by Holly Rayner
“Spencer. I don’t tell you anything, because there isn’t anything between us.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is, huh? Some new guy moves in and the people who live in this town aren’t good enough for you anymore? Wow, that’s real nice, Kels.”
She wouldn’t punch him. Probably.
“He’s here for a reason, Kelsie. You know that.”
“I’m sure he does have a reason for moving here.”
Kelsie was done with Spencer and his wild theories. Someone was always out to get him; there was always someone keeping him down. He’d always been like that, ever since they were kids, and it had only gotten worse over the last few years.
“And what is it, huh? It can’t be anything good. A guy like that doesn’t move to a place like this for no reason. I want to know why he’s here. The real reason, not some flashy fast talk like you seem to have fallen for,” Spencer said, and gave her a disdainful sneer.
As much as Kelsie hated to admit it, Spencer had something of a point. Masoud wasn’t being entirely open about why he’d moved to Rancho Cordero. Kelsie was curious, but she also respected that it was his business.
Spencer might not be entirely wrong, but he was also being an ass, and she was tired. Kelsie pointed a finger out the door.
“Go home, Spencer. Whatever you think, you’re wrong.”
He opened his mouth and Kelsie held up a hand.
“No. I don’t want to hear it. Not tonight, not ever.”
His eyes narrowed, but he turned anyway. As he stomped down the stairs, he muttered, “Fine. Call me when you’re ready to date a real man, Kels.”
“How about the twelfth of Never, you Neanderthal?” Kelsie didn’t bother to say it loud enough so he could hear, knowing that it wouldn’t do any good. She doubted Spencer even knew what a Neanderthal was.
Chapter 8
Masoud
Masoud woke up the next morning in a better mood than usual. His dinner with Kelsie had left him feeling happy, something he was just now realizing he normally wasn’t.
Oh, he was content. He certainly took pleasure in many things, and he wasn’t unhappy, either. But since spending time with Kelsie, he understood that what he’d felt before was nothing like really being happy. A connection with other people was lacking in his life, at least outside of his business world. There were acquaintances and a few people he considered to be friends, but none of them were people he was truly close to.
Kelsie, though, made him feel like he could have more. A home that was more than a house, family, friends—things he’d never considered might be vital to his happiness until now.
Surprising himself, he whistled a random tune as he took a shower and got dressed, then went downstairs to see what Leila was up to. She greeted him with a soft woof and a wag of her tail.
“All right, girl. It’s Sunday, so what do you say we go do some exploring today?”
He wanted to check out some of the potential mining areas further outside of town. The test well he had dug on the property was running, and it wouldn’t be too much longer before he knew just how viable the mine would be, but he still didn’t know the extent of the mineral running through the land, and that was critical to his analysis.
Leila thumped her tail twice and Masoud laughed. Of course, the dog would be delighted to run around wherever he turned her loose. He thought about asking Kelsie if she would introduce Leila to her sheep—it would be good for her to play with Cowboy and spend some time outdoors.
The fact that it meant he would get to spend more time with Kelsie was an added benefit. Or, maybe, the primary benefit.
Masoud started to make coffee while he thought more about the beautiful woman next door. There was obviously an attraction between the two of them, but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to pursue a relationship. After all, he was there for business. A romantic entanglement could complicate things.
Wouldn’t his mother be interested to know that there was a woman taking up this much of his concentration, though? She’d be so pleased…and she’d probably wait about five minutes before asking Masoud if he was serious about her, and when he planned to introduce Kelsie to the family.
He definitely wasn’t ready for that.
The bag with the coffee beans landed on the counter with a soft thump. His mother. Damn, he’d completely forgotten the date. His mother’s birthday was in two days’ time, and Masoud had promised her that he would be home for it. He’d also promised his father, who had to be out of town that whole week, that he wouldn’t let his mother celebrate her birthday alone.
Not that she’d be alone, what with the extended family living at the palace, but Masoud wasn’t about to miss being there so he could take his mother out to dinner.
He leaned against the counter and thought through his schedule for the next few days. It would have to be a quick trip, really just an overnight there and back. He could fly tomorrow and get there just in time for dinner, then spend the night in his apartment in Al Hayla before flying back.
Leila nudged his leg like she wanted to know what he was thinking. Masoud reached down and gave her a pat on the head.
“You’re not going to be happy with that much time on a plane, I know,” he said to the dog. “I bet you’d be happier staying with Kelsie and Cowboy, wouldn’t you?”
Leila cocked her head and sneezed.
Masoud laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
He didn’t know what Kelsie’s schedule was for the day, but he didn’t want to miss her if she was going to be out. Breakfast could wait. He grabbed Leila’s leash and clipped it on her, then headed over to Kelsie’s house.
He headed up the stairs to Kelsie’s front door and knocked. He knew she was home because Cowboy barked once, so he waited patiently until she opened the door a minute later. And then, every word he had in his brain fled. With tousled blond hair framing still-sleepy blue eyes, Kelsie had clearly just woken up. She’d never looked more beautiful.
It was already sunny out, but Masoud swore it got brighter when she smiled at him.
