by June Kramin
“You worked in the medical field and you think transplants are creepy?”
“Not the procedure; the whole thought of it. It’s okay when I don’t know the person. I never knew either party personally when the hospital did them. It saves a life and it’s fabulous, but on a personal level…it’s tough to comprehend. You want me to stare at the guy and know that he has Tony’s heart? It’s just…I can’t explain it, Bix. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“You said it’s what he would have wanted. You saved someone’s life. You couldn’t save Tony’s, but you made sure he didn’t die for nothing, babe. Let the guy say thanks.” She leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. “Do it for me. You say you want to move on. I think you need to do this.”
She let out a sigh. “Call him and set it up.”
Ellie and Bix walked into the lobby of the Kelly Inn at five o’clock. The smell of the food from the Green Mill restaurant hit them. Despite Ellie’s insisting she hadn’t had any appetite since the call, her stomach was rumbling now.
A beautiful Polynesian woman with hair that ran past her waist swayed with her baby by a bench. Ellie walked over while Bix looked around for a man fitting the description he had been given over the phone.
“She’s adorable,” Ellie said to the woman. The baby’s eyes opened at the sound of her voice and she smiled up at Ellie. Her hands went up and the woman laughed.
“She doesn’t take to everyone like that. You want to hold her?”
“Can I?” Ellie beamed as the woman put the child in her arms.
“Her name is Kaimalia.”
“I’ve never heard that before. Is it Hawaiian?”
“Yes. Hawaii is my home. I met my husband there. I’m sorry, I’m Nani.” She extended her hand to Ellie. Ellie accepted it and introduced herself as well. “We live on Oahu. We’re here for a family visit. Honestly, I think he misses the snow.”
“That’s not hard to believe,” Ellie said as she rocked with the baby. “As much as we complain about it, it isn’t home without it.” She adjusted the bundle in her arms so she could look her at her better. Something about her big brown eyes completely melted Ellie. She missed her rounds at the nursery ward and being able to hold the babies.
“You trying for some of your own?” Nani asked.
“Oh, not yet. I’ve just allowed myself to get trapped into a relationship again. It’ll be a while before we discuss kids.”
Ellie looked up and saw Bix shaking hands with a tall blonde man that looked around Bix’s age. Her heart skipped a beat. She decided to hand the baby back before she accidently dropped her.
“Here’s your daddy now, Kai.” The woman smiled towards the men. Ellie froze.
Bix waked over and introduced Ellie to Glenn. She put her hand out to shake it, but he leaned down and gave her a tight hug instead. Tears instantly filled both of their eyes.
“Thanks for finally agreeing to meet me,” he said as he held Ellie tight.
“It’s you?” the woman asked with surprise as tears pooled in her eyes as well. When Glenn was done, Nani gave Ellie a hug after her husband took the baby. “I don’t know how to thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have Glenn…or Kai. I’m so glad to finally meet you.”
As the women shared an embrace and tears, Bix looked at Kai, who was now holding his finger. He smiled, but declined Glenn’s offer to hold her.
“I’ll break it.”
“No you won’t. Take her.”
Bix finally accepted and laughed at the loud burp that escaped the baby just as he took her.
The hug was finally broken and Ellie smiled at Bix when she saw him holding the baby. She could tell he was nervous and rescued him by taking her back after a moment.
“I can’t get over how beautiful she is,” Ellie said.
“Lucky for me she takes after her mother.” Glenn chuckled as he gave his wife a kiss. “Can we buy you two dinner? The restaurant here is great.”
Bix looked at Ellie. Ellie knew he was aware that she wasn’t comfortable in the first place. She was sure she surprised him when she replied with, “I’d like that.”
They were seated in a booth and they all declined a drink except for water.
“Never was much of a drinker anyway,” Glenn said. “Now it’s best if I don’t with the transplant meds.”
“I’m nursing so it helps to remove the temptation for me,” Nani added.
“Good for you,” Ellie said. “We really promoted that to new mothers.”
Glenn took Ellie by the hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really glad you agreed to this. It means so much to me.”
“In all honestly, you should be thanking Bix. I didn’t think I could do it. It’s been very hard to accept, even after a year.”
“Then thank you, Bix. I’m glad she found you to help her.”
“She fought me, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Who can figure out women, huh?” Glenn teased.
“Stop being Kolohe, Glen,” Nani scolded with a playful glare.
“Kolohe?” Ellie asked.
“Trouble maker. Sorry. We throw in a lot of words from different languages around in Hawaii as a part of everyday things. Kohole is actually Hawaiian, though.”
“I went to the Big Island once for a conference,” Bix said. “I don’t know how you pronounce half of those names.”
Glenn laughed. “I’m still adjusting after three years.” He took Nani’s hand and gave it a kiss. “I was in the Navy when we met but I got the boot after the transplant. Worked out okay all around. At least I didn’t have to uproot Nani from her home.”
Ellie commented on Nani’s Hawaiian heirloom jewelry and the guys dove into Glen’s military stories. After that, they carried on for hours like old friends.
