Page 151 of Lost Lyrebird

“Sir, yes, sir.”She salutes me, and it’s at this point that I’m certain I’ll be leaving my handprint on her ass by the end of the day because it looks as if her attitude is out in full force.

Chuckling and shaking my head, I go to my saddlebag and get our supplies.The backpack is stuffed to the gills, and it’ll be heavy, but I didn’t anticipate all the shit she’d want to bring.Buying a bigger bag for our next date is at the top of my to-do list.

When I’m ready, I don’t ask.I take her hand in mine and pull her after me as I start the trek to our destination.

As we walk, I ask all the safe questions.They might seem to be insignificant details about her, where she’s traveled before, where she’d like to go, what she does in her free time, but they’re not.She tells me about the girls she teaches at the studio.I take note of anything she reveals that makes her light up.I stay away from any topics that would get her guard up and shut down the steady flow of conversation between us.

There’s over an hour of hiking, some bird-watching, and moments where we pause our journey to observe deer and a few critters making their way across the forest.

At one point, Lily asks me to stop and digs through the bag I’m carrying so she can use her inhaler.She tells me about her asthma, and it checks out with everything I researched about it online, with a few added details.

It must help, because her breaths, compared to before, are quieter.

My fingers itch for a pen.My hands ache to hold the notebook hidden at the bottom of my bag.The need to jot down everything I learn about her rides me hard.However, that would only reveal what I’m doing.I’m learning.Analyzing.Tying threads.Gathering breadcrumbs and piecing a puzzle together, what’s been left unfinished too long.

The lake and waterfall, when we eventually get to them, are breathtaking.It’s not as big as I imagined, but still majestic.Moss-covered rocks surround it on three sides.The water is a dark green in the deeper parts and more teal in the shallower areas, where sand-colored rocks can be seen under the surface.The air is fresh and clean up here, and the temperature is somewhere in the mid-70s.

A perfect day for a hike with a slight breeze, which has helped to keep my sweating to a minimum.

“Wow.It truly is gorgeous here.”

Goose nods as he sets down the backpack.Then he rolls his shoulders and stretches his back again.Black sunglasses cover his eyes, but I can see that his face is a little pinched.

“You all right?”

“Yeah, a bit of a headache.But it’s not bad.I’ll take something for it in a minute.”

“I’ve noticed that you’re doing better with them lately.”

He gives a grim smile.“New medication.I finally visited the doctor and checked into my options.”

“You did?”

He shrugs.“Yeah.Bodie’s been hounding me for a while.And the headaches had gotten to a point that I just couldn’t take anymore.So, in a way, it was the only thing I could do.”

“You don’t seem happy about it.”

He shakes his head.“It’s a stop-gap, is all.The meds help, but they’re not a cure, and my body is going to adapt to them sooner or later, and I’ll be back to searching for a new way to cope with the pain.”

“So it’s just a pause button on the pain?”

“Yeah, which is all I can hope for at this point.”

“Isn’t there anything else they can do?Like…” I take a moment and gather my thoughts, and even though I’m nervous as hell, I spill the rest of what I’m thinking.“Okay, I’ll be honest.I did some research and found out some things.I don’t know your medical history, so I was shooting in the dark, but I found a ton of information when I dug deeper on migraine remedies.There are some medications in testing with good results, some natural remedies, massage, acupuncture, and there are a few surgeons who are worth their weight in gold, according to the reviews.”

He stares at me for what feels like an eternity.Like, way too fucking long.The corner of his mouth pulls to the side.

“Oh, shut up.”I slap his arm, but he ends up grabbing my hand and using it to yank me close.

“Damn, woman.You have no fucking idea what that means to me that you did that.”

“What, that I’d take time out of my day to help you if I can?”

He nods.“That and you didn’t just look for a quick fix.You cared enough to do more, learn more.”

“Well, I kind of like you.Sometimes.Not always.”I emphasize by trying to push away, but he holds on tight and even wraps his arms around me.He takes off his glasses and tucks them into the collar of his shirt.When he hits me with that soft look again, my muscles instantly relax, because those deep pools of blue put me in a sort of trance, and I’m suddenly putty in his arms.

Fuck.This man.This time, my inner voice doesn’t snap at me harshly.She whispers it like an exhaltation.