The Crossing Trilogy

Chapter 3

3

Sydney hurried down the street to the steakhouse. I'm late. A couple coming out of the restaurant held the door for her. She smiled at them and said thank-you as she rushed past them into the entranceway colliding face first into the chest of another customer leaving. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her as she bounced back off-balance.

Sydney looked up into the face of a fortyish man with greying hair at the sides. “I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention.”

The man stared at her hard. He never uttered a word. She peered past him, noting that people were waiting behind him to exit the restaurant. “Oops…we're blocking the doorway.” Still nothing. He appeared rooted to the spot. Sydney side-stepped the man and mumbled her apologies again. She proceeded at a slower pace to the Maitre d' standing by a podium. A quick glance back shocked her. The man had re-entered the restaurant and stood a couple of feet away watching her, his expression blank.

The Maitre d' interrupted her thoughts. “Can I help you, Miss?”

“Yes, I'm meeting someone here. Jessica Farrow?”

“Follow me, please.”

Half-way to the table, she looked over her shoulder but the man had disappeared. That was creepy.

“Syd. You made it.”

“Yes, sorry I'm late. Nan called me just as I was leaving wanting to know all about the renos.”

“No problem. I was late too and just sat down. It's a zoo here tonight.”

“It's rib night,” the Maitre d' said. He handed them both a menu and cocktail list. “We're always busy when we serve our rib specialty. Your waiter will be with you shortly.”

The waiter arrived a few minutes later. They both decided on the ribs and a bottle of dry red wine. Once he returned with their wine and appetizers, Jessie held up her glass.

“Here's to renewed friendships,” she said.

Sydney tapped her glass against hers. “Renewed friendships and new adventures.”

“So how did you make out with Jax today? Are you going with his company?”

“It went well. The farmhouse is structurally sound. That says a lot. He understood my vision and offered some great ideas. We're meeting in two days to go over his blueprints and costs. My senses tell me that he's the right person for the job.”

“I've seen his work on other homes. It's exceptional.”

Sydney held her glass up this time. “Here's to successful renos and my future home.”

Jessie reciprocated and popped a nacho with melted cheese and salsa into her mouth. Between bites she threw another question at Sydney. “Talking about homes, where are you staying in the meantime?”

“I've got a cabin at River Road Resorts on the Okanagan River—the south end.”

“I know the place. You could have stayed with me and saved some money.”

“That's kind of you but I'm fine. You know I've never lived alone before, always been with Nan. So this is a new thing for me.”

The waiter brought their ribs. “Enjoy your meal.”

“Wow. These taste amazing. I can see why the place is so busy,” Sydney said.

“Mmm…aren't they though? By the way, how is your Nan?”

“She's doing well.”

“Will she be moving back to the farm when it's ready?”

“No. Her life is in Kelowna now. She has her friends there and she's not ready to retire yet. She'll have her own room when she comes to visit but I don't think she'd come back full time. There are too many bad memories for her.”

Jessie sat back and sipped her wine. “I guess it wasn't the same for her after your mom disappeared…” Her friend hesitated. “I'm sorry. Should I have said that?”

Sydney shook her head. “It's okay. Really. I think that's part of it. Nan never talks about those days. Once in a while, when I was a kid, I'd ask some questions and she'd get guarded. My mother was her only child and I think when she left, Nan felt abandoned and betrayed. She said something to that effect once when I was about twelve. She harbours a lot of anger towards her daughter.”

“And you've never heard from her after all these years?”

“No, nothing. I stopped asking years ago. I don't remember my grandfather much. Except that he could be really strict and Nan was always quiet around him. My feeling is that they married young and she stayed with him out of duty. I don't think she loved him anymore.”

Jessie pushed her plate back and poured them both the last of the wine. “I can see why she wouldn't want to come back. So tell me, why did you move back?” Jessie asked.

