Page 83 of Life and Death

She shook her head. “Back to the question. Must you go to Seattle, or would you mind if we did something different?”

As long as thewepart was in, I didn’t care about anything else.

“I’m open to alternatives,” I allowed. “But I do have another favor to ask.”

She looked wary, like she always did when I asked an open-ended question. “What?”

“Can I drive?”

She frowned. “Why?”

“Well, mostly because you’re a terrifying driver. But also because I told Charlie I was going alone, and I don’t want him to get curious.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving.” She shook her head in disgust, but then her eyes were serious again. “Won’t you want to tell your father that you’re spending the day with me?” There was an undercurrent to her question that I didn’t understand.

“With Charlie, less is always more.” I was definite about that. “Where are we going, anyway?”

“Archie says the weather will be nice, so I’ll be staying out of the public eye . . . and you can stay with me, if you’d like to.” Again, she was leaving the choice up to me.

“And you’ll show me what you meant, about the sun?” I asked, excited by the idea of solving another of the unknowns.

“Yes.” She smiled, then hesitated. “But if you don’t want to be . . . alone with me, I’d still rather you didn’t go to Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of all thevans.”

“As it happens, I don’t mind being alone with you.”

“I know,” she sighed. “You should tell Charlie, though.”

I shook my head at the thought of explaining my personal life to Charlie. “Why on earth would I do that?”

Her eyes were suddenly fierce. “To give me some small incentive to bring you back.”

I waited for her to relax. When she didn’t, I said, “I’ll take my chances.”

She exhaled angrily, and looked away.

“So that’s settled. New topic?”

My attempt to change the subject didn’t help much.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked through her teeth, still annoyed.

I glanced around us, making sure we were well out of anyone’s hearing. In the back corner, Archie was leaning forward, talking to Jessamine. Eleanor sat beside her, but Royal was gone.

“Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend . . . to hunt? Charlie said it wasn’t a good place to hike, because of bears.”

She stared at me as if I was missing something very obvious.

“Bears?” I gasped.

She smirked.

“You know, bears are not in season,” I added sternly, to cover my shock.

“If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons,” she informed me.

She watched my face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in.

“Bears?” I repeated with difficulty.