by Holly Rayner
Like her first afternoon in Masoud’s house, Kelsie didn’t know she’d fallen asleep until she was awake.
For a second, she wondered just where she was, and then she remembered: Masoud had carried her into his bedroom.
A door to the side opened, and Masoud emerged from a walk-in closet. He’d showered, and his hair was cleanly combed to the side. As he buttoned his shirt sleeves, he smiled warmly at her.
“Good morning,” he said smoothly.
Kelsie bit her bottom lip in pleasure. “Good morning.”
Masoud climbed across the bed to get to her, which made her giggle. He went in for a kiss, but as he started smiling himself, the actual kissing part became impossible. Laughing together, they drew apart.
Kelsie looked down and found herself in an oversized T-shirt. She vaguely remembered putting it on before falling asleep.
“Are you ready to fly home?” Masoud asked, gently brushing a few errant strands of hair out of her face.
Kelsie sighed dramatically. “Do I have to go?”
He arched a brow. “If that’s a serious question...”
“It’s not. I’m only kidding. I miss my home. I don’t think I’ve ever been away from Cowboy for this long.”
“I miss Leila, as well,” Masoud said.
“Yeah. I hope they don’t miss us too much,” Kelsie said softly, intertwining her fingers with Masoud’s.
“They probably haven’t thought about us once. Leila was so happy when you watched her for me.”
“That’s true,” Kelsie said with a grin. She looked at her and Masoud’s hands and realized that she never wanted to let go.
Just like Francesca had predicted, the week-long trip had caused Kelsie to fall even harder for Masoud. After the honest and passionate night they’d just shared, she could no longer imagine her life without him.
“I want to tell you something,” Masoud said, clearing his throat. “I’ve organized a town meeting for when we arrive back in Rancho Cordero. I want to speak to everyone about my company’s plans.”
Kelsie’s stomach plummeted. So he did still plan on building the mine. Ever after everything they’d shared, he still saw his business as the most important thing.
“O—okay,” she choked out. “That sounds good.”
Masoud stood and went to his walk-in closet to continue getting dressed. “I wished we could stay here longer,” he called.
“No, that’s okay,” Kelsie answered, standing up and reaching for her clothes from the night before. “I have to get back to my practice, anyway.”
Her stomach churned, and her knees shook, but Kelsie ignored those sensations. Masoud had made his choice. It didn’t matter what kind of connection they had. Or, more specifically, what kind of connection she thought they had.
It was time to go home. And maybe it was time to move on as well.
Chapter 18
Masoud
Straightening his tie, Masoud looked at himself in the bedroom mirror of his Rancho Cordero home. The town meeting was about to begin, and his nerves threatened to make him sick.
Upon returning to Nevada, Kelsie had gone straight home. She’d claimed she was exhausted from the trip, and Masoud had believed it. There had been bags under her eyes, and her shoulders slumped when she walked. He had long ago trained himself to power through jet lag, but he didn’t expect everyone else to do the same.
And yet, even though he knew she was tired, Masoud believed there was something else going on with Kelsie. Their last night together in Al Hayla had been an extraordinary one, and he’d hoped it would bring them closer together. Now, though, the day after their arrival back in Rancho Cordero, he felt her pulling away.
It had been a busy morning, and he’d texted her once to see if she would be at the town meeting, but she hadn’t responded. He’d told himself she was likely busy, but Masoud knew that wasn’t the whole case.
The plans for the lithium mine broke Kelsie’s heart. He understood that fully now.
Sighing, Masoud turned one way then the other, continuing to inspect his reflection. Something wasn’t right. The suit and tie he usually wore to meetings wouldn’t work in Rancho Cordero. It was time for a new approach.
Ten minutes later, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Masoud patted Leila on the head and left the house. A quick glance at Kelsie’s empty driveway told him she’d already left. He’d planned on asking her to ride with him, but her taking off early made sense. She didn’t want to be seen with the man who planned on destroying her beloved hometown.
