by LJ Vickery
He extended a hand. “I am Vinay Dalat, and this is my wife, Prisha. To whom do we have the honor of addressing?”
Wiley drew on all his military training and straightened to attention. “William Prancingdeer, sir. Very pleased to meet you.” He caught himself just prior to finishing off with a salute.
Mr. Dalat’s eyes narrowed as the two men shook hands. He glanced at his daughter tucked into his side, then back to Wiley again. “This wouldn’t happen to be the ‘sort-of’ Indian about whom you spoke to your mother, would it?” he questioned Solina.
Busted.
“Yes, Father. It is. Wiley is an American Indian, a Native American, but can we talk about all this out of the cold?” she asked. “I know you live in Canada, and seventeen degrees probably feels balmy, but I prefer the heat in Wiley’s SUV.”
A cold wind blew across the blacktop at that moment and propelled Wiley into action. “Might I suggest, sir, that you take the ladies to my vehicle while I retrieve your bags?” He saw someone from the plane carrying a few suitcases down the steps.
“That would be helpful, son. Thank you.”
Wiley blinked. He’d been called son. Although it didn’t mean he was out of hot water yet, it indicated a note of acceptance. Wiley would take it.
He strode toward the jet, while the Dalats headed to his truck. Within minutes, he had their things stowed in the back, had jumped into the driver’s seat and fastened his seat belt. He couldn’t stand the silence that met him, hoping Solina would get to her story.
Her mother beat her to it. “So, my dear, how did you meet this young man, and what happened to your beautiful face?”
Apparently, Mrs. Dalat wasn’t willing to wait around, either. And her bundling their burgeoning relationship with what happened to her face indicated that walls had to be scaled.
“I met Wiley at an auction,” Solina began.
“Where you purchase items for your little business,” her father stated. Wiley didn’t like the way he said “little business”, but Solina didn’t seem fazed, so he kept his mouth shut.
“Where I purchase antiques for my shop, yes,” she gently corrected. “Wiley was attending for the first time and took the chair beside me. He started asking questions to better understand what was going on.”
Funny. Solina’s speech is definitely more formal when she speaks to her parents.
“We had a…connection. Because of that, Wiley attended the auction the following week.” She smiled over at him. “He was quite the gentleman when the snow proved too much for my car. He made sure I arrived home safely.”
Wiley wanted to grin. Solina’s diplomatic upbringing spoke volumes. She didn’t say whose home she’d arrived at.
“Thereafter, we dated.” Wiley wanted to snicker at that. “And fell in love.”
Her mother sighed, sounding pained. Her father… Did he just growl under his breath? Wiley nearly responded, but Solina gave him a subtle shake of her head and forged on.
“Wiley is ex-army. Special Forces,” she told them. “He currently works for a search-and-rescue team in Boston that was started by a friend of his, which is very lucky for me, and I’ll tell you why soon. It believe it was almost fate that we met. If we hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
Both her parents looked disturbed, but remained quiet.
“So, you see, this is how it started. I purchased a box…”
****
By the time Solina finished her tale, they were nearing her place.
Tears poured down her mother’s face, and her father, definitely seeming to warm up to Wiley, leaned over the front seat to squeeze his shoulder. “I want to thank you, son. Solina is correct. Without your presence and the aid of your compatriots, my daughter might not be with us today.”
It wasn’t exactly “welcome to the family”, but Wiley felt accepted. There was no time like the present to let his intentions be known. “I will always protect Solina with my life, sir. I promise. She will have priority over everything else.”
Let them chew on that.
Solina rolled her eyes at him and cleared her throat to overcome the awkward hush that descended.
“Ah. Here is my shop.” She pointed as they turned onto her property. “I will have to open in a few hours, so feel free to stay in the house, or you can walk up for a visit.”
She prattled on a little nervously, and Wiley knew why. Time for the big test. How would her parents react to her home, and how would Solina deal with them if they didn’t like it?
“And this is my home.” She raised her chin in the air.
Wiley pulled up and parked behind her car.
“Oh,” her mother replied. “It is quite lovely, Solina.”
Beauty’s chin dropped a few inches.
“You say you own four acres?” her father continued, looking around at the private lot.
