I opened my eyes and quickly closed them again in an attempt to block out the sun now peeking around the edges of the blinds. Obviously, it was later than five. Gently, I shifted, then eased into a sitting position as I took in the empty spot next to me on the bed. Steph was awake before me? How in the hell did that happen? Just how late was it?

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed then reached for my watch. It took several seconds of staring at the numbers before my brain would finally accept what it read. If my watch was correct, and there was no reason to believe it wasn't, I'd slept for close to twelve hours.

The residual smell of coffee hung in the air, telling me that wherever Steph was, she hadn't gone far. Before I could go in search of her, I needed to see to some personal needs first.

Once I'd answered the call of nature, I returned to the main living area and took a moment to assess how I felt today. My shoulder hurt, but the pain wasn't quite as bad as the previous few days. I suspected if I stuck to my meds today, it would probably be gone completely for a while.

As much as I hated taking medication, the idea of getting some relief, as brief as it might be, was too tempting to resist. I wandered my way into the kitchen, pulled down a mug and poured myself a cup from the pot she'd brewed. Considering it was mostly hot still, she couldn't have been up for that long. Once I took a long drink, I turned and went in search of Steph. Knowing how excited she was about the porch last night, my gut told me that's probably where I'd find her now.

Sure enough, I opened the door and my attention landed on her all tucked up into one of the Adirondack chairs with a cup of coffee in her hand. She turned her head and smiled up at me. "Good morning."

"It's almost afternoon," I replied.

"Exaggerate much?" She rolled her eyes. "It's not quite ten o'clock."

In my world that was damn close to being afternoon. "Regardless, why didn't you wake me when you got up?"

She shrugged. "You needed the sleep."

"That may be, but as you just pointed out, it's close to ten AM. Aren't you hungry?"

She gave me a sheepish grin. "I might have had a couple of Butterscotch Krimpets for breakfast."

I didn't bother to hide my smile. "When did you get Butterscotch Krimpets?"

"Last night, when I stopped at Walmart," she replied.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Slowly, she unfolded herself from the chair and stood. "Now that you're awake, I won't feel bad about making noise. So, I guess I need to grab a quick shower and pack." She crossed to me brushed a quick kiss across my lips then headed back inside. Automatically, I turned to follow as she moved into the kitchen and set her mug in the sink. "We can grab some real food on our way out of town. I assume check out is at eleven?"

I stopped in the doorway of the little kitchen. "We're not leaving."

Her head whipped up to look at me. Her eyes wide with curiosity. "What do you mean we're not leaving?"

"When I checked in last night, the lady at the desk said the reason there was a cabin available, we because they'd had a cancellation. She told me the original reservation was for three nights, so if we wanted to stay longer, they could accommodate us."

She turned and leaned back against the counter, folding her arms across her chest. "And you took her up on her offer? But you were so adamant about getting back to Haywood."

The confusion on her face bothered me more than it probably should have. I thought she'd be happy that we were staying put. "I know I was."

"So, what changed?"

"Staying put will make you happy," I said as stepped into the kitchen and crossed to her and set my own mug down on the counter. "Above everything else, I want you happy."

She lifted her head to look up at me and sighed. "But being here isn't going to make you happy."

I reached out to tuck one of her crazy curls behind her ear. "Sweetheart, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

The skeptical look she shot me said she wasn't buying what I was selling. Time for me to try again. "Remember when I told you last night that you were right? That I had been in pain?"

Slowly she nodded.

"Well, you were also right about me needing to stay put and rest. Being in the Explorer for nearly twelve hours yesterday took its toll on me." I motioned to the bed in the other room. "As proof by the fact that I just slept for nearly as many hours."

"True," she replied, her voice soft.

"We have the cabin until Sunday morning. This will give me time to rest and recuperate a little more before we head back into the chaos that work will bring."

The skepticism slowly lifted from her features as she unfolded her arms and slid her hands up my chest. "Thank you for being willing to compromise on this subject."

I lifted my good hand to cover one of hers, holding it against me. "Part of any true partnership is being willing to compromise, Steph. You don't have to thank me for that."

