Journal of a Lifetime (Journals of Love) (5 page)

Steve broke the silence by announcing, “Calgary also has a zoo with a prehistoric section in it. It provides a representation of the dinosaurs and plants that were in this area.”

Lindsey wasn’t as impressed as all the other passengers. She was reading this as Steve was saying it. She had one hand on her journal and one hand on the cross in an effort to still her rapidly beating heart.

Finally the bus left Calgary and began its route through Canmore.
Here we go
, Lindsey thought, and wasn’t surprised this time at the continuation of the journal’s word-for-word entries.

“Canmore is a small town that used to be a coal mining town. Tourism keeps the city going now, and those looking for an active vacation would do well to visit here. There’s rock climbing, hiking, fishing, caving, mountain biking, and more. Wildlife observers also enjoy Canmore, for it is home to elk, moose, beaver, and bear.”

The town passed quickly and they were back on the highway toward the hotel. During the drive, Lindsey saw the road signs warning of the wild mammals that inhabited the mountains, only the beginning of the differences she would find in Canada.

“Does anyone have any questions before we arrive at the hotel?” Steve asked. The silence that followed led him to continue. “We’ll drop you off so you can check-in, and you’ll have until after lunch to settle. Then, we’ll meet you in front of the hotel to begin our afternoon tour of Banff.” He turned off the microphone and sat down for the remainder of the ride.

Lindsey hoped the disappointment didn’t show in her face. His words and tone had touched something deep within her core. The stirring of anticipation for spending the remainder of the weekend with him caused her to smile. She tried to cover it with her journal, but didn’t want to be ashamed, either. She had always trusted God to put her exactly where she needed to be and she would continue to trust in Him, even if she wasn’t sure what His plan was for her.

The mountain range in the distance had gradually been getting closer as they made their way toward Banff. She had been unable to pull her gaze away and found herself wondering about the life in the mountains. She always wondered about the way others lived. Did people live, climb, or hike there? Did they encounter bears or coyotes or other wild animals?

She could see the snow on the peaks and marveled at the delicate balance that God created when He made the world. She knew the weather could be a beautiful seventy-eight degrees where she was, and miles up the mountain, it would be snowing. She said a quiet prayer of thanks for the beauty that God provided and for His perfect way of aligning everything in order.

The next sign Lindsey saw was for the hotel. Soon after, she saw the wood framed building that was nestled at the base of the mountains. It didn’t look like any hotel that she had seen before. Instead, it reminded her of an inviting forest cabin.

“Welcome to Banff,” Steve announced. “We’ll be back to pick you up here at one o’clock.” He stood up as the bus stopped. “Please be on time, and look forward to a great adventure this afternoon!” he said with a smile.

Lindsey was one of the final people off the bus, as she was seated in the back. Don was in the bus saying goodbye, and Steve stood outside shaking hands with all the passengers as they left. She adjusted her bags in preparation for the handshake.

He surprised her by taking her hand in both of his. “I’m Steve,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Yeah, I know,” she laughed.

He let go of her hands. “I’m sorry. Of course you do.” He cleared his throat. “I guess what I should have said was, what is
your
name?”

She laughed again. “I’m Lindsey.” She wanted contact with him again, so she stuck out her right hand, not once thinking of the germs from all the previous people. Well, at least not more than once. Her mother would have been reaching for the hand sanitizer. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand and reached for her suitcase. “I’ll get this for you.”

She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. I’ve got it.”

He insisted. “No. I have to get checked in with the hotel anyway. I’m happy to help.”

She realized he wasn’t going to change his mind, so she let him carry her bag and open the door for her. It was nice to be treated like a lady, and she was happy she had worn her white linen pants and brown crocheted tank top for the trip. She didn’t feel the wear and tear of the travel yet, but did a quick wipe under her eyes to remove any stray mascara that had smeared.

Steve looked back at her when they were inside. “Here you go,” he said as he set her bag next to the check-in counter. He hesitated and looked at his shoes.

“Thank you. I’ll take it from here,” she teased. When he looked up at her, she saw flecks of gold in his green eyes.

“Um. I wanted to ask you—” He didn’t finish.

The woman at the counter returned. As Lindsey watched her walk toward them, she noticed her skin-tight, blackknit dress that was cut down below her chest. Her long, blond hair provided only minimal coverage.

“Are you checking in?” she asked Lindsey. Then she noticed the tour guide. “Steve . . . ” she said coldly, acknowledging his presence with a chill that instantly told Lindsey something had happened between the two of them.

Lindsey shrugged it off and turned toward the woman. “Yes. I’m Lindsey Waters. I’ve reserved a non-smoking, queen suite.” She set her purse on the counter and pulled out her credit card. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve walking away. She wondered what he had wanted to ask her, and if he knew she would have said yes to anything he had asked.

