Page 298 of Ruthless Court

She looks over.

“What would ruin it?”

“A bar.”

“Agreed.”

“Party.”

“Definitely.”

“My place.”

Her eyebrows rise.

I glance at her.

“That was a joke.”

“It wasn’t a very convincing one.”

“I’m behaving.”

“So far.”

I drive another block.

Then I remember somewhere Coach took us after a team dinner last year.

Not a restaurant.

Not really anything.

A narrow road climbs into the hills west of campus. Juniper Ridge Road. Mostly houses, trees, cyclists during daylight, and a small county overlook near the top.

At night, the valley spreads below it.

Lights forever.

I turn toward the hills.

“Trust me.”

Hannah snorts.

“Strong choice of words.”

“Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?”

“You think I dressed like this to commit murder?”

She looks at my sweater.

“You do look unusually respectable.”

“I changed three times.”