“Hey there,” she said. “Sorry it took me so long to get to the door. Sundays are pretty slow around here.”
“No, I apologize. I didn’t think about how early it was.”
She grinned wryly at him. “It’s really not early, I’m just being lazy this morning.”
“Well, lazy looks good on you, Miss Mack,” he said.
Kelsie’s smile turned a little shy and Masoud hurried on with why he was there. “I wondered if I could ask you a favor?”
“Sure.” She stepped back and waved a hand to indicate he should come inside.
“I’ve got to go out of town tomorrow for a few days and I wondered if I could leave Leila here with you. I’ll be on a plane most of the time, and she’ll hate it.”
Kelsie looked back over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen and beckoned for Masoud to follow her.
“Of course you can leave her here. She and Cowboy get along, and I won’t mind having another dog around at all.”
Cowboy seemed to agree as he got up from his spot in a patch of sun and greeted Leila with a good sniff.
Kelsie laughed. “Plus, we can give Leila those sheep-herding lessons.”
“Thank you. I really do appreciate it,” Masoud said.
She waved a hand at him. “It’s no problem. That’s what friends are for.”
The warm feeling he’d had since she smiled at him standing in her front door got warmer. She considered them friends; he thought he might want to be more, but he also liked the thought of her as a friend.
“Hey, you want breakfast?” she asked.
He couldn’t help but tease her. “I thought you didn’t cook.”
Kelsie snorted. “I don’t. But eggs and toast, I can do. It’s my relaxed Sunday morning specialty.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your morning.”
“You’re not, I promise. It’s my day off, both from the clinic and the farm. If you
go home, I’m likely to go crawl back in bed and it’s too pretty a day outside to do that.”
It didn’t sound like that bad an idea to him, but Masoud was certain what he was thinking wasn’t what she meant. “In that case, I would be delighted to have breakfast with you.”
He unclipped Leila as Kelsie finished making coffee. “What can I help with?” he asked.
“Grab the eggs and milk out of the fridge, please.” She pulled a skillet out of the cabinet and then a bowl and whisk while he looked in the refrigerator.
He handed the eggs to her and put the milk on the counter next to the bowl.
“There are mugs in the cabinet to the left of the sink. And if you look back in the fridge, I’m pretty sure some of Mrs. Clark’s coffee cake is still in there.”
Masoud gave her a teasing look. “Still, or again?”
Kelsie rolled her eyes at him, which he thought was adorable, though he didn’t say that out loud.
“Fine. Again. I have a weakness for fine baked goods,” she admitted.
“As vices go, it’s one I can wholeheartedly support.”
Masoud found the coffee cake and then got down two mugs from the cabinet. Kelsie whisked eggs and milk together, then added them to the skillet heating on the stove. The smell of eggs cooking and coffee brewing was heavenly, and the early morning sounds make Masoud feel like he was at home. It was comfortable and easy, and he thought it was a feeling he could get used to.
Even the silence was cozy as they worked together, moving around each other smoothly, like they’d done this routine a thousand times before. Masoud had never cooked with anyone like this before. He normally took dates to expensive restaurants, and he’d never dated anyone who wanted to cook with him.
He followed her to the table with the mugs of coffee as Kelsie carried two plates filled with eggs and toast to the table. Before sitting down, Kelsie went back to the counter where she opened up a snap-top plastic bin. At the sound, Cowboy sat up, ears pricked toward his human. She pulled out two treats and gave one to each dog, then joined Masoud at the table.
“By the time I get back, Leila’s going to like you better than me,” Masoud joked.
Kelsie laughed. “I doubt that.” She scooped up a forkful of eggs, adding, “So, can I ask where you’re off to?”
“It’s my mother’s birthday and I promised her I’d be home.”
Masoud wasn’t sure why Kelsie looked surprised. Maybe she hadn’t expected to him to bring up his family, but he wanted to share the real reason for his trip with her. Her next words had him almost laughing at her exasperation on behalf of his mother.
“You didn’t forget her birthday, did you?”
Masoud held up one hand, trying to hide his amusement. “No, I promise. I got so caught up in work that I didn’t realize it was two days away, but I didn’t forget.”
She looked somewhat mollified. “Good.”
“She’ll be delighted to know that I have someone keeping me in line.” Masoud grinned at her.
“Well, tell her happy birthday from me. I’m sure she’ll appreciate you being there, especially since it’s got to be a long flight.”
“Thank you. And it is, but it’s not as bad with a private jet.”
Kelsie stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. “Of course, you have a private jet,” she grinned, taking a sip of her coffee.
Masoud was pleased that she didn’t seem put off by that fact, just mildly amused by it.
“What are your plans for your day off?” he asked, curious what her life was like outside of the clinic and farm.
“I hadn’t decided yet. But it’s so nice outside, I was thinking of going for a drive.”
He nodded in agreement. “I was thinking I might go exploring for a few hours before I need to get things together for my trip.”
“Want to combine day-off activities? There’s a cool ghost town nearby. It’s a pretty drive and you can see more of the area.”
