by Kristi Gold
“The one where you’ll be staying.”
She sighed and stepped back. “We’ve already discussed this, Sebastian. Until we have our issues settled, I insist we adhere to our initial plan.”
“I am only being honest at your request.”
And infuriating. “I will take the suite on the right and you can take the one across the hall. I assure you, they are both very nice. I will meet you in the kitchen after I have settled in.”
“Yes, dear.”
Relieved her husband had not put up much of a fight, Nasira entered the blue suite and set her suitcase and garment bag on the bench at the end of the bed. She quickly hung her dresses in the huge closet and put away her other clothes in the bureau, then returned to the corridor to find it deserted. Without waiting for Sebastian, she immediately left for the great room, all the while reflecting on his interaction with little Liana. He seemed quite charmed by the toddler, and perhaps that meant there could still be hope for their marriage yet. Or perhaps it had only been a show for the proud parents.
When she reached the kitchen, Nasira found a spread of luscious salads, cheeses, breads and cold cuts laid out on the informal dinette set against a large picture window that revealed a remarkable view of the countryside.
“It certainly looks appetizing.”
She turned to find her husband standing close by, hands in pockets. “It looks wonderful. All of it. The food. The pastureland. The pool and the spa. We might as well be staying at a resort.”
He raked back a chair, sat and then rubbed his hands together. “Personally I could consume most of this.”
She claimed the seat across from him. “Please let me have a bit before you take it all.”
He winked. “Sweetheart, although I would like it all, I will take what you will give me.”
She could so easily walk into his lair but remembered Fiona’s advice. She would play along for now before she would play hard to get. “I promise I will give you enough to keep you sated.”
He appeared pleasantly surprised by her response. “I look forward to it.”
As they dined, a heavy fog of tension hung over them. A palpable tension long absent from their lives. Nasira held tight to her goal to persuade him to talk about issues he had always suppressed. During this time together, she vowed to learn as much as she could about the man she had lived with for a decade, and she would do whatever that required.
“I found Fiona Shakir to be quite friendly,” she said, breaking the silence.
“And clearly quite fertile.”
“Would you please stop deriding her for choosing to have children?”
He pushed aside his empty plate. “I’m not deriding her. I’m simply stating the obvious.”
Nasira opted for a change of subject. “What should we do this afternoon?”
His smile arrived as slowly as the sunrise. “I know what I would like to do for the remainder of the day.”
Stay strong, Nasira. “I would like to hear your plans, as long as they involve remaining vertical.”
“I’d say that’s altogether possible and in my opinion, preferable during a lengthy ride.”
Images of being taken against a wall plagued her. “Need I remind you of our agreement?”
He rubbed his chin. “I do not readily recall any clause prohibiting horseback riding.”
She tossed her napkin at him and he caught it in one hand. “You cad.”
“Cad? What did you think I meant?”
She pushed back from the table and stood. “Do not play ignorant, Sebastian. Since you’ve arrived, every time you open your mouth, innuendo spills out.”
He had the gall to grin. “Perhaps you only assume that because you’re having naughty sex thoughts.”
That only heightened her irritation. “If that were the case, could you blame me?”
He released a rough sigh. “No, I suppose I couldn’t. You have been greatly deprived, with the exception of last night. However, I would like to make up for that now if you will allow it.”
She refused to give in so easily. “I appreciate the gesture, but you will have to make up for my deprivation without any expectations in regard to lovemaking.”
He pushed the chair back, came to his feet and executed a bow. “My lady, I would be honored if you would join me for an equestrian adventure, and I promise no clothes will be shed.”
She could not help but smile. “Yes, I will join you. And speaking of clothes, I will need to change into something more suitable.”
He slapped his forehead with his palm. “I didn’t bring anything but slacks and loafers.”
“Then perhaps we should find something else to do.”
“No, I’ll travel into town to purchase appropriate clothing. Or perhaps I should say I’ll mosey into town.”
“Is it worth that much effort?”
He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. “You are worth the effort. And I need to pick up a few more items that will benefit us both.”
Before Nasira could respond, Sebastian strode out of the kitchen, leaving her standing there, pondering what he had up his sleeve. She would simply have to wait and see.
* * *
Nasira waited for what seemed to be infinity for Sebastian to return, until her patience began to wane. Dressed in designer jeans and fashionable boots, she located the path that led to the pasture and made her way to the stable. She soon came upon a large white rock structure surrounded by paddocks that held grazing mares and a few precious foals. It appeared everything about the ranch fostered new life and that only fed her melancholy.
When she entered the barn, Nasira found a lengthy aisle lined with stalls, mostly empty until she reached the end of the line where a beautiful bay stuck its head out of the top of the door.
She cautiously approached to measure the horse’s reaction to her appearance. When she held out her hand and began stroking the thin white blaze between its eyes, she immediately received a soft nicker.
“Can I help you, ma’am?”
