Page 47 of Her Paramedic (Men in Uniforms #3)

T alia stopped in the middle of their hike as a butterfly fluttered nearby. She’d picked a flower a little way back, and held it out, holding still, hoping to entice the pretty insect to it. She wasn’t sure it would happen, and after a moment, when it did, she turned to Slate.

“Babe, babe, take a picture,” she requested softly, afraid that speaking louder would scare the butterfly off.

Slate gave her an amused smile as he pulled his phone out to do as she requested.

When he put his phone away, Talia began walking again, and it was several steps later before it flew off.

She slipped her free hand into Slate’s and continued to enjoy the surrounding nature.

There were several people out, and Talia knew they had the same idea as they did. To hike before it got too hot out.

She handed the flower she’d picked to Slate and pulled out her phone to take pictures of their surroundings. The foliage around them was full and colorful, and Talia had taken to documenting their time together.

They hiked for another thirty minutes before turning and heading back the way they came. An hour later they were back at the cabin. Talia lay across the couch, and Slate leaned down and kissed her.

“How do you feel about quesadillas for lunch, baby?” Slate asked.

“That sounds good, babe,” she responded. “Do you want some help?” It was only eleven o’clock, but they’d skipped breakfast that morning in favor of hiking before the temperature got too hot for it to be comfortable.

“I got it, gorgeous.”

“Okay. Will you send me the picture you took?” she asked. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her before going into the kitchen.

She opened his camera roll and found that he’d taken five pictures, two of her holding the butterfly, and three that were just close-ups of her.

She couldn’t help but smile. Talia sent herself the two pictures and then saved them to her phone before going through all the photos she’d taken, and adding the ones she liked to the folder she’d started with pictures of them, and their dates. She deleted the others.

“Babe, do you know where you want to go for dinner tonight?” Talia asked, turning her attention to him.

“I haven’t looked. You want to decide together over lunch?”

“Yeah. I looked up the go-kart place, and it wasn’t too far from a shopping center. It had an arcade, so there might be a couple of restaurants. If it does, we can go there depending on the reviews, and then play some games at the arcade afterward.”

“We can do that if you want to, baby,” Slate replied.

Before she could answer his phone rang. “Your mom’s calling,” she told him.

“Answer it, gorgeous.”

Talia answered the phone, bringing it to her ear. “Hi Corrin,” she greeted.

“Hey, sweetie,” she responded before saying, “Oh my goodness, I forgot you were going away for the weekend. I’m interrupting, aren’t I?”

“No, not at all. Give me a second and I’ll give Slate the phone.”

“Don’t worry about it, honey. I can ask him later.”

“It isn’t a problem. He’s making lunch. Hold on a second.”

Talia got up and took Slate his phone. She thought it was adorable that Corrin felt so flustered and apologetic about interrupting them when they weren’t doing anything but lounging around.

She knew if it had been Courtney calling, they would have wanted a play-by-play of what they were doing, and their plans for the rest of the trip before getting off the phone.

It was just how they were, but she wouldn’t have them any other way.

She went back to her folder and chose a few pictures to upload to social media, while Slate talked to his mother.

“You still want my phone, babe?” Slate asked several minutes later after he’d finished the call.

“No, baby, I’m good. I sent the pictures to myself.”

Twenty minutes later, Slate returned to the living room with two plates and sat them on the table before going back into the kitchen and returning with drinks.

“Thank you,” Talia said when he handed her a glass.

“You’re welcome, baby.”

As they ate, she pulled up the shopping center she found, and they looked through the list of businesses held there. There were two restaurants, and after reading several of the reviews for each one, they chose the seafood restaurant.

Once they finished eating, Talia cleaned up since Slate cooked, and then settled next to him again on the couch. They had a few hours before they planned to head out. They would visit the go-kart track, do some shopping, have dinner, and end the night with a few nostalgic arcade games.

They watched two movies, then changed out of the clothes they went hiking in before leaving the cabin. Talia put the address for the go-kart track into the GPS, and Slate followed the directions there. When they arrived, they got in line behind the few people waiting to pay for entry.

“Babe, I don’t want you to be shocked, so I should tell you now,” Talia said.

Slate raised an eyebrow, looking down at her. “Tell me what?”

“That this is something else I’m going to beat you at,” she replied with a teasing smirk. Her boyfriend rolled his eyes playfully, and poked her in the side, causing her to laugh.

“Don’t come crying to me when you lose,” he teased back.

“I can guarantee it won’t be me crying.”

