“Wonders never cease,” Katy said. “Shan, go get your phone and resend the itinerary, when I try to open the one you sent it refuses to open the attachment. I have no idea why not.”
With a cheerful, “No problem,” Shan hopped up and went to get her phone off the charger in her room.
Quickly, Abdulla said, “Have you made the arrangements we talked about?”
“Yes,” Katy said, “everyone will be there and the assistant manager from Tiffany’s called. They are sending two members from their marketing team and security. Shan is going to be surprised.”
As Shan reentered the room, Abdulla said, “Did you resend?”
“Yes, I just clicked send,” she answered. “Mama you can check your email anytime and it should be there.”
“I can’t believe you are coming home for Christmas with a beau, Shan. I am so happy and can’t wait to meet Abdulla in person. You kids have a happy afternoon, I am way past bedtime,” Katy said and with love and virtual hugs they ended the Skype call.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Longview, Texas
Carmen had resumed her work duties only a few weeks before. She had been very productive with her time off. She had discovered Shan was coming home for Christmas, quite by accident.
Carmen had run into her former colleague who had taken great delight in telling her Shan would be home soon and they were going to lunch. She had even asked if Carmen wanted to meet up. Carmen declined, but did get some news. Apparently, Shan had a new man. While Carmen found that interesting, she didn’t have any plans to attempt a seduction. What she was going to do was embarrass Shan.
She had recommended a restaurant for them but the colleague had told her they were going to Dudley’s Cajun Café. Now Carmen knew where they were going to be, but not when. No problem, she doubted it would be hard to find out, not with the way people put everything on social media these days. Christmas was only two weeks away; very soon she would have what she wanted all along. She would be acknowledged. She would not be dismissed!
Jack was making progress. The pain was still off the charts, but he was learning to manage it mentally. He was learning to keep his mind healthy and not be consumed with anger. The pain killers were a Godsend, as was his wife. All Jack could be was grateful for her steadfastness. His parents had been blindsided by the news Carmen was behind this and through his father’s contacts discovered she had made a habit of breaking up marriages. His and Shan’s was the first, but not the last. There were still active restraining orders against her and she had been twice attacked by enraged wives. He wondered if she knew some of those marriages had reconciled over time.
Arson had continued to plague Longview, it was like the burning of he and Alera’s home had been the beginning of some sort of spree. Jack wasn’t fooled; whoever helped Carmen was still helping her, trying to deflect suspicion. It was stupid because there were now four open arson cases being investigated by the fire and police departments. When whomever it was got caught, they were going to be facing some serious time.
Jack also knew his parents were going to see Shan when she came home this Christmas. He was glad enough time had passed that she allowed it. His parents had been so disappointed when they divorced. He also heard she was bringing a man with her. Jack was glad she was dating and hoped she was happy.
Alera was exhausted. Living with in-laws, even the wonderful ones like hers, can be stressful. She had a husband in the hospital, children, a job and a house with repairs to oversee. Thankfully, there were people through their church she could hire and the work was coming along without incident. Still, it was a lot to manage. Her mother in law kept telling her to slow down and rest, but she just couldn’t figure out how.
Alera’s daily prayer was, “Lord see us through the next six months.” By then, Jack would be out of the hospital and seeing a rehabilitation specialist. Their living room would be fully repaired, painted and furnished. She would be back at home with her girls and hopefully, be able to rest.
For now, the routine was leave early to stop by the hospital on the way to work, work all day, head to her in-laws to feed the girls and get them ready for bed, back to the hospital to check on Jack and then finally to her bed. It was grueling and twice a week, her in-laws put their foot down and told her not to go to the hospital in the evening. One of them would go visit and she would Skype with Jack.
Katy and her extended family members were thrilled to be hosting Abdulla on his first visit to Texas. He had been to America before, while in University he had visited New York, D.C. and much of the Eastern seaboard one summer. However, he was visiting as Shan’s beau and all were excited to host.
Katy redecorated the guest bedroom, it had needed an update. The walls had been painted tan and the accent wall was sponged with bronze, gold and dark brown. The bed was covered in a heavy bronze and brown comforter with elegant brushed bronze lamps on either side. The wood floor had tan throw rugs on each side of the bed. There was a radio, but no television. Guest rooms are for sleeping and changing, not hiding away from the host family.
It was warm and cozy and Abdulla would be very comfortable. Every toiletry known to man was in the guest bathroom, so he would surely not need a thing if he discovered he had forgotten something. The red carpet of hospitality was ready to be rolled out for Abdulla.
Chapter Fifty-Four
DFW International Airport
Shan and Abdulla had slept through half of the long flight. They had flown from Oman to Dubai and there connected with Emirates Airlines for the direct flight into DFW flight. Shan hated layovers and avoided them as often as possible. They were presently pulling their luggage and keeping an eye out for Katy, Shan’s mother.
Shan spotted her first, “Oh, my goodness,” she said.
“What?” Abdulla asked.
“Prepare yourself, she brought half the family,” she murmured.
