Love Gone to the Dogs by Margaret Daley Page B

Shane's presence only a few feet away. She had dated so little that she actually wasn't sure what to do next. Watch TV? Play cards or some kind of board game?
    "Let's go for a ride," Shane announced, taking the choice away from her.
    "Where?"
    "I have a place I want to show you."
    Suspicious, she narrowed her eyes and looked into his face, which told her nothing. "What kind of place?"
    "I used to go there a lot when I was a little boy. It was my secret hideout."
    Alarms went off in her brain, but for the life of her she couldn't say no. She heard the underlying promise in his husky voice, and it sent a shiver down her spine. The gleam in his dark eyes implied much more than a stroll down memory lane for him.
    "I'll just tell Gramps where I'm going, then we can leave."
    "Mom already knows."
    One of her eyebrows arched. "She does?"
    "Well, not exactly where we're going, but that I want to take you for a ride. You're the first person I will have shown my secret hideout to."
    Leah couldn't help the pleasure that his words brought to her. "The first?"
    His gaze connected with hers. "Not even my wife."
    Her throat tightened. "Knowing the knack my family has of getting into trouble, don't you think we should tell them at least where we're going?"
    "No. I have my cell phone if anyone needs to reach us."
    Excitement—which for the life of her she wished she didn't feel—hummed in her veins as Shane backed out of his driveway and turned toward the wooded area not far from her house. "What kind of secret place is it?"
    "You really don't like surprises, do you?"
    "Nope." She looked toward him, but the shadows of dusk had fallen, and his features were obscured.
    "It's a place I used to go to think, to work through my problems. Frankly, I haven't been there since I was a teenager."
    "Why not?"
    "Would you believe me if I told you that I don't have big problems to work through?"
    "You'd be the first person I met who didn't."
    "Truthfully, I forgot about the place until Arnold and Princess ended up in the woods. Our little romp reminded me of my secret hideout."
    Shane drove his car into a grove of trees and parked it, then retrieved a flashlight from his glove compartment. Climbing out, he came around and opened the door for Leah. "It's not far."
    She didn't move. "The last time I was in a wooded area I ended up in a patch of poison ivy."
    "There's a cleared path. My secret hideout is a popular place."
    She fit her hand in his and allowed him to lead her along a path that twisted through a thicket of trees. Darkness engulfed them, and Leah wasn't sure this was a good idea. As her doubt surfaced, however, they emerged from the woods into a clearing. The sound of a stream filled the night silence, and from the almost full moon she could see why the place had been special to Shane.
    "I'd like to come back sometime in the daylight."
    "That stream has bass in it. I used to come fishing here. You can do a lot of great thinking while holding a fishing pole. Come on over here and sit on this log." Shane tugged her over to a fallen tree and pulled her down next to him.
    The scent of the forest and water mingled, giving the air a sharp, clean smell. The sound of insects and the warmth of the summer night soothed Leah. The feel of Shane's hand about hers made the whole picture perfect. For a few minutes she breathed deeply and forgot the problems that awaited her back at the house.
    "I like your not so secret place."
    His fingers tightened about hers for a brief moment before he released her hand and slipped his arm about her shoulder, easing her against his side. "It is peaceful. Maybe I'll start using it again."
    "Who owns this land?"
    Shane tensed, straightening. "Ned Shiplock. I just remembered he bought it a few years back. Maybe I won't be using it again."
    "Maybe we should leave."
    "Maybe you're right" He rose, bringing her to her feet alongside of him. "Knowing the man, I'm surprised alarms didn't go off when we stepped on his land."
    Shane