In response the unfamiliar voice, she turned her head to the right and spotted an older man with white-streaked hair peeking out from beneath his black baseball cap, whiskers scattered about his careworn face. She offered a smile and her hand. “I am Nasira Edwards, the Shakirs’ houseguest.”
His face relaxed as he gave her hand a hearty shake. “Oh, yeah. I met your husband earlier. He told me the two of you might be wantin’ to take a ride today.”
“And you are?”
He raked off his cap and grinned. “I forgot my manners. I’m Hadley Monroe but most people call me Cappy. I prefer that.”
An odd name but a very cheerful man. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Cappy. I assume you work for the Shakirs.”
He settled the cap back on his head. “Yes, ma’am. I take care of the livestock and my missus, Annie, keeps the house. That gelding you’re scratchin’ is Gus, or that’s what I call him. He has some fancy name that’s about a mile long.”
She glanced at the mesmerized horse and smiled. “Do you live nearby?”
Cappy hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “If you go up those stairs back there, that leads to our place.”
“Over the barn?”
He chuckled. “It’s nicer than most people’s houses. The nicest place I’ve ever lived in. Mr. Darin and Mrs. Fiona are good people.”
“Yes they are.”
The sound of footsteps drew Nasira’s attention to the stable’s entry to see a tall man striding down the aisle. She recognized the confident gait, the lean, toned body, the charming smile and handsome face. She did not recognize the chambray shirt rolled up at the sleeves, the jeans encasing those long legs or the cowboy boots covering his feet.
“Well, well,” she said as he stopped before her. “Ha
s there been a British invasion in the western store?”
Her husband’s smile expanded. “As they say, when in Rome.”
“Or Royal.”
“I’m attempting to blend in. Do you not approve?”
She took a visual journey down his body and back up again. “Actually, I approve very much.”
“I would think so since you seem to have an affinity for cowboys of late.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your friend, Mac, the manhandling rancher.”
The jealousy apparently had not abated, and that somewhat shocked Nasira, as well as aggravated her. “Oh, nonsense, Sebastian. Please get over that.”
Without offering a rejoinder, Sebastian reached around her and stuck out his hand for a shake. “Nice to see you again, Cappy.”
“Good to see you, too, Buck.”
That turned Nasira around to face the grinning graying ranch hand. “Buck?”
“Cappy gives everyone a nickname,” Sebastian said. “Isn’t that right, Cappy?”
The older man touched the bill of his cap. “Yesiree, Buck. I call ’em like I see ’em.”
Sebastian slid his arm around Nasira’s waist. “What would you suggest for my wife?”
Cappy rubbed his chin for a few moments. “I can only think of one thing that fits. Beauty.”
Sebastian laughed. “That would definitely fit.”
Nasira felt heat rise from her throat to her face. “Surely you can come up with something a bit more creative, Cappy.”
The man grinned again. “Like I said, I call ’em like I see ’em. If you folks will excuse me, I’ll go get Studly and bring him in so I can get back to work.”
After Cappy left, Nasira faced her husband again. “Who is Studly?”
“Darin’s stallion,” Sebastian said. “His proper name is Knight something.”
She had entered the land of strange names. “I would definitely prefer that to Studly.”
“I’d prefer Studly to Buck.”
Nasira could not help but smile. “Studly Edwards. It has a nice ring to it. Perhaps if we have a son we could use it.”
Sebastian looked as if she had told him he had to sell the shipping business. “Darin told me to explore the path outside the back paddock. It leads to a nice creek,” he said, changing the subject.
Of course he would avoid the topic of children. But as far as Nasira was concerned, they would be broaching that subject soon enough, and the discussion could determine their future.
Cappy returned leading a beautiful black Arabian with a large tooled saddle dotted with elaborate silver on his back. “Here ya go, Buck. He’s ready to ride.”
Sebastian frowned. “No English tack, I see.”
“Nope,” Cappy said. “But those prissy saddles aren’t much different. This is just a bigger seat with a horn to hang on to. There’s no need to bounce up and down unless you wanna do that.”
The larger seat did not appear to be able to accommodate two people, which led Nasira to ask a question. “Will I have my own horse?”
“That fellow you’ve been scratchin’ is all yours,” Cappy said. “Gus will take good care of you. I’ll get him tacked up and then you all can take off.”
Nasira stood by as the ranch hand led Gus out of the stall and toward the rear of the barn. While she and Sebastian remained in the aisle, the stallion began to grow restless. “He appears to be rather spirited,” she said. “Are you certain you can handle him?”
Sebastian scratched the horse’s neck and that seemed to calm him somewhat. “If I can handle chasing a three-inch ball with mallet in hand on the back of a racing beast during a game of polo, I can manage one spirited stallion.”
She had clearly dealt a blow to his ego. “Of course. How foolish of me to question your manhood.”
“My manhood is never in question, sweetheart. You should know that after ten years.”
