“With whom?” he asked, feeling a flare of jealousy that someone would show her around.
“You?” she said.
Khalid relaxed a fraction. His voluntary exile for the last week hadn’t done anything to kill his desire for this woman. Now she was right here.
“I don’t usually eat dinner in restaurants,” he said slowly.
She nodded. “I know, eating alone is awkward in public places. But you’ll have me and Bethanne so it’ll be fun.”
Fun? The stares of the other customers? The whispers that ran rampant as speculation abounded?
“I’m glad to see you again,” she was saying. “I’ve missed you at night when I walk along the beach.” Her eyes were shining with more happiness than he’d ever seen before. For another smile, he’d face the horror of others at the restaurant. He’d make sure he was seated by a wall, with the damaged side of his face away from other diners.
“I need to check in, then it will be my pleasure to escort two such lovely ladies to dinner.”
She reached out and touched his arm, pulling her hand back quickly as if unsure of a welcome.
“We’ll be waiting.” With another smile, she turned and walked back to Bethanne.
Dinner did not prove to be the ordeal Khalid had expected. As if in one agreement, the seating went as he wanted. With fewer people having to see the scar, they were more ignored than he normally experienced. For the first time in years, he enjoyed dining out. The food was excellent. The conversation lively. The more he grew to know Bethanne, the more he understood his brother’s love for the woman. Yet his eyes kept turning to Ella. She was feminine and sweet. He detected a difference but couldn’t put his finger on it. Was she more confident? Had the sadness diminished around her eyes?
“So Rashid called and doesn’t want me to wait until tomorrow to return home. I’m leaving right after dinner,” Bethanne said.
Ella looked startled. Khalid watched her as she turned to the other woman. “I thought we’d stay a day so I can see everything here.”
Bethanne looked at Khalid. “You can show her around, can’t you? She wants to see an oil field. You could explain things. And show her the sunrise. I think the colors in the sky are amazing.”
Khalid knew a setup when he saw one. But instead of arguing, he looked at Ella. Another day together suited him. “Fine. We’ll watch the sunrise together, I’ll take you to the oil fields.”
“And see she gets home safely?” Bethanne said.
Amusement warred with irritation. He suspected this was not Ella’s plan but one of his soon to be sister-in-law’s. Yet why not give in with good grace. He had to admit he’d missed Ella while in Egypt. More than once he’d seen something he’d wanted to share with her. Had almost called her a couple of times.
Dangerous territory, but he was a man who lived with danger. He liked being with her. There was no harm in that. It was only if he let himself dream of a future that could never be that he risked more than he wanted to pay.
Ella couldn’t fall asleep after returning to her room. She was too much a night person to go to bed early. Yet Khalid had made no suggestion about spending time with her in the evening. Bethanne had now taken off for Alkaahdar. Ella sat at the window, watching the dark sky display the sparkles of lights from a million stars. There was no beach to walk along. It was too late to wander around town alone. There was nothing to do but think and that she didn’t want to do.
She drew out her sketchpad, but instead of sketching various pieces of glass she wanted to try, she drew quick vignettes of Khalid—walking along the beach, swimming in the sea, leaning against his desk.
She also sketched him in traditional Arab robes, like he’d worn the first night she’d met him. She’d love to see him attired like that again. Did he wear the robes in the desert? Slowing in her drawing, she let her imagination drift as she thought about an oasis like Bethanne had talked of. What would it be like to have a small house in the scant shade of the palms surrounding a small pool of clear water? She envisioned a rooftop veranda that would provide a 360-degree view when the heat of the day dissipated. Quiet. Silent except for the wind sweeping across the sand. Sometimes the sand hummed in harmony. Would they feel cocooned together in a world apart?
She filled several pages with sketches, then tossed the tablet aside. Restlessness was getting her nowhere. She had best go to bed and hope to fall asleep quickly. She’d spend tomorrow with Khalid.
He was waiting for her when she stepped into the lobby the next morning. She greeted him and joined him in the small restaurant attached to the hotel for breakfast. The croissants were hot, the jam her favorite—grape. The coffee was dark and aromatic. She sipped the rich beverage, trying not to stare. Khalid looked fabulous. His dark eyes met hers.
“Ready for the scenic tour?” he asked.
“Ready. I have a hat, sunscreen and a long-sleeved shirt to put on at midday to protect against the sun.”
“I have hired a Jeep for our use, and stocked it with a cooler and plenty of cold water. Even lunch.”
She smiled in anticipation. “Lovely, a picnic, just the two of us.”
“I know a place you’ll love,” he said.
She would love anyplace he showed her. Looking away before she made a fool of herself, she finished her meal.
In no time they were in the open Jeep, weaving their way through the streets of the old town. The sandstone walls blended with the color of the desert. Bright spots of blues and red punctuated the monotonous walls. Soon the crowded streets fell behind. The homes were farther and farther apart until they were left behind and she and Khalid continued straight for the oil field she could see in the distance.
Fascinated by the acres of oil pumpers slowly rising and falling as they drew the oil from deep in the ground, she ignored what was behind her, trying to see what was ahead.