The town hall’s front yard bustled with activity. It appeared that nearly every person in Rancho Cordero had shown up to hear Masoud speak. Men, women, and children spilled from the lawn and into the blocked-off street.
Driving behind the town hall, Masoud found parking and headed for the town hall. He’d called the mayor a few days before to set up the meeting, and the mayor had been happy to oblige. According to him, everyone was eager to hear more about the mine.
There was a small stage set up in front of the crowd, and the mayor and his assistant hovered near it. Masoud paused at the corner of the building and swept his gaze around the crowd. No sign of Kelsie.
Where was she? Had she shown up at all?
And then, he saw her. She stood in the shade of a tree. Instead of Francesca at her side, like Masoud expected, someone else stood there.
Spencer.
He wasn’t any more than two feet away from Kelsie, standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest. What Kelsie’s reaction to him was, Masoud couldn’t tell. She was too busy looking at something on her phone.
“Go ahead,” a voice said, and Masoud looked over to see the mayor standing next to him.
Masoud nodded, doing his best to swallow his rising anger. What was Kelsie doing standing next to Spencer?
Right then, he told himself, it didn’t matter. He needed to deliver the speech he’d prepared. After that, he would deal with Spencer Grimes.
Climbing the steps to the stage, Masoud went to the microphone set up there. At the sight of him, half the people in the crowd stopped talking.
A few boos filled the air, and then some shouts against the boos.
Masoud cleared his throat. “Hello, everyone. My name is Masoud Al-Saffar. I will cut to the chase, as I suppose you already know why I am here. There is a great deal of lithium under and surrounding your town.”
Masoud glanced to the right, looking for Kelsie. The crowd had grown, though, and he could see some people moving around by the tree, but he couldn’t tell if any of them were Kelsie or Spencer.
Masoud continued. “I moved to this town under the guise of being a businessman looking for a simpler life. The truth, as most of you are now aware, was that I was scouting out the area. I sought to build a test well, and to gauge your town’s reaction to plans for a lithium mine.”
“We don’t want it!” someone in the crowd shouted, and a few people cheered in agreement.
Masoud nodded. “I have come to see that is the case. At first, I thought that you only did not understand the benefits of the mine, that you could not see how much being paid for your land would benefit you. Now I know I was wrong.”
He paused, and a heaviness filled the air. It was the sound of hundreds of people listening intently.
“My time in Rancho Cordero has changed my outlook,” Masoud said. “It has taught me how to slow down and better enjoy life. This town—your home—is filled with a great beauty and serenity. And I came here today to let you know that I will not be ruining that with a mine.”
There were gasps and lots of excited chattering.
“Although I originally claimed the need for a simpler life as my reason for moving here, that is now the truth,” Masoud said. “I will be staying in Rancho Cordero and doing just that. It is time for me to embrace what is around me. Thank you.”
More chattering started up as he stepped away from the microphone. People pushed forward, wanting to shake his hand. The ma
yor. The sheriff. The general store owner.
Masoud politely excused himself from them all and wound his way through the crowd, searching for the person who mattered the most.
“...come on, Kels. You know it’s the truth.”
Masoud stopped at the sound of Spencer’s voice. It had come nearby, but now other ones covered it up. A mother told her kids to hurry up. A man talked loudly about the local taxes.
And...
“Why?”
Masoud only needed to hear one word to recognize Kelsie’s voice. Going around the tree he’d seen the two of them in front of, he finally found them.
They stood facing each other, Kelsie’s arms crossed in front of her. At the sight of Masoud, her eyes widened and she dropped her arms.
“Masoud,” she gasped.
Masoud moved to her, not even bothering to look at Spencer. Right then, nothing else mattered.
He’d told the truth in his speech about deciding to pursue the simple life, but the part he hadn’t added was that there were lots of small towns he could do that in. He’d decided to stay in Rancho Cordero because Kelsie was there. Her presence made the place home.
“Kelsie, I...” Masoud stuttered, unsure what to say. Where did he even begin?
