“Wow. Where should I start?” Shannon asked.
“Of all the people in this town, I bet Shelby is the most famous for the scrapes she got into,” Lacey said with a wave of her hand. “She’s a local legend. We could be here all night telling you stories.”
“Food first, childhood memories later,” Dan complained. “I’m starving.”
“Some things never change.” Shannon winked. “What can I get you guys?”
“Does everyone want pizza?” Shelby asked, glancing around the table.
They all agreed and placed their orders.
Hakim leaned across the table toward Lacey, feeling Shelby’s softness where his arm brushed hers. “I would love to hear about Shelby Jo as a child.”
“I’ve got a great one for you.”
“Nothing embarrassing, Lace,” Shelby pleaded.
“All right, all right.” Lacey paused and spread her fingers on the table, taking a deep breath before she began her story. “So, we were about eight, and the rodeo was in town…”
“Lace,” Shelby groaned.
The edges of Lacey’s mouth rose, but she kept speaking. “The guys who bring the animals had this one really mean bull. I mean, this thing was huge. Things are different now, like more regulated, but back then, a rider would get extra points for riding one of these enormous bulls. So they all wanted to draw him. The bull was so dangerous he couldn’t even stay penned up with the other rodeo animals, so Burke let them keep it out in his corral.”
Hakim smiled at Shelby’s mortified expression.
Shannon set the drinks and salad on the table. “Oh, my gosh! I’d totally forgotten this story. Your pizza’s almost up. Don’t finish ’til I get back!” She twirled and hurried toward the kitchen.
“Okay, after school, a bunch of us got off the bus at the Walkers’ and went home with Shelby to check out the bull,” Lacey continued. “We were too scared to even get close to the fence. The bull wasn’t doing anything but standing in the corral chewing its cud. It didn’t so much as look at us, but we were still terrified.”
Hakim bent forward, not wanting to miss a word, and using the excuse to graze his arm against Shelby’s.
Dan shook his head and laughed. “We yelled at the bull to get its attention. But nothing happened. We threw stuff at it, and finally, we all got to daring each other to go inside the pen and touch it.”
“Shelby was the only one who would do it,” Lacey broke in.
Shannon returned with their pizza.
After everyone was served, Dan continued with a laugh, “I can still remember how she looked. Little Shelby with her freckles and her hair in ponytails, scrunching up her face all determined to prove how brave she was.”
“I thought you guys said it wouldn’t be embarrassing,” Shelby muttered.
Dan glanced at her and turned back to Hakim. “Shelby climbed over the fence and tip-toed across the pen. She touched the bull with one finger, and when it turned toward her, she ran like her hair was on fire. She got to the fence and instead of climbing back over, she wriggled under. The problem was, her jeans got snagged on this hank of barbed wire.”
“Oh, yeah, I love this part.” Shelby took a bite of pizza.
“She tugged and tugged, but those blue jeans were stuck tight,” Dan said with a wide grin.
“I don’t even remember the next few minutes,” Shannon chimed in with a laugh. “We totally panicked!”
Lacey held up her hands, opening her fingers wide. “We all started screaming bloody murder. I’m pretty sure I was bawling. We all thought that bull was going to get Shelby.”
Shelby rested her elbows on the table, hiding her face with her hands.
“Without missing a beat, Shel kicked off her boots and wiggled out of her pants. Debbie came out to see what all the screaming was about, and there was Shelby, covered in mud, wearing her little purple panties.”
Hakim chuckled, trying to imagine what his tutors would say if they’d discovered him playing in the mud. He found he couldn’t do it.
Shelby grimaced, but when she saw Hakim laugh, she allowed a smile. “Yeah, that wasn’t too humiliating. Thanks, guys.”
The entire table burst into laughter.
“How do you like your pizza, Hakim?” asked Shannon.
“It is delicious. Thank you, Miss Price.”
“I’d better get back to work. Thanks for the laugh. Great to see you, Shel.” Shannon waved to the group.
