Home Before Dark by Susan Wiggs Page B

have. Pride and gladness surged through her as she took Heath’s hand and gave it a squeeze. This was one of those moments she wanted to keep forever, to remind herself how good life was.
    They veered down to the lake, then took a circuitous route along the gravel driveway to Heath’s Jeep. “Close call,” she said on a burst of relief as she settled herself into the passenger seat.
    â€œI’ll say.” He leaned across the console and kissed her again, and this time his hand stole downward to touch her breast.
    She felt an electrical sting of fire, then reluctantly pulled back. He’d been pressuring her to have sex, and she’d been holding out, but pretty soon she knew she’d give in. One of these days they’d find the right time and the right place, and it would be perfect. “Everyone’s probably wondering where we are. We’d better get a move on,” she said.
    â€œYeah.” He put the Jeep in gear and drove up past the broken rock, then pulled out onto the road. Lila pushed the power on the radio, and a gut-thumping beat filled the car. A short way down the road, they picked up four more passengers. Travis Bridger and his younger brother Dig, and Lila’s best and second-best friends, Kathy Beemer and Sierra Jeffries. Travis, who was seventeen and looked old enough to buy beer in the next town, passed around chilled, sweaty cans of Shiner.
    â€œNectar of the gods, my friends,” he announced, took a long gulp, then let loose with an impressive belch.
    Turning around to the back seat, Lila clinked cans with everyone. “Cheers,” she said, and downed a third of the beer in one pull. She honestly didn’t care for the fizzy, bitter taste of it. But after the first beer, the second went down with ease, spreading its blurry chill through her limbs, softening the edges of the world and making her mouth tend toward smiling for no reason.
    â€œDouble your pleasure.” Heath handed her a joint, and she used the cigarette lighter to spark it, inhaling and holding her breath and battling the urge to cough as she passed it to the back. The sight of the four of them sitting there, with Kathy in Dig’s lap because there weren’t enough seat belts, cracked Lila up. She opened her third beer to celebrate the moment. There was nothing like the soaring joy of knowing she had friends like these four and Heath, who understood her even though she didn’t have to say a word, who liked her even though her mother was lame, even though she didn’t seem toknow her father anymore, even though her brothers drove her crazy. They just knew. Sometimes she thought they existed in her life for the sole purpose of reminding her that every night could be a party.
    The headlights of the Jeep threw a long cone of light along the empty road, the beam sweeping over scrub oak and mesquite and critters scuttling in the underbrush. The whole vehicle seemed to be buoyed along by beer and pot and laughter. When Heath reached out with his free hand to touch her cheek, she nearly burst with happiness.
    â€œWhere to, chief?” asked Dig, his voice croaking as he held in a toke.
    â€œSeven Hills!” Lila shrieked, and Kathy took up the cry, too. “Seven Hills!”
    Heath kept his eyes on the road as a priceless grin slid across his face. “You got it.” He cracked open another beer, took a swig and set the can in the drink holder.
    Lila felt a thrill of anticipation. Seven Hills was their favorite place to go ramping, and Heath’s Jeep was the best vehicle for the job. His dad was loaded, and since the divorce he’d given Heath the best of everything, including a late-model Jeep, perfect for four-wheeling. And for launching.
    The sport had grown so popular that they’d devoted an entire safety assembly at school to the topic. The principal and a DPS officer in mirrored sunglasses had stood at the podium, ignoring laughter and heckling as