by Leah Leonard
“I can see that,” Stephanie agreed.
“So I assume you had a good trip?” Ellen asked.
“I did, yes.” Before she walked inside, Stephanie turned toward the far side of the property. Off in the distance, two headstones peaked up out of the snow. She gulped back tears.
“I know, darlin’,” Ellen said. “We’re all missing them something terrible. Come on in now before you catch a cold.”
Stepping inside the old house, the wooden floors creaked under her feet. The smell of ham filled the air. “Something smells great!”
“I try, but you know I’m not as good as your mom.”
“I love Ellen’s ham,” Buck said.
“He’s a good man,” Ellen smiled.
The living area was crammed with two matching sofas and three old worn out recliners. Everything looked just as it had when she left. A fire raged in the fireplace.
Stephanie noticed the full box of Christmas decorations leaning against the wall.
As if reading her mind, Ellen sighed. “Haven’t had the heart to put up the decorations yet either. What do you think? Should we? Buck and I were gonna do it, but we weren’t sure if it would upset you, so we thought we’d wait ‘til you got home. If you want to, then the three of us can take care of it together. Start a new tradition…”
Stephanie gulped back tears. This was a strange new world, for sure. “Um…”
She and Ellen glanced at Buck who was grinning from ear to ear. “Sorry. I don’t mean anything by it. I miss your folks, we all do.”
“Then what’s the smile all about?” Ellen asked, glancing at Stephanie, then back at Buck. “Wait a minute. What’s going on? You two look…”
Buck was so excited about their new status, he couldn’t hide the news. “Speaking of new traditions, I asked her again.”
“And she said yes?” Ellen asked Buck.
“Yes, ma’am. She’s made me the happiest man alive!”
“Congratulations you two!” Ellen beamed, reaching out to Stephanie’s hand to see the ring.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Buck said, flushed with love and joy.
“I wasn’t expecting this so soon, but I’m tickled for you. So now that it’s official, when’s the big day?”
Suddenly Stephanie was overcome with emotion. Her lower lip quivered uncontrollably. Despite her best efforts to control herself, she burst into tears, and not the happy ones either. Humiliated beyond belief, she wanted to hide until she could get herself under control, so she ran past Ellen, up the stairs, and into her room.
“Stephanie?” Ellen called out to her.
She slammed her bedroom door and fell on the bed in a sobbing heap. God, what have I done?
Twenty Four
Uri’s secretary left the office, closing the door behind her.
“Come, sit,” Uri told the Sultan. “Do you have news about the Haziz arrangement?”
“No,” the Sultan said.
Uri felt relieved. He didn’t want anything standing in his way of getting to Iowa. “You may as well know I am off to the United States tomorrow morning, first thing. I am unsure how long my business will take…”
“Ah, so you have conquered the young lady, have you?”
“Not exactly,” Uri clenched his jaw.
“Oh?” the Sultan scowled. “Why not?”
“She is a complex creature, as are all women. You of all people should know that.” Uri wanted to keep the details as vague as possible so the Sultan couldn’t judge her or the situation. He needed sweet Stephanie to be accepted into their family as soon as possible.
“Will you ask her father for her hand?”
Uri rolled his eyes.
“When is the wedding?”
The Sultan loved meddling and Uri really wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated at the moment. “Her parents are dead.”
“How unfortunate. Then again, perhaps this makes things easier?”
Uri would not dignify that ugly remark with a response. “They were recently killed in an auto accident.”
The Sultan’s wheels were spinning in his overactive imagination. “You can move her to Turkey straight away.”
“Indeed, were it that simple…Miss Stephanie and I have things to discuss first, and as such, there is no wedding date planned.”
“I see,” the Sultan said.
Uri sighed. “I would ask you to refrain from bringing that up to me again. I promise you will be the first to know if our status changes.”
“Don’t you mean when your status changes?”
“I am set on wedding her, yes, but you must understand American women are…”
“Willful?” the Sultan asked.
“Something like that, yes. Stephanie has a family farm, a life of her own. These things will have to be settled.” Uri hoped to do so within a few hours of seeing her again. “I’ve already offered to purchase the property, and as such, I would need to evaluate the staff, possibly make some changes so it could continue in her absence. I presume the Board would be pleased with such an acquisition.”
“An American farm should prove an interesting addition to the portfolio, yes. Are they profitable?”
Uri shrugged. “I am unsure. Miss Stephanie and I have not yet discussed it.”
“Well, if they are, then the investors shall be pleased. If not, a loss for a good cause is worthwhile in this case. At least the girl has real assets.”
“Indeed.” Uri wasn’t sure he liked his father monetizing his love, but unfortunately, the Sultan did that with all mergers of this magnitude. Uri didn’t give a damn about what property she owned. All he wanted was her.
“Have you proposed?” the Sultan asked. “Officially?”
“No.” Uri wanted to, and theoretically he would have had things gone differently. “Not yet.”
“Perfect,” the Sultan said, placing a velvet box on the desk. “Take this.”
