by E. A. West
“That’s why you’ve been so willing to go to the feed store for me. And I thought you were just trying to be nice.”
“Well, that too. But, yeah, I always enjoy the chance to talk to Sara for a few minutes if she happens to be working.” The sappy smile disappeared, and he straightened. “So, does that satisfy your curiosity?”
“Not even close. Were you hanging out with her all morning?”
“Only most of it. I was also talking to a guy looking to hire someone.”
“You were?” Meghan’s heart thumped with excitement. If he was looking for a job, that meant he was finally ready to fully participate in life again. “How did that go?”
“I have an interview Tuesday.” Ryan grinned. “You might not be stuck with me much longer, Megs.”
She caught Basir’s sharp intake of breath, but chose to ignore it for the moment. “You don’t have to leave just because you get a job. My farm is your home for however long you want it.”
“I know, but I’d like to get out on my own at some point.” Ryan glanced at Basir then returned his gaze to her. “Don’t worry. I won’t be moving for at least a couple of months. I need to save up a little before I try to find a place.”
“As long as you know there’s no rush.” Although she was happy for her brother, she would miss having him around all the time when he moved out.
“I do.” Ryan cleared his throat. “Now, you guys still haven’t given me an opinion on a double date next weekend.”
Meghan turned to Basir and found him looking at her. “What do you think?”
“It could be fun,” he said slowly, searching her face. “Is it something you want to do?”
“Assuming Ryan doesn’t have anything too crazy in mind for the date, yes.”
“Since when have I suggested crazy things for dates?” Ryan asked, his tone indignant.
“Junior year of high school. We went on a double date where you had the supposedly great idea to climb a rock wall.” Meghan returned her gaze to Basir. “His date turned out to be terrified of heights, and mine somehow broke a finger.”
Basir chuckled and looked at Ryan. “I have to agree with your sister. No crazy ideas.”
“Come on! I was barely seventeen.”
“And now you are older, but are you wiser?”
“That’s cold, man,” Ryan said with a laugh. “You’ll be relieved to know Sara and I both agreed a picnic in the park would be the perfect date.”
Basir glanced at Meghan, and she nodded. He focused on Ryan once more. “A picnic sounds good. We will go on your double date.”
“Great! I’ll go tell Sara.” Ryan rose from his seat.
“Do we get to meet her before next weekend?” Meghan asked, curiosity about her brother’s girlfriend threatening to drive her nuts.
“Sure. I’ll bring her by the booth later.”
After Ryan left, Meghan and Basir finished their lunch between helping customers. By the end of the market, she was beginning to wonder if her brother really would bring Sara to meet them. As they packed up the small amount of remaining produce, Ryan finally showed up with a pretty brown-haired woman in her early twenties.
“This is Sara Gotheridge.” He smiled at her. “Sara, that’s my sister, Meghan, and my good friend, Basir Hamidi.”
“It’s so good to meet you,” Sara said, a smile lighting her face. “Ryan tells me we’re all going on a picnic next weekend.”
“That’s right.” Meghan studied her and could see why Ryan liked her. The woman was cute and had a sweet personality that shone brightly. “You and I will have to talk about who’s bringing what in the way of food. I have a feeling the guys won’t be volunteering for that.”
Sara laughed and hooked an arm through Ryan’s. “I have the same feeling. I’ll get your number from Ryan later and give you a call.”
They talked a little longer, and Meghan couldn’t stop a twinge of jealousy. Ryan and Sara interacted with such ease and had no problem linking arms or holding hands. She yearned for the day Basir showed such affection toward her, but she knew it could be a very long wait. With as long as it had taken him to feel comfortable talking to her for more than thirty seconds, it could be months before he held her hand in public.
Still, she wouldn’t trade him for anything. He was a wonderful man, if more reserved than she was used to. And the way he looked at her, more openly now than before, melted her heart with every glance.
12
Saturday morning arrived in a burst of sunlight and singing birds. Basir barely opened his eyes before snapping them shut with a groan. Of all the days to have a migraine that made him even more light sensitive than usual, why did it have to be this one? At least the picnic was scheduled for late afternoon rather than lunch. He stood a small chance of recovering by then, but only if he managed to brave the light threatening to scorch his optic nerves and took his meds.
A soft paw stroked his face, and an equally soft mew accompanied by remarkably loud purring reminded him of a responsibility that couldn’t be ignored, regardless of whether his head was going to explode.
He opened his eyes only a slit and met the innocent greenish-blue gaze of his constant companion. “Morning, Kadwaal. You are ready for breakfast, aren’t you?”
The kitten purred even louder and batted his nose. Despite the spikes of pain going through his skull, Basir smiled. He never would have imagined how much an abandoned kitten could improve his outlook on life.
“All right, little one. We will get food for you and water for me.”
He stifled another groan and rolled out of bed. After donning his glasses, he scooped up the kitten and retrieved his prescription bottle from the dresser. By the time he reached the kitchen, he was ready to curl up on the floor and die. This was one of the worst headaches he’d had since he woke up in the hospital after the explosion that had done so much damage. Thankfully, he saw no sign of Meghan or Ryan. He wasn’t up to pleasant chatter.