Dan set down his pizza crust and leaned back, putting his arm around Lacey and brushing a finger over his mustache. “So, Hakim, what kind of work do you do?”
Hakim had anticipated this question and gave his rehearsed answer. “I work as a consultant for my father’s business.”
“I don’t know much about the business world—just enough to get along, if you know what I mean,” Dan said. “What do you do for fun?”
Hakim shifted in his seat. His leg brushed Shelby’s again. He felt a little guilty, but he loved the feel of her and tried to think of any excuse to touch her. “I enjoy hunting. And skiing, of course.” His gaze met Shelby’s, and he smiled. “But my real passion is horses.”
Dan nodded. “Now, that’s something I can definitely relate to.”
The two men continued talking about horses while they ate, and Dan told Hakim about his construction business.
Hakim was surprised by how much he enjoyed the conversation. He was interested in the details of this man’s life and the way he worked hard to provide for his family.
After a little while, Lacey looked at her watch. “We’d better get going. I’m worried about the sitter trying to get Shay and Cole to sleep.”
The four of them scooted out of the booth, and Hakim helped Shelby with her coat and crutches as she rested her hip against the table for balance.
“Should we head over to the drive-in for a shake?” Dan held up Lacey’s coat.
“You know I can’t eat that stuff—not with all this baby fat still hanging on.” Lacey patted her tummy. “Anyway, I need to be getting back to the kids.”
“You look great, honey.” Dan lifted his wife’s face with a crooked finger beneath her chin and winked. “Why don’t we just grab it and eat it on the way home? We can share.”
The group returned to Hakim’s rental car, and he helped Shelby into the passenger seat and stowed her crutches in the trunk. He heard a car start and glanced to the far end of the parking lot where Nasir was parked.
Dan and Lacey climbed into the back seat.
As he drove, first to the Shake Shack and then back to their house, Hakim had to remind himself to stop staring in the rearview mirror. He was fascinated by the way Dan and Lacey treated each other. She finished his sentences, and he was constantly putting his arm around her or kissing her cheek. Surprised, Hakim realized he felt jealous. By his standards, their home was beyond small. Shabby, even. Their furniture and clothes were not expensive, and yet, they had everything he wanted.
After dropping off the Bartons, Hakim was quiet as he drove through town. He glanced at the lights in the rearview mirror and wondered if Shelby had noticed Nasir following them.
“What are you thinking?” Shelby asked.
“I have something to confess, Shelby.” He tapped his fingers on the gear shift. “This is the first time I have ever been on a date.”
“Are you serious?” Shelby lifted her brows and tilted her head, looking at him.
“Yes. It is not part of my culture to court in this way.”
“So, what do you do instead?”
“Khali-dar is one of the more westernized countries in the Middle East, but there are still traditions which are generally adhered to. First of all, it would be highly inappropriate for us to be alone like this without a chaperone. In some countries, such a thing would be punishable by prison time, or worse. Many of the more traditional families still arrange marriages, although this practice is becoming rarer.”
“Oh.” Shelby rubbed her arm as she gazed out
the window. “Has your family picked someone out for you?”
When he heard the anxiety in her voice, Hakim couldn’t fight the jump in his pulse. “No, my father does not believe in arranged marriages. He was very much in love with my mother and would not want any less for me.”
“That’s good then, right?”
“Yes, it is good.” Hakim stopped the car in front of the Walkers’ house.
Although it was early, the windows were dark. The family had worked hard all day, and Shelby was the only one who’d taken a nap.
Shelby twisted in her seat to face him. “I’d better give you some advice to make up for your lack of dating experience.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s just say, a guy surprises a girl by coming to town and spending the day helping her family, then takes her to dinner, and doesn’t run screaming out the door when her friends tell embarrassing stories about her. If that’s the case, she’ll probably expect him to kiss her.”
“Shelby Jo, do you always say exactly what you are thinking?” His heart pounded on his ribs.