“Five, Father.” She looked over at Wiley. She’d gained her confidence back with the positive vibes her parents gave off. He knew she was about to go for broke. “When Wiley moves in, he’ll be building a barn to raise horses, as well as putting an addition on the house to accommodate children.”
“Children?” Mrs. Dalat put a hand to her chest. Wiley wasn’t sure of the emotion behind it until she spoke again. “Oh, my word. Will I finally become a grandmother? I gave up hope several years ago that you would ever settle down, Solina.”
“Right. Which is another thing we need to talk about.” Solina’s eyes narrowed, and her accent went back to American. “Sai Basu, Mother? Seriously? What the hell kind of Charlie Foxtrot was that?”
This time, Wiley couldn’t hold his laughter. He leaned back in his seat and roared as both Solina’s parents regarded him warily.
“And what, dear, is a Charlie Foxtrot?” Solina’s mother finally asked when Wiley got himself under control.
He couldn’t picture the words coming out of her mouth in front of her very staid parents…even though she’d said hell. He wiped an amused tear from the corner of his eye and turned in his seat to face Solina’s father.
“Permission to swear, sir?”
“Permission granted,” Mr. Dalat sanctioned.
“Well, your daughter has picked up some military jargon from me and my teammates. The term she used, Charlie Foxtrot, means clusterfuck.” It felt odd coming out of his mouth, even though he’d been using the term for years and had been given the okay to say it.
He could almost feel Solina holding her breath.
Mr. Dalat cleared his throat. “Well, I am not sure why this terminology is only now being utilized,” he speculated. “I think Charlie Foxtrot would have been appropriately employed when describing the series of events that led to Solina’s kidnapping.”
Wiley chuckled. Solina giggled, clearly encouraged by her father’s words.
“Uh… Father? I’m glad you approve, and I’ll teach you some more military talk. But don’t try and get out of the whole engaged thing. I’m still totally pissed.”
“Pissed,” her mother repeated. “Another vulgar colloquialism, but one even I have heard before.” She nodded and pointed toward Solina’s front door. “Might we be introduced to your house and your cat before we apologize for our indiscretions? I ate very lightly before leaving the embassy this morning and could use a little something.”
“You’re in luck.” Solina grinned. “I’ve prepared a favorite of mine from when I was a child.”
Her mother clapped her hands in glee. “An aloo masala sandwich,” she exclaimed. “I haven’t had one of those in years.”
Watching Solina prep the meal before they left, Wiley wasn’t sure. A sandwich filled with mashed potato didn’t sound all that enticing to him, but he’d reserve judgment until he tasted it. Solina had yet to cook anything he didn’t like.
“That’s right.” Solina grinned. “And I’ve also made some vegetable curd, which we can spread on the fresh naan I baked this morning,” she told her parents, much to their delight.
That conc
oction had looked a little more palatable to Wiley. A bunch of chopped vegetables mixed with spices and Greek yogurt―because Solina hadn’t had time to make something called hung curd.
He’d try that first.
Vehicle doors were opened, luggage retrieved, and―thank God―immediate sounds of approval came from her parents as they walked into Solina’s space. He stood back and watched. How happy he was for Solina that her home met with a favorable reception. He didn’t give a fuck what they thought, and would have defended her to the point of kicking them out, but he didn’t have to. Perhaps knowing they’d almost lost their daughter had mellowed them out.
Once the pair had settled in and they’d all eaten―the potato sandwiches had been fucking awesome―her parents apologized for attempting to manipulate her life once more.
“If we had known that you already had a beau, we never would have attempted to match you up.”
As apologies went, it wasn’t breathtaking, but it wasn’t bad, either.
Solina raised her eyebrows at Wiley across the table, as if seeking permission. He gave a curious nod. He knew she hadn’t just invited her parents here to see her home. There had been something percolating inside Solina’s head, and he was just as anxious to hear it as she was to spit it out.
She started slowly. “So… Along with meeting Wiley and seeing my house, there’s another reason I asked you to come here.”
“I know you, my daughter,” her father interjected. “I told your mother there was something of importance going on.”
“There is. And it has to do with a case Wiley’s company has taken on.”