“I hope no one minds if I shirk my alpaca care responsibilities,” he muttered in Pashto, too miserable to think of the English words. “I’ll be lucky if I make it back to bed.”
While Kadwaal played on the floor, Basir filled a glass with water and took his migraine medicine. Then he measured dry kitten food into a small bowl and mixed up enough formula to moisten it. The smell was enough to make him nauseous, or perhaps it was his headache. Either way, he knew skipping breakfast would be in his best interest.
“You get to eat upstairs,” he said as he scooped up the kitten once more. He didn’t have the strength or energy to stay downstairs long enough for Kadwaal to eat in the kitchen like he normally did. The sooner he went back to bed, the better.
Once in his room, he set the kitten and the bowl of softened food on the floor and fell across his bed. As he listened to Kadwaal eat, he managed to work up the motivation to take off his glasses. Crawling under the covers was beyond him. He rolled onto his side and curled up, praying for the pain and nausea to go away. With his first date with Meghan on the line, he had to get better by that afternoon. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her by canceling, especially since it was a physical weakness creating the problem.
If only he had never agreed to the double date, he wouldn’t have anything to worry about.
But could he really regret agreeing to move his relationship with Meghan forward a step? He cared about her deeply. If he was completely honest with himself, he might have even more affection for her than he ever had for Kashmala. He didn’t know if that made him a terrible person, but right at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care. Maybe once his migraine was gone, he could give the realization the proper consideration. For now, his only goal was to recover before it was time to leave.
A slight shifting of the mattress at the foot of the bed caught his attention, and he opened his eyes far enough to see Kadwaal sitting on the corner and watching him. The brightness in the room sent another knife through Basir’s skull, and he snapped his eyes shut aga
in as he wished he would have remembered to close the curtains. Doing it now would take more effort than he could muster. At least he had managed to stack boxes just right to create a stairway for the kitten to get on and off the bed safely. Moving enough to lift the kitten was sure to kill him at the moment.
He tracked Kadwaal’s movement up the bed by the light tug of the covers with each tiny step. When the kitten reached his head, it rubbed against his face and purred. The soft fur gave him something to focus on other than his misery for a brief moment, and he thanked God for providing him with a furry friend. Kadwaal would never hold the migraines against him, and already the young kitten worked to find the best way to comfort him when one hit.
As the kitten settled on his pillow, Basir prayed once more for the strength to endure the vicious headache and for his Heavenly Father’s healing touch. With the way he felt, only a miracle would enable him to go on a picnic that evening.
~*~
Meghan kicked off her barn shoes and stepped sock-footed into the kitchen. The morning had passed in a blur of chores, but she couldn’t shake her concern for Basir. He hadn’t come down for breakfast, so Ryan volunteered to care for the alpacas. She had stayed busy in the garden, weeding and harvesting a load of cucumbers for the local grocery. Yet one eye had always been on the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Basir.
Now it was nearly lunch time, and she still hadn’t seen any sign of him. She didn’t want to think he was avoiding her, but with their date later that afternoon, she couldn’t keep the thought from crossing her mind. He had seemed excited about going out with her, but could he have changed his mind? True, he had been a little nervous when Ryan mentioned their date last night, but so was she. A few nerves were a natural reaction to a first date, but she wasn’t going to call it off. She had waited far too long for this day. But did Basir feel the same?
“Lord, give me strength,” she whispered and then sighed. Surely, he would have told her if he had changed his mind. With his extreme focus on honor, he wouldn’t stand her up without a word.
Which left her with the worry that had dogged her all morning. Something must have happened to keep him from helping with the chores or even showing up for breakfast. His kitten flashed to mind, and she glanced toward its food bowl—a bowl that was conspicuously absent. OK, so maybe he had been up at some point. But why would he take the kitten’s bowl somewhere else? He always fed the little guy in the kitchen while they ate breakfast.
She scanned the kitchen, searching for more clues. Her heart sank when she spotted the prescription bottle sitting beside the sink. A quick check of the label confirmed her suspicion. The poor guy had woken up with a migraine again.
After washing the accumulated grime from her hands, she grabbed the pill bottle and headed upstairs. As late as it was, if he was still suffering, she would suggest postponing the picnic. Although it would be disappointing to have to wait, she wanted him to be able to enjoy their time together too.
Basir’s door was closed, and she didn’t hear any sounds inside. He might be asleep, but she didn’t feel right just opening the door to check. She took a deep breath to calm a sudden attack of nerves and tapped lightly on the door.
A male voice responded with something that didn’t quite sound like incoherent gibberish, but it definitely wasn’t English.
Uncertainty hit, and she hesitated. Maybe she shouldn’t have bothered him? Too late to worry about it now. “Basir?”
Silence stretched until she was ready to scream or cry, she wasn’t sure which.
“Come in.” Although more heavily accented than usual, at least it was in English.
She twisted the knob and pushed open the door. Basir—sans glasses—was stretched out on his bed. He wore a T-shirt and lounge pants, similar to what her brother wore for pajamas. His kitten lay on his pillow, curled around his head.