Masoud didn’t even need to think about it. “Sounds great. I’m in. What kind of ghost town?”
“An old mining community. They mined silver, I think, but when the mine dried up a few decades ago, the town was abandoned. A bunch of us used to go out there when we were kids.”
Masoud felt a moment of disquiet at Kelsie’s mention of mines, but then she added, “You mentioned you invest in precious metals. It’s a neat place to visit, anyway—a little spooky, a little mysterious—but you might like to see the mine, too. I mean, you can’t go in—not very far, anyway—but it’s still interesting.”
Of course, she would be thoughtful and find something that would intrigue him. The fact that she wanted to spent time with him made him even happier.
“It sounds perfect,” he said, and was rewarded with a bright smile that made him lose his train of thought for a moment.
The front door to the house opened and a tall, tanned woman about Kelsie’s age walked in calling, “Morning, Peep.” She stopped short when she saw Masoud sitting at the table. “Let me amend that. Good morning, Peep, and handsome stranger.”
Kelsie sighed. Masoud was starting to become very fond of that sigh.
“Masoud, this is my best friend and business partner, Francesca Alvarez. Francesca, this is the next-door neighbor, Masoud Al-Saffar.”
Francesca held out her hand for Masoud to shake. “Nice to finally meet you. You’ve caused quite a stir in our little town.”
“All in a day’s work,” he replied with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
Francesca smiled back. “You know, Kelsie doesn’t invite the neighbors over for breakfast very often.”
Kelsie snorted. “That’s because we haven’t had a neighbor next door in years.”
Masoud said smoothly, “I was just asking Kelsie to dog-sit for me, and she was kind enough to offer breakfast.”
Before Francesca said anything else, Kelsie added, “We were just about to head out over to Keyes Pass for a few hours before Masoud has to leave.”
“Pretty day for that.” Francesca looked at Masoud. “Make sure she tells you all the good ghost stories.”
“Ghost stories?” he asked, a note of disbelief in his voice.
Francesca looked at Kelsie and grinned. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you, Peep. Want me to keep the dogs with me while you’re off on your adventure?”
Kelsie looked at Masoud with raised eyebrows. “Okay with you?”
“Sure. And thank you.”
“No problem. You’ll have more fun if you don’t have to keep up with them. And I bet they’ll both have fun chasing sheep all day.”
Masoud laughed and looked at Kelsie. “See, I told you Leila was going to like it better here.”
Kelsie grinned at him but didn’t deny it. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go, okay?”
“Great. I’m going to run home and change shoes. Shall I drive?”
Her grin got bigger. “Where we’re going, I think that might not be the best idea. We’ll take my truck.”
Masoud wondered just what he was getting himself into, but he nodded. “I’ll meet you downstairs in ten, then.”
He gave Leila a quick pat, noting that the dog looked perfectly content in Kelsie’s kitchen, and left the house with a quick glance over his shoulder at the place that he was swiftly growing attached to.
Chapter 9
Kelsie
Kelsie busied herself clearing dishes from the table while avoiding her best friend’s raised eyebrows. The silence stretched on until Kelsie remembered that she needed to fill Francesca in on a few things.
“Hey, I noticed that the barn gate is sticking again. Oh, and Elias said he might stop by with those extra bags of feed. We can store them in the outer barn until we need them.”
Francesca nodded along, but Kelsie wasn’t sure her friend had actually heard anything she said.
The other woman leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms. “You didn’t say that t
he man was gorgeous. Or built. Dear lord, that guy could stop traffic.”
Kelsie grinned. “I know, right?”
“So, what is going on with the two of you?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on, Peep. You’re so obviously smitten. And, given that he seems really nice, and he’s a…”
“Demigod?” Kelsie finished her sentence.
“Definitely a demigod. Given all that, why not go for it?” Francesca uncrossed her arms and held her hands out, palms up.
Kelsie glanced out the window and saw Masoud walking back across the yard.
“Right now, I just have to go. I promise I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
Francesca grinned back. “You better.”
Kelsie ran down the stairs, slowing to a more dignified pace when she got within view of the truck. Masoud was leaning against the passenger door, and Kelsie caught her breath at how amazing he looked. Her invitation to visit the ghost town had been impulsive, but she was excited to spend more of the day with him.
In the car, Masoud looked like he was enjoying the experience of riding in her old, beat-up truck. It was charming, and Kelsie couldn’t help but smile at him. She turned on the radio so they would have some music to listen to; she tended to prefer classic country, mixed with some of the current stars.
She glanced over at Masoud, who was listening intently.
“You haven’t spent a lot time listening to country radio, have you?”
“Not exactly, no. I don’t have a lot of time to listen to music.”
“Well, welcome to your education in American music. There are all kinds of country: classic, pop, outlaw country, bro country, alt country, bluegrass, some folk. Rockabilly has some of its roots in country. Basically, there’s something for everyone, though not all of it gets a lot of play on the radio.”
Kelsie glanced over at Masoud, who looked somewhat bemused by her explanation.
“I had no idea,” he said, sounding like he still didn’t.
