by Ann Mauren
I flipped over onto my stomach, pulling the pillow over my head as well, but really wishing for an avalanche from the mountain outside to hide me and my extreme embarrassment, a monkey-like resident, with the deed to the property on my back these days.
As we returned to Banff from our abbreviated day of hiking and sight-seeing at Kicking Horse River and Upper Waterfowl Lake—both peaceful and picturesque in the extreme—I suggested stopping for some fast food and made it clear that I was looking forward to going to sleep very shortly after we returned to the hotel. It was certainly a defensive strategy on my part, but I needed the rest very badly. I had been dragging the entire day and fought to stay awake whenever we were moving in the car. That being the case, Gray did not argue, but complied without complaint or question.
Even though I ate there all the time back home, seeing the familiar golden arches in this foreign, faraway place felt comforting and inviting. The foreignness was affirmed by the fact that this McDonalds had no drive thru; a configuration, Gray assured me, that was quite common most everywhere besides the United States.
Though I normally would have ordered a Happy Meal, not for the prize, but simply out of habit, and because the portion size was, after all, exactly right for me, pride was going to force me to take the long way around, and I was preparing to order the very same meal ala cart.
But then, as always, Gray did the ordering without prior consultation.
“I’d like the number one with a Coke, and a Cheeseburger Happy Meal, for a girl, with a Coke, please.”
Then he looked over at me with raised eyebrows, daring me to protest. But why would I do that? Because he was teasing me again? Well, tease or no tease, it was actually what I wanted, and besides, the prize was a good one: a tiny Barbie. I was secretly happy about that. But I guess that’s why that menu option is named the way it is.
Instead of feeling peeved or embarrassed, I just smiled at my own foolish pride. Why did I keep trying to hide what I really was when no one was ever fooled, not even me?
We returned to The Fairmont where I followed Gray and the McDonald’s bag into his room and ate fast food with him on his couch while he flipped channels.
It seemed an extremely unlikely choice on his part, but he landed and stayed on a channel showing the movie “The Princess Bride.” It was the scene where the kidnapped Princess Buttercup is being hoisted up the ‘Cliffs of Insanity’ by her abductors, one of which was Andre the Giant.
I was struck by the irony. I’d recently had my own climb up the cliffs of insanity—pulled to safety by Ash the Agent. And now I was sitting here at the top of the cliff eating my Happy Meal with the reason for the climb in the first place: the Dread Pirate Grayson. Inconceivable!
When I settled into my room for the night, I was surprised, but very pleased to find that Ash had been there. It was unmistakable, because resting on the table by my bed there was a single, petite-sized yellow rose, with a thin red ribbon wrapped around its short thorn-free stem. After receiving a similar gift from him not long ago, I had been curious about the significance of flowers and their colors, especially of the ones he’d chosen for me. I understood now the secret message this single flower conveyed.
I picked up my phone and texted the translation to him; my sentiments were identical, after all:
I love you, my friend.
Remember me, too.
I kissed the flower, and then placed it carefully in the arms of the tiny Barbie now sitting at the base of the lamp next to my bed, who had promised to watch over me while I slept.
Chapter 29 - Lake Louise
This was the day I’d been looking forward to since my last day in Iceland. We left the hotel before seven heading north and west for approximately forty miles to a place called Lake Louise, renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Set at the base of Victoria Mountain, adorned with a glacier at her top, the jewel-like water of Lake Louise is said to change shades throughout the day, depending on the angle of the sun and the color of the sky. And though we would certainly do some sightseeing while we were there, the principal reason for the visit was to meet up with Gray’s father, Daniel Gregory, along with a group of GGR employees assembling for a meeting being held at the lakeside Fairmont Chateau Hotel, before the various parties struck out on their separate survey assignments in the wilderness at the feet of the Canadian Rockies.
We arrived just before eight and joined the group in a conference room that was set up in a horse-shoe arrangement, with a dozen or so casually dressed men visiting or having breakfast at their seats.
When we walked in all conversation paused and every eye turned to look at Gray and his ‘survey partner.’
Right.
I could feel my cheeks burning. I think perhaps I even saw a wisp of smoke rising from them. Dan Gregory excused himself from his conversation, which was shut down anyway, and came up to greet us.
“Excuse me, gentleman,” he announced in an unnecessary attempt to get the attention of the group. “I’d like to introduce Miss Ellery Mayne, granddaughter of our esteemed colleague, the late Dr. Samuel Mayne. She’s joining us for her first official survey project, but if she’s anything like her grandfather, she’ll be running these meetings before long.”
They all laughed and a couple people clapped. I had to admit, it was laughable. People started talking to each other again and Dan spoke to me directly as he moved in closer to give me a big hug.
“Hello Ellie! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you. How are you enjoying Canada so far?” he asked after he released me.
It was like talking to a version of Gray from the future, but with shorter salt and pepper hair. Arrestingly handsome, he had that familiar easy manner, and those same enigmatic eyes…eyes that probed mine like there was more to his simple question than could be answered with words alone.
“Gray is taking excellent care of me. You can be very proud of him. He still can’t resist teasing me, but I guess I bring that on myself most of the time.”
