**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 ...