Slate leaned down and whispered in her ear. “But you look so pretty when you’re crying on my—”

She nudged him, cutting him off. “There are people around,” she huffed, which only drew a chuckle from him.

“There were also people around at the lounge when you rode my—”

“Slate Alexander Stoll. Do not finish that sentence.”

He smirked at her but held his hands up in surrender. They moved up in line, and he paid before allowing her to lead him to the first of three courses she planned on beating him at.

? ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ · ─ ?

S late took Talia’s face in his hand and moved it from side to side. His girlfriend furrowed her brow.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to see if you’re about to cry,” he teased.

She huffed before laughing. “You got lucky.”

“Sure, baby. Let’s go with that,” he responded, pecking her lips before releasing her.

They exited the go-kart track, and once at the car, he opened the door for her before getting in, and they headed the half mile down to the shopping center. Once they found a space, Talia pulled him towards a clothing boutique closest to where they’d parked.

They looked around through several racks. She picked up a few items before ultimately putting them back. Slate figured she wasn’t looking for anything in particular. They were killing time until dinner, and he didn’t mind checking out whatever stores she wanted to go in.

Talia was looking at a rack of pants when something two racks over caught Slate’s attention. He went to it and picked up the powder-blue dress. He checked the size before taking it to her.

“Will you try this on for me, baby?”

She looked at the dress and smiled at him. “Sure, babe. It’s cute.”

Talia took the garment from him and headed towards the two fitting rooms in the back.

She stepped inside, pulling the door closed, and he leaned against the wall opposite it as he waited.

She emerged a few minutes later, and Slate took her in.

He’d liked the dress when he saw it, but she made it look ten times better. She gave him a little spin.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“You look beautiful as you do in everything else,” he replied. “Do you like it?”

“I do. I think I’ll get it.”

Talia returned to the dressing room and when she exited a few minutes later, Slate took the dress from her. “Did you want to keep looking?”

“No, I wasn’t really looking for anything. I’ll just get the dress,” she replied.

They went to the register, and the cashier rang them up. He paid for the dress, and they exited the boutique. There was a store next door that looked like it catered to tourists, and Talia stopped to look at some items displayed in the window.

“Should we buy something to remember our first trip together?” she asked.

“It isn’t our first trip together, baby.”

“You’re right, but it’s our first trip together as a couple.”

“We could have been if someone wasn’t playing hard to get,” he teased.

Talia pursed her lips at him. “Maybe I knew you enjoyed pursuing me.”

Slate wrapped his arm around her. “Trust me, baby. I did. I still do.” He steered her towards the door. “Let’s choose a souvenir.”

They looked at several options, but in the end opted for getting two magnets.

They made the purchase, then left the store.

The rest of their time before dinner was spent going into various stores.

Talia only found two other things she wanted, and Slate found a shirt he liked that matched the dress from the first boutique.

Bags placed in the car's trunk, they went to the end of the shopping center where the restaurant was. They only had to wait a few minutes before being seated. When their server arrived, they placed their orders.

“You know, you might redeem yourself from that terrible beating at the go-kart track when we go to the arcade, gorgeous,” he teased once they were alone.

Talia playfully rolled her eyes. “That was so long ago. Why are you bringing that up?”

Slate chuckled. “That was a few hours ago, and we both know if you had won, I’d hear it for days.”

“Well, yeah, but that’s different.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “How’s that?”

“I’m cute when I brag,” she answered with a mischievous smile.

“I can’t argue with that.”

The server returned with their drinks and informed their food would be out soon.

“What do you want to do when we get back to the cabin?” Talia asked after taking a sip of her drink.

“Finish the rest of the strawberries.” He smirked. “Since I didn’t get to use them all last night.”

His girlfriend laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

Slate shrugged. “It’s not my fault you taste so good. It was easy to get addicted.”

“Trust me, I’m not complaining about your addiction.”

Their food came out a little while later, and they enjoyed it. He could see why the restaurant had so many rave reviews when they’d looked.

After he paid the check, they left and went to the arcade a few doors down.

They spent the next hour there. Playing games he hadn’t played since he was a kid, and each time Talia won, he found himself smiling at the little happy dance she did.

As much as he liked to tease her when he beat her at something, he enjoyed watching her win.

“Do you want to stop anywhere before we head back?” he asked once they were in the car.

“No, I’m good, baby,” Talia responded as she reached over and gently ran her nails along the nape of his neck.

Slate rested his hand on her thigh as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed back towards the cabin. It was almost ten o’clock, and he planned on spending the rest of the night finishing the strawberries from the night before.