by June Kramin
“Well, guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. As long as she’s okay, we’re doing fine here for now.”
Jean gave Bix his coffee. “Thanks. Both of you. I’m going to hop on the desktop and make sure no one has loaded anything funny on it and maybe defrag it.”
“I’ll just pretend I know what you’re saying,” Fred said with a laugh.
Bix checked his e-mail accounts and looked up the number for the mover then gave them a call.
“Didn’t we just get you settled in at this address?” The woman asked after she keyed in his information.
“Yes, now I need everything moved to this address,” he replied as he gave them Ellie’s. He wasn’t about to explain the situation to whomever it was on the other end probably making minimum wage. “How soon can you be there?”
“Next Tuesday soon enough? We can be there by nine a.m.”
“Really? That’d be great. I’ll be there to let you in.”
After hanging up, Bix ran a routine maintenance on the computer. He called Jean over. He figured she would at least have some basic computer knowledge.
“You don’t need to do anything but when it’s done, just click okay and maybe give it a restart.”
“I can handle that. You know, I can do a monthly defrag on it for you. I’m not as computer illiterate as everyone else around here.”
“How about every two weeks. With so many different users, that would be better.”
“It actually doesn’t get used all that much, but sure, I’ll do it every two weeks,” she agreed. “How’s Ellie?”
“She’s doing great. She’s been walking already, but she’s staying another night. She’s fighting it of course, but we all want her to stay.”
“Yeah, sounds like her. I’m worried she’ll come back too soon. Will you let her know I have things under control? We may have an overpaid intern, but I’m still picking up most of the slack around here.”
“I’ll let her know.”
“Tell her that the biscotti guy sends his love, too.”
“Biscotti guy?”
“Yeah. Shawn. Here, hang on a second.” She went to the counter and lifted up the lid to a glass jar. She pulled out a white chocolate, almond, and apricot biscotti and brought it back over to him. He didn’t tell her he had already taken a sample when he was in the back room with Ellie. “He has the hots for her, but she never would give in and date him. We can do the orders by phone, but he still makes an excuse to come here to take them personally.”
“Where’s he come from?”
“Minneapolis.”
“That’s quite a haul to just flirt.” He took a bite out of it. “They are good though.”
“The best. Ellie tried a lot of them. Anyway, so yeah, he likes her but don’t worry. I told him she was dating someone. He got really bummed out.”
“Poor bastard. Can’t win them all. He a bow-wow or what?”
“Actually, he’s hot. I tried making a pass at him myself. He only had eyes for Ellie, though.”
“And I want to send his love why?”
She laughed. “Just because I asked you to. I don’t have time to see her today. My night classes started up again. He was worried when I told him she was in the hospital. I promised to let her know he asked about her. You know you have nothing to worry about, goofball,” she said, playfully smacking his arm as she walked away. “If she was going to date him, she would have done it months ago.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Bix bought boxes and packing tape before going to see Ellie. He wished he hadn’t been so fast to recycle the others and hadn’t been so efficient in getting everything put away. He had to start from scratch again within just over a couple months of unpacking and he wasn’t looking forward to it. But to live with Ellie, it was worth it. The movers could box everything up as well as move it, but he liked doing that part himself. Again, he just needed help with the larger items and this was easier. A few friends and a few beers could have done the trick, but this was a simpler fix. He wasn’t about to ask some old friends from Edina to drive all this way to help him move. He hadn’t even been in touch with anyone except for a few e-mails since he left.
When he arrived at the hospital, the nurse waved to him and said he could go right into her room. “She had a nap and feels a little better, I think. She’s not near as cranky as this afternoon.”
“This ought to help, too.” He held up two boxes of chocolates.
“She may hate you for that much chocolate.”
“One’s for you guys so you don’t have to swipe it while she sleeps.” He winked at them and slid it across the counter before heading into Ellie’s room. He heard, “How freaking sweet is that guy?” before he was through the door. Bix just smiled and walked in. He was stopped in his tracks by a huge arrangement of flowers at the picture window. It almost blocked the whole thing.
“Admirer?”
She blushed. “Just someone who shouldn’t have done anything.”
“Let me guess…Shawn?”
“How did you know about him?” She asked with wide eyes.
“Jean told me. I went over to see Fred and check on things and let them know you were okay. Jean said he missed you and wanted her to send his love so she passed the buck to me. I see he did it by himself.”
“You mad?”
“Should I be?” He sat down on her bed.
“No.”
“Then no. I bear gifts.” He gave her the box of chocolates.
“Oh, you do know the way to my heart.” She opened up the box and took one out and popped it whole into her mouth. “These are my favorites,” she said with her mouth full.
“Well, they’re no white chocolate biscotti.”
She coughed and he patted her back. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m just teasing you. Jean gave me one. They are damn good. If he’s half the looker she says, I’d’ve done him myself.”
She smacked him. “You’re terrible.”
