Page 81 of Robbin’ the Rich

I was not about to say… I think I might be falling in love with you.

I squeezed his hand.

"Okay, at some point you have to tell me where we're going?"

Micah glanced over and waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh my God,” I groaned.

"You'll see."

"I hate surprises."

"No, you don't."

And I was even more irritated because he was correct.

About fifteen minutes later, Micah turned off the main road and onto a gravel lane that cut between two bare fields.

I immediately sat up straighter. "What is this?"

He smiled.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Either you're taking me somewhere romantic or you're finally getting around to murdering me."

His laugh filled the car. "I feel like we've already established I'm not a serial killer."

"Then what’s in the case?" I asked.

"That’s part of the surprise."

"That doesn’t help your non-serial killer argument."

The gravel crunched beneath the tires as we drove farther down the road. The last of Briar Glenn's lights disappeared behind us until darkness stretched in every direction. Eventually Micah slowed and pulled into a wide-open field. Then he killed the engine. The only sound was the wind moving through the dry grass. The field seemed to go on forever beneath the moonlight.

"Well," I said. "This is definitely where murders happen."

Micah rolled his eyes. "I spent all afternoon planning this."

"Tell my family I love them and give Ariel my skates."

He shook his head and laughed as he got out of the car. I followed him, pulling my hoodie tighter around myself against the chill. Autumn had officially settled into Ohio, bringing with it cold evenings and the kind of crisp air that made you think about bonfires and football games.

Micah moved to the back of the car and started unloading supplies. He grabbed out two blankets, a picnic basket and the mysterious long black case.

"What exactly are we doing?"

"You'll see."

I groaned.

He laughed again, and I found myself smiling despite my annoyance. Somehow, he managed to make it difficult to stay irritated with him.

He handed me the blanket and motioned toward the middle of the field. Together we walked through the grass until we were far enough from the road that the car felt distant behind us.

The night sky stretched overhead, clear and impossibly vast. Without the lights from town competing for attention, the stars seemed brighter than usual. Thousands of them scattered across the darkness like someone had spilled diamonds across black velvet.