Embracing Ellie: Chapter 3

Previously on Embracing Ellie: Elena, thrilled from a previous bungee jump, convinces Daniel to pull over and explore a nearby area. They find a beautiful view of a lake and mountain range. Elena playfully teases Daniel and leads him on a chase through the trees. Overwhelmed by the excitement, they have a passionate encounter in the thicket, despite the risk of being discovered.

#

Daniel saw the man first, from where he was sitting watching oncoming traffic; the big man with the big legs.

He and Ellie were getting breakfast and coffee in a cafe, downtown Queenstown, eight in the morning on a Sunday, trying to plan out their day. Ellie tried pleading her case for poking around the shops in the town; he still pushed for adventure.

Danny sat with his elbows on the table in front of his open notebook. “I thought we could start with the scenic gondola ride up to Bob’s Peak. It’s supposed to be amazing.”

“Yeah. Maybe this afternoon. I wanted to go to that Outpost shop. And there’s like three shops in a row there. Jewelry and stuff. We could pick up gifts for everyone back home.”

He said, “What happened to yesterday’s intrepid adventurer?”

“Hey,” she said, indignant. “I’m the one who leapt off the ledge, remember? You just applauded.”

“I reaped some other benefits, too.”

Two breakfast plates sat between them, empty now, two of the best breakfast bagels they’d ever had in their bellies; Ellie had the grilled cheese bagel, and he had sausage and sauerkraut. Their coffees were almost done. Ellie traced the rim of her cup with a fingertip, sly-smiling. “What surprises do you have planned today?”

“None, I swear, Ellie,” he said, putting up his hands, trying to show her he meant it. That’s when he saw the pickup truck coming over Elena’s shoulder. The cafe was in a long line of shops and restaurants on the Queenstown main drag, a mountain view in the distance for him from where he was sitting. The street was narrow, car parking on the shoulders. The pickup was a Toyota, an older model, mud-caked on a lifted suspension and fat tires. It had a snorkel, and a cage over the bed with gas cans on the side and a tent on the top; lights everywhere, on the grille, on the roof. A real bush explorer coming into town.

“Okay, so what’s first on the agenda, then?” Ellie said. “I think you’re more afraid of shopping than I was of jumping out of that cable car, babe. Maybe some time this trip, you’ll get the courage.”

The pickup truck pulled over to the shoulder and parked out front of the cafe, just behind Ellie, where she couldn’t see it. The truck rocked as the driver disembarked and slammed the door closed. The man who stepped out was a young mountain of muscle, sandy blonde hair tousled in the morning breeze. He moved with a rugged and relaxed confidence; someone driving by on the road gave a short honk, and the big man looked over and waved at whoever it was, then kept on moving, coming toward the cafe.

And when Danny regarded Ellie, he saw she had now picked the guy up on her radar, passively watching as the man walked past them on the sidewalk and to the cafe door. Big guy wearing worn-out cargo shorts, well-used leather hiking boots. Legs like tree trunks, skin tanned dark brown. 

The man came in through the cafe door, the little bell tied above with red twine jingling away. He glanced around the almost empty cafe, and for a brief moment, the man’s bright blue eyes fell on Elena. Beautiful Ellie sitting with her wavy hair spilling down her shoulders, big expressive brown eyes and that beautiful smile. The man nodded and winked at her. But if Danny was going to be mad about it, the moment passed as the big friendly fellow nodded and winked at him, too. And Danny nodded in return before even thinking about it.

The man strode up to the cafe’s counter. “Kia ora, Anna,” he said to the woman behind the counter, flashing a bright white smile. “Gizza long black and two bacon-beef sammis, would ya, please?”

“Sure thing, Hemi. Coming right up.” The woman named Anna worked behind the counter, preparing whatever it was the big guy ordered, saying, “You heading out on a Sunday?”

“Got a tiki tramp.”

“Look at you, busy in the winter.”

“Gotta pay the bills, love,” the man said. “And the snow’s holding back yet.”

Elena exchanged a glance and Danny raised an eyebrow for his wife, mouth curling into a smirk. Ellie smiled, too.

“Sounds like he’s a local,” he said, leaning back in his chair. 

“Seems like it,” Elena replied, her voice low. “What an accent.”

Danny watched Ellie. Watched Ellie’s eyes dance over the big man in the shorts with the muscular legs and the bulk that stretched out his fleece top. The corner of her mouth quirked up, and he watched his wife’s eyes travel down the man’s body and then back up again. She sipped her coffee, put it down and sat straighter, adjusting her hair and her top. Making sure she looked good in case the man wanted to wink at her again.

