“No.”
Ben smiled and rubbed her arms to give her warmth. “You look breathtaking.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She straightened his tie and smoothed his shirt. Then she tucked an errant piece of hair behind his ear. “Very handsome.”
“Not bad for a penguin. But I’m glad you approve.”
“Can you come in now? I want to dance with you.”
“After you dance with JD.”
“I have to have the first dance with JD. Don’t be mad at me. I really want to dance with you.”
“Ro, I’m happy for you. I really am. This is what you wanted.” He kissed her cheek. “But I don’t like being filler.”
“I can’t be happy unless you’re happy.”
“That’s the issue here. I’m happy right now and you’re not. And if I go in there, you’ll be happy but I won’t be. Let’s just let it rest and we’ll both be happy.”
“Or unhappy.”
He lowered his head to kiss her cheek but she turned and gave him her mouth. It was just a gentle peck on the lips, but it sent electric shocks through his spine. He pulled away. “Go back to your king.”
She exhaled. “Um, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
“I’ll be happy to tutor you anytime and free of charge.”
“Not that. God, you always think I’m after something.” She smiled. “Of course I usually do have ulterior motives. Uh, can we meet on Sunday instead of Saturday?” She gave another smile. This one was forced. “Got some plans . . .”
“Go ahead, Ro. Enjoy yourself. This is your time, baby.”
“I’ll see you on Sunday?”
“Uh, no.” He looked away. “I was planning on hiking Mount Baldy.”
“Oh . . . much better than looking at murder folders. I’ll go with you.”
“I’m leaving at six in the morning to capture the daylight. It’s a rigorous hike at twelve thousand feet in frigid air. It’s definitely not for you.”
Her face fell. “So why don’t you hike it tomorrow instead of Sunday?”
“Tomorrow?” This time he smiled. “Got some plans . . .”
She failed to see the humor. “You don’t want me to come.”
He stalled, trying to think of a lie. “I think I need a little space.”
“You have space all the time. You’re always by yourself. What is with you?”
Just then Ben saw JD come onto the patio, his head turning in all directions. “Your Highness awaits.”
When Ro saw him, she sighed. “You’re impossible.” She hurried back to JD. The two of them were fighting, arms gesticulating back and forth. But they resolved things pretty quickly. Within minutes, he had his arm around her bare shoulder and her head was on his bicep. They walked in together—king and queen.
And the jester stood alone.
Chapter 14
By waking up at five, Ro hoped to catch Ben before he left for his marathon hike. It was pitch-black outside, and as she wended her way to his house, she felt her heart beating in her chest because she knew he’d be angry.
She had come prepared, dressing in layers with a warm coat, warm socks, gloves, a hat, a parka, and a fresh set of clothing. She had brought loads of food, a flashlight, and a GPS that she didn’t know how to use but Ben could figure it out.
Having looked the hike up on the Internet, she was nervous. It was rigorous, it was at a very high altitude, and it was going to be freezing. Ben was crazy. And she was crazy for going with him. She was especially crazy for going with him when he didn’t want her. But she couldn’t help it. There was something about the boy that kept sucking her in: his spirit, his sadness, his passion. It was ridiculous. They weren’t even a couple. They fought as much as they got along. They were totally ill-suited for one another. But Ro needed him. She also needed him to need her.
She parked in front of his house and was relieved to see that both of his parents’ cars were in the driveway, which meant he was still home. She blew out air, walked up to the front door, and knocked softly. It was twenty to six. The door swung open. She steeled herself for the onslaught. “Hi.”
Angry eyes looked at hers. “Are you nuts?”
“Happy to see you too. Can I come in?” She didn’t wait for an answer, walking past him and into the kitchen, where his mother was preparing sandwiches. “Hi, Mrs. Vicksburg. How are you?”
His mom looked shocked. “Ben, you can’t seriously think of taking Ro hiking on Mount Baldy.”
“Of course not—”
“It’ll be fine!” Ro showed off her multiple sweaters and her hiking shoes. “All dressed and ready to go.” She sneaked a glance at Ben. Then she looked away and grimaced. He was furious but working hard at maintaining calm because they both knew there was no sense in getting his mother upset. She said, “I’ve come prepared.”
He said, “I appreciate you wanting to come, but like I told you in school, it’s a tough hike.”
“Then would it kill you to do a simpler hike?”
His mom said, “Amen to that.”
Ben took in a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. This is what we’ll do. We’ll start out, and when you start to flag, we’ll turn around.”
“Now that sounds like a plan.” Ro held up her rucksack. “I’ve got everything I need in one neat package.” When she grinned, it enraged him. No matter. She’d calm him down once they were alone.
His mother said, “Are you sure you have everything you need, Ro?”
“I made a list and checked it twice. I have sandwiches and water and a poncho because I know it gets wet. I’ve got gloves and a scarf and a change of clothes.” She smiled at Ben, who didn’t smile back. She threw him the keys. “You drive. You know the way.”
He caught them with one hand. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you—” But he was out the door. A minute later he came back, holding his knapsack by the strap. He gave his mom a set of keys. “At least you’ll have your car.”
“This is a foolhardy idea, Ben.”
“I’ll be home by six.” He was clenching his jaw. It was giving him a headache. “Let’s go.”
Silently they walked into the frigid darkness and climbed into Ro’s car. Ben stowed both backpacks in the rear seat. As soon as he put the key into the ignition and turned on the motor, Ro cranked up the heat. “Wow, it’s cold.”
Ben slowly eased the car into the street. The first few minutes were agonizingly silent. She finally said, “You’re mad.”
“Give me a few moments, okay?”
The intensity in his voice told her she had gone too far. “Look, I promise I’ll keep up. And I won’t kvetch. I’m a lot stronger than I make myself out to be. I can do this.”
“Ro, I’m not mad. I just need to think, okay?”
She looked down. “I just wanted to see you.”
“A few minutes? Please?”
She said nothing. They drove through the gravel streets until he merged onto the asphalt of Sierra Road. Ten minutes later he accelerated onto I-25 south.
Ro said, “Is this the right way? I thought Baldy was north.”
“I know where I’m going, okay.”
“Sorry. Can I turn on the radio?”
“It’s your car.”
“What kind of music do you like?”