Straight ahead with a twelve foot banner that read, “Welcome to Texas Abdulla!” Shan’s family was waving and smiling. The exclamation point on the sign was a cowboy boot with a hat underneath it. Shan’s mother didn’t even pretend to be ashamed for hauling half the family to the airport and creating quite the spectacle.
Shan only had time to introduce Abdulla to her mother. Katy was still hugging him when Shan said, “Everybody, this is Abdulla. Please make him feel at home.”
She was intending on then introducing Abdulla by name to everyone, but instead he was surrounded by a crowd of folks who were hand shaking, back patting, and hugging him. Choruses of, “I’m Uncle Lee, I’m Aunt Helouise, I’m Cousin Frank,” rained down all around him.
Shan let them have their moment and was standing there smiling when Abdulla met her eyes. Mouthing the words, “I told you they would love me,” he winked and she laughed out loud.
“Okay family, give him a moment. Let him breathe and let’s get this party on the road to Longview,” she said with a voice raised to be heard above the din.
“Not so fast, Shan,” her mother said. “We have reservations at Trulucks.”
Sighing, Shan resolved herself to a boisterous lunch and a much later arrival time home than she had planned. “Thank you mother, I am sure Abdulla will enjoy the food.”
The group headed out to eat and Abdulla and Shan were swept away with the happy crowd.
Hours later, full of good food and satisfied after an uneventful ride, Abdulla had his feet up on the bed he would be sleeping in for the next two weeks.
He enjoyed meeting Shan’s family. It surprised him how large a group it had been. She only talked to her mother regularly and had not mentioned all the people he met today. He found that funny because she was always telling him how big Omani families were.
A soft knock at the door sounded and Shan opened the door.
“I see you are worn out from the trip and lunch today. Is there anything I can get you? I think I am going to take a nap,” she mentioned.
“I am very comfortable and don’t really have any
needs,” Abdulla told her. “I am surprised at the size of your family.”
“I know. I would have prepared you if I had known Mama was going to invite so many people,” she said.
“It was amazing. I felt famous to be welcomed by so many and with such enthusiasm,” Abdulla said.
“You sure you don’t want to take your nap in here with me?” he asked with a grin.
“Do you want my mama to come in here with a broom and start waving it around?” Shan asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“No, I do not,” Abdulla said.
“I will see you after our separate naps,” she told him as she backed out of the doorway and closed his door.
A few short minutes later, Abdulla heard Miss Katy shouting down the hallway, “Shan, are you in your own room?”
Abdulla found himself suppressing a laugh at Shan’s response, “YES, Mama!”
Unsurprisingly after the long flight, lunch in Dallas and drive to Longview, Shan and Abdulla didn’t wake until very early the next morning. They met in the kitchen, bathed and dressed, though it was only five in the morning. Speaking in hushed tone, Shan prepared tea for them both and reheated their leftovers. After a quick meal, she invited him outside to sit on the porch and watch the sunrise.
“So, how was your first night in Texas?” she asked.
“I wish I could remember it,” he said. “All I know is I went to lay down for a nap and then didn’t move for nine hours.”
“Same here; that always happens when I come home. I crash pretty hard when I finally get in the bed,” Shan said.
“I can say the bed sleeps like a dream and the room smells like apples and cinnamon. The candles your mother lit are wonderful. At some point, she brought a bottle of water in for my bedside table. She is a great hostess,” Abdulla said.
“She sure is,” Shan agreed. “We will be eating again in a few hours when she wakes. I am sure she has a nice breakfast planned. Do you feel up to a walk? We can welcome the day and stretch our legs a bit.”
Abdulla agreed and they headed off down the street. Shan pointed out where friends of hers grew up, walked him to the neighborhood park and took him by her elementary and junior high schools.
They sat on the swings behind the elementary and she took him down to the creek bed that ran between the two schools. It was called Kissing Creek when she was a kid and as the sun stole its way into the sky, their lips touched causing something warm and wonderful to spread throughout both their hearts.
It was a gentle walk and they talked of many things. Abdulla marveled at the way Shan was here, as if she had really come home. He knew it had to do with the people who loved her, the familiarity of oft traveled places and comfort of memories.
They already had a lunch with a former colleague of hers planned for the next day and the family barbeque that evening.
He couldn’t wait to execute his surprise.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Carmen had once again used her trusty public records search to acquire information. She discovered Shan’s father was deceased, but that her mother still lived in the home where she had grown to adulthood. Carmen thought it would be nice to ambush her at home, where she felt the safest. Perhaps a well-timed Molotov cocktail would serve as a nice piece de resistance after she confronted her.
She didn’t require an audience, just validation that she should have gotten years ago. With all the other marriages she had helped to end, the wives inevitably called to ask why. That was the moment Carmen craved, the moment when she added insult to injury and explained it was because they hadn’t met the needs of their spouse. She liked to make a woman feel she had pushed her husband to Carmen. For some reason, this satisfied Carmen in a way her improved looks and career success could not. She didn’t just want to be happy. She wanted other to be unhappy.
She had taken care with her appearance and sitting at a stop sign on the way to Shan’s home, she checked her face again. Everything about her appearance was perfect. Hair, makeup, and clothing were flawless. She knew it would make Shan feel insecure to see her looking so good.