More tearful hugs goodbye and the exchange of addresses and phone numbers came at the end of the night. Ellie was so happy she could have floated home on a cloud. As they drove home, she rested her head in Bix’s shoulder.
“Glad you went?”
“Yes. Thanks for being a bully.” It wasn’t long before Ellie fell asleep.
Bix smiled at her as he recalled what Glenn said. “We ate Hawaiian style. We don’t eat till we’re full, we eat till we were sleepy.” He was sure her sleepiness was a combination of the food and the excitement. In any case, he was glad he was there when the call came in and they had this chance. Again he couldn’t be happier Ellie wandered into his life.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next couple of weeks went a lot smoother for Bix and Ellie than their first couple of days had. They quickly fell into a routine; Ellie went to work each morning and Bix stayed home building his web design business. He had started gathering website work through a few e-mail referrals and it grew at an unbelievable pace from there. They bounced between his place and Ellie’s and they slowly accumulated things at each other’s house. Ellie began reading through Gramps’s book collection of Minnesota authors as Bix worked many long hours some nights.
Sometimes Ellie let him work, sometimes she did not.
Bix and Ellie had eaten dinner with Gramps and went downstairs, but Bix insisted he had to get one last thing done before turning in for the night. Bix sat at the computer in pajama bottoms and Ellie sat on the couch reading, wearing the shirt to the set. She put the book down and walked over to him.
“Babe, I gotta get this done.” Bix shooed her away as she stood there blowing in his ear.
“I’m bored.” Ellie leaned in and gave his earlobe a gentle bite.
“Didn’t you just say that book was good?”
“It is. I’m just tired of reading.”
“Just a half hour more, okay?”
She stood still for a moment then began kissing his neck. “Come on, Ellie.” His protests were sounding less and less convincing.
Her tongue found his ear and he growled. “You know that drives me crazy.”
“Um-hmmm.”
He spun his chair around
and pulled her onto his lap. She could tell her plan had worked as she wiggled on his lap.
“You’re going commando, aren’t you?” he asked, knowing the answer.
“Yup.”
“Convenient.”
“Yup.”
“I’m not going to finish this tonight, am I?”
“Nope.”
They made love in the desk chair. She had teased Bix more than once about it being a “king’s throne” and not a chair, but now Ellie was grateful for its size. This was not the first time she hadn’t let Bix finish his work and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
“Sometimes I think you fake working because you like sex in this chair,” Ellie said through labored breaths when they were finished. She was still on top of him and now shirtless, but she was plenty warm enough.
“Maybe I do. But tonight I’m not kidding. I promised I’d get this shopping cart added for Olson before tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry.” She meant it, but she still took her time kissing her way up his neck.
“No you’re not.” He chuckled. “Neither am I. Thirty minutes and I’ll put in a movie. Go pick something out. Your call, okay?”
“Okay.” She sighed with a heavy sound of defeat, but playful.
By the time Bix joined her, an hour and a half had passed and she had fallen asleep on the couch.
He picked her up and she let out a soft moan as she wrapped her hands around his neck.
“I’m sorry, babe.”
“That’s okay.” Her eyes were still closed and she spoke so softly, he barely made out the words.
“You up for a movie or do you want me to take you to bed?”
She opened her eyes a little. “What are you going to do?”
“I want to unwind a bit.”
“Then I want to stay out here with you.”
“You put a DVD in?”
She closed her eyes and nodded her head. “Something Monty Python.”
He sat down with her in his lap and reached for the remote. He covered them up with a quilt and he could feel her go heavy against his chest. She had fallen asleep again and he just held her tight.
“A guy could definitely get used to this.” He smiled as he kissed the top of her head and got comfortable.
Ellie stirred as he was laying her in bed shortly after midnight. “Sorry, babe. I was trying not to wake you.”
She stretched. “What time is it?”
“Midnight. I’m sorry. I know you have to get up early, but I just wasn’t tired.”
“I have tomorrow off, Slick.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday?”
“Yup. That’s what happens when you spend all day in the house. We need to get you out more.”
“I’m liking this working from home stuff. I get the bills paid.” He kissed her forehead. “I make love to a beautiful woman every night.”
“And morning,” she added with a tired moan.
He laughed. “And morning. Is that a protest? Am I wearing you out?”
Her eyes opened up. “Hell no. I was worried I was wearing you out.” She scooted closer to him and pulled his hips closer to hers. “As a matter of fact, I’ve had a power nap.”
“Good. ’Cause I’m still not sleepy. Must be too much computer time today.”
She ran her hand down his chest and into his pajama bottoms. “It’s all about the input.”
Ellie shook Bix when she woke up the next morning. “You bum. It’s almost eight. I never sleep past six.”
He let out a moan and stretched. “Well, someone wore me out last night around midnight.” He rolled her over so she was facing him and pulled her close. “Looks a lot like you. Have you seen her? Feisty little cuss in the sack.” Ellie sat up and looked at Bix. She seemed to be in a daze. “Babe? You okay?” He sat up and cupped her face in his hands.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just zoned out there for a second.”
