Journal of a Lifetime (Journals of Love) (14 page)

Lindsey placed her hand on her stomach to settle the butterflies Steve’s wink summoned. She smiled to herself as she listened to him.

“Lake Louise is also Canada’s highest community at 5,020 feet. Again, the water here reflects green due to the glacier’s silt in the water. This extremely popular tourist attraction has been known to change a person’s life perspective. Even if you don’t have a life altering experience, it certainly won’t be one that you will forget.”

Once again, Lindsey admired the words that Steve chose to describe the places they were seeing. She came on this trip with the hope of changing her life’s perspective and knew that no matter what else happened, she wouldn’t forget the experience.

“Expect to see much wildlife on this part of our trip. Remember my warnings of making noise to avoid the bears. And, please do not feed any of the animals. We do not want to domesticate them and have them approach humans. That behavior only leads to trouble. You will have a few hours to spend walking the trails and admiring the landscape.”

“What about dinner?” shouted a deep male voice from the back of the bus. Lindsey didn’t have to turn around to know who was asking that question.

Steve laughed. “Dinner tonight is a very special treat. The Banff Springs Hotel has one of the most exclusive, and romantic restaurants. I hope all of you remembered to bring a change of clothes. The hotel has changing rooms for us to freshen up in, and we will have about two hours to ourselves before we come together for a group meal.

“Does anyone else have any questions?” Steve addressed the group. “I’d like to say again how much Don and I have enjoyed having you as our guests. With each group we see things through fresh eyes, and I appreciate all that you’ve given me personally on this trip.”

Lindsey was in awe. She’d never known a man to be so open with his compliments and his feelings. On the flip side, she saw Don glaring at her once again in the mirror. She was getting used to ignoring him, but felt his anger towards her increasing.

When the hotel came into view, Lindsey thought she had traveled to another country. The castle was situated in between the mountains and right at the base of the lake. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, and she blinked hard to make sure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Lindsey couldn’t imagine the cost to stay there for a vacation.

The place was fit for royalty. She let her mind wander a bit with that fantasy, and envisioned her and Steve roaming the halls of the castle and checking on their rooms full of children. She blushed at the thought and brought herself back to reality and to the gorgeous view in front of her.

The mountain tops had snow remaining on them and her first thought was of how cold the lake temperature would be from that snow and the melting glaciers. She had heard that locals would jump in for a refreshing dip, but knew she would never be brave enough to jump.

Steve had a few things to finish on the bus, so Lindsey walked around the lobby of the hotel. She found a brochure on a horse and carriage ride and practically ran to the counter to see if one was still available, delighted to have found a birthday gift for Steve. She said a silent prayer as the concierge checked for her, and whispered thank you to the heavens when he confirmed there was one available for the afternoon.

She quickly booked it, and then jogged to the changing room to freshen up and put on her evening clothes.

Steve was coming into the lobby, and she ran up to him. “Get changed and meet me out front. As fast as you can,” she whispered and kept on running.

Steve looked at her surprised. Once again, he thought to himself,
She’ll keep me on my toes.
He quickly did as she asked and when he emerged in his olive colored suit, white shirt and tan, blue and green tie, Lindsey was waiting for him in the carriage.

He saw her standing there in her white floor length gown. She had a simple strand of pearls around her neck and her hair was pulled up on the sides. She looked like an angel and he felt as if he were in a fairy tale. He didn’t believe this was truly happening to him.

He turned away from her to gather his thoughts and to pray. “Father, I don’t know where this woman came from or how long you’ve chosen her to be a part of my life. I pray that I can treat her with the respect that she deserves. Please help me to be a gentleman tonight and trust that you are in control of our destinies. Thank you. In Jesus’ name.”

When Lindsey saw him turn around, she was sure that she had done something wrong. She began to climb out of the carriage when Steve turned back to face her.

His expression was contained and she didn’t know what he was holding back. She felt ready to throw all of her caution, and control, to the wind. She just wanted to be in the moment and live.