“Well, Nan was holding onto the farm to leave me in her will. She saw it as a good investment that I could sell at a good price one day. She never thought of me wanting to return here. But I wasn't happy where I worked and decided to start my own business. And Kelowna was getting too big for me. I wanted to live more rural. I checked around the whole Okanagan Valley to see where my competition would be and where I thought I could make a go of it.”

“And you chose Stoney Creek?”

“I did. It showed the greatest growth potential in this part of the valley and I have no competition between Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls. Nan was shocked that I wanted to come back here. But my enthusiasm won her over. A few days later, she came in from work excited and handed me an envelope. It was the deed for the farm.”

“Oh wow.”

“I couldn't believe it. She said it would be mine when she was gone anyway and if I wanted to move back and renovate it as a home and business, I should have it now. She gave me the money she'd been saving from renting the hay fields for the renos. That means I can use my savings to set up the business. Her only request was that she wanted a bedroom that was hers so she could come and visit.”

Jessie leaned forward. “I'm really happy for you. Another toast. Here's to a successful business.” They raised their wine glasses. “And what is your business by the way?”

“I'm a Yoga instructor. I intend on gutting the upstairs and building an open studio. Next, I'm converting the equipment building into bedrooms and showers for guests who come for retreats. I'm also an Earthing instructor.”

Her friend's eyebrows shot up. “A what?”

Sydney laughed. “Earthing. The short description is to connect to the earth's natural energy; the transfer of energy being a natural healer. The lake behind the house has a natural sandy bottom, perfect for water exercises in season and I intend on planting a patch of grass between the house and the lake for Earthing practices and meditation on the grass.

“I love it. But good luck with the grass. In case you haven't noticed we live in a desert area.”

“The lake is formed from a natural underground artesian spring. There's plenty of water. So enough about me. Let's talk about you,”

Jessie sighed. “After high school, I moved to Vancouver and enrolled in nursing school. I got my LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse and stupidly got married far too young to a lab technician. We both worked out of the Vancouver General and it lasted about nine months. I decided to move back to Stoney Creek last year and I'm working at the hospital in Oliver.”

The waiter came and took away their plates and returned with coffee.

“Any boyfriends in your life?” Sydney asked.

“Nope, like you I'm living on my own for the first time and I'm happy. How about you? Any boyfriends?”

“No. I recently broke up with a really solid guy in Kelowna. He wanted to move forward in the relationship but something was missing. I couldn't make the leap based on nice, so I ended it.”

“Hey, now I have someone to go clubbing with. Most of my friends from school are living in the city or have babies.”

“Nan never remarried after Papa died and she's quite content with her life. She told me unless I want babies, don't bother.”

They laughed. Sydney's gaze travelled around the room and into the lounge area with a bar and stools and some small tables for people who weren't eating meals. Her smile froze as she stared into the face of the same man she'd run into at the entranceway. His features were still rigid and his eyes unblinking.

She diverted her eyes back to Jessie. “Hey, without making it obvious, take a look into the lounge. There's a man at the end of the bar. Tell me if you know who he is.”

Jessie spun around in her chair and looked directly towards the lounge.

“Omigod…you call that subtle?” Sydney groaned.

“What man? There's no one at the end of the bar.”

Sydney looked past her friend. The seat was empty. “Damn. He's gone again. I'd think he was a ghost if I hadn't physically run into him at the front door.” She described the incident to Jessie.

“It's creepy all right. But maybe he was just into you. You're a beautiful girl and a new face in town.”

“Fresh meat? You don't make points with a person by acting like a stalker. Besides, he's got to be in his forties. I'm twenty-one.”

Jessie laughed. “Huh…all the more appealing to some men.”

The girls finished their coffee and Jessie insisted on paying the bill. She walked Sydney down the street to her car. They exchanged cell numbers with the promise of getting together soon.

Sydney drove across town to the river, checking behind her in the rear-view mirror to see if she was being followed. The strange man really unnerved her. Once in the cabin, she bolted the door, making sure the windows were closed and locked. Thank goodness for air conditioning. It wasn't until she'd closed all the curtains that she felt safe and relaxed.