“Amazing. How did anyone know there was oil here?” she asked. There was nothing in the sparse desert to differentiate it from any other area.
“Geologists can find it anywhere. My father is the one who started this field. For Bashiri Oil, of course.”
She looked around. “Was the town this big when the oil was discovered?”
“No. First the drilling and now the activity of the wells boosted the population considerably. It was a small, sleepy oasis way back when oil was first discovered. Inhabited by a few families who had lived here for generations. It was on the trade routes and the migration of nomadic people, so this was a resting place for caravans.”
“Now it’s another city, though small. With an airport.”
Khalid laughed. “With an airport. Did Bethanne really bring you here to get ideas for your glass?”
“That was one reason,” she said, staring straight ahead.
She caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye when he looked at her. “And another?”
“To see you.”
He didn’t respond, so Ella looked at him. “Surprised?”
“A bit.”
“I think we need to get straight on what we’re doing,” she said.
He looked at her again, then back to the road. “We’re going to see the wells, then have a picnic.”
“About this fake engagement. I think Antonio has finally returned home. That should be the end of that matter. Interesting, don’t you think, my parents are not against my being engaged to you a stranger, but objected to my marriage to Alexander whom they had known for years.”
“Money is important to a lot of people. You are not one of them,” he said.
“I think people are much more important. And experiences in life. I’m enjoying today. I have never gone very far into the desert. And I’ve never been to an oil field.” She gave him a shy look, “Nor with a sheikh.”
“Hey, I’m a man like any other.”
Oh, no, she thought privately. You are unlike anyone else in the world. For a moment she wanted to reach over and touch him, grasp his hand and hold on and never let go. H
er heart beat faster and colors seemed brighter. She loved him. Closing her eyes for a moment, she wondered when it had happened. How it could have happened. And what she could do to make sure he never knew.
Khalid was the perfect guide when they reached the oil field. He introduced her to the foreman and then gave her an abbreviated tour, explaining how the wells were drilled, capped and put into production. He even told her how something minor could go wrong and cause a fire. She had a healthy respect for the men who worked the fields, their lives in danger if any one of a myriad of things went wrong.
After their visit to the oil field, he drove them straight into the desert. It was just past noon. The sun glared overhead. The air was hot, the breeze from the moving car not doing much to cool. Ella had donned her hat and long-sleeved shirt and was sweltering. She was about to suggest they give up this expedition and return to the air-conditioned comfort of the hotel when she saw the faint suggestion of green in the distance. She stared at the spot gradually seeing the palms as they drove close. A cluster of trees offering a respite to the monotonous brown of the sand.
“The oasis?” she asked, pointing to the spot.
“Yes. A small wadi that holds enough water for a few humans or animals, it can’t support a settlement. But there is plenty of water for the trees and shrubs that grow around it. And it provides a nice shady spot in a hot afternoon.”
Ella studied the contrast of the golden-brown of the desert with the surprise of green from the trees. It gave her an idea for a new art piece. Could she do a palm, leaning slightly as if wishing to touch the earth? Maybe a small collage with blue glass at the base surrounded by a smoky golden glass with the palm rising.
Khalid stopped in the shade and turned off the engine. For a moment only silence reigned. Ella felt the heat encompass them, then a slight cooling from the shade. She turned and smiled at him.
“It’s beautiful here. I know now why Bethanne says she’d like a home in the desert with water nearby. It would be lovely. I could live in such a place.”
“Sometimes when things get too much, I come here for a few days.” Khalid studied the water, the pond a scant four feet in diameter. The palms were spread out, their roots able to find enough moisture to support them even some distance from the pool.
“Surprisingly the water is cool,” he said.
“In this heat?” she asked.
“Come.”
He got out of the Jeep and waited for her at the front. When she joined him, he reached over to take her hand, leading her to the water’s edge. They sat on the warm sand. Ella trailed her fingers in the water.
“It is cool!” she said in amazement. The water felt silky and refreshing. “How did you find this place?”
“Exploring when I was a kid. Rashid and I spent lots of time exploring while my dad spent time in the town. We learned later it was to visit a woman who had had a child by him.”
Ella looked at him in surprise.
He looked back. “We never met her. She died, the daughter. My father’s only daughter. He kept her hidden from my mother, understandably. She died in a plane crash that claimed Bethanne’s father’s life. My father died only days later—we think of a broken heart. Rashid and I haven’t mentioned it around Mother.”
“Does she know?”
“We don’t know. But out of respect we have not brought it up. If she does, it must hurt her and if she doesn’t, we don’t want to have her learn about it at this late date.”
Ella nodded, understanding. She wished her family was as loving and concerned for each other instead of always thinking of money and how to expand the vineyard or protect the family name.
“Your mother is lucky to have you two,” she said wistfully. Would she ever have a child? A strong son who would look like his father? Or a beautiful little girl with dark eyes and a sparkle that telegraphed the mischief she might get into?
CHAPTER TEN
THE afternoon was pleasant in the shade. Khalid had brought blankets to spread on the sand. The picnic lunch was delicious. Ella ate with relish. The cool water from the pool completed the meal. Afterward, Khalid made sure the blankets were in the shade and lay down. Closing his eyes, he looked completely relaxed.
