that?

This kiss made up for the delay. For all the years she'd waited for it. It was perfect.

Bonnie couldn't wrap her head around any of it, but maybe that was better. She didn't want to think. Only to feel.

She wanted to memorize every single nuance of this moment so she could relive it over and over, because who knew if it would ever happen again?

There was stubble on his upper lip that scratched her skin. She loved the feel of it. It was a very real reminder that she was really kissing him and not just imagining it.

He tasted like gum. She realized he must have been chewing it, until he pulled away from the kiss, spit the gum on the floor, and then came back to her. This time he turned in his seat so he was angled toward her, like he was settling in for a long kiss. She hoped he was.

The theater was dark, but they were by no means invisible, even in their back corner. Anyone who was looking closely enough would see them, but she didn't care. She would kiss him in broad daylight, if he wanted. She'd do pretty much anything this boy wanted her to do. Anything at all.

He brought his hand up and cupped her face, before he slid his fingers beneath her hair to cradle the back of her head. He held her close, pressing her mouth tightly against his.

Rohn leaned back just a bit. “Your hair is so soft.”

Nervous, she forced a smile. “Thank you.”

She didn't have to say more. His mouth was back covering hers. His hand remained tangled in her hair, his fingers moving in a slow massage against her head that had her scalp tingling from his touch.

He ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, gently at first, before thrusting it into her mouth. Just because she'd never done this before didn't mean she didn't know about French kissing. She knew enough to open her mouth and let him take over.

The kiss got more intense. He leaned his whole body in closer as if he would love to crawl into the seat with her if they'd been anywhere else.

He plunged his tongue into her mouth, stroking it against hers. She'd liked the soft, closed-mouth kisses before but this was a whole new level of kissing.

Judging by Rohn's reaction, including the increase in his breathing, he liked it, too. She liked knowing that.

Finally, he pulled away. He watched her for a couple of seconds before he leaned close to her ear. “We better cool it for a little while.”

Cooling it was the last thing she wanted to do but she agreed. “Okay.”

The guy who came into the theater to check on things with his flashlight would be coming through eventually, anyway. She didn't need him to see them making out. Then there was the fact this was a two-hour movie. Rohn had gone from calm to panting for breath in a matter of moments. A hundred and twenty more minutes could do untold things to him.

He turned in his seat to face the screen, but reached into her lap to pick up her hand. She liked the feel of his big, rough hand holding hers. She felt warm and held, and as if he would be there for her no matter what, protecting her.

They could face anything together, as long as he held on to her. She loved that idea. She could love Rohn.

Heck, she was afraid she already did.

Rohn didn't kiss her again for the rest of the movie. He did move his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to him before he rested his head against hers.

The move felt as intimate as a kiss. Like he was claiming her. As if he wanted everyone to know she was his.

Was she? He'd told her this was a date and kissing him had made it feel like one, but was it more? Was she his girlfriend now? She didn't have the nerve to ask, but she could hope.

The closing credits rolled up the screen, but Rohn didn't get up. Neither did she. He waited until the lights had been turned on and the theater was emptying before he turned to her. “You wanna go out for ice cream?”

“Um . . .” Yes, she wanted to go out for ice cream, but she was also worried about getting home late, especially since she'd lied to her parents about who she'd be with tonight.

He waited for her answer and she decided to at least explain her hesitation. She didn't want him assuming it was him she objected to.

“Do you know what time it is? I just don't want to get home too late.”

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “It's eight forty. The movie wasn't even two hours long.” He looked up at her. “What time did you promise your parents you'd be home?”

“I didn't say.”

“Do you want to call home from the pay phone in the lobby? I have some change in my pocket you can use.”

“No, it's okay.” She didn't need her mother asking any questions she wasn't prepared to answer. “It'll be fine. We can go get ice cream.”

Rohn's lips tipped up in a smile. “Good. I won't keep you out too late. I promise.”

She kind of wished he would keep her out late, but that would have to be for another time when she'd come up with a better lie. She'd need to pretend she and Melody were doing something else together. She would think on it.

Right now, all she wanted to think about was how good Rohn's hand felt on hers.

“Come on.” He stood, tugging her out of her seat after him.