“Lindsey. This is too much,” Steve said as he climbed in and took a seat next to her on the red, velvet-covered bench.

“I know, but humor me OK?” she asked.

“I would do anything for you,” he admitted as he took her hand.

“Will you be my own private tour guide and tell me all about the area?”

“I’ll try.” He cleared his throat. His emotions were starting to get the best of him.

As the carriage headed out, Steve noticed a pair of binoculars on the seat next to him. Those gave him the idea to take Lindsey on a bird watching ride.

The carriage felt as if it glided across the trail. The wind was warm against their faces as they looked at the ducks on the lake, the birds high up in the trees, and the nests in the grass. They were also delighted by the wildflowers that were in bloom. When they weren’t holding the binoculars they were holding hands.

It was easy between the two of them and their hands fit together as if they were made from the same mold. Her fingernails were painted in a dainty French manicure, and he could feel the comfort and passion Lindsey exuded from her hands. He controlled his thoughts before they went any further.

The carriage driver parked them in a private spot near the lake and excused himself for a short walk under the pretense of stretching his legs. The horse was ready for a break too and happily chewed on the tall grass.

“This has been so romantic,” Lindsey admitted. “I didn’t know what to expect when I booked the ride, but now I am so happy that I did.”

Steve turned to her. “Thank you again, for thinking of this.”

To the sound of the birds chirping in the trees and the horse’s swishing tail, Steve leaned in and kissed Lindsey. His gentle touch complimented her soft lips.

He placed his hand on the back of her head and kissed her bottom lip quickly, then her top lip and then both before he pulled away—as if he were sealing the kiss until next time. Even though the kiss lasted less than five seconds, she knew the tingling on her lips would last the rest of the night.

“That was soft,” he whispered.

“Mmm hmm,” was all she managed in response.

She brought her fingers to her lips and thought the heat was going to burn through to her fingertips.

The driver waited until they separated. His timing was perfect, after years of romantic carriage rides around the lake. He smiled at the two as he climbed in, tipped his top hat, and drove them back to the hotel.

Steve and Lindsey sat a little closer to each other and held hands while they rode in silence. Each was content to sit with their own thoughts and enjoy their happiness.

The quiet lasted until they spotted a mother bear and her two cubs running from the water’s edge back into the shelter of the forest. Steve also pointed out two long horned sheep that were grazing in a field. Lindsey thought she saw a coyote too, but it moved quickly out of sight.

“Thank you, again.” Steve whispered to Lindsey and gently squeezed her hand.

“I had a great time.” She locked eyes with him.

“Here we are,” the driver said as he pulled up in front of the hotel. He turned around toward them. “Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

Steve escorted her into the lobby where they joined the rest of the group. He was hesitant to separate from her, but he also had a job to do, so he went to the head of the group and explained how dinner would be arranged.

Martha couldn’t wait another minute. She ran up to Lindsey. “Did you have a nice time?” she asked with a huge smile on her face.

Lindsey touched her lips. “I did,” she said and smiled back.

Joyce walked up to join them. “You should’ve seen Don’s face when the two of you rode away in that carriage. I thought he was going to explode!”

Lindsey hadn’t given Don a single thought. “I still don’t understand what his problem is,” she admitted.

“Oh, honey. He’s just jealous that he doesn’t have a beautiful woman of his own. He sees the gem you are and even though he loves Steve, he can’t be happy for him without feeling resentment,” Martha explained her thoughts on the subject.

“I know, but it still doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Maybe I can help it feel better,” Don said from behind her.

The women hadn’t heard him sneak up on them.

“I’ve been known to have the right touch,” he said as he reached up for her shoulders.

Lindsey resisted the urge to grimace, and instead whipped around to face him.

In doing so, she threw him a little off balance and he stumbled. His embarrassment was enough to send him away without any words between them.

“Well, that worked,” Martha laughed.

