Page 76 of Wait for Me

“Yes, whenever we come and go from the dining hall, I see him walking about. I thanked him for doing such a great job, and he offered to give me a personal tour of this beautiful ship.”

“A personal tour?”This is getting serious.

“Anyway, he introduced us to the geologist—remember we did that yesterday? The next thing I knew, he offered to show me around Butchart Gardens.”

They have official tour guides there, you know.

“He contacted you.” Logan made the statement, knowing that Mrs. Ping was lost to her newfound beau. How was that going to affect their plans for the day?

“He sent me this pretty card—the steward brought it to me not half an hour ago—and offered to spend the day with me.”

“Wow.”

“I know, right? Wow.”

Logan took a deep breath. He needed Mrs. Ping to be with Jonas. They were leaving Victoria—and the cruise ship—for Atlanta.

“Our flight is at noon,” Logan reminded her. Of course, she knew that.

“That’s why I called.”

Logan heard a knock on the door.

“Wait a second,” Logan said. “Someone’s at the door.”

“It’s me.”

“You didn’t have to call if you’re standing outside.” Logan sighed. He unlocked the door.

There was Mrs. Ping, blushing and grinning and all.

“Are you blushing?”She’s in love.

She cleared her throat. “If it’s okay with you Mr. Logan, I would like to stay on the ship for the rest of the cruise. We dock in Seattle tomorrow, anyway, and you’ve already paid for my plane ticket back to Atlanta. I will be there by Saturday night, as was in our original cruise plan. Marie said she will stay until Sunday after church before she flies home to France.”

Logan’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “She said that?”

Mrs. Ping nodded. “I talked to her before calling you.”

“What else did she say?”

“She said she will only do this if you agree.”

“Of course.”I want her to stay with me past Sunday!

“Good. She wasn’t sure if you will go for it.”

“No? Did she say why?”

“Because she wants us to stay together and fly home together today. She doesn’t want to disrupt Jonas’s routine or your plans.”

“Plans?”My plan is for her to stay with me for the rest of our lives.

The captain’s voice came over the public address system, and Mrs. Ping blushed again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve arrived in Victoria, British Columbia. Please make sure to have your passport and boarding pass with you before you disembark for your excursions and activities. No need to bring umbrellas today because it will be a beautiful and sunny day on the island. Have fun, everyone!”

“All right, Mrs. Ping,” Logan said. “We will see you in Atlanta on Saturday night. Text Wallace to make sure he picks you up at the airport.”

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