The ice-cream shop was just down the road so they walked. She was grateful for that. He wouldn't see how she'd chained up her bike to the rack on the sidewalk like a little kid.

All the cool girls had cars, but she still had the first big girl bike she'd gotten for Christmas more than eight years ago.

The ice-cream place was packed, not surprising since it was a beautiful summer night. There were families with kids out for a treat, and also couples on dates, like her and Rohn. That thought made her smile.

What was a surprise, and kind of a relief, was that they didn't see anyone from school. It was a small town, but not so small that she knew every single person who lived in it.

Tonight she didn't know anyone in the ice-cream shop, and that was just fine.

The part of Bonnie who waited for the other shoe to drop, the half of her that kept whispering doubt and telling her not to be too happy because it couldn't possibly last, had her fearing that if Rohn ran into one of his guy buddies he might dismiss her. He could pretend they were just friends. He might stop holding her hand and looking at her like he couldn't wait to kiss her again. She didn't want that to ever stop.

They seated themselves at a booth. She slid in first and instead of sitting opposite her, Rohn instead slid in next to her.

She felt the heat of his thigh through the denim as he pressed close to her. “What are you having?”

Bonnie hadn't even looked at the menu. She grabbed it now.

“I think a small cone.” She was too nervous to be able to fit much of anything in her fluttering stomach, but ice cream in small amounts should go down smoothly enough.

“What flavor?” he asked.

That might be harder to narrow down. She was such a fool for him she'd forgotten this place had dozens of choices.

“Um . . .” She glanced down at the menu.

One flavor jumped out at her. It had a red banner next to it that read
Seasonal Special—Strawberry Cheesecake—cheesecake-flavored ice cream with strawberries and bits of graham cracker crust.

Hungry or not, she found her mouth watering just from the description alone. “This one.”

He leaned over to read the line on the menu she was pointing to and lifted his brow. “Wow. That sounds really good.”

Satisfied with her choice, she asked, “What are you getting?”

He glanced down at his own menu, but only for a second before he pushed it to the other side of the table. “I usually get mint chocolate chip. I'll probably just stick with that.”

That statement, and the fact that he barely had to look at the menu, had Bonnie wondering how often Rohn came here and how many girls he'd brought. She couldn't think like that.

Against all odds, like a scene from her wildest dreams, he was with her now, and that was all that mattered. That and making sure her parents didn't find out she'd lied about whom she was meeting.

Maybe she should have just told her mother the truth. That Rohn had asked her out, but her father was so weird sometimes. The littlest things could set him off, depending on what mood he was in.

The year of the big drought when they'd lost so much money and her mother had to get a job at the grocery store, Bonnie had walked around on eggshells. They both did, trying to not do anything to anger her father and send him into a rage.

Nope. It was safer this way. Who knew how he'd react to Rohn and the date. In fact, it had probably been risky to agree to come to the ice-cream shop. Though if she knew one thing, it was that her father had never set foot in here as long as she could remember.

Glancing around, she didn't see anyone he was friendly with or talked to, either. They were most likely safe.

She looked over at Rohn and found him watching her. He smiled when he caught her gaze. “Awful lot of thinking going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

He'd called her pretty. She swallowed away the mixed nervousness and excitement that caused. “I was just thinking . . .”

He waited expectantly as she searched for the right words. Finally, he prompted, “About?”

“How we shouldn't mention anything about tonight to my parents.”

His brows rose. “Okay. Why not?”

Because she'd already lied about whom she was with. Bonnie kept that to herself and shrugged, trying to look casual as she made up an excuse. “I'm not sure if my father would like me going out with you, because, you know, you work for him.”

Rohn frowned. “You don't think so? I thought he liked me.”

“He does. At least, he seems to . . . I don't know. He's just strange about things like that.”

“A'ight. If he's one of those fathers who doesn't think anybody is good enough to date his daughter, then I understand.”

“Yeah.” She agreed, even though she didn't think that was it at all.

It was more like her father just liked to control things—her life included. And he really didn't like any change. He hadn't even wanted her going to Arizona for college. He and her mother had argued long and hard about that subject. If Bonnie's grandmother didn't live in Phoenix, and Bonnie wouldn't be living with her instead of in the dorms, she had no doubt she'd never have been allowed to enroll there.