“I know.” He lay on his side next to Ellie, cuddling close on the bed. “I miss you. Seems funny. We only spent a few nights together, but it felt like something was missing when you weren’t there the past few nights.”
“Well, you have to get by tonight, too.”
“You have to stay, huh?”
“Yes, damnit. I’m fine. I think they’re lying about the blood work just to keep me here.”
Bix had to work to hold his face expressionless. “I’m sure they’re not. Don’t be silly. It’s just what’s best, babe.” He gave her a tight hug. “You sure you want me in your house?”
“Why? You having second thoughts already?”
“No. I called the movers.”
“Yes, I’m sure, Bix.”
“’Cause you know, I would drive all that way to see you like biscotti boy. I don’t have to move in if you’re not sure.”
“Stop it.” She laughed and smacked him again. “Ouch. Stop making me laugh.”
He nuzzled into her neck. “I knew you had guys waiting for you all over the place.”
“I did not.”
“Did so. You chased them away daily, like you did me.”
“Your point?”
“I’m glad I’m the one that finally won you. That’s all. Even if I am going to have to get into a fight every day to defend my position.”
“Quit it. You want me to run an ad ‘position filled’?”
“Don’t talk dirty like that to me. You need a few days to recover.”
Laughing again, she held her stomach. “Stop it!”
“Sorry.” He gently bit her earlobe.
“You’d better stop that, too. You’re going to drive me crazy.”
A knock on the door startled them both. Bix turned around and saw a deliveryman there with a teddy bear the size of a Saint Bernard.
“Where do you want it?”
Ellie smiled. “Bix. I love it!”
“It’s not from me.” He walked over and took the card off that was around it
s neck and read it. He looked up at Ellie. “I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count.” He pointed to a chair and the delivery guy put it in place and backed out of the room. By his expression, they could tell it wasn’t quite the usual reaction to his deliveries.
“Shawn again?”
“Yup.” He walked over with the card and handed it to her.
“I swear I don’t know what this is about, Bix. I mean, it was getting kinda creepy, but this and the flowers…that’s really unexpected. I’ve done nothing to encourage this. I talked to Fred about switching companies; I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I thought I could get him to stop with the behavior if I tried harder. I really like the product.”
“Creepy? Define creepy.”
“It’s hard to explain. He just gave me bad vibes. He was nice enough at first. I took it as an overly pushy sales guy really into his company and product. But then he kept asking me out and I tried to be as nice as I could in telling him no. I was beginning to run out of excuses.”
“So you went out with him?”
“No. Not really.”
“Explain ‘not really.’” Bix raised an eyebrow.
“Well, he called Fred and said his company was having a dinner to go over the new product line. He said it was really important that I go and wanted to make sure with Fred that my schedule would permit it. Of course he made accommodations for me to have the afternoon and next morning off so I could go. He told Fred the company paid for a room at the Hilton where the dinner was.”
“Only it wasn’t?”
“The dinner and the room were there, only it was a dinner for two. He claimed the presentation was cancelled and he was sorry that I didn’t get word. And since I drove all that way, we might as well have a nice dinner.”
“Sneaky bastard.” Bix grinned. He wasn’t so upset at the guy yet; he thought he was slightly ingenious in trying to win a date with someone like Ellie. He knew better than anyone how hard she pushed him away.
“It really isn’t funny. I declined any drinks so I could drive home. I wasn’t about to stay in a room in the twin cities. It was pretty obvious what his intentions were.”
“So what happened?”
“I made up an emergency and left after dinner. He hasn’t pulled anything like that again, but he hasn’t let up on asking me out. He seems harmless enough, but I was hoping he’d quit when he found out we were dating. Now I know he knows about you and it didn’t help.”
“Maybe he’ll knock it off when he finds out we’re living together.”
“You be sure to have Fred and Jean play it up big then. If he doesn’t then I will find another distributor. Hey! What happened at the reading of the will? You’re back a lot earlier than I thought.”
“I don’t know.” Bix sat up. “I left when dickhead showed up.”
“Your dad?” He nodded. “I thought your mom wanted you there. Why’d you just abandon her?”
“She can handle him, I couldn’t.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing really. I couldn’t stand him from the second he opened his mouth. I had him pegged. All he cared about was the house.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“He asked about the will before he even said hello. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him. Mom can fill me in later. I don’t have anything coming, nor do I want anything.”
“She still coming?”
“She said she would when she was done.”
“Is this an approved recovery technique these days?”
They both turned towards the voice at the door. It was Bix’s mother.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Bix climbed out of bed and went over to her.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Nothing heals like a dose of your son.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Mom, this is Noelle. Ellie, Mom. Her name is Sue but — ”
“But I prefer Mom.” She went over to give Ellie a kiss on the cheek. “So nice to meet you. Noelle? That’s a beautiful name.”
“Most people just call me Ellie.”