Danny crossed his arms and sat back, waiting for his wife to return from whatever romantic fantasy was playing out behind those eyes, trying to imagine Ellie’s outrage if she ever caught him studying some Kiwi cheerleader or dancer or something, as luridly as she was studying the huge and handsome outdoorsman. But instead of being angry and clearing his throat to get her attention, he only chuckled to himself. Ellie was an innocent; a sweetheart. Not some bad girl with a long roster of conquests. They’d been together since Sweetwater High; they’d gone to college together. His family loved her and her family loved him. Their matrimony had been foretold by the stars. Neither of them had ever been with another partner. Watching her now, he felt no offense, only a strange curiosity. This big man captivated Elena.

Now he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, interlacing his fingers over his empty plate. Still Ellie stared, rapt. And that little smile. Did she even know how she looked?

Danny chuckled to himself again and rolled his eyes. They landed on the man’s mud-spattered pickup. Through the dried mud, he could read words printed near the end of the bed. Something about “hiking,” something about “guided.” He looked back at Ellie, who had now managed to escape the man’s spell over her, regarding her beloved husband on the other side of the table once more, still with that goofy schoolgirl grin.

The big man chatted with Anna as she worked, bent over the counter on his elbows, his booming laugh echoing around the cafe whenever he found something Anna said was funny.

Ellie said, “That guy’s a real character. . . . So, did you make up your mind yet? Find the courage to bravely go shopping where no man has shopped before?”

He grumbled a wry chuckle, raising an eyebrow. Ellie frowned.

“What?” Color bloomed on her cheeks. She looked more lively now than when Mr. Muscle-Butt had entered her field of vision. This guy had juiced her more than the caffeine.

He leaned back and called out over his shoulder, “Excuse me, sir.”

The big man turned and regarded them both, affable and charming. “Can I do for ya?”

Danny said, “You do hiking tours?”

The man cocked his head forward. “What’s that, eh?”

“I see on your truck you’re a guide or something?”

“Aw, yeah, mate. You’re here for a visit?” He got off the counter and strolled their way. In his periphery, Danny detected Ellie sitting even straighter, sticking her chest out. Damn, Ellie—you got it bad for this fella.

Danny said, “Sure thing. We got in yesterday. I’m Danny, this is my wife Elena.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” the man said, and he shook Danny’s hand and Danny was glad to get it back unbroken. The man had a gorilla’s grip. But with Elena the man was gentle, holding his hand loose and letting Elena do the shaking. Her hand looked like tiny in his.

“I’m Hemi. Hemi Armstrong. If you wanna see some of the real gems round the South Island, I’m the man. What are you looking to do?”

“You have a group or something this morning? A tiki something?”

Hemi laughed. “Aw, yeah, a tiki tramp. I got a group of folks like yourselves and we’re going up the Ben Lomond. It’s a day hike. Thirteen-k up the mountain. You won’t get up it in a month, what with the snow. You’re into something like that?”

Danny looked to Ellie, and damn if his wife wasn’t looking up at the human mountain with that smile again, elbow on the table, chin in her palm. She said, “Hemi, like the truck?” 

The man laughed. “Aye, nah, not like the truck. She means ‘God is good.’ Or ‘God is gracious.’ Common as Jim, round here. But they called me Hemi, like the truck, since Schoolboys. That’s rugby, love.”

“Rugby player, that makes sense,” Ellie said. Look at the sparkle in those upturned eyes!

“Yeah-yeah, played a year for the Highlanders,” Hemi claimed, the inflection denoting this was quite an accomplishment, though Danny didn’t know what that meant. “Loved it, but had to move on, eh? Getting the bell rung twice a week, you start to forget how to tie your shoes. Mum’s prayers had been answered, she’ll tell ya. I went back to school, Environmental Science, and I run some tours during the busy seasons.”

“You got some room today on the tiki tramp? Ellie and I were just trying to decide what we’ll do.”

“Mint, au,” Hemi said. “Love to have you. Got a way to get to the trailhead? I could stuff you in the back of my ute if you don’t, or we could all cramp up in the cab like sardines, chock-a-block. It’s just a short drive.”

“We got a truck,” Danny said.

Anna from the counter called for Hemi, just letting him know she had his sammis ready to go. “Chur, Anna,” he called over his shoulder.

Danny regarded Elena, proud of his devious plan to entangle his wife in an awkward event, watching her squirm like a smitten teen while they climbed a mountain with this rugged rugby man. But Ellie’s attention remained on Hemi Armstrong. Her eyes wandered again while Hemi engaged with Anna over his bulky shoulder, and Danny saw her smooth her gaze down his broad chest, down to his huge legs. And then between the man’s thighs, to what looked to be an abundant package behind his fly.

The smile stayed. Ellie was lost in some erotic reverie. This wasn’t schoolgirl stuff. She’d checked out the man’s package. What would she want to do with that? 

Now he wasn’t so happy about his formerly lauded “devious plan.” Now it was looking like he might be the one squirming all day, hiking up a mountain.

