Page 65 of Sterling Stone

One afternoon, I can’t stand the pressure I saw building up in her.

“Come on,” I whisper, scooping my hand under her arm and gently tugging her up from the chair she’d been sitting in for days beside her aunt.

“What?” she questions, keeping her voice lowered. “Where are we going?”

“Out.” I lead her out of Trudy’s room and better explain myself when we near the nurses’ station. “Nurse Betty here is gonna watch our girl for a little while.”

I wink at the older woman who works in the intensive care unit. I’ve known Betty for years because of accidents and incidents in the community at large.

The white-haired woman giggles and waves a dismissive hand at me. “Get out of here, you two.”

“What? I can’t leave,” Taxi argues. “And did you just use some Sylver charm to get your way with her?”

My brows lift. “I don’t know about Sylver charm, but you absolutely can leave. Just for an hour. Give yourself a break.”

“I really shouldn’t.” Taxi glances toward Trudy’s room, crossing her arms, and chewing at her lower lip.

“Look, I understand your concern. And Betty here has me on speed dial if something happens. But right now, Trudy is resting as she should be. The doctors say she’s doing well.”

I pause, cupping her shoulders and lowering my head to meet her eyes. I’m not above pouting a lip, hoping that Sylver charm she mentioned might work on her.

“One hour?” she questions, glancing back at me.

“One hour.” That doesn’t give us much time, but I want to get Taxi outside for a bit.

It’s a beautiful August afternoon. Still warm with the scent of change in the air. Soon enough, the leaves will shift colors, and the temperature will drop.

Eventually, Taxi gives in. Unable to help myself, I wrap my arm over her shoulder and tug her to my side, leading her out to my truck. Thankfully, she doesn’t balk under the touch. Instead, she leans into me until we get to the parking lot.

We quickly hop in my truck and head out. “We’re going to one of my favorite spots.”

The place isn’t the official trail I’d love to explore with Taxi one day, but a spot I’d discovered a few years back.

“I used to bring my brother Ford to Sterling Falls when he was young. We’d take a short hike until he blew off steam.” I pause for a second. “My dad . . . he hurt Ford with his words, telling him he’d never be any good at baseball.” Softly smiling to myself, I admit. “I think he did all right.”

I’d say an all-star centerfielder for the Chicago Anchors for nearly a decade made him a success.

“Anyway, I found this little offshoot hike a while back.” I steer down a bumpy trail that looks like it’s nothing more than a two-tire lane. We veer off the lane and into a copse of trees.

“Stone Sylver, where the heck are you taking me?”

“Trust me.” I smile again, popping open my door and reaching into the back. When I retrieve a picnic basket, Taxi raises her brows.

“Did I seem like a foregone conclusion?”

I chuckle softly. “That is the last way I would describe you.” I’m still so uncertain about many things when it comes to Taxi, but we’ve cuddled every night, hunkered down on that lumpy couch, just being close to one another. That has to mean something, right?

I hold out my hand, and I’m pleased when she takes it, easily following me through the trees that quickly break apart, revealing a section of the river.

Taxi pauses beside me, staring at the water rushing past us.

“You mentioned how you grew up near a river,” I remind her. “And I now realize you meant this one. Well, maybe not this direct branch, but we don’t have time for the falls today. Maybe one day soon.”

It’s a sliver of hint that I’d like more from her. A future promise. A little more time.

Setting down the lunch basket, I drop Taxi’s hand and pull out a blanket, shaking it out for us to sit on. I wave toward the square of plaid for her to take a seat.

“Stone Sylver, this is almost romantic.”