Still holding onto her hand, Bix’s mother kept looking at her. “You look awfully familiar.”
“Unless you’ve been to Sunrise Bagel, I don’t think so. I’m pretty good with faces.”
“Never been there. It’ll come to me. How are you feeling?”
“I want to go home, but they’re making me stay another night. I feel great, actually.”
“You don’t want to push it after something like this. Your sister doing okay?”
“She is.” Ellie kept her face expressionless. Sue looked at Bix and he shook his head. He was sure his mother took the hint and dropped it. “Thanks for the lovely flowers.”
“You’re welcome. They looked perfect on a dreary winter day. The arrangement looked fit for a castle…” her voice trailed off. “That’s it! I saw a picture of you with a prince in a tabloid. A coworker pointed it out. I remember because your dress was so stunning; you were beautiful. Am I crazy or was that you?”
“That would be my sister. And it was a duke, not a prince.”
“Your sister? You’re a twin?”
“By looks only. If that article had anything horrible in it, it was true.”
“I don’t read that rubbish. I wouldn’t have even remembered if the picture wasn’t so fabulous.”
Bix walked over and sat by Ellie again. He knew her good mood was now smashed and he felt bad.
“I’m sorry. Why do I feel like you get along with your sister as well as Bix gets along with his father?”
“Female intuition,” Ellie said, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine if you two want to go talk about the will.”
“Pull up a chair, Mom. We don’t need to go anywhere else.”
“You sure, Ellie?”
“The company is nice. I’m bored out of my mind.”
“Okay then.” She sat down. “Don’t yell,” she said to Bix.
“Why would I yell?”
“Because I’m your mother and I know you. You’re upset at your father and I wish you would move on. Don’t you think it was better that he left? We got along fine without him. I would rather have struggled and lived alone than live with him in a meaningless marriage while he carried on with another woman. Can’t you just get past it?”
“I am past it. I also don’t care for the guy. I don’t care if he was the sperm donor.”
“Quit it, Bix. We’ve been over this a thousand times. I loved him. He was a good man.”
“Was. Can we just skip to the part where I’m not going to yell, please?”
“The reading went pretty much how you thought. The will hadn’t been updated since your grandmother died. It was all left to your father. Some revisions will have to be made because there was property on there that Gramps had sold off already.”
“I’ve already called a mover. I don’t want to stay a day more than I have to. They’ll be there Tuesday.”
“Where will you go? You just got settled.”
“He’s moving in with me,” Ellie said. “Please don’t think less of me.”
“Don’t be silly.” She gave Ellie’s hand a squeeze. “I’m happy for you. Really.” She looked back at Bix. “That’s not all.”
“What’s not all?”
“Well, the will hadn’t been changed, but Gramps did have a letter dropped off with Mr. Richards last week.”
“What about?”
“He did make a request for a few revisions to the will.”
“What was that?”
“There’s a large shed on the property.”
“And?”
“He wanted you to have whatever is in it.”
“Really?”
“You know what that is?”
“I have no clue. I’ve never been in it. I barely went out to the shop when he was there.”
“He wanted you to have ol’ Bessie, too.”
“The tractor?” Ellie said with sur
prise.
“He said your, how did he put it, ‘city slicker butt needed some practice.’” She smiled at him. “You won that old coot over in a few weeks, Bix. He wouldn’t have felt right cutting your father out even though he knew he would probably sell the property and not give a darn about what was in it. I’m to go through and take the pictures and any other family heirlooms, then your father is free to auction it off.”
“I’m sure he already has it done. I’d get over there now, Mom. If Grandma had any jewelry, he’ll swipe it up.”
“Gramps gave me her wedding rings when she died. I don’t care about anything else. I don’t want valuables, just the keepsakes and the pictures.”
“Wait a minute. He did this a week ago? Did he know he was dying?”
“The letter didn’t say, but he must have known on some level.”
Bix looked over at Ellie. There were tears rolling down her cheeks. “Aw, babe,” he said as he wiped them away. “I’m sorry. We should have left your room and talked about this somewhere else.”
“No. I’m fine. Maybe you should go though. Help your mom with the pictures and stuff. At least they’re freshly dusted.” She forced a smile.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Sue said. “You should probably get some rest.”
“That’s what they keep saying anyway.”
“I’ll come back tonight after dinner if your brothers haven’t beaten me to a pulp.” He kissed her goodbye and her eyes remained closed. Apparently she was more tired than she was letting on.
Sue took her hand and said goodbye, but she gave only a soft moan in return. Once they were outside, Sue took Bix’s hand. “Quite a young lady you have there.”
“I know. Had to fight for her, too. She’s been through some tough crap.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“Maybe later. Let’s get through this mess first.”
“She must really be something special to claim to not care for her sister, but give her a kidney.”
“Well, you can claim all you want but when it comes down to it, you’re not going to let someone die.”
“Have you met her sister?”