“Your speech…” Kelsie said. “Did you really mean all of that?”
Masoud looked her straight in the eye. “Every single word.”
A blush spread across Kelsie’s cheeks, and Masoud cupped her face in his hand.
“Oh, whatever,” Spencer spat from behind them. “He’s playing you, Kelsie. He just wants to use you while it’s convenient and then move on. Trust me. I’m a guy. I know.”
Masoud dropped his hand from Kelsie’s face and turned to face Spencer. “You...”
Masoud couldn’t go on. He was breathing too harshly, anger making it impossible to think straight.
Kelsie tugged at his arm. “It’s okay, Masoud.”
“No, it’s not,” Masoud told her. “He’s been bothering you for too long.”
Masoud turned back to Spencer, and this time Kelsie didn’t stop him. “If you ever harass Kelsie again, you’ll have me to answer to. Is that understood?”
Spencer looked down at Masoud’s hands, curled into fists, and made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a grunt. “Whatever. She’s not worth it anyway.”
With a growl, Masoud barreled towards Spencer, but Kelsie stepped between the two of them and planted her palms on Masoud’s chest.
“Screw this, I’m out of here,” Spencer muttered, and slipped away into the crowd.
Masoud set his hands on top of Kelsie’s, which were still on his chest. “I apologize. I got worked up.”
“It’s okay. He was being a real jerk.”
“I thought...” Masoud shook his head. He still held onto Kelsie’s wrists, and he never wanted to let her go. “When I saw you two over here, I thought perhaps you were seeing him again.”
“What?” Kelsie shrieked. “You’re not serious, are you?”
Masoud grimaced. “Yes.”
“Masoud, no. I would never get back together with Spencer.”
“Even if you were furious with me for building the mine?”
Kelsie bit into her bottom lip. “You got me there. I was furious.”
“I know.” Masoud cupped her face again.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier about your plans to call the mine quits?” she asked.
“I wanted it to be a surprise. I can see now that that was an error on my part.”
Kelsie scoffed. “Well, it most certainly was that.”
“You had me worried,” he admitted. “You didn’t answer my text this morning, and I hadn’t seen you since yesterday, and...” Masoud fell quiet as he realized all the excuses in the world wouldn’t make a difference.
“I was pretty hurt,” Kelsie said. “Our time in Al Hayla... it was really meaningful to me. I was... I mean, I am falling for you, Masoud. Big time.”
Masoud smiled big, his heart becoming light as a feather. “I have fallen for you too, Kelsie Mack.”
Kelsie laughed joyfully. “Awesome.”
“Very awesome,” he agreed.
“I still can’t believe it,” she whispered. “You pulled the plans on the mine.”
“You convinced me to.”
“Really?” Her eyebrows rose. “Because I didn’t think I was having an effect on you.”
“Kelsie, you have had a strong influence on me since the day we met.” Masoud brushed his thumb across her full lips. “I can only apologize that it took me so long to come to the light.”
“Not too long,” she argued with a grin.
“Glad you think so,” he chuckled.
“I’m glad you’re staying,” Kelsie said.
“You are?”
“Yes.” Kelsie stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Masoud’s neck. “So glad.”
“Where is Francesca?”
Kelsie tilted her head. “She’s watching the clinic for me. If anyone stops by, she’ll give me a call. I’ve been texting her updates from your speech. Why?”
“So we should return to my house instead,” Masoud said.
“Um...okay.” Kelsie playfully narrowed her eyes. “What for?”
“I want to make my girlfriend lunch.” Masoud hesitated. “That is, if you’ll be my girlfriend.”
Kelsie laughed. “Oh my gosh, Masoud, are you asking me to go steady?”
He laughed as well. “Is that what they call it in Nevada?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Well, that’s kind of an old expression, but that’s not the point. I would love to be your girlfriend, so yes!” Kelsie laughed and hugged Masoud tight.
