In the car, she looked a like a kid in a candy store. "I've never ridden in a 911 before." Her eyes swept over all the gauges on the console. "How fast does it go?"
"Fast enough. Would you like to drive it?"
"Oh, no! I would be too worried I'd hit something."
Jackson's smile broadened; he thought how much fun it would be to watch her as she ran from car to car in his stable 'oohing' and 'ahing'.
"We'll find an open road for you."
They chatted comfortably during the ride. No awkwardness existed today. Jackson could not help but feel she had decided to let her guard down and give him a chance. He hoped he wouldn't blow it. "Where are we picnicking?" She asked.
"I thought we would go to Mount Greylock. Someday, when there is a concert, I would love to take you to Tanglewood. Today, Mount Greylock will be better." He thought about how it would feel to sit holding her on the lawn, listening to the Boston Pops. It suddenly occurred to him that he wasn't sure if she even liked music. How sad it would be if she didn't care about the one thing that defined him. "Do you like classical music?"
"I love all kinds of music." He held her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
Jackson pulled the car into a spot, stepped out, opened the door for her and grabbed the basket. He looked down at her feet, and after noting she wore sneakers said, "You up for a little hike first?"
"Sure."
They walked a path for a while then came to a clearing. "Here we are."
"Oh, it's beautiful, you can see forever!"
"I don't know about forever, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better view." He laid the blanket out and sat. Elisabeth stood, transfixed on the brilliant vista. The palette before her encompassed every hue on the color wheel from bright yellow to crimson red. The bounty of New England's autumn surrounded them, and the sun reflected off the leaves as if it were playing with the tone, searching for the perfect combination of pigment. Her eyes filled with wonder, and her artist's mind drank in the details of the scene.
Jackson left her to her thoughts for a while, then said, "You want to sit down or shall I bring your food to you."
Snapping out of her trance, she laughed. "Sorry, I got lost for a minute." Jackson felt an intense wave of emotion. He loved that she appreciated the beauty of this place, and her laugh warmed him in a way he had never experienced.