through the lobby once again. She waved to him and began her ascent on the stairs.
Neither one saw Don peeking around the corner at them.
Lindsey felt as if she were floating back to her room. The peace from the mountains had continued with Steve near her, and she wasn’t worried where this would go. She heard her Nana’s voice in her head telling her to do what she needed to do, and to do what made her soul happy.
“I feel happy, Nana,” she said to her empty room. And it was true. She hadn’t felt anything in months. She was relieved to know that she could feel
something.
She climbed into bed with her and Nana’s journals and left the comforter on, just to spite her mother. She opened both journals to compare the day’s events and added some words to her own.
What surprised her were the brief spots in Nana’s journal, as if she left a lot unsaid.
Lindsey knew the effect the day had on her and couldn’t believe that her Nana hadn’t felt the same. She didn’t spend much time analyzing it, as she knew the faster she went to sleep, the sooner she’d be with Steve again.
She turned out the lights, said her prayers, and slept soundly until her wakeup call at six o’clock in the morning.
Twelve
L INDSEY ORDERED BREAKFAST from room service and then stepped into the shower. She looked at the Jacuzzi tub, but knew she didn’t have time this morning for a bath. She was awake, mostly with anticipation, but needed the hot shower to catch up her body with her mind.
After her shower, she enjoyed blueberry pancakes and orange juice in the quiet of her room. This quiet of the morning was the time for her thoughts to be fully present and she was reminded that she was in the right place and doing the right thing. She looked out at the mountains while she ate and was once again humbled in their presence.
She finished eating, and knowing that she wanted to be one of the first on the bus again, she grabbed her bag with the journals, camera, water, sweater, and snacks and headed downstairs.
Don was seated in the driver’s seat and opened the door for her when he saw her cross the parking lot.
“Good morning, Lindsey,” he said as she stepped onto the bus. “This is for you.” He handed her a brown paper bag with a blueberry muffin and orange juice.
She looked in the bag as she sat down into the seat behind him. “Yum. Thank you. Do you have these for everyone? I didn’t think breakfast was included?”
“It’s not. This treat is just for you,” he smiled.
“
Oh . . .
well . . . thank you, again.” She thought he looked like a cherry and orange Starburst candy this morning with his red shirt and orange pants. The way he was staring at her through his John Lennon glasses made her sit up a little straighter, and she brought her hand to her chest to make sure that her red v-neck shirt hadn’t slid too far down. He was making her very uncomfortable, but she knew that other women would enjoy his stares.
“Are you
enjoying
the ride so far?” he asked, with apparently no intention of covering the innuendo.
“I’m fine, thanks.” Lindsey stood up and looking out the front window. “Where’s Steve this morning?” She could feel Don’s stare on the back of her jeans, so she quickly turned to look at him.
“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.” He paused. “We were up a little late last night at a party for a friend, so he may be sleeping something off.”
That didn’t sound right to Lindsey. It did make her realize that she didn’t really know Steve yet.
“Too bad you weren’t there.” Don lowered his glasses and winked at her.
This wasn’t the same guy from yesterday, was it? Lindsey tried to ignore Don’s comments, and returned to her seat to get out her journal. She began to write the date on the top of the page and added “Lake Minnewanka” underneath. She felt Don’s eyes staring at her, so she looked up to see him peering over the back of his seat.
“Today should be fun,”
Erosa Knowles
Jeanette Baker
Bonnie Dee
R.W. Jones
Liz Talley
BWWM Club, Esther Banks
Amy Rae Durreson
Maureen O'Donnell
Dennis Mcnally
Michael Rowe