Steve lingered just long enough to hear the lady’s last name and then walked away. If Joanne hadn’t picked that moment to return, he would have asked “Lindsey” to lunch.

Joanne was still angry with him for turning her down months ago when she had gotten the courage to ask him out. He was a Christian and she wasn’t. It was as simple as that. At this point in his life, he didn’t want to waste time on a relationship that couldn’t go anywhere.

He was always kind to her and had witnessed to her many times, but she hadn’t yet opened her heart to his faith. They still had to work together though, so he expected she would move beyond her anger toward him . . . eventually.

Stopping at a door in the hall, he used his key to let himself into the small room that he and Don were allowed to use to change and freshen up. The tiny loveseat looked inviting, and he took a moment to sit and gather his thoughts.

Lindsey had captured his attention from the moment he stepped on the bus. At times during the trip it had appeared to him that she was mouthing the words he was saying verbatim. He knew she hadn’t been on his bus before, but couldn’t figure out how she knew what he was going to say.

He was thankful they would have more time this week to get to know one another. Very thankful. As he continued to think of Lindsey, he settled into the loveseat and fell asleep.

Lindsey’s room was all that she had anticipated and more. The room had a small kitchen and a couch in front of a fireplace.

She carefully set down her suitcase on the small off-white couch, and then heard her mother’s reminder in her head, so instead she carried her suitcase to the closet in search of the luggage rack. She placed her bag on it so it would be off the floor – as if those bugs couldn’t jump to it anyway – and walked into the bathroom.

There in front of her was a large Jacuzzi tub. She couldn’t wait to get in for a long soak tonight.

For now, she was content to change her clothes into a comfortable pink and green peasant skirt, pink tank top, and light, white sweater and stretch out on the bed.

Again, her thoughts returned to her mother. Ann would have used tissues to pull the comforter back and onto the floor for fear of touching any stray germs. Ann warned her that the comforters weren’t changed after each guest, and one could never know what was lingering there.

Almost in defiance Lindsey lay down on top of the multicolored, striped comforter and fidgeted into a comfortable position. Her muscles had cramped up during the trip and needed to be lengthened, so she spent a few minutes doing the simple stretches she had learned in an exercise class. She found the remote, and again in defiance, didn’t spray it with Lysol before she turned on the television. Whenever she went to a new town, she liked to see what the locals found entertaining.

A
Friends
repeat was playing, and
The Price is Right
. She watched Bob Barker for a minute before realizing she was very hungry. She called down to the front desk and was told that only one restaurant was open for lunch. Quickly, she grabbed her purse, but as she picked it up, she heard the small ‘ping’ from her cell phone.

She had missed four calls. “Shoot,” she said. In all the excitement she had forgotten to call her mother. Her rumbling stomach would have to wait a few more minutes.

“Hi Mom,” she said once her mother picked up the phone.

“Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried when you didn’t call. How was your flight?”

Lindsey was surprised that her mother’s concerns weren’t more insistent. “The flight was good. Quick. I arrived on time, and the tour company has been great too.”

“Did you check the hotel room over for bugs?”

Lindsey laughed. “I’ll do that before I go to sleep tonight.”

“Leave a light on when you go out, in case you get back late.”

“I will, Mom. Listen, I’m really hungry and have only an hour before we head out for our afternoon tour, so I’m going to go, and I’ll call you tomorrow.” Lindsey crossed her fingers in hope to get out of this conversation quickly.

“All right, honey.”

Lindsey couldn’t believe she agreed.

“Just one more thing.”

She sighed.
Here it comes
. . . .

“Helen called me this morning. She’s really uncomfortable with you on this trip.”

“I know. I got that feeling from her too when I asked her about Nana’s.”

“She started talking about your Nana and got herself so worked up that we couldn’t finish the conversation. I don’t know what she could be worried about, but be extra careful, ok?”

“I will, Mom. I’ll be fine,” Lindsey wasn’t sure if she was attempting to reassure herself or her mother. She began to leave her room, but didn’t get too far.

“What’s the direct number to your room, Lin?”

Shoot
, she thought,
I almost made it
. She turned back around and walked over to the desk with the telephone. She read off the number to her mother, told her once again that she was fine, and that she would talk to her in two days.

She checked her watch and realized she now only had forty-five minutes to eat, so she headed down to the restaurant.

P
EPPER
’
S
R
ESTAURANT WAS
full during the lunch hour rush. Steve and Don were in line standing a few people ahead of Lindsey. The line wasn’t long, but she didn’t notice anyone other than Steve.

She sneaked a peek at his profile and then looked away for fear of being caught. She peeked again and lingered a little too long: Steve turned to look right at her.