Uri scowled. “What is this?”
“Open it and find out.”
Uri lifted the lid and there, to his shock, was the diamond his mother wore until her untimely death. “Father, I—”
“She would want you to have it.”
“But I thought—”
“The ring has been in our vault all these years since your mother’s death. I had planned to give it to Omar, as eldest son, to present to his bride, but of course…” the Sultan’s voice trailed off in emotion. Omar’s death was still painful for them both.
“Father, this is beautiful,” Uri closed the lid, slid it across the desk and tried to give it back. “…but I’m not sure it’s necessary just yet. Perhaps once I arrive back in Turkey.”
“This ring is yours now,” the Sultan refused to take it. “Give it to whomever you wish.”
“She is the one, father, I am sure of that.”
“Yes, I saw the way you were with that young lady, and while I wanted you to meet and marry someone locally, I am pleased you found each other.” He chuckled. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, I am the one who made the arrangement. I thought it might take you longer to find the right woman, but I enjoy seeing you happy. The burden of grief has overshadowed you far too long. You deserve joy and peace in your life.”
Uri sank in his chair, opened the box and gazed at the ring, tracing his fingers over the seven carat diamond. Stephanie would look lovely in it, but would she have him?
“What is wrong, my son?”
“The girl…Stephanie. She is feisty, I’m afraid, and I will need to persuade her more than I would like.”
“If you wanted her so badly, why did you not bring her here directly?” the Sultan asked.
“Miss Stephanie boarded her plane so she could tend to details regarding her parent’s estate. I offered to meet her in the morning, but she disappeared, I’m afraid. I believe she is frightened and for that reason I want to give her another chance, tell her my true feelings and intentions to marry her, and hope that she loves me as much as I love her.”
“She is not any woman,” Uri said. “She is delicate, sensitive, kind…I love her.”
The Sultan grumbled under his breath a moment, then said, “Regardless of her past actions, if you love her, you must fight for her. Go, persuade her, and keep me informed about your wedding date. I can have the staff make speedy arrangements if necessary.”
“Are we still on that, father?”
“Whatsoever do you mean?”
“My deadline? That I must wed before my birthday?”
“You have made great strides to find yourself a bride. I am quite pleased by that, so no, I shall not hold you to your birthday as an absolute deadline, but wouldn’t you rather settle this sooner, rather than later, and have your future family all in place?”
“Actually, I would. Nothing would please me more than to know Stephanie and I are bound together.”
“I see it in your eyes, something I worried I would never see again. Go my son and I wish you well. But do take the ring. Your mother would have wanted you to be happy and to pass it on.”
“Thank you, father. I will.” Uri slipped the box into the breast pocket on his jacket.
The Sultan embraced Uri and left the office.
Uri stared out the windows, his heart filled with renewed hope that the next time he looked over the city he loved so much that his soon-to-be-wife would be here, by his side forever.
The fates had not treated him kindly in the past in regards to Tamara, however Uri still believed in true love and happiness. He knew he and Stephanie could successfully share the rest of their lives together as man and wife. He had to have her. She was the one thing in the world he desired above anything else. She was his destiny. He was more certain of that with each passing moment. The sooner she was back in his arms the better.
Twenty Five
Stephanie lay on her bed with a quilt tossed over her head. She wanted to hide and never come out. Once her emotions died down, she became completely mortified by her behavior. She had no idea what just came over her. Was it the shock of being home without her parents? Buck’s proposal? Or was it the man who she hated to admit was still on her mind, even though she wanted to forget all about him? Probably a little bit of all of those things, and then some, she realized.
After the drama died down, Stephanie heard a faint knock on her bedroom door.
“You all right?” Buck’s deep voice called.
“Yes, but please, go away. I need some time.”
Buck never was one to take no for an answer. That fact was never as obvious as today with his unwelcomed proposal.
He opened the door, knowing it was unlocked because of the common history they shared over the years. They’d had a couple of minor squabbles once in awhile, but nothing major, and she never shut him out or locked her door.
“Let me come in, darlin’.” He walked over to her bed and pulled the quilt off of her face. “Look at me.”
Reluctantly, she lifted her head from her pillows, and gazed at him briefly through her bloodshot eyes. She felt horrible about how she behaved both here and in Turkey, and buried her head back in her pillow while she quietly cried. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s gonna be all right.” Buck lay next to her, draping his heavy arm around her waist. “Ellen thinks you’re still upset about your folks, and I want you to know I don’t blame you. I’m sorry if it looked like I was laughing before. I promise I wasn’t. I’m still sick about your folks. They were like my parents too.”
“I know,” Stephanie mumbled through her pillows.
He rubbed her back. “Don’t worry, hon’. We’ll get through this. I promise.”
Buck had to be the nicest guy on earth. How he put up with her all these years was beyond her. Then again, they never had any big issues to sort through, until recently.
Soon they had to make plans for the farm, for her business. Or perhaps their business. They would need to get serious, have the proper discussions to analyze the legalities of owning such a complex company and putting a plan in place on how to merge their two enterprises together.