“Was it something I said? Like there could be someone as gorgeous as you.” He pulled her with him as he lay back down and held her at his chest. “I’d say let’s have another go, but I bet you’re ready for food. It’s pretty late for you.” As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. “Do I ever have your number. Let’s go, babe. My turn to cook.” He patted her on the ass before rolling her off of him.
Bix got dressed, but she lay there for a minute, still in a daze over what he had said. It had been a while since her mind had even gone there and she didn’t like the sudden feeling she felt in her gut. It hadn’t haunted her in a long time…looks just like you…have you seen her…
Ellie was able to shake her nerves and they had a wonderful two days off together. Bix had promised to share her schedule and spend her days off with her and not do any work, either. The snow was perfect for snowmobiling and Ellie took him on her favorite trails. Bix took to it even better than the motorcycle and kept up with her fine.
“You’re an animal, Ellie,” he said when they stopped for a break.
She could only smile wide and shrug. “I like to ride fast.”
“I need to get some helmets with microphones built in. I’d swear you were trying to lose me again like on the bike.”
She walked over and took off her helmet and he did the same. “Not a chance, Slick.” She pulled him down into the snow for a kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Bix was surprised to see Ellie standing in the kitchen when he walked in her house the following Monday. He was hoping to surprise her when she got home from work. She must have left a little early. “You’re home?” He walked over, admiring her hair. He gave her a kiss then ran his fingers through her hair. “What made you go dark?”
“I just felt like a change. You like it?”
“I do.” He kissed her again and weaved his fingers through her hair and to the back of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. Getting more aggressive in her kisses, she began pushing him backwards until he was against the wall.
“What got into you, babe?”
“I just missed you.” She kissed his neck then pulled at his shirt, sending buttons flying. Her hands stroked his chest and went down to his belt buckle.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall as she hungrily kissed down his chest. She slid his jeans down, but left his boxers on. Kissing her way back up his chest, she squeezed his crotch. He was already getting aroused. “Nice.” Kissing him harder, she rubbed her hips against him.
“Let’s get down to business, stud. If you’re a good boy, I’ll let you have me from behind.”
His eyes sprang open and he held her by the shoulders. “What?” He looked into her eyes. They were the same shade of blue. The same deep blue outline. He looked from one to the other, and then saw it. A green fleck that was never there before. “Fuck me.”
“That’s what I trying to do.”
“You’re not Ellie.”
“Damnit.” Her hand still stroked his chest. “You’re quicker than Tony was.”
He pushed her back and quickly pulled his jeans up. “Ellie never mentioned being a twin.”
“It’s no wonder. I’d want to keep you to myself, too.” She leaned into him and tried to reach for his crotch again. He grabbed her hand before she was successful.
“Stop it.”
“Come on. What are you? A choir boy?”
He moved away from the wall so she would stop cornering him. “I don’t know what your game is but — ” The sound of a car door closing stopped him.
“Damnit. The party pooper is home. We’ll have to finish later.” She looked to Bix again and ran her tongue over her lips.
Bix tried pulling his shirt together the best he could, but it was a useless attempt with his buttons scattered across the floor.
Ellie walked in with a smile because she had seen Bix’s car outside, but dropped her bag of groceries at the sight of her sister. Her purse hadn’t fallen, but was harshly thrown to the floor in anger when she saw Bix’s
shirt and the bulge in his pants.
“What the hell are you doing here, Nancy?”
Bix walked over to her and took her by the hand. “Nothing happened. I mean — ”
“Yeah. I know. I can see nothing happened by the tent you’re pitching there, Slick,” she said, shooting her gaze to his crotch.
“She tried but I…I realized it wasn’t you, Ellie. I’m sorry I didn’t catch it sooner. I thought you were just being sassy with the new color or something.”
Nancy laughed hard. “How do you always manage to find the biggest pussies on the planet, sister dear?”
“Fuck off.” Ellie put herself in front of Bix as if she was protecting him from her. “You know you’re not welcome here. What do you want?”
“I was homesick.”
“This isn’t your home anymore.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a twin, Ellie?” Bix asked.
“Remember that doppelganger conversation? Well, this is it.”
“I thought you were kidding. That wasn’t you on the bike?”
“No. I mean yes. It was me on the bike, but I wasn’t teasing about a doppelganger. You really threw me for a loop on Saturday in bed, making that comment about someone looking like me. She stayed away long enough this time that I was almost able to forget about her completely.” She looked at him again and waved her hand towards her sister. “This is how she catches her thrills. Can you blame me for not talking about her?” Again she returned her attention to Nancy. “What happened, Nance? Run out of people to hump in Europe?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. I was half-way through Germany, but I just decided I wanted to come home for a while.”
“You mean you got kicked out.”
“Got turned away in Ireland.”
“Your reputation precedes you.”
“You piss off one duchess…” She let her sentence just trail off as she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. “Care for one?” she asked as she picked up a second one and walked over to Bix. He snatched it from her hand. “Drink till you want me.” She winked, and then licked her lips again.