Her look turned soft as she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Maybe not, but I am grateful for the love and respect you show me. The fact that you're always thinking of my wants and needs along with your own means more than I think I can adequately express."

Once we both had showered…sadly, she'd insisted on separate showers…Steph cleaned and rebandaged my incision and we both dressed and headed out to find some food. "I'm in the mood for a really good burger," she said as she drove us toward the center of town.

I grabbed my cell and did a quick search, finding an interesting place downtown that might fit her request. "There's a place downtown called The Gettysburger Company. It's menu looks promising."

"Okay," she said. "You navigate."

We found a parking garage near the downtown area, then walked the couple of blocks to the restaurant where, upon a thorough review of the menu, I ordered the smokehouse burger while Steph went with the classic bacon cheeseburger. The food was just as good as the website touted and I felt thoroughly stuffed when we stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Now what?" I asked.

She paused and looked both ways. "It looks like a nice little shopping district. Are you up for walking around?"

Considering the hefty meal, I just ate and the lack of exercise the last several days, walking, even at a leisurely pace would be welcome. With my good arm I motioned to her. "Lead the way."

We only made it, what seemed a few steps, when she turned and headed back the way we came, then almost immediately stopped and turned toward the entrance to The Gettysburg Wine Shop. Her detour surprised me a bit. In the four the years I've known Steph, I've only ever seen her drink wine less than a handful of times. She was definitely more of a craft beer kind of woman.

Deciding it would be nice to bring back some wine for Ranger and the core team, Steph began picking out different types of wine. She then went on to get a bottle for her best friend Mary Lou and one for Connie. That meant also getting one for Lula so she wouldn't feel left out. Then she picked out a bottle for herself. When the woman behind the counter told her if she just bought a full case worth, she'd give her a twenty-five percent discount, Steph did the quick math and decided the offer was a good deal.

The happy saleswoman readily agreed to pack and keep the case for us until we were done with our shopping and could swing back by with the vehicle and pick it up. Pleased with her purchase, Steph lead the way back onto the sidewalk and we continued with our stroll.

Per my request, we stopped at the army surplus store next door where I found an Army Rangers t-shirt I really liked. Knowing Steph would most likely knab it, I bought two. She was grinning when we returned to the sidewalk again. "Is one of those for me?"

I tried to hide my smile. "Knowing how you are about my t-shirts; I'm just thinking ahead."

Her grin widened as she wrapped her arm around my good one. As we walked by the Gettysburg Baking Company, Steph motioned to the store front. "We should stop there on our way back to the truck. We could grab food to take back to the cabin for dinner and maybe even breakfast tomorrow." It was a good idea.

An hour into our walk, we'd made stops at a store that sold handmade soaps and lotions, a cigar shop, where I picked up some cigars for the guys and handmade pottery store. Once again, Steph needed to arrange a delayed pick up with the clerk. Boy the woman could shop.

We were heading back up the street on the opposite side when an antique rifle in a storefront caught my eye. "Do you want to go in?" Steph asked as she looked toward the entrance to the antique store.

I wasn't much into collecting antiques and had no intention of purchasing the gun but couldn't deny the strange feeling pulling me toward the entrance. Instinct told me there was something inside I was meant to see. "Do you mind?"

She shook her head. "I've dragged you into enough stores already. So long as you're feeling up to it still, it's fine with me."

With her blessing, we headed inside. The old, slightly musty smell of turn of the century building and old possessions infiltrated my senses. There was history here. History that was meant to be explored and appreciated.

Together, we began wandering our way through the store, until I reached a case toward the back that contained several antique muskets and rifles. The clerk behind the counter made his way over to us and we began chatting about the weapons. The moment our conversation drifted toward my military service and how far weapons had progressed since the time of the civil war, Steph wandered away.

With one eye on her, I allowed the discussion with the elderly clerk to continue for another ten minutes when I noticed Steph hadn't moved from where she was staring down into a display case. Wondering what had caught her attention, I excused myself and headed her direction. "Hey. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to get carried away talking about guns."

"That's okay," she said as she pulled her attention away from the case to look up at me.

