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"Speaking of which--there's an art supply store a few towns over and I was wondering if you would take me out there? I want to paint the view you showed me the other night."
My heart swells with love and pride for her. She's so talented and passionate about her art, and I want to support her in every way possible. "Of course," I say, grinning at her. "I'd love to take you there."
"Thank you," she says, her eyes shining with happiness. "I can't wait to get started on it."
We finish breakfast and I help her clean up, secretly enjoying the domesticity of it all. I can't wait for us to have a place of our own, where we can do things like this every day. As we finish up, my phone buzzes in my pocket, a message from Sadie.
Coming over at 7 with cake. Prepare to be grilled.
I groan.
"What is it?" Piper asks.
"Sadie," I tell her. "She wants to grill us at dinner tonight."
Piper goes pale and swallows hard. "Really?"
I reach out for her. "Don't panic," I say. "It's all going to be okay. Sadie just wants to get to know you better, and I think she'll love you once she gets to know you."
"I hope so," Piper says, worry still etched on her face.
"She will," I reassure her. "And in the meantime, let's focus on our painting trip. I can't wait to see what you create."
Piper smiles at me, her worry melting away. "Thank you, Jesse," she says. "For everything."
I kiss her forehead. "Anytime, Piper. I love you."
"I love you too," she says, as we make our way out the door and into the car, ready for our artistic adventure.
Chapter fifteen
Piper
Itfeelslikeeverythingis falling into place...and it's nice to escape for a little while.
We drive with the windows down through the winding roads of the Cascade Mountains, the wind whipping our hair around our faces. The sun is setting, casting a warm orange glow over the trees and mountains around us. As we drive, I can feel myself relaxing, all the stress and worries of everyday life fading away.
We pass by small cabins and campsites, some with people sitting around fires, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs. The smell of wood smoke and grilled meat fills the air, making my stomach growl. I turn to Jesse and grin, "Can we get lunch while we're out of town? I'm starving."
He nods. "Anything, darlin'."
The art supply store is in a little town between here and Portland, and we pull up in front of a quaint diner with a neon sign that reads "Mama's Kitchen." The smell of frying bacon and fresh coffee wafts out to greet us as we step inside.
The place is small and cozy, with Formica tables and vinyl booths lining the walls. An older woman with a kind smile greets us and leads us to a booth by the window.
We order burgers and fries, and as we wait for our food, I watch the people around us. There's a group of bikers at the counter, their leather jackets creaking as they lean over their plates. A young couple sits in a booth across from us, holding hands and laughing over cups of coffee.
When our food arrives, I take a big bite of my burger and let out a satisfied sigh. Jesse chuckles and reaches across the table to brush a strand of hair out of my face.
"Happy now?" he asks.
I smile up at him. "Very."
My eyes are drawn back to the bikers over and over, though, remembering how incredible it was to take rides along the Pacific Coast Highway on Jesse's bike. I stop eating, putting my fork down, and Jesse eyes me.
"What's wrong?" he asks.
I bite my lip. "I think I'm just...do you ever worry that you're going to feel locked down by me? Are you going to miss the road?"