Moments later she pulled up to Shan’s home. It looked like there was some sort of party underway. She could see smoke drifting above the roof and smelled food. It looked like her timing couldn’t have been more perfect. With no hesitation, she made her way to the gate and entered the rear of the yard. The backyard was festooned in blue and silver. Carmen found that strange for a party in the middle of the holiday season. There were stands covered in blue velvet clustered in a semi-circle under a blue and silver awning.
The party was in full swing with folks laughing, talking and eating. The weather was in the sixties, it had not been a very cold winter. Everyone was wearing a leather jacket and holding a red Solo cup.
Carmen spotted Shan with a foreigner, “That must be her new man,” she thought.
Shan was having a great time. Her family was all around, the children were running amok, the grill was smoking, the weather was cool and Abdulla was a big hit. She had a premonition of her future and was not one bit afraid. This was the right man.
She felt a chill dance across her shoulders and turned. There, coming toward her, was Carmen. In moments, they were face to face.
“Hello,” said Carmen.
As Carmen and Shan stood looking at one another conversation died down as folks noticed someone none of them knew talking to Shan.
Abdulla, instantly sensing Shan’s change in mood, asked, “And you are?” but without a smile on his face. He wasn’t sure who this woman was, but he didn’t like Shan’s sudden tension. Whoever she was, she needed to state her business and go.
“Oh? You haven’t told your new friend about me?” Carmen asked.
With a smile, she extended her hand toward Abdulla and said, “I’m Carmen.”
Abdulla’s response was, “I haven’t heard your name before. Pardon me for not shaking. I don’t touch unfamiliar women.”
At that, he turned to Shan and said, “Would you like to go inside for a bit?”
Turning to reply she said, “Why don’t we see what it is she wants to say?”
Carmen was infuriated. Here it was ten years later and this chic was still acting as if she was invisible!
“I will be happy to tell you what I want! I want you to know why your husband left you for me!” Carmen shouted into the silence of the fully attentive crowd.
At this outburst, Shan’s mother appeared on the periphery of the trio. The crowd murmured, family gossip had long wondered about the demise of Jack and Shan. Now, here a woman stood, apparently trying to take the credit for the end of their marriage.
Shan just looked at Carmen. She wasn’t going to engage with this woman at all. Period. There was nothing to say to her. However, in light of her recent stunts, Shan did say one thing.
“I’ve filed a restraining order against you. You are fully aware you are in violation of the order. My mother is calling the police as I speak. Leave.”
Sneering, Carmen said, “Why? You don’t want your new friend to hear about how you couldn’t satisfy your husband? You don’t want him to know he was so unconcerned with you that he screwed me in the bed you shared? Why should I leave? Are you afraid this one here will never choose you? Are you afraid that he will leave you for the next pretty face and round ass, like Jack did?”
Sighing, Shan just looked at Carmen, amazed that ten years later, she was talking about the same thing. She wondered what she was hoping to achieve.
As the crowd watched, Shan and Carmen looked at each other and Miss Katy dialed the police while Abdulla made a subtle motion with his hand.
Miss Katy saw it and as soon as she finished giving her address, disconnected the call. She had just returned her cell phone to her side when the peal of a trumpet broke the silence. Then, two trumpets. Then, three trumpets.
The crowd parted as five men in tuxedos approached Shan and Abdulla, who had stepped around Carmen at the third peal of the trumpets. They were holding
the blue velvet covered stands at chest height and with a bow settled them before the couple.
All Carmen could see was Shan’s back. The crowd gasped when the velvet was removed and the five stands were revealed.
Each stand held a tray of rings. One stand had a tray of diamond engagement rings, the second had rubies as the primary stone, the third had emeralds, the fourth sapphires and the fifth had pearls.
Looking at Shan, Abdulla said, “I will always choose you. Marry me please?”
With eyes for no one else, Shan said, “Yes.”
The crowd cheered and watched as she spent the next fifteen minutes looking at and discarding rings until she chose one from the sapphire tray. The ring was a three carat square cut sapphire with diamonds on the band. It was beautiful.
After Shan made her selection, the tuxedo clad men made their exit, followed by security.
No one noticed when Carmen left, humiliated. When she got to her car, she popped the trunk. “We will see how she feels when her mother’s house is in ashes,” she thought as she pulled three Molotov cocktails from a carefully packed box in her trunk.
No sooner had she pulled a lighter out of her pocket than she was surrounded by police officers. Carmen had forgotten that Miss Katy called the police. Here she was in front of a house with three ready to throw fire bombs. In a flash she saw the years in a jail cell stretch before her. For a moment, she thought about throwing the bottle anyway—might as well go out in a blaze. But the reality was, she didn’t want to die and the police would shoot her. What a terrible, dramatic, uncouth way to meet her end; dead in the street in front of Shan’s house who was celebrating her new engagement just on the other side of the fence. Carmen was hustled away by the police.
Later that night, Jack heard the good news about Carmen’s arrest and slept peacefully. Miss Katy informed her friends the situation had been handled. Alera was relieved Carmen would burn no more homes.
Adored in Oman (Book 2 in Teach Me, Love Me Series): Interracial Romance Page 17