As they broke the embrace, he ducked down for a kiss. Kelsie’s satin lips pressed into his, and joy rushed through Masoud. He’d come to Rancho Cordero looking to make another dollar, but he’d found something so much better.
He’d found himself a home.
Epilogue
One Year Later: Kelsie
Country music blared from the living room radio as Kelsie added honey to the bowl of freshly whipped cream.
“How much again?” she called over her shoulder to Francesca.
“Let me taste,” a voice that was definitely not Francesca’s purred in her ear.
Delicious goosebumps rose on Kelsie’s neck, and she smiled. Dipping her finger into the whipped cream, she offered some to Masoud. He wrapped his arms around her from the back and licked the cream from her finger.
“Mm,” he said. “Delicious.”
Kelsie looked over her shoulder at him. “You think so? Not too sweet?”
“You made it, didn’t you?” he asked, spinning her around but keeping her locked safely in his arms.
“What does that have anything to do with it?”
“I love everything you do,” he said, kissing her neck.
Kelsie giggled and pressed her body closer to his. “Oh, whatever.”
“Whatever, what?” Masoud growled.
“Oh, come on!” Francesca cried.
Kelsie and Masoud broke apart to find her standing in the kitchen doorway, a bowl in her hand.
“I go out to the garden for one minute,” Francesca loudly complained, “and I come back to find you two making out again.”
Kelsie laughed. “Sorry not sorry.”
Francesca rolled her eyes. “Course you aren’t. One year of living together and you still can’t keep your hands off each other. Where do I find something like that?”
Kelsie looked up into Masoud’s eyes.
“You’ll find it,” Masoud told Francesca, not taking his eyes off Kelsie. “It’s out there.”
“I need to finish the flag cake,” Kelsie said, grudgingly stepping away from Masoud. He went to tickle her waist, and she slapped his hand away.
“Is a flag cake a Fourth of July staple?” Masoud asked, leaning against the counter and taking a bite of a celery stick.
“Here it is,” Kelsi
e and Francesca both said. The two women looked at each other and laughed.
“You owe me a drink,” Francesca crowed.
Kelsie winked. “It’s Fourth of July, Bo. We’ll have more than one drink before the day is over.”
Together, the three of them iced the cake and then used blueberries and sliced strawberries to decorate it so it looked like the American flag. Guests were already arriving, and so Masoud hurried outside to start up the grill.
Masoud had insisted on sparing no expense for the barbecue, as it was the first party he and Kelsie were hosting for the town. She’d eagerly agreed, partly because she wanted to show off the renovations to their houses.
After Masoud moved into the farmhouse a year ago, not long after he retracted his plans for the mine, he expanded the fence for his own house so that it encompassed Kelsie’s backyard as well. This way, they had a giant fenced-in yard for the dogs and any patients of Kelsie’s that needed a little outside time.
He’d kept the house, using it as an office, and Kelsie stored some of her veterinary supplies over there as well. The set-up worked perfectly for them.
Every morning that Kelsie rose, she had a smile on her face. She loved her job. She loved her home. She loved her boyfriend. What more did she need to be the happiest woman in the world?
As Masoud worked the grill with some help from a couple neighbors, Kelsie and Francesca set the dishes on the tables under the rented tents.
The guests continued to arrive, and soon there were kids and dogs running all over the place. Leila and Cowboy led the charge, barking happily as they sprinted along the fence with a group of kids and other pups behind them.
“How you doing?” Francesca asked, sidling up to Kelsie with two beer bottles in her hands.
Kelsie took in a deep breath and looked at everything on the table. “I think I’m good. I think we got everything, finally. Man, throwing a party is stressful.”
“Yeah, but we did it.” Francesca handed Kelsie one of the beers, and they clinked them together before taking the first drink.
On the edge of the yard, Masoud and Phil Hatch, the town mechanic, and an old family friend, talked and laughed next to the grill. Masoud caught Kelsie’s eye and winked, and warmth spread from Kelsie’s head to her toes.