With the eyes of the most handsome father and son duo in history looking me over I could feel the flush firing up and I had to look away to breathe and collect my thoughts. After a beat I forced my gaze back up to look Dan in the eyes and continued, “But, yes, I’ve been having a wonderful time. Thank you so much for inviting me here. It means everything to me.”
Gray looked at his watch and said, “Why don’t we get a bite to eat? The meeting’s going to start in about five minutes.”
Then he guided me away from his dad and toward the food. I don’t think I was supposed to see it, but there was a look that passed between them, some wordless but meaningful communication that only they understood.
There was a buffet set up against the back wall replete with every kind of pastry and fresh fruit imaginable along with a broad variety of juices, coffees and teas.
I selected a cheese Danish and garnished my plate with a few big chucks of fresh pineapple and a huge, bright red strawberry. Then I made myself a cup of Earl Grey with extra cream and sugar.
I must have been hungrier than I’d realized because the meeting did begin within the next five minutes, and my breakfast was long gone before Dan called it to order.
It was a mostly informal affair. Using a LCD projector, a map of the survey area was displayed on the screen and Dan used a blue laser pointer to identify portions of the photos and maps as he spoke about them.
They discussed the pattern and scope of the survey in the various locations it was to be conducted including goals and checkpoints and then a recap of the various minerals known to be present in the areas we would be visiting. They were looking for surface deposits especially at the confluence of major drainage areas. A summary of their findings would ultimately be submitted to the Canadian Government, for whom this initial survey was being conducted.
Each seat had a set of maps and handouts from the presentation and Gray leaned over to point out the survey assignment we would be covering: the Allenby Pass
area between Bryant and Brewster creeks. There appeared to be some elevation on our way in and out, but that would make for some beautiful views, he assured me.
After about an hour and a half of briefing and planning they took a break and Gray suggested that we head outside while the sun was shining. We’d been in a hurry to make it to the meeting on time and hadn’t had a chance to look at the lake of Lake Louise.
It was breathtaking—too beautiful to be real. At the head of the very long, somewhat narrow, deep blue lake was a mountain pass with its crowning glacier high above, inching its way to lower elevations, year after year since the dawn of ice. There was a paved path all the way around the lake, probably a loop of a mile and half or more, with benches thoughtfully spaced so that one might sit and enjoy the incomparable views from every angle.
Gray’s object in bringing me out here was to tempt me with this spectacular view and release me from the next part of the meeting that had to do with the financials of the upcoming survey and a review of the bidding and permits process if the survey work should yield the desired results.
Gray explained that as an intern, I was only here to look at rocks, (though the truth was probably more like, I was only here to be looked at, by him) and I wasn’t required to waste time inside on a gorgeous morning like this, if I didn’t want to. He however, was responsible for presenting portions of the meeting, and had to return and be involved for about two hours more.
“Are you sure I shouldn’t be in there? I’d kind of like to hear you make a presentation to the group. I don’t want to abandon you, plus what will your dad think of me if I do?”
“He’ll think you’re smart and he’ll be jealous, wishing he could ditch too. Just take your time and really get the feel of this place, then we can take the hike up to the Tea House later on today. I’ll meet you inside the restaurant at noon. We have lunch reservations.”
Then he hugged me tight and kissed my forehead. The blush burned on my cheeks as the emotion transferred from his lips directly into my mind and quickly found its way to my heart, stirring it up and melting it at the same time.
“You know something? You’re the most beautiful intern…ever. I’m so lucky that you were assigned to my team.”
Smiling at his joke, he cradled my chin in his hand and chuckled softly at my deer in the headlights expression. Then he let me go and walked across the plaza toward the hotel. I watched his back until he was gone.
There were a few people milling around in the plaza outside the hotel and walking around the lake. Although the paved path was carved straight out of the forest in some places, it did not seem too remote or dangerous for me to walk it by myself. So I began to make my way around the loop.
Though the view was unimaginably beautiful on a titanic scale, I was seeing nothing as I thought about what just happened, and how I could still feel the pressure from Gray’s arms where he’d hugged me and the warmth from his lips on my forehead where he’d kissed it. Being hugged and kissed by him felt far better than it should and I scrambled around in my mind for a way to banish what felt like very unfaithful feelings blooming inside me, fed by my inability to turn off the replay reel, looping continuously in my mind.
I made myself focus on the water and the mountain slopes all around and the look of the sharp blue sky where it touched the white of the snowcapped peak many thousands of feet above. I breathed in the cool air, concentrating on how it felt on my skin when the wind would blow and how it smelled like pine and lake and snow.
I had made it to the farthest point of the loop, just at the place where it began to turn and reach back towards the beginning. I decided to sit down and view the lake from this angle. I had the bench to myself. The morning sun was warm and bright and I leaned back to let it warm my face. The sound of the wind in this place was like nothing else—high and far away and timeless. As I was contemplating the idea that the wind had sounded exactly like this on a day like this ten thousand years ago, my reverie was interrupted with an unexpected but wonderful sensation: the feel of warm lips kissing my own.