She caught Rohn's gaze. “So, you think we can just keep tonight a secret?”

“Sure.” He tipped his head and then smiled. “It's kind of fun, actually. You and me, secretly dating.”

His comment made her think there was going to be more than just this one date between them. Feeling giddy, Bonnie said, “Like Romeo and Juliet.”

He laughed. “Yes, but let's hope we have better luck than they did. You know, since they both ended up dead.”

She smiled. “Yeah, let's hope.”

The waitress came to the table and interrupted their conversation, but Bonnie continued to beam with happiness on the inside, and probably on the outside, too. She was dating Rohn. She was Rohn Lerner's girlfriend.

Who knew? One day she could even become Bonnie Lerner. Yes, it was premature since this was their first date and all, but it could happen.

She tamped down her crazy dream for the future and watched him order for both her and him—just like men did for their dates in the movies. Feeling more adult than she ever had, Bonnie tried to assume the air that this happened all the time.

Meanwhile, she was bubbling over inside.

With all this excess energy, she'd practically fly home on her bike. But before that happened, she'd have to say good night to Rohn. With any luck, there'd be a good-night kiss.

Her heart fluttered with anticipation.

The waitress left, and Rohn reached out to grab her hand in his again. She'd never forget this night as long as she lived.

Sitting in his office, Rohn glanced at the pile of mail on his desk. He hated going through the mail. It was always the same thing. A lot of crap he'd have to toss, mixed in with bills he'd have to pay. There was nothing fun about that.

Deciding it could wait, he stood. There was something else he needed to do, anyway. Something more important.

Tyler was in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. Rohn lifted a brow. “I thought my coffee sucked compared to Janie's.”

“It does.”

“So why you drinking it?”

“Let's just say we were running a little late this morning and we didn't get around to having coffee over at her place.”

He held up one hand to stop any further explanation. “I don't need the whole song and dance.”

Rohn could very well guess what had Tyler and Janie running late this morning, and he sure as hell didn't need to picture it.

Tyler's lips twitched with a smile. “You asked.”

“I know, and let's forget that I did. Anyway, I need y'all to finish up with the stock and then come see me right after. I got something for you to do.”

“Sure. What's up?”

Rohn really didn't want to answer that question. Tyler was too intuitive sometimes for a young guy who seemed to live only for trucks and sex. Rohn knew he was going to suspect something was going on the moment the subject of Bonnie came up.

The clues would all be there. For one, Rohn was going to pull his entire crew and one of his trucks from a day of work at the ranch and send them to Bonnie's house.

For another, Rohn hadn't shown any interest in Tilly, even though she was clearly interested in something with him. As the night had gone on, and the wine started to hit her, she got pretty flirtatious, not to mention handsy.

Good thing Rohn had played football in high school. He knew how to evade offensive maneuvers when necessary. He'd evaded Tilly's advances, in spite of Tyler's suggestion to grab himself a little loving with no strings attached.

Even if Tyler didn't know he'd gone over to Bonnie's directly after dinner, by way of the ice-cream shop, he'd still know that Rohn had left Janie's house alone.

There was nothing to be done about it. Bonnie needed the help, so Rohn plowed ahead. “I need you, Justin, and Colton to head on over to a friend's house and help her out.”

“Her? As in a woman?” Tyler widened his eyes.

Rohn drew in a calming breath. “Yes, her, and get any crazy notions out of your head right now.”

“Why? If there's a woman in your life—”

“There's not. I went to high school with her. She just lost her father and she's trying to clean out the house all by herself. I thought it might be nice to lend her a little help.”

Tyler sobered at the news of Bonnie's loss. “Understood. Of course, we'll help her out. No problem at all.”

Finally, Tyler was doing what he'd asked, and without complaint.

“Thank you.” Rohn nodded. “Take the truck. There's a ton of shit in the house that needs to get hauled to the dump.”

A ton might not be too much of an exaggeration, based on what Rohn had seen the night before. Bonnie's father sure had collected a lot of stuff over the years.
Collected
being a nice term for what he'd seen. He didn't know how Bonnie had slept in that mess. He couldn't call to ask her, either, since she'd never given him her cell phone number, nor had she called him or texted him on his.

Of course, there was a good chance her dad had kept their old house phone and number. He liked that idea enough to give it a try.