"What were you looking at?"

She waved a dismissive hand and started to turn away. "Oh, nothing. I'm ready to go if you are."

I grabbed her hand, stopping her forward motion. "Steph?"

When silence met my question, I glanced over at the case. Much to my surprise, it was filled with jewelry. She'd never struck me as a woman who was into a lot of adornments. I mean she did wear a simple diamond necklace and matching earrings that Ranger had bought her for her birthday two years ago. But that was it and unless she was working a distraction or going someplace special it was always just her watch and those pieces.

I arched a brow at her. "Jewelry?"

She let out a sigh. "Yes, I was looking at the jewelry."

"I didn't think you were big into jewelry."

She shook her head. "I'm not really, but…" she paused and bit her lip, as she looked at me from under her lashes.

"What?"

"You're going to think it's stupid," she replied.

Okay, now I was curious. "I promise I won't."

She glanced from me to the case and back. "Well…okay. You're right. I'm not big into jewelry, but I do find antique jewelry fascinating."

"Just antique jewelry?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because unlike brand new jewelry, each of those pieces have a history and a story to tell." She turned back to stare at the case. "At some point every one of those items was love and cherished by someone. Take that pearl necklace, for example. I find myself wondering, if it could talk, what kind of stories would it share? Was it given as a gift to its last owner? Was it passed down in a family from grandmother to mother to daughter? What sad turn of events happened for it to land inside an antique shop instead of remaining a cherished possession?"

I always suspected Steph was a romantic at heart, but I had no clue as to the true depth of her emotions. My attention shifted from the pearl necklace to the single carat circle cut diamond ring just a few inches away and that feeling from earlier returned enforce. It sat in what appeared to be a platinum setting with two smaller diamonds flanking it. It was gorgeous and if the price tag was any indication, it was as authentic as it got.

My gut clenched and my heart skipped a beat as I stared at engagement ring. I could almost hear it calling out to me. "What about that, sapphire?" I asked, pointing to the ring next to the diamond. I needed a minute for a gut check and to gather my thoughts. It's literally been a week since we first came together, yet staring down at that diamond, this feels righter than anything else I've ever done in my life.

"Oh, that sapphire, is gorgeous," Steph replied, her voice loud enough to catch the clerk's attention. He walked over to the case with a smile on his face. "See something you'd like, darling?"

Steph held up her hand and shook her head even as I answer in the affirmative. Her attention cut to me, at look of shock on her face. "No. I couldn't."

"Why not?" the clerk asked as he opened the sliding door and pulled out the sapphire. "I believe this was the ring you just mentioned."

"Oh, well…" Steph looked at it.

"Go ahead," I urged. "Try it on."

After a moment's hesitation, she reached for the ring and slid it on her right ring finger. It didn't quite fit. "Well, now that's a shame," the clerk said. "I was going to tell you how all the jewelry we sell has been authenticated and appraised by certified experts and come with back up documentation."

Once again, my eyes cut to the engagement ring. The overwhelming urge to see it sitting on her finger continued to pull at me. "What about that diamond?" Hopefully Steph wouldn't notice the price tag before trying it on.

In what appeared to be a practiced move, the clerk quickly removed the diamond and set it out of view, then made a production out of taking the sapphire back from Steph and returning it to the case. He then paused before bringing the diamond up for her to view. I noticed it was now without the price tag and didn't bother to hide my smile.

"That's beautiful," Steph said then took it from the clerk and slid it onto the same finger. For reasons I couldn't quite explain, I wasn't all that surprised when she discovered that it fit perfectly. She stared down at the ring. "It kinda makes me sad in a way."

My brow knit. That certainly wasn't the response I expected. The last thing I wanted was for her to be sad. "Why?"

"Because at some point in the past, this ring was a representation of a man's love and commitment to his woman. There's a story here. One of love, devotion and a life shared and now it sits inside a display case in an antique shop. The couple's story never to be told again."

"Then," I said as I reached for her right hand to remove the ring. I took her left hand in mine and slid the diamond onto her ring finger. "Maybe it's time we gave it a new story to tell."