“He’s off pouting in the corner,” Joyce kept her eye on him. “He looks like a scolded little puppy.”

“I wish I could send him to the dog house,” Lindsey grumped.

The three women resumed their place at the back of the group. The lobby had filled with the tourists’ collective voices of impatience.

“If I can have your attention, please!” Steve yelled over the noise from the front of the group. “Our table is ready, so if you’ll follow me, we will be seated.”

This was followed by whoops of happiness and whispers of relief. It had been quite a long day and the group was hungry.

“We are dining in the Banffshire club. This is an exclusive restaurant that we have the privilege of enjoying. The chef is one of the most well known in the area and has won numerous awards for his cuisine. He uses only the freshest ingredients, so anything that you choose is guaranteed to delight your senses.”

Lindsey’s senses were already delighted by the sight of the vaulted ceilings. The rich oak paneled walls and the antique tables and chairs made her envision a dining room in a palace. Even though she was a vegetarian, she appreciated the smells of a well-cooked exotic meal.

When she sat at the table, she noticed the expensive linens and fine china. She was seated next to Steve, who was at the head of the table. Her imagination took over again as she fantasized of being his queen.

“The wine collection and malt scotch are a treat here,” Steve announced. Under his breath he turned to Lindsey and said, “Although, I don’t drink.” She was happy to hear that. Drinking had never appealed to her and it was always a concern when she began to date someone new. Men often found it difficult to accept her lifestyle choices.

The group became silent as each took a chance to look over their menus. The selections were unique and all sounded delicious from their descriptions. Martha was next to Lindsey and kept making quiet ohhs and ahhs as she read down her menu.

Don was seated at the far end of the table—to Lindsey’s delight—but that didn’t prevent him from staring in her direction at every opportunity. The man to his right kept distracting him with various questions, but Don rarely removed his eyes from her.

“I can recommend the salads to you, Lindsey. I see now, looking at this from a vegetarian point of view, that you don’t have many choices,” Steve told her.

Lindsey had the same thought. Each of the entrees sounded delicious, but her mouth would close on its own if she tried to put deer, duck, or lamb near it.

“These desserts sound wonderful though,” she told him. She didn’t want him to worry about her. “I think a salad will be great and then I’ll double up on dessert.”

Her mouth started to water at the thought of the key lime tart. Key lime was one of her favorites.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked from behind his menu, as he didn’t want to bother any of the other guests.

“Oh yes. I always look at the desserts first anyway and decide my meal around that. I know it sounds silly, but I do have a sweet tooth,” she admitted from behind her own menu.

Steve smiled in admiration. Lindsey really knew who she was and what she wanted out of life. He hoped to learn many things from her.

Don looked down the table at the two huddled behind their menus. He could feel his jealousy beginning to rise again. He picked up his knife and clanged it against his water glass. “I’d like to make a toast,” he interrupted the various conversations around the table. “To the most impressive tour group we’ve had in a very long time. Thank you for including us tonight. It is an honor to be here with you and we hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation.”

“Cheers,” they all said in response and they raised their glasses.

Don had succeeded in cutting short another moment between Steve and Lindsey, but he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up.

Martha turned to Lindsey. “You look beautiful tonight dear. And I don’t think it’s the dress.”

Lindsey snickered. “Steve and I had such a great time. I feel like I’m floating,” she admitted.

“He looks like he’s up in the clouds with you, honey, and that’s a good thing.”

Lindsey turned to look at Steve. He was answering a question from the woman on his other side, but his eyes and focus were on Lindsey.

She smiled at him and turned back to Martha. “You might be right,” she agreed. She was still hesitant about believing that he’d have real feelings for her. She didn’t know where her lack of confidence originated, but for tonight, she’d try to put it to rest.

Steve reached for her hand underneath the table. She knew he was taking a risk. Most of the passengers had come to realize the two were beginning a friendship, but she didn’t want him to lose his job if someone became uncomfortable. She held his hand for a few minutes and took comfort in it.