Read We'll Never Tell (Secrets of Ravenswood) for Free Online Page A

course, discovering a shared interest in
mystery novels and action movies. He twirled pasta around his fork and smiled.
“You don’t like those chick flicks?”
    She yawned and patted
her lips. “Boooring. Juliette adores them. Me, I like blood and guts and car
chases.”
    He leaned back in the
chair, his smile broadening. “Will you marry me, Sam?”
    Her burst of laughter
turned a few heads at other tables. She clamped her hand over her mouth, but a
few snickers escaped. “Geez, is a love of murder and mayhem all it takes to get
a guy’s attention?”
    “It doesn’t hurt.”
    They finished their meal
and lingered over coffee. The rich aroma of garlic and marinara, the murmur of
conversations around them, and the dim lighting lulled Sam into a state of
contented lethargy. She tried to remember the last time she’d felt so
relaxed—and failed.
    “Am I boring you into a
coma?” Ethan asked, his lips twitching.
    “Not at all. I was just
thinking how nice this is, letting go of all my problems and simply enjoying an
evening. No pressure.”
    “None at all.” He
swallowed the last of his coffee and set down the cup. “It’s still early. Do
you want to go for a drive, maybe up to Rainbow Lake?”
    His gaze held hers, warm
and intent. A flash of anticipation shot through her. Rainbow Lake
sounded—safe. Certainly more so than inviting him into her little cabin.
    “It would be a shame to
waste such a beautiful evening. The moon was full a couple of nights ago, so
it’ll be gorgeous.”
    Ethan paid the check,
silencing her with a look when she protested. “My idea. My treat.”
    “Next time, then.”
    He held her chair then
rested his hand on her back as they left the restaurant. “I like that.”
    She glanced over and
raised a brow. “That I don’t mind paying?”
    “That you’re considering
a next time. Definite progress.”
    Smiling, she slid onto
the truck seat but waited until he got in to answer. Turning sideways, she
touched his hand. “It isn’t that I didn’t want to see you again after
we…after…” Clearing her throat, she drew her finger along a ripped seam in the
upholstery. “The timing was screwed up.”
    He captured her hand and
squeezed it. “And now?”
    “I just got home. I’m
not going anywhere, not for a while.”
    “Good.” He started the
engine and headed west out of town. When they passed a long driveway, he pointed.
“That’s my place.”
    The outdoor porch lights
shone beside the door of the log structure set far back from the road. “Not a
lot of neighbors out here.”
    “Definitely a plus when
you have a dozen or more dogs at any given time. A single squirrel scampering
across the yard can create quite a ruckus.”
    The two lane road they
were on climbed through thick forests that thinned as they neared the lake.
Granite cliffs towered over an alpine gem that gleamed like a sapphire in the
moonlight. A campground edged the south side where humped domes of tents
resembled a hobbit town. They bumped over the rutted track along the west shore
to a deserted beach and parked.
    Ethan pocketed the keys.
“There’s a blanket behind the seat we can sit on.”
    She climbed out, hugging
her sweater around her in the evening chill. He tilted the seat forward and
pulled out a plaid, wool blanket. Elbows brushing, they walked down to the
water.  After he shook the blanket and spread it out, she sat, making sure
to leave a foot of space between them when he joined her.
    The moon hovered over
the cliffs on the far side of the lake, shedding a silvery light across the
water. She leaned back on her elbows, crossed her feet at the ankles, and
sighed.
    “I can’t imagine
anyplace more beautiful than this. I guess it’s why I keep coming back to
Ravenswood.”
    “I love it up here. My
neighbor and a couple of his buddies camped at the lake last night. I was
tempted to join them, but this is much better than beer and fish stories.”
    Sam grinned. “Sounds
like it could easily