My tendency toward cataplectic reactions wasn’t always associated with scary situations. Over time it became clear that romantic situations could trigger the response as well. That being the case I remained perfectly motionless as I felt my kisser settle in beside me on the bench and then take my left hand in his, fiddling with it actually. I couldn’t keep motionless for long though because a huge smile burst across my face and broke me out of the trance as it dawned on me that he had put a ring on my finger. I sat up and blinked, still seeing spots from the sun shining through my eyelids.
When the spots in my vision finally cleared and I got a good look at my present, I gasped. Then I looked over at its presenter, Ash. He was looking at me with deep feeling, something more than happiness to see me. I looked back again at the ring. It was THE RING! The aquamarine from who knows how long ago! The one I had stared at and dreamed about. The one that someone bought for his lucky girlfriend….as an engagement ring!
I don’t know why, but my tears always seemed to surprise me. If ever there was a moment to weep with joy it had to be this one. I knew what this gesture meant and it was deeply moving. He’d been watching me from the start. He’d bought the ring for me, making plans for me, long before I even knew he existed. He was so kind and thoughtful and romantic and perfect! And somehow through some mix-up of destiny he was mine and no one but the two of us could know about it!
The tears just rolled. I had so much I wanted to say but I was speechless. I looked deep into his eyes trying to transmit my joy and love and need for him. He brushed my hair back behind my ears and wiped away my tears with his fingers. He smiled reassuringly, though his expression was mixed with deep emotion too, and his eyes were wet, though not leaking, like mine. Then he pulled me in to his side, wrapped his arms around me, and buried his face in my hair, inhaling and exhaling deeply.
A few quiet but sublime moments passed as I composed myself, feeling his warm and secure hold on me, while staring at the fabulous piece of jewelry wrapped around my finger. It was a perfect fit. He reached up and held my hand, moving it closer to himself to share the view.
“The last time I was sitting on a bench like this, you were staring at your ring from behind thick glass. I’m glad to finally place this where it’s belonged since it was first made.”
He brought my hand up to his lips to kiss the ring, and I could feel the warmth around the edges of my fingers on either side.
“Though I’m not going to ask you to make any promises to me, I want you to be sure about my promise to you: that you will always own my heart and my love. I want this ring to remind you of the way I have always, and will always see you: precious, rare and stunningly beautiful.”
And he kissed my lips again, but with more emotion this time. It was glorious. The high of this moment put me right up where the ice was touching the sky—a dreamlike moment, enriched with more beauty and pleasure than my most elaborate crystalline fantasy. I let my mind drift and glide in the joy.
Eventually, I passed back over into reality again, but somehow Prince Charming was still sitting on the bench with me, and I spoke to him as an ironic thought occurred in my mind.
“So I guess all along I was jealous…of me!” I laughed and sniffed in quick succession.
“What do you mean?” he asked, intrigued.
“When Mom and I went back to see the ring, the sales lady said that a man had bought it for his girlfriend, as an engagement ring. I was jealous….of me.”
I smiled and sniffed again, wiping away fresh tears.
“You didn’t need to be, did you? This ring is one of a kind, just like its owner. It could never have been anyone else’s. It was meant for you, Ellery.”
He was being very earnest, but his eyes were happy.
“Well then, since I’m planning on keeping it, and you, forever, you should consider yourself engaged, Mr. Ash Ryan.”
The joy and triumph transforming his fea
tures was even more beautiful than the ring or this place. It took my breath away. Then he took my breath away some more with a huge kiss. A kiss that nearly made me faint with pleasure, or perhaps it was because I forgot how to breathe. In fact, I wouldn’t have known my own name if he’d asked me.
I tried to steal a moment to etch this time and place and feeling in my mind. It was the happiest experience of my life, possibly from now on. But it was still a secret: a magnificent, dazzling, splendid secret.
How in the world was I going to keep the glow in my soul from showing through, or worse, from being misinterpreted? How in the world was I going to explain it when the time came to let it shine?
Chapter 30 – Lake Oesa
I didn’t think the beauty of Lake Louise could be outdone. Yet, once I saw it for myself, I had to admit that Lake O’Hara was something more…or maybe the key was that it was less—less crowded and commercialized, but more private and tranquil. It was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. Because of that, the flow of visitors was tightly controlled to minimize the impact of curious humans and their footprints in this majestic yet delicate place.
Only a short busload of people drove in each day, by reservation, usually made months in advance. The quiet exclusivity of the place added to the natural beauty and appeal.
The bus ride meant time standing around together in the parking lot before and after, which meant that Ash would probably not be accompanying us today. I was curious what the security solution would be, but I didn’t have to wait long for my answer, in fact I heard it before I saw it: a familiar Austrian accent, two of them, conversing in low tones from somewhere behind me, during our shuttle ride on a private road through the woods and over to the lake.
Our group was made up of about two dozen visitors, here to enjoy a day of hiking and views singular in all of nature. Petra and Max maneuvered themselves to be as far away from me as possible, a reminder that only Ash knew I was aware of my security team. So I behaved obliviously and tried to make it easy for them. Gray was not making it easy for me, though.
