Authors: Jennifer Moore
Shelby flashed him a grateful smile and turned in that direction. She knew where Hakim was, and wondered why she hadn’t thought to look there first.
When Hakim saw her enter the clearing near the pond, he jumped up from his seat in the gazebo and hurried toward her, taking her arm and leading her to sit on a bench “Shelby Jo, you should not be out of the hospital.”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“You should have sent for me. Is something wrong?” Hakim hooked a finger beneath her chin, his gaze searching hers.
Shelby shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. I…” She felt suddenly shy, unsure of the words to say what was in her heart. She shifted around to lean against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Your family will be here soon. They are welcome to remain at the palace as long as they like. The Gulfstream will be ready to return to Colorado whenever they…you…are ready.”
Shelby nodded her head, rubbing it against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“What are you thinking about right now?” Hakim asked in a quiet voice, sliding his arm around her.
“I was just thinking about that story. You know the one with the bird and the ruby?” She spoke without facing him. “That little bird was so brave. She knew what she wanted. She must have been scared, right? Not knowing what to expect. But she still did it. She followed the unknown path, with no guarantees, nothing.” Shelby blew out a heavy breath. “It’s what you would have done. I was a coward.”
“Shelby Jo, in the few months since I met you, you have repeatedly proven to be the bravest person I know. In fact, Nasir called you a warrior, and he does not give such praise lightly.”
“Then, why was I so afraid?”
“Fear and courage are not opposites, Shelby. Bravery is acting in spite of your fear.”
Shelby turned and studied Hakim’s face. The sadness in his eyes made her heart ache. He looked defeated, but was still willing to let her go if doing so made her happy. “Sitting in that stupid cement closet for so many days gave me plenty of time to think.” She saw his face tighten, but didn’t pause. “I thought about my parents and Chet and Lacey, and worried I would never see them again. I was really scared. But when I thought of you…” Her voice caught, and she swallowed, looking down at her hands, “When I thought I’d never see
you
again, I hurt. My heart hurt so badly I didn’t think I would be able to stand it. It hurt worse than anything they could have done to me.” She still couldn’t meet his gaze.
Hakim grasped her shaking hand.
“I chose the wrong ruby,” she said in a soft voice, then raised her gaze to meet his.
Hakim blinked his eyes. His mouth moved.
He looked as though he wanted to say something but didn’t even know what question to ask. “Hakim, you aren’t my ruby. I don’t want you to be. I don’t want to give you up.”
“I am not your
ruby
?”
“You know, like in the story. The bird sacrificed her ruby.”
He raised his eyebrows and tipped his head back as understanding dawned on his face. “Shelby Jo, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I don’t want to leave. I love it here.” She blinked against the tears forming in her eyes. “I love the palace and Aaliya and even your dad, but mostly, I love you. I don’t want you to be my ruby.” Hakim’s face broke into the smile she loved.
With a quick move, he pulled her onto his lap.
A burst of sound that was a combination of laughter and tears burst out of her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring her aching ribs as, her heart swelled until she thought it would burst. Another laugh/sob eeked out, and she buried her head in his shoulder.
He chuckled. “Shelby Jo. Somehow with that strange sentence, you have managed to simultaneously astonish, delight, and confuse me.” He eased back and lifted her face, then brushed his lips across hers and whispered, “I refuse to be your ruby, and I promise you will never be mine.”
Epilogue
Seven years later
With quick steps, Sheik Rashid strode up the stairs and down the palace hallway—his sheer robes billowing around him. The University Dedication ceremony had taken longer than he had expected, and he had a promise to keep.
His daughter-in-law, Shelby, had been eloquent and dignified as she gave her speech—her Arabic flawless.
Hakim had watched her with adoration shining in his face, and the Sheik himself had felt a swelling of pride at the way Shelby represented Khali-dar and the work she had done to make her dream of the Women’s University a reality.
She had spent years researching, consulted with countless experts, overseen every decision herself, and had established a world-renowned establishment other countries were now striving to emulate.
He had nearly reached his goal when a woman sitting outside the door stood and bowed.
“Am I too late?” he asked.
“I put her to bed not twenty minutes ago, Your Majesty.”
He nodded and opened the door slowly. Moonlight shone in a wide strip through the sheer curtains, over a cowboy hat next to a golden tea set, and onto the beautiful child who sat up in her bed as soon as she saw him.
Her face was a blend of her parents—Hakim’s high cheekbones, Shelby’s flashing eyes—and at times, he even caught a glimpse of his wife, whose name she bore.
“Grandpa! I knew you would come.”
“Shh, Kalila, you are supposed to be asleep,” he whispered, stepping into the room.
“But I am not even sleepy.”
“If you do not get proper sleep, how can we battle the hungry hippopotami tomorrow?”
“Hungry, Hungry Hippos, Grandpa,” she corrected him, yawning.
“Yes, I would be sorry if we could not play because you were too tired.”
She laid her head back on the silk pillows. “Will you tell me a story, Grandpa? Like you promised.”
“Of course, my princess.” He pulled up the sheets around her, brushing her dark hair off her face. Settling into a chair, he took a deep breath before he began. “Long ago, before the time of the great waters, while genii roamed the earth and magic still thrived, there lived a songbird…”
A word about the author…
Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world, which includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that are anything but romantic.
Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family. You can learn more about her at: authorjmoore.com
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