“Let me know before you leave,” he told Tyler.

“Will do.” As Tyler took off toward the barn carrying his cup of coffee, Rohn headed toward the office.

Rohn closed his office door behind him. The boys would come busting in even with the door closed, but at least he'd have a little bit of privacy. He sat at the desk and grabbed the big yellow phone book the phone company still delivered annually, even though half of the folks around there no longer had house phones and used only a cell.

He flipped to the
M
section of the residential listings and from there to Martin. There it was, in black and white. Bonnie Martin's father's name and address.

Thinking how nice it was that even with all the change, some things stayed the same, Rohn pulled out his cell and punched in the digits.

It rang a few times, and then he heard her voice. “Hello?”

“Good morning, Bonnie Blue. It's Rohn. How'd you sleep?” He heard the telltale sound of her stretching. Realizing how early it was, he cussed. “I woke you up, didn't I?”

Here he was, worrying about her sleeping, and he was the one to wake her.

“No, I was mostly awake. I just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night so I couldn't motivate myself to get off the couch.”

Beneath his breath he cussed again at the news she'd slept on the sofa when he had a perfectly good guest room for her to sleep in.

“Bonnie.” Frustrated, he shook his head even though she couldn't see it. He was more upset with himself for allowing her to be uncomfortable all night than at her for making the choice to be that way. “I should have insisted that you sleep here.”

“You could have insisted all you wanted, but I wouldn't have done it. I was perfectly fine here. Honestly. I sleep best in my own bed, and that happens to be in Arizona. It wouldn't have mattered whether I was in your guest room or here.”

He didn't completely believe that. Sleeping in a nice comfortable air-conditioned bedroom had to be better than the sofa in that sweltering pigsty he'd seen. Hopefully, she'd at least turned on the A/C before she turned in for the night.

It seemed the years had made his Bonnie Blue stubborn. Gone was the compliant girl he'd known. He liked a woman with spunk and a mind of her own—he liked it on Bonnie, even though she was no longer his—but not when it caused her to make needlessly foolish choices.

“Well, it's not going to happen again tonight.”

“Rohn, I'm fine—”

“We're getting that place cleaned out today, Bonnie.” Rude or not, he cut off her protest. “Then tonight you can sleep in your own bed—or at least your
old
bed.”

“We? And who is this
we?
” There was a smile in her tone as she picked up on the way he'd phrased his declaration.

“I got three guys and a truck coming to your place. They'll be there in probably an hour or so. You might want to put some clothes on. I don't want them staring at that cute little T-shirt and those shorts you were in last night. They won't get any work done.” Rohn smiled, knowing the compliment would put her off guard.

He was right, because it took her a few seconds to reply, “Okay.”

“You want breakfast?”

“Rohn, please don't bother—”

“I'll take that as a yes. See you soon.” He hung up before she could protest further.

Rohn had been waffling about whether he should go over to her place right away or give the guys a bit of time and check on her later.

He didn't want to look too pushy, but hell, he supposed that horse was already out of the barn since he was sending over help whether she wanted it or not. He might as well be there, too, and make sure she ate something other than ice cream for breakfast.

Happy with that plan, he smiled and reached for the pile of mail. He'd have to give her a bit of time to get herself together before going over. He could get the nasty task of going through the mail completed, and then head to the diner and grab a couple of egg sandwiches.

He'd better get enough for the boys, too. At their age, they could eat all day and still not be full. Plus, he owed them. They were doing him a favor even if he was going to pay them for the day. Pawing through and hauling away what could very well be twenty-five years' worth of garbage was definitely not what they'd hired on for.

They were good kids. They'd do whatever Rohn asked of them. They might grumble the whole time, but they'd do it. And unlike having his own children, he could send them home at the end of the day.

Chuckling at that thought, he tossed the first piece of junk mail into the trash can below his desk and picked up the square white envelope below it. Frowning, he tore open the flap and then pulled out a thick invitation.

A few days ago he would have groaned at what he read. Today, it brought a smile to his face. His twenty-fifth high school reunion . . . and Rohn knew exactly who he was going to ask to be his date.

They'd missed going to the prom together because they'd met too late, but they could certainly go to this.

Rohn sped across the field, bouncing in the seat of the tractor, pushing the machine to the maximum speed he dared.