“It is understandable I would have forgotten since I have had very limited exposure to your manhood for the past six months.”
“Touché. Yet I do recall your manhood drought ending last night.”
“Unfortunately I do not recall much about that at all, and neither do you, considering we were both half-asleep.”
Cappy returned with the gelding, interrupting the banter and greatly embarrassing Nasira when she considered that he might have overheard. “They’re all yours,” he said. “Just go out the front, take a right and follow the trail past the back of the barn. Once you reach water, you’re all out of path.”
“Would we be allowed to explore the rest of the acreage, Cappy?” Sebastian asked.
The man chuckled. “Well, that would be close to two thousand acres, but if you want adventure, be my guest. Just take care not to get lost.”
Nasira could imagine wandering around for days and days. “I believe we will stay on the path. My husband does not have the best sense of direction.”
Sebastian sent her a quelling look. “Might I remind you that you have been known to become lost looking for the tube?”
“I have not.”
“Yes, you have.”
She suddenly remembered one incident from long ago. “For heaven’s sake, Sebastian, that happened once right after we married and I barely knew my way around London.”
Cappy cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to muck these stalls while you’re gone. I’d like be done before midnight.”
“Of course,” Sebastian said. “Do you need assistance mounting your steed, Sira?”
She answered by putting her boot in the stirrup and hoisting herself onto the saddle. “No, I do not.”
Sebastian laid a dramatic hand over his heart. “You wound me by not allowing me to make any show of chivalry.”
She clasped the reins in one hand. “Knowing you as well as I do, you only wanted an excuse to put your hand on my bum.”
He frowned and mounted the stallion with ease. “Darling, you are going to lead our friend here to believe that I’m a scoundrel.”
“If the moniker fits, darling.”
Cappy narrowed his eyes and studied them both. “How long have the two of you been hitched?”
“Ten years,” they responded simultaneously.
“Well, that explains it,” Cappy said. “Just some friendly advice. The missus and me have been married nearly forty years. In that time we figured out when you find yourself bickering a lot, the best way to cool down is taking a nekkid swim together in the crick. You should try it.”
“Crick?” Sebastian asked.
Cappy scowled. “That’s Texan for creek. See y’all when you get back.”
With that, the man disappeared, leaving Nasira and Sebastian sitting atop the horses, staring at each other. And when her husband presented her with a slow, knowing grin, Nasira pointed at him despite the seductive images flashing in her mind. “Do not even think we will be engaging in that behavior.”
He shrugged. “I can see some merit in the man’s suggestion.”
So could she. Bent on ignoring him and her own questionable thoughts, Nasira nudged the gelding forward with her heels, not bothering to look back.
When she guided Gus through the stable doors into the bright sunshine, Sebastian rode up to her side. “Perhaps you should lead the way since I have such a terrible sense of direction.”
She turned right on the path without giving him a passing glance. “Could we call a truce and concentrate on having a pleasant ride?”
“I suppose I could do that. Will I be allowed to speak?”
She sent him a sideways glance. “I highly doubt I could prevent that if I tried.”
“Your request is my command.”
Whether he could be quiet for any real length of time remained to be seen
, Nasira thought as they rode down the path at an easy pace.
As they traveled on, she relished the feel of the sun on her shoulders, the scent of freshly cut grass, the wide expanse of open land before them where livestock grazed nearby. “Oh, look,” she said, breaking the silence. “A baby cow.”
“I believe the proper term would be calf,” Sebastian began,” although that does conjure images of a disjointed leg frolicking in the field.”
It took great effort to contain her laughter. “Always the witty one.”
Another span of silence passed before Sebastian addressed her again. “When did you last communicate with your mother?”
The question came as a surprise to Nasira. “When I became pregnant.”
She could feel his gaze boring into her. “Are you saying she doesn’t know—”
“About the miscarriage? No.”
“Why haven’t you told her?”
“She did not share in my excitement over the pregnancy. She has never been concerned about my life.”
He released a rough sigh. “I’ve never understood your hesitancy to reconnect with her.”
“She does not welcome that, Sebastian. I remind her of my father.”
“You are still her child.”
“Perhaps, but I was raised by the palace staff. She only gave birth to me out of obligation.”
“In a manner of speaking, I can relate. I’m certain that was the reasoning behind my birth. And that insistence on producing heirs is no bloody reason to bring a baby into this world. Nothing good can come of it.”
“We are both good people, Sebastian.”
“Good people whose mothers were forced to bring us into being.”
Nasira saw an opportunity to encourage him to expand on his feelings. “Yet your mother loved you, did she not?”
“Yes, she did, until her untimely death.”
A death that he had never discussed in detail in Nasira’s presence, despite the fact she had asked numerous times during the beginning of her marriage. Eventually she had given up. “What exactly happened to her, Sebastian?”
His jaw tightened, a positive sign of anxiety. “She became ill.”