Shelby wrinkled her nose and grimaced. “I guess you’re not used to women acting so bold.”
“Well”—he scooted closer—“I have no reason to mistrust your counsel.”
The porch light did little to illuminate the inside of the car. Hakim gently touched the sides of her face, enjoying the sensation of her softness. He trailed his hands down her neck, stopping at her shoulders. Her face tilted, and he bent his head until his lips brushed against hers. At first hesitantly and then, covering her mouth with his own, he inhaled her smell, noticing again how perfectly it fit her. He drew back, watching as she sighed and opened her eyes.
He held her face in his hands, the taste of her still on his lips. “Yes, you were right. Excellent advice.”
****
Shelby let herself into the dark house, her lips still tingling from Hakim’s kiss. In the living room, the TV flickered.
Chet was sprawled out asleep on the couch. He must have been waiting up.
She took the remote off of Chet’s stomach and clicked off the TV. “Chet”—she shook his shoulder—“Hey, it’s time to go to bed.”
“Wha…? Oh, hey, Shels. How was your date?” Chet swung his legs onto the floor and rubbed his bleary eyes. He stretched out his back and winced.
“Nice.” She fought to repress a grin. “Actually, more than nice. Hakim’s pretty great, don’t ya think?”
“Where’d ya go? Italian Garden?”
“Yeah. Come on.” She tugged on his arm. “You need some sleep.”
“Hang on a sec, Shels. I wanted to talk to ya.”
Shelby sat on the love seat and propped her crutches against the wall. “What’s up?”
“Listen, Shels, I don’t want to be ‘that guy’.” He used his fingers to make quotes in the air. “But I’m your brother. I just want to know what’s going on with you and this Hakim dude.”
“What do you mean by that?” Shelby grabbed one of her mom’s knitting needles from the side table.
Chet fidgeted. “Shels, You obviously like him, I know you well enough to tell that much. But where will something like this lead? I guarantee Hakim isn’t planning on staying in Culver Springs. Is he just playing around with you?”
Shelby’s chest felt tight. “I’m aware, we haven’t known each other that long. I haven’t even thought about that kind of thing.” She shifted, crossing her arms and scratching her shoulder. The truth was, she had thought about it. A lot. She’d thought of little else since Hakim had arrived. What were his intentions? If he was hoping for a fling, would he have kissed her so chastely?
“That’s bull, Shels, and you know it. Stop lying to yourself.”
Shelby couldn’t find words to respond. She stared at her brother with her jaw dropped. This was so unlike her easygoing, happy brother.
“Listen…” Chet scratched the back of his head. “You haven’t had a ton of experience with guys. I mean, I know you’ve dated some, but you’ve never been serious with anyone besides Jake, right? You feel flattered since a hot, rich dude is paying you all this attention. You need to ask yourself why. You’re awesome, Shels, and I know it, but I’m trying to figure out his motivation here.”
“Really? Because it’s so hard to believe someone like him could actually be interested in me?” Shelby choked on the words, fighting back her tears.
“Sorry, Shels, I’m just being honest. Guys don’t think the same way chicks do. Most of us are total jerks.”
“Hakim isn’t a jerk, Chet. He flew halfway around the world and spent the day in cow crud, then hung out with my friends at a tacky small-town restaurant. Does that sound like a guy with ulterior motives?” Shelby crammed one of the needles inside her cast, scratching her leg fiercely.
“Yeah, you’re right, I guess.” Chet ran his fingernails over the leather stitching on his boots.
Shelby could tell this wasn’t easy, but didn’t cut him any slack. Chet was always the one on her side. If I can’t get my brother to see how great Hakim was, how can I ever hope to get my parents onboard?
“Ya know,” Chet said. “He could be totally on the up and up. But I want you to be careful.” He leaned forward, dangling his hands between his knees. “Do you think you might just be liking his exotic-ness? I mean, you’re always saying how you don’t want to end up like everyone else in this town—you want to do great stuff, see the world. Then a guy comes along who’s as different from Culver as turkeys are from turnips. Don’t be blinded, Shels.”