Only when he reached the barn did he lower the throttle he'd kept on high. He turned the key in the ignition to off and hopped to the ground. He spun toward the house and was surprised to see his boss standing right in front of him.

“You're finished early today.”

“Yes, sir.” Rohn dipped his head in response to Mr. Martin's observation. What he didn't mention was that he'd worked his butt off to finish early so he could go home and change for his secret date with Bonnie.

“You got a hot date tonight or something?” The older man grinned and then spat a stream of brown tobacco-tinged spittle to the ground. Meanwhile, the accuracy of the man's guess nearly had Rohn choking.

“Yeah, something like that.” Rohn hoped he didn't sound as guilty as he felt.

“Well, go on then. Don't let me hold you up. You're done with your work, so you can go.” Mr. Martin turned toward the house, where Rohn's truck was parked.

“Thank you for letting me go a little early.” Rohn cut his gaze sideways at Mr. Martin as they walked side by side toward the house.

He and Bonnie were still keeping their relationship secret from her parents and it was starting to wear on him. Especially at times like this when he had to speak directly with her father and fudge the truth.

“You earned it. You're working real hard here. Besides, a good-looking young guy like yourself should have a little fun once in a while. You're doing a good job, son.” Mr. Martin slapped Rohn on the back.

All the compliments did was raise Rohn's level of guilt over deceiving the man.

“Thank you, sir.” They'd reached the house and the last thing Rohn wanted to do was run into Bonnie and have to hold a conversation with her in front of her parents, all while pretending he wasn't secretly meeting her in town in a couple of hours. He stopped before they reached the back door and hooked a thumb toward the driveway where his truck was parked. “I'm gonna head out.”

“All right. Have a good night.”

“I will. Thank you.” He turned on a boot heel and was about to sprint for his truck when Mr. Martin called his name. Heart pounding, Rohn stopped and turned back. “Yeah?”

“If you need to come in an hour late tomorrow, that'd be fine.”

“Um, probably won't need to but thank you. I'll keep that in mind.” Jeez, he hated this deception.

Rohn wasn't sure why Bonnie felt they needed to keep their dates secret. She was eighteen. So was he. Surely her father would allow her to date at this age.

All they'd done was go to the movies and the ice-cream parlor together a handful of times. Yeah, they'd kissed, and a tiny bit more, but that was it.

Maybe he'd talk to Bonnie tonight about finally telling her parents about them. But even as he thought that, he realized they were in too deep already. What would they do? Lie and tell her parents they were just starting to date now? They certainly couldn't admit they'd been lying for weeks, sneaking around to see each other behind her parents' backs.

They'd created an impossible situation. It was probably best to just continue as they were and hope her father didn't figure it out before she left for college. He wouldn't be able to monitor what she did then.

The thought of Bonnie leaving for Arizona twisted Rohn's gut. He hated the idea of her going away. Not just because he was going to miss her, but because he didn't want her so far from him or surrounded by all those college guys. Guys who would surely appreciate a pretty little thing like her. But there was nothing he could do about that.

He couldn't help but glance at the front windows of the house as he started his truck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bonnie Blue's sweet face.

Disappointed when he didn't spot her, he turned in the seat and backed the truck out of the drive. He'd be meeting her in town tonight and he could barely stand to wait the few hours.

He made himself drive the speed limit through town, so he got home safely and without getting pulled over. Once home, he showered and then ate dinner with his parents. All the while, he watched the clock, waiting for the moment when he could leave to go meet Bonnie in town.

Finally, the agonizingly long minutes clicked by and it was time he could leave without arriving ridiculously early. “Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad.”

“You're leaving?” his mom called from the kitchen.

“Yeah.” Ready to bolt, Rohn forced himself to stay put and wait to see what his mother had to say.

“Meeting the guys?” his mother asked.

He moved to the doorway so he could see her. “Yeah. Probably. I'm not sure who will be there.”

Lying to Bonnie's parents meant he also had to lie to his, just in case they ever met in town. Luckily, his parents weren't all that concerned. They trusted him and as long as he didn't abuse their trust, they couldn't care less if he met Brian and Pete in town, or Bonnie.

