Layce Gardner - More Than a Kiss

Jordan was delighted. “Perfect, Amy will know that I need her. So, I really look injured then?”

“Yes, you have that sufficiently covered. Now, let’s go.”

Victor, the big bearded pilot, opened the plane door as soon as the ground crew wheeled the stairs over. “Thank you so much,” Jordan said, trying to shake his hand. She missed it several times. It seemed her eye-hand coordination was still off kilter.

He grasped her in a bear hug. “May your love save you. Go in peace,” he gave her a hearty pat on the back and Jordan weaved from side to side.

“Victor, can you get her down the stairs?” Irma asked as she poked her head out the door and ascertained the difficulty for someone with impaired motor skills.

“This little twig of a girl? Ha!” He lifted her up and over his shoulder and before Jordan had time to process what had happened she was in the back of another limo. Victor held the door open for Irma.

Irma smiled at him. “Victor, you shouldn’t have.” She kissed him on both cheeks.

“Victor is here should you ever change sides,” he said, kissing her hand.

Irma was all business when she got in the limo. “Take us to University Hospital quickly before she leaks all her fluids out,” she told the driver.

He was a thin, reedy looking man. In a deep voice he said, “Yes, comrade.”

Jordan watched as the lights of Portland danced across the glass of the limo. She was glad to be home. If she could’ve hugged the whole city she would have. “My homeland,” she whispered, leaning her head against the window. She closed her eyes. She was so happy.

Irma pulled her upright and slapped her. “No sleeping.”

“Ow,” Jordan muttered.

“We are almost there. How do you feel?” Irma gave her the once over. “Never mind, you look awful. Irma swears on Babushka’s grave if you die Irma will haunt you forever.”

“But you have to die before you can haunt someone, silly,” Jordan said.

“Your little doctor will kill Irma,” Irma said. “Irma will be dead.”

“Don’t worry. Amy will just kill you a little bit.”

Irma shook her head and swore under her breath. Jordan didn’t know exactly what she said, but it sounded like she said something about a mother and a moose and a compromising position.

The limo pulled into the emergency room entrance at University Hospital. Jordan grabbed Irma’s arm. “I only want Amy. No one else. Please.”

“Yes, I know. Irma will make sure of that.”

The Happy Ending

Amy sat beside Jordan’s bed, holding her hand. Jordan had several tubes in her arms and her head was bandaged so thickly it looked like she was wearing a white turban. After a moment, Jordan’s eyes flickered open. She saw Amy and smiled.

“I must be in heaven. There’s an angel sitting beside me,” she said.

Amy laughed. “Did you just now make that up?”

“Yeah,” Jordan said. “Did you like it or was it too corny?”

“A little thick on the syrupy side, but I still liked it.”

There was a long pause as they gazed at each other. Jordan was the first to look away.

“I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time.

“What?” they both said again at the same time.

They laughed.

“You go first,” Jordan said.

“Okay,” Amy said. “You have sixteen stitches in your head. You lost quite a bit of blood. I had to shave part of your head, so you’ll have a nice bald spot for a while. Other than that, you’re in good shape and Chad was a mistake and I should have told you about him but I didn’t want to lose you and he was psycho and we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Jordan asked, “My turn?”

Amy nodded and braced herself. She was expecting the worst. She knew she didn’t deserve the love of this beautiful and talented woman. Still… she hoped.

Jordan took a deep breath, “I was scared. That’s why I ran. The whole Chad thing was an excuse to run. Deep down I knew you loved me and not him.”

Amy raised her eyes to Jordan’s. They were glistening with happy tears.

Jordan continued, “Remember the last time I was here and you sewed me up?”

“How could I forget?”

“I told you something about how babies survive falling out windows. Remember that?”

Amy nodded. “You said the babies weren’t scared. They didn’t know fear. So they bounced. It was the bouncing that saved them.”

“That’s right,” Jordan said. “So, I figure I’m going to do the same thing. I’m going to fall and relax and…”

“Bounce,” Amy finished for her.

“Yeah,” Jordan said. “I’m not going to be scared. I’m going to let myself fall.”

Amy reached over to Jordan’s nightstand and picked up a book. She held it out to Jordan along with a pen. “Do you mind signing this for me?”

“This is my book,” Jordan said. “I mean it’s not mine, it’s yours obviously, but I wrote it.”

“You never finished autographing it,” Amy said. “I was hoping you could do that now.”

“Gladly.” Jordan took the pen and the book. She opened it to the title page and wrote: Amy, What are you doing the rest of your life? Jordan .

Amy read it and smiled. “I think I have plans,” she said.

“You do?”

“If you’ll have me.”

Jordan crooked her finger at Amy and motioned for her to draw nearer. Once Amy was close enough, Jordan leaned forward and kissed her.

The sound of applause broke their kiss. Stunned, they looked toward the door. Crowded in the doorway were a smiling Claire and Lillian.

Behind them an old woman plodded down the hallway pushing her IV stand. She stopped and looked into the room to see what they were applauding.

“That’s my daughter,” Claire said proudly. “She’s a lesbian.”

“And she’s in love,” Lillian added.

The End

If you enjoyed this book, we’d really appreciate it if you’d tell your friends – including those you haven’t met – by blogging, posting an online review, or otherwise spreading the word. Thanks!

Layce and Saxon

About the Authors

Layce Gardner has been writing for over half her life. She has written umpteen plays, a slew of movies and a whole gob of books and short stories.

Saxon Bennett has written fifteen or sixteen or maybe seventeen books (she lost count) and is the winner of a bunch of awards.

Saxon and Layce are happily married. To each other.

You can learn more about the authors by visiting their websites at Laycegardner.com and Saxonbennett.wordpress.com

You can check out Layce’s other books at her Amazon author page.

Check out Saxon’s books at her Amazon author page.