#

Daniel drove them the short distance from the town to the trailhead while she tied up her hiking shoes, swapping them for the sandals she’d worn in the morning, expecting to go for a town tour and doing some shopping. 

“Just thinking,” she said, biting her lip,  “how I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“Doing what?” Daniel said, eyes on the road.

She sat up and stomped her feet a little in the passenger footwell, checking the fit. “You’re full of surprises, Danny. I can’t believe you called Hemi over and invited us to tag along.” It was the craziest thing ever.

“The guy likes money, Ellie. We’re going to pay him for his time. Sixty NZDs for the trouble. It wasn’t an imposition.”

Danny pulled their rental to a stop at the trailhead, and Hemi stood waiting, tall and relaxed, chatting with a small group of hikers who looked just as excited as she felt. There were about a dozen other hikers turning their way now, shielding their eyes from the sun, some of them waving to the newcomers. As she stepped out, the cool mountain air filled her lungs. This really was a much better plan than going shopping.

“Right on time, lovebirds,” Hemi called, clapping his hands as the gaggle of hikers congregated around the back of his pickup truck in their gore-tex and fleece and hiking boots and shoes. He motioned her and Danny to join the group, a broad grin splitting his face. 

“Hi, Hemi,” she said as she and Daniel added to the assembly.

“Morning, crew. Haere Mai. Gather ‘round, gather ‘round. We’re gonna have a great day on the Ben,” Hemi said. He introduced them to the other hikers, ten in total, all buzzing with anticipation. “Now it’s a bit chilly, but I see everybody’s got the right gear on, so there’ll be no worries. We’re good as gold.”

#

Hemi led the way, his long strides eating up the trail as they began the ascent. “Keep your eyes peeled, folks. This trail is cram packed with beauty, so much you might miss a little. Over to your right, you can see the Remarkables—those jagged peaks? They’re stunning at sunrise.”

Elena elbowed Daniel, winking. They were familiar with the view of the Remarkables. Daniel nodded and half-smiled. She fell into step behind Hemi, glancing at Daniel.

Hemi pointed out the different plants lining the path, their vibrant greens a sharp contrast to the rocky trail. “Now, these here are native ferns,” he explained, bending down to touch the fronds. “Kiwis believe they bring good luck. So, if you’re feeling lucky, give ‘em a gentle rub.”

Laughter rippled through the group, and some of the hikers did what Hemi suggested, stooping and rubbing the ferns.

As they followed Hemi further up the trail, he wove in stories about the land, tales of Māori legends and the history of the region, his deep voice rich and passionate. She trekked behind Hemi, the rugged terrain giving way to glimpses of breathtaking views and loving Hemi’s animated storytelling.

“Right here,” Hemi said, pausing to let the group catch up, “is where the first Māori settlers arrived. They called this place Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.” He pointed toward the distant mountains, their peaks shrouded in mist. “The Māori navigated the seas in their waka, canoes, using the stars to guide them. They had a deep respect for nature and believed everything held a spirit, a life of its own.”

Elena watched him tell his tale, hands in her pockets, glancing aside to Daniel. But Daniel had fallen behind her, somewhere in the group nearer to the back.

Hemi continued, “As they settled, they formed tribes, or iwi, and created rich traditions. The stories of their ancestors are woven into the landscape, like the rivers and mountains themselves. Take the Shotover River, for instance. It’s famous for gold mining. The gold rush in the 1860s brought a wave of new settlers, changing the area forever.”

Elena wandered back to stand with Danny. “You fell back. You having trouble keeping up?” She nudged his hip with her own.

Danny nodded. “He sets a fast pace.”

What was Danny’s problem? This hike was his idea.

“Gold fever hit hard,” Hemi went on, gesturing grandly, as if revealing a hidden treasure. “Miners flocked here from all over the world. Some struck it rich, while others found nothing but heartbreak. The stories of those who lived through it are still echoed in the town’s spirit. You can almost hear them in the wind if you listen closely.”

Danny said, “He must rehearse this. It sounds like a speech.”

She said, “Yeah, he’s a tour guide, Danny.”

“Even today, people still seek adventure here,” Hemi added, glancing back at the group. “Whether it’s bungee jumping—who’s done that yet, eh?—or exploring the trails. The spirit of exploration runs deep.”

Ellie put up her hand like a school girl, and Hemi nodded for her to speak up, interested in what she had to say.

“I did it yesterday. 200 meters above the Kawarau River.”

“Good for you, love,” Hemi said, proud of her. “How’d you like it?”

She bounced on her toes and hip-bumped Danny again. “It was pretty wild. It had quit the, uh, effect on me.”

This time when she side-glanced at Danny, she saw him smirking. It was good to see him lighten up, at last. Maybe the sausage and sauerkraut wasn’t such a good idea. But, hey, she’d warned him he’d get heartburn.