She rested back against the cushions, feeling exhausted. “You’re right. I love it here, and I love you guys, but I don’t want to end up here. I want to do something important, Chet—something nobody thinks I can do. Hakim has never questioned my desires to do something great. He wants me to be happy, and he would support me no matter what.” Shelby wished she didn’t sound so defensive, but what Chet said hit a little too close to home. She did worry about Hakim and his motives. What could someone like him see in her? And what sort of future could they ever have? Or was Chet right, and Hakim was just looking for a little fun?
“You know, Middle Eastern guys aren’t exactly known for treating women really great, right?” Chet edged closer on the sofa. He took away the knitting needle, setting it on the coffee table before enveloping her in his lanky arms. “I’ll support ya, Shels. I never said I wouldn’t. It’s just my job as your brother to worry.”
“Hakim’s been a real gentleman, Chet.” She rested her head on his shoulder, squeezing him back.
“He seems cool. Just be careful, Sis. I don’t want to see you hurt. And I don’t want to have to kick his—”
“I know, Chet. Thanks.”
Chapter Eight
Hakim called Shelby the next morning, and they made plans to see the Anasazi Indian ruins which were about a half hour away by four-wheeler from the Walker farm. The weather was perfect—cold enough that the ground was still mostly frozen, but sunny so they would be warm. She had told him she’d pack a picnic lunch.
Half an hour later, Hakim rang the bell, and Debbie answered, as was becoming routine.
“Good morning, Hakim. Shelby’s in the kitchen getting your lunch ready. Sounds like you two have a fun day planned.”
“Good morning, Debbie. Thank you.” Hakim followed the direction Debbie indicated and walked through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Morning, Cowboy. How’d ya sleep?” Shelby grinned.
“Very well, thank you.”
Shelby grabbed water bottles from the refrigerator and shook sandwiches into small plastic bags before putting them into a backpack. She wiped the crumbs off the counter with a rag.
As he observed her doing what she most likely considered mundane chores, Hakim couldn’t help being captivated. These actions that came so easily to her were completely unfamiliar. He moved his gaze to her face, and thinking about their kiss the night before, he glanced at her lips and wondered if he wou
ld have the chance again.
“So, should we get going?” Shelby asked. “Chet is letting us use his four-wheeler.” She handed Hakim a blanket, slipped her arms through the backpack straps, and grabbed her crutches.
He followed her through the back door.
“Looks like Chet left me some bungee cords.” She strapped her crutches onto the back of the ATV. “Do you wanna drive? It’s pretty much the same as a snowmobile.”
Hakim nodded.
She climbed on behind him and pointed out the accelerator and brake. After giving him a few instructions, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s go!”
Shelby pressed close, her body warmed his back. They rode down the ranch road and out into a wilderness that Shelby told him belonged to the Bureau of Land Management, and was referred to as B.L.M. land. She showed him which trails to take, but was content to let him set the pace. When they ran out of road, she pointed out the easiest route.
Hakim drove slowly, worrying about how the jostling must hurt her injured leg as he navigated through the rocky landscape. He loved the way the cold contrasted with the desert—so different than his homeland.
After a little while, Shelby indicated where to stop. She unstrapped her crutches and pulled off her backpack.
Hakim took it and slid his arms through the straps.
She flashed him a wide smile. “There’s a great picnic spot—just a short hike up that hill.” She pointed.
Shelby didn’t display any trouble walking up the trail with her crutches, but Hakim still maintained a slow pace, keeping an eye on her movements for any sign that the hike was too difficult.
A light breeze lifted her hair. “You’ll love it up here,” Shelby said.
He noticed her words sounded breathless. “This landscape is like a scene from a cowboy-western.”
Shelby turned her face toward him and flashed a smile.
His stomach did a slow roll at her expression.
A hawk wheeled overhead. The few trees around them were twisted with rough bark on their thick branches.
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