“Okay. Have fun. Be careful.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

She didn't question where he was going or when he'd be back. She treated him like an adult, which he was. Why couldn't Bonnie's parents be as understanding?

Actually, her mom probably would be. He knew it was her father Bonnie worried about. Rohn drew in a breath as he climbed into the truck, hoping one day, he could come right out and tell the man he was dating his daughter.

Hell, Rohn was more than dating her. He was falling for Bonnie pretty hard.

Enough that his heart beat faster just thinking about her. Of course, he'd never tell another living soul that little detail. Not his guy friends, anyway. They'd laugh at him for sure. But Rohn was hoping to finally get to show Bonnie off to his friends tonight at the party. If she still wanted to go to it. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

Bonnie was chaining up her bike to the usual rack near the theater. Shaking his head at her insistence on riding that thing instead of letting him pick her up at her house, he pulled the nose of the truck up to the curb right behind her. He saw the moment she realized it was him in the truck idling just feet from her.

She turned and smiled, then bounced down off the curb and over to the passenger side of the truck.

He'd learned she'd have the door open and would be inside long before he had time to get out of the truck, run around the hood, and open the door for her. Not that he hadn't tried it. He had. She'd just giggle at him from her seat and tell him she could open the door herself. At which point he'd box her in with his arms on either side of her and treat her to a big kiss in exchange for her sass.

Come to think of it, just for that kiss it was well worth the effort of running to open the door for her, even if he did fail every time.

“Hey.” He smiled and turned to her as she hopped into the truck.

“Hey.” She buckled her safety belt and then angled herself to return his smile.

A mouth that pretty deserved a kiss. Cupping her face, he leaned in and took one. He pulled back just enough to say, “Anytime you want me to start picking you up at the house so you don't have to ride—”

“I know, but I don't mind riding.” She gave him her usual answer, just as he'd expected.

“A'ight.” He pulled back and gripped the steering wheel. “Ready for the party?”

“Yup.” She didn't look all that excited.

That wasn't so surprising. She wasn't the party type. She liked quiet dates for the two of them. Watching a movie. Sharing the strawberry cheesecake ice cream she'd become obsessed with. So much so he'd begun to order that flavor for himself, because invariably she'd finish the small cone she insisted on, and he'd let her finish his.

“Do you not want to go?” he asked her.

“It's fine. We can go.”

He turned off the engine and spun in the seat to face her. “That's not what I asked. I want to know what you want to do.”

“You want to go so—”

“Bonnie . . .” He imbued the one word with enough warning that she clamped her mouth shut midprotest. “Tell me what you want to do.”

She hesitated a second before lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “I kind of would rather just be alone with you. But I know you want to go, so we can go.”

He did want to go. Not because he wanted to drink the beer Brian's older brother had bought for the party since their parents were out of town, or to hang out with his friends, but because he wanted to show off Bonnie as his girlfriend. He couldn't wait to walk in there with her on his arm and let everyone know she was his girl. But more than that, he wanted her to be happy, and if she didn't want to go, then he didn't need to be there, either.

Rohn debated making a deal with her. They could stop by the party for half an hour, say hello to everyone, and then leave. But he knew how things would go. Once his friends and the rest of the guys on the football team grabbed him, he would be hard-pressed to get out of there before midnight, or before the cops showed up, whichever came first.

That was another consideration—there was a very real chance this party could get busted by the police. That was the last thing Bonnie needed, considering they were already lying to her parents.

The final point, which clinched the decision for Rohn, was that Lena and her friends would be there. His prom date likely wouldn't take kindly to his dodging her all summer. Nor would she welcome Bonnie into her fold of girlfriends. There would definitely be hard feelings because Bonnie was dating him.

Girls could be vicious, and Lena and her clique were among the worst.

Nope. His Bonnie Blue didn't need any of this shit just because he was proud to have her on his arm.

“Okay.” He spun back to face the steering wheel and reached for the key in the ignition.

“Wait, okay what?”

“Okay, we don't have to go to the party.” He started the engine and put the truck in reverse.

“But then where are we going?”

“You said you'd rather be alone, and I agree. I just happen to know someplace where we can be alone.” He glanced and saw the expression of surprise on her face, but he didn't explain further. She'd see where he was taking her soon enough, and if he knew her at all, she'd love it.