Ella watched him for a time, growing drowsy. Finally she lay down and closed her eyes. The quiet and peace of the oasis enveloped her and before long, she slept.
When she awoke, Khalid was nowhere to be seen. The Jeep was parked where he’d left it so she knew he hadn’t gone far. She splashed cool water on her face and then rose, folding the blankets and putting them in the back of the Jeep.
“Khalid?” she called.
He appeared a moment later from behind a sand dune. “Just checking things out,” he said, walking back to the shady area.
“Sandstorms can wreak havoc in this area. That’s what brought down the plane my father’s daughter was on. Yet time and again, this oasis reappears. I was trying to figure out why. Ready to return to town?”
Ella nodded, feeling reluctant to end the afternoon. She looked around, imprinting every bit of the scene in her mind. It would forever be special—because of Khalid.
The sooner they were back among others, the sooner she could get her emotions under control. She really wanted to stay. To camp out under the stars. To share feelings and thoughts on the vastness of the desert and the beauty found despite the harshness.
To tell him he was loved.
That she could not do. She hurried to the Jeep and jumped in.
Quraim Wadi Samil seemed to shimmer in the late sunshine as heat waves distorted the air. They drove into the town and straight to the hotel. Ella felt wrung-out with the heat. She would relish the coolness of the hotel. She began to long for the cottage by the sea. At least there seemed to always be a breeze by the Gulf.
“Dinner at seven?” Khalid asked as they entered the lobby.
“That’s perfect.” It would give her time to shower and change and cool down.
Her room was spacious with little furnishings to clutter the space. She lay down for a few moments, wondering if there could be any future between her and Khalid. His fake engagement had been to help her out, made public by the minister. Since he already had it in for Khalid’s family, they dare not end the engagement so soon without negative gossip. Yet the longer it lasted, the more people would expect to see them together, and expect plans for a wedding to be forthcoming.
She wished she was planning a wedding with Khalid. She would so love to spend the rest of her life with him. It would be very different from the life she had before. Khalid had a stronger intensity with life than she was used to. Was it because he flirted with death whenever dealing with oil fires?
The thought of him being injured again had her in a panic. Would he consider not doing that in the future?
As if they had a future.
Ella rose and went to take her shower. She had some serious thinking to do. She could not bear to fall more in love with the man and then have fate snatch him away. Maybe it was time to consider going back to Italy and finding a life she could live there. She’d already lost one man she loved. She could not go through that again.
At least if she left, she could always remember Khalid as he was today. And hope to never hear of his death. As long as he was living in the world, she could find contentment. Couldn’t she?
Khalid met Ella at the elevator when she stepped off in the lobby at seven. He had been tempted to go to her room, but had mustered what patience he could to wait for her in a public place. She’d looked perfect that afternoon sleeping in the shade at the oasis. He’d wanted to touch her cheeks, faintly pink. Her hair looked silky and soft. He had touched her hair before and knew its texture.
He was playing a fool’s game, tempting fate by spending time with her. What if he became attached? He knew what he could expect from life. He’d made his peace with being alone years ago. His work was interesting and challenging. Especially when fighting fires. He liked the men he worked with
. Liked being consulted by Rashid from time to time.
But he couldn’t change reality. A scarred and bitter man was not going to appeal to a pretty woman like Ella. He’d help her out because he disliked the way her brother was handling things. And her family sounded totally unlike his. Despite the scarring, his family rallied around when needed.
He moved away from the pillar where he’d been leaning when she stepped out. Her look of expectancy touched him. When she spotted him, she smiled. Khalid felt it like a punch in the gut. It always made him feel whole again. She didn’t seem freaked out by the scar. He still remembered the night she had cupped his cheeks, touching the damaged skin without revulsion. He’d never forget it.
“I thought I wouldn’t want to eat again after that lavish lunch,” she said as she hurried over to meet him. “But now that I’ve cooled down, I’m famished.”
“Then let’s hope they have enough food to fill you up.”
She laughed. He almost groaned. Her laugher was like water sparkling and gurgling over rocks in the high country. Light and airy and pleasing. He wished he could hear it all his life.
“So tomorrow we return home?” she asked as they walked to the restaurant.
“Yes. We’ll summon a plane if you like.”
“I’d love to see the country between here and the coast, but not in a hot Jeep like today. It was fine for a short foray into the desert, but for the long drive home, I’d like more comfort.”
“Your wish is my command,” he said. He did wish he could do anything for her she wanted. An air-conditioned car would be easy. Could he help with selling her artwork? He knew nothing about that. But his mother did. If she’d just warm up to Ella a little, she’d be a tremendous help.
He had a life-size picture of that ever happening. Rashid was head over heels in love with Bethanne, and his mother still chided him for not seeking the woman she had wanted him to marry. He wasn’t head over heels in love with Ella. But he liked being with her. Liked hearing her take on things. It gave him a different perspective.
Desert Jewels & Rising Stars Page 183