Wiley nearly fell off his chair. Never in a million years had he thought that was what she called her parents for. But if things went where his mind now traveled, he’d kiss her silly for coming up with this solution.
“We will help if we are able, of course,” Mr. Dalat assured them.
“Thank you, Father. You see, there’s this Afghani girl…”
Once again, as the story unfolded, Wiley sat back and watched the reactions on her parents’ faces. They displayed understanding, and he could see the gears turning in their heads as Solina laid the entire problem on the table.
“Has anyone talked to the parents about this child’s sexual preferences?” her father asked.
Solina deferred to Wiley now that she’d opened a door on the situation. “No, sir. They believe she disappears to see a male and know she’s vanished again for the Christmas break. It was after we told them we’d continue working on things, post-holidays, that Solina translated those letters and found out that the friend isn’t male. The team will reconvene on the issue when the office reopens after New Year’s Day.”
Solina’s mother chewed her lip. Another inherited trait?
“I think I know how we can help,” her mother spoke up. “As I see it, there can be three scenarios.” She barely paused for a breath. “One, they seek to disown their daughter altogether. Two, they demand an honor killing or disfigurement.”
Wiley understood those possibilities. He’d heard of honor killings performed by so-called loved ones, as well as the brutal punishment of disfigurement by acid.
She continued. “If either of those options seem likely, we will swoop in and remove the girl to Canada immediately, seeking diplomatic immunity. We will make sure she still gets to see her girlfriend and continue her college education.” She pointed a finger at Wiley. “It will be up to you to make sure her parents’ intent is understood exactly and that it is documented for us. That way, her sanctuary will not be questioned. And if her parents do seek punishment, you must keep her safe until we can extract her.”
“Understood,” Wiley said, nodding.
“That is marvelous, Mother. What is the third scenario?” Solina had listened quietly up until this point.
“That her parents still want her.” Mr. Dalat shrugged. “A better thing for the girl, but vastly more complicated for all involved. If they accept her lifestyle, we cannot be sure that other relatives, hearing of this ‘disgrace’, won’t attempt an attack or an assassination on their own. That will be more difficult to prove, the fact that she will be in a life-threatening situation when she returns to her own country. We will have to proceed very carefully in that case.”
Wiley hadn’t begun to think it all through and he floundered, needing backup on this one. “Do you mind if I call my teammates and see if they can come over to discuss this?”
“Not at all,” Solina’s father declared. “We would be more than happy to meet with them and thank them for our daughter’s life.”
Wiley made the call, and within the hour, Del, Prez, Sarge, Billboard and Perk descended. Solina decided to keep her shop closed for the day and told Wiley to make it a party, so the ladies and their children arrived, too. A quick trip to the nearest grocery store ensured Solina had enough food for the feast she prepared, while the girl’s situation was discussed and looked at from all angles.
One thing Wiley did not doubt by the time their friends said their goodbyes was that this case wouldn’t be solved today, next week, or even probably next month. But once they hashed everything out, things certainly looked brighter, especially with Solina’s parents offering their assistance.
Epilogue
Solina and Wiley rang in the New Year with all their friends, then headed home, full of party food and a glass or two of wine. It had been a lovely, happy evening, and Solina now cuddled up to Wiley on the bench seat of his SUV.
Her parents had left two days earlier, having met with the team more than once. An initial plan of action had been sketched out that called for a meeting with both the girl and her parents in a neutral setting to see which way the wind would blow. Solina felt fairly confident everything would work out. After all, Wiley and his team had worked miracles before.
Yup. She chuckled. Wiley, her miracle worker.
“What’s so funny?” The man of her dreams hugged her with his free arm.
“Nothing…everything.” She sighed happily. “It’s just that if anyone had told me where I’d be today, and even hinted at all the stuff that happened to get us here, I would have thought they were crazy.” She snuggled closer. “But you know what’s really crazy?”
“Nope. But you’re going to tell me.”
“Yes, I am.” She gave a light, playful punch to his chest. “What’s really crazy is that if it took all that for me to meet you, I’d sign up for it all over again.”
Wiley sighed, gloriously content. “And that, Solina Beauty Dalat, is why I love you.”