She sniffled and slowly calmed her crying down, rolled to one side and faced him.
She could tell her eyes were swollen, and she probably looked horrible right now. Oh well. Buck knew her. The real her. They were like family, after all. The salty tears burned, but not as much as the knot in her stomach. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” he cupped her chin in his hand. “What did I say about sorry?”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She wiped her tears. “This should be the happiest day of my life. I’m just being difficult, I guess.”
“No,” Buck ran his fingers through her hair, which was now tangled around her face. “You’re in mourning. I am too. We don’t have to make any plans just yet. Only when you’re ready.”
The thought of what he was saying brought a fresh wave of grief to the surface. Hadn’t she already told him that before her trip? She was half angry he put her in this position, but the more she thought about it, she realized it wasn’t him she was mad at. It was life. Her parents. The highway. The finality of everything and the fact her family was ruined forever. Her face twisted up and she started bawling again. “I can’t stand the thought of them not being here for our wedding. I hate it! This isn’t how things were supposed to be.”
“I know.” Buck rubbed her shoulders and the two lay in silence, comforting each other.
Stephanie realized at that moment that he really was her family now. He always had been, but who knew her better than Buck? Nobody. She scooted over and nestled her head on his chest until she fell asleep.
Twenty Six
After a busy afternoon and working late into the evening, the following morning, Uri boarded his private jet bound for the United States. He decided to take his loyal driver with him and rent a limo once they arrived.
After the twenty hour flight, they landed uneventfully at a small airstrip east of Des Moines, Iowa. According to the pilot, the tiny airport was usually reserved for crop dusters and other agricultural supply planes and occasionally hosted jets owned by racecar drivers who came to the nearby speedway.
The morning was frigid and icy. A thick blanket of fresh snow covered the ground, yet the pilot was able to come to a safe, easy landing.
Uri gazed out at the endless sea of white that stretched out for miles in either direction over a flat, endless landscape. He hadn’t seen snow since his trip to the Swiss Alps with Tamara a couple of years before her death. Thinking of that now, remembering her fondly, made him realize, yet again, that while he loved her more than anything at one time, now Stephanie had officially taken her place as his one true love. He ached for her and he could not imagine his life without her. Plus, there was the simple fact that Uri always got his way. Making Stephanie his wife would be no exception. He would see to that.
Upon landing, Uri and his driver were informed that there were no limousines available. Imagine that! Instead, they selected a town car that was part of a tiny fleet owned by a local service station, and set off to find the farm.
On the flight over, his driver spent hours studying the maps and terrain, which was a plus, since the rental car was not equipped with any kind of GPS, and the cell service in the area was sketchy at best. Uri realized that his sweet Stephanie did indeed live out in the middle of nowhere. No doubt her life was far simpler than his. He hoped she wouldn’t mind him complicating things a bit. None of that mattered to him though. He just had to see her.
The driver easily navigated them to what appeared to be the only major highway anywhere around, Interstate 80. They drove a short distance before locating a smaller two-lane paved motorway that wound through the vast, flat lands. They passed a number of farms. To Uri, they all looked the same and he hoped they would be able to locate the right one.
After nearly an hour, they turned on a s
maller paved road and eventually found what the driver believed to be the outer gates and gravel drive leading to what they hoped was the Simonton farm.
“Sheikh, I believe this is it,” his driver reported.
“Stop for a moment before you go any farther,” Uri commanded.
They parked on the quiet road, across from a huge automatic metal gate with a large S in the middle of it. A white split rail fence went off in either direction for as far as the eye could see. Apparently this farm was small by comparison to the others around here, but still, the land was quite expansive. The entire perimeter was adorned with beautiful lighting that made the property stand out in the dark and dismal weather.
“Let me know when you’re ready, Sheikh,” the driver said.
Uri was ready all right. The question remained – was Stephanie? He certainly hoped so. “Proceed.”
***
The morning following her return home, after a good night’s sleep, Stephanie felt better than she had in a long time.
Sometime during the night, Buck slipped out to go tend to his own farm next door. His parents were still alive, but every day, in addition to supervising her property, he helped his father plow their fields.
Stephanie got up later than usual and was happy to smell not only coffee, but breakfast coming from downstairs.
When she peeked into the kitchen, Aunt Ellen was busy preparing a hearty meal of biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and Stephanie’s favorite coffee. Ellen wore one of her mom’s frilly pink and white aprons. Stray strands of hair fell out of her ponytail. She looked just like her mom when she was younger, Stephanie thought. “Good morning. Breakfast smells great. I thought I overslept.”
When Ellen heard Stephanie, she glanced up, wiping her hands on the apron. “Sleep okay?”
“Shouldn’t I be doing that for you?” Stephanie rushed over to help.
“I’m fine,” Ellen flipped the eggs in an old cast iron skillet. “You still need to rest up from your trip. Besides, Buck fixed most of my meals while you were gone. His parents popped over too. His mom is a real doll. She came to see me every day.”