Meghan smiled and indicated the kitten. “It looks like your furry friend is trying to make you feel better.”
“Yes.” He reached up and stroked his fingers along Kadwaal’s small body. A purr vibrated through the air.
“Is he helping?” From where she stood just inside the room, Basir didn’t appear to be in too much pain.
“Surprisingly, yes.” He sighed and reached for the glasses lying on the nightstand. “Forgive me for not taking care of the alpacas this morning.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said, following her brother’s example. “Ryan took care of them. When you didn’t come down for breakfast, we figured you weren’t up to dealing with them.”
Never mind that she and Ryan had both been wrong about the cause. They had mistakenly assumed Basir overslept due to nightmares or the memories that so frequently haunted him. Why, when they both knew of his migraines, had neither of them considered that possibility? Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter now.
“You left your medicine on the kitchen counter.” Meghan held up the bottle. “I thought I’d bring it up to you and see how you’re feeling.”
“Thank you.” Basir sat up and paused for a moment before standing. “I am certain I will live now.”
“Was that ever in question?” She handed him the bottle when he approached.
“When I first woke up, yes.” He shook his head and set his medicine on the dresser next to three other matching bottles. “I have not suffered like that in months.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better now.”
“So am I.” He drew in a breath and released it slowly. “Where is Ryan?”
Meghan opened her mouth to reply, but the distant sound of the back door closing cut her off. She waved a hand toward the hall. “Probably wondering when I’m going to fix lunch.”
Basir cracked a small smile. “You should go feed him. I know how much work the alpacas are.”
“Am I feeding you too?”
“Yes. I will be down shortly.”
“All right.” She stepped into the hall.
Before she could close the door, Basir spoke again. “Thank you for coming to check on me. I appreciate your concern.”
She turned around and smiled. “That’s what people do when they care about each other.”
“Yes, this is true.” He looked toward the kitten still sprawled on his pillow.
Meghan waited a moment to see if he would add any more. When he remained silent, she reached for the doorknob. “See you in the kitchen.”
She pulled the door closed and went downstairs. Ryan stood by the kitchen sink with a partial glass of water in his hand.
“How’s Basir doing?”
“What makes you think I checked on him?” She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
“I’m your brother, remember? I know you.” Ryan took a drink and smirked. “So, how is he?”
She should know better than to try to hide anything from her twin. He had always been able to read her as clearly as his own thoughts. “Certain he’ll live. He’ll be down for lunch in a few minutes.”
“Good. Did he tell you why he skipped breakfast?”
“He woke up with a massive migraine.” She moved to the refrigerator and opened it. “What do you think about sandwiches for lunch?”
“Works for me.”
As she prepared sandwiches and a salad, Basir entered the kitchen with Kadwaal on his heels. He and Ryan launched a discussion of the alpacas and their care, and Meghan hoped it meant Basir had fully recovered from his headache. Since he appeared fine and wanted lunch, she could safely assume he was all right. Either that or he was a great actor, something she hadn’t seen evidence of yet.
Halfway through lunch, Ryan set down his sandwich and focused on Basir. “So, are we still on for tonight, or do we need to move the picnic to another day?”
“Today is fine.”
Meghan couldn’t completely let go of her concern. “Are you sure? I’d rather postpone than have you unable to enjoy the evening.”
“I will be fine.” He offered a brief smile. “My head is much bett
er now, and it is still improving.”
She couldn’t tell from his expression whether he was telling the truth or if it was a case of wishful thinking. “Well, if it gets worse or you change your mind, let me know.”
“I will, but you don’t need to worry. We will still have our picnic with Ryan and Sara today.”
The affection and determination in his eyes did more to reassure her than his words. She had a feeling he was as intent on seeing their first date succeed as she was.
13
Basir set the last box of cucumbers in the bed of Meghan’s truck and stepped back. When he turned around, he found her standing near the back door of the house, watching with a smile that sent warmth and longing racing through him. How he would love to set aside every tradition that had been ingrained in him from birth and all of the problems he had acquired since the Americans went into Afghanistan so that he could publicly show her affection. Yet his reservations, both cultural and personal, continued to hold him back. Perhaps after their date in the park he would find the courage to toss aside caution and hold her hand in public.
Memories rose of the day he had told her about the loss of his unborn child. The day he had been forced to admit his attraction to her. The touch of her fingers on his had been so gentle, so compassionate. And then when she allowed him to take hold of her hand...even now his heart raced just thinking about it.
Ryan slapped him on the back, intruding upon his reminiscence and bringing him back to the present. “Ready for your first date with my sister?”
“My first date ever,” Basir corrected with a smile. “And yes, I am ready.”
“Good. I need to go pick up Sara. See you at the park.” Ryan headed for his car, giving his sister a wave.
Meghan joined Basir by the back of her truck and handed him a cooler. He set it beside the boxes of produce and closed the tailgate. As they climbed in the cab, he couldn’t help an attack of nerves. Despite his assurance to Ryan only moments before, he wasn’t sure he was ready for a date. In a short time, everyone at the park would know of his feelings for Meghan. If American towns were anything like Afghan villages, the rest of the population would know of his feelings in a day or two.