**Jax**
Thirty minutes later, Piper and I were headed to Lake Placid. One hand on the steering wheel, the other entwined with hers, I was as relaxed as I'd ever been. I drove through the back roads of Keene Valley, showing Piper the mountain scenery and the waterfalls. Watching her take it all in was like seeing this town for the first time all over again.
We arrived in Lake Placid right around noon, so our first stop was a local café for lunch. Piper's face was animated, her eyes bright, as she gushed over how pretty it was around here. I couldn't disagree.
"Maybe when we're finished here we can take a walk near the lake?" she asked.
"I didn't peg you as a "long walks on the beach" type of girl." I grinned.
She playfully tossed a potato chip at me and laughed. "What can I say?" She shrugged, her expression pure mischief. "You bring out my cheesy side."
I laughed. "Lucky for you, I happen to really like cheese."