“I suppose we’re lucky the ceiling didn’t come down.” Amahd gradually became aware of the rest of his body. In addition to his right hand and arm, his left shoulder ached.
If no one was hurt that meant Mackenzie was okay, so he managed to resist the urge to ask about her specifically. He didn’t want to betray her trust by revealing their intimacy. But there was something else. Something very important. “The horse, did she arrive?”
“A horse? Don’t worry about that kind of thing now. We need to get you out of this hospital and back to the palace.”
Amahd was already trying to sit up. He made the mistake of unconsciously putting weight on his injured hand and arm, and the searing pain made him yelp. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’re a national hero,” said Osman. “They’ll be talking about you here, and in Satya, Akar and Tabriq, for a hundred years.”
“Only a hundred?”
“Okay, a thousand,” said Zadir. “So take it easy and don’t do anything silly. You certainly aren’t going anywhere near a horse this week.”
“This week?” Osman laughed. “How about this month?”
“But it’s coming into the airport. From Texas. What day is it?” His brain was scrambled, probably with painkillers.
“Tuesday the twelfth, why?”
He sat upright, using his good hand as panic shot through him. “The horse arrived yesterday. I must see her.”
“You’re nuts. How many horses do you have? It’s probably at your house already and settled into the stables. You’ll see it soon.”
Amahd bristled with impatience to see the horse that Mackenzie missed so much. He’d been assured it was the right mare—black with a white blaze on her forehead, a brand like an upside-down F, and identified from a series of pictures of them riding in a barrel-racing contest when Mac was nineteen—but also warned that she was in poor condition and likely to be stressed by a long international flight. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“I can walk just fine.” Amahd impatiently swatted away the attendants who hurried to help him from the car when they arrived at the palace. “And I’m heading to the stables first. I want to see the black mare that arrived yesterday.”
He’d already called his head groom and arranged for the horse to be transported from his house to the palace stables. The groom had sounded strange and evasive, and when Amahd finally asked him why he was talking in circles, the groom said he thought perhaps the wrong horse was delivered. Amahd had to point out that it wasn’t an Arabian or a young horse and that he’d bought it for a specific reason.
After the groom’s odd behavior, he was even more anxious to see the mare. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be in such awful shape that bringing her here would seem like torture to Mackenzie. From the moment she’d told him about her childhood friend he’d dreamed of reuniting them just so he could see the look of joy on her face. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted that. He just knew that he did.
Mackenzie. His body ached for her. He still didn’t know how he’d survived standing next to her for so long at the contest. She was probably concerned when he got hurt—he hoped she was—so he wanted to reassure her that he was okay but simply calling her didn’t seem right.
Wait, why not? Why couldn’t he call her and tell her he was awake? He pulled out his phone, then realized he didn’t have her number programmed into it. He had to ask Bubba for it, and mumbled something about the contest, whereupon Bubba—after exclaiming his happiness at Amahd’s recovery—congratulated himself on choosing an employee who was not only a good mechanic but also an excellent rider.
By the time Amahd got her number he was almost at the stables, anticipation tingling in his left hand and pounding painfully in his right. Adrenaline built inside him while the phone rang. She picked up on the second ring.
“Mackenzie, it’s Amahd.” He waited, and it sounded like something dropped at the other end.
“You’re awake.” Her voice was breathy, surprised, and sent a surge of emotion to his heart.
“Yes, happily so. I thought I should call you with the news.”
“I’m glad you did.”
He walked through the arched entry to the stable courtyard. “I’d better go.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He hung up, anticipation sizzling inside him. He hoped that seeing her former companion would be a wonderful surprise for Mackenzie but decided he’d better see the mare first before spilling the beans.
He head groom bowed slightly. “She’s in the stall at the end. She’s thin. How old is she?”
“She’s a senior. She’s the childhood horse of a friend.” The grooms all knew Mackenzie by now, but it didn’t seem fair for them to know her horse was here before she did. He walked past the row of familiar faces, stopping to pet the sweet chestnut he’d ridden twice during the contest. When he reached the last stall, he peered over the stable door into the dark interior and could barely make out the shape of a black horse, facing away from him in the far corner.
Even from here he could see the horse’s hip bones were sharp points, her tail thin and wispy. “Hello Star,” he said in English. This poor horse had endured enough unfamiliarity over the last few days. To his surprise—he’d expected no reaction—her ears pricked up and she spun around to greet him.
Her eyes were bright and shone with curiosity, which at first distracted his attention from the fact she’d rubbed off most of her mane and some of the hair on her face. Her white blaze shone—she’d been freshly shampooed by the grooms, of course—and although she was painfully underweight, she looked alert and interested in him. “Wait until you see who’s coming to visit.”
He pulled out his phone again. She answered on the first ring this time. “Mackenzie, can you come to the palace at your earliest convenience.”
“Uh, I have to pick Maddy up from day care. Then I need to give her dinner.”
“Bring her.” Anticipation thrilled him. He couldn’t wait to watch her eyes when they rested on her beloved Star again. He’d rope Nasri and Parsia into a playdate with Maddy so he could get some time alone with Mackenzie.
He went to rub his hands together with excitement, then realized quickly—as soon as he tried to bend his right elbow—what a huge mistake that would be. He hoped Mackenzie wouldn’t be too appalled by his bandages, but he considered himself to have escaped lightly, considering.
And his brush with death had made him realize something very important. He’d nearly lost his life. Now that he had it back, he wanted to spend it with Mackenzie.
Mac picked up Maddy from day care then rushed home to change. She had no idea what Amahd intended for her. Those two curt phone calls were enough to drive anyone mad! No mention whatsoever of their steamy tryst, or his chilly distance the next day.
She should probably be polishing her résumé, not heading to the palace with hope in her heart, but she wanted to be fresh for whatever lay in wait. She had a quick shower and dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and a shirt with tiny flowers.
Maybe other people didn’t wear jeans and western shirts to a royal palace but she did, so there.
Maddy also wanted to change and ended up in a pink Disney princess costume dress. Mac didn’t have the heart to tell her to change, so she let her wear it along with her favorite gold sandals. “I feel like a princess. And I’m going to a palace!” Maddy sang it over and over. Mac had to laugh. If she’d learned one thing recently, it was to enjoy the moment.
She called Amahd—yes, now she suddenly had his number she could call him any time for any trivial reason if she felt like it—to ask where to park. He told her to pull up to the stables.
Lucky thing she’d worn jeans. Maybe they were going for a ride? Or maybe they needed her to ride into battle against one of their neighboring countries? She hadn’t followed the news since the last dinner of the contest, mostly because she couldn’t understand it.
Her heart was beating so fast when she pulled up to t
he stables that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to form words. And Maddy was chattering away about all the games they’d played at the party, but she didn’t want to warn her that it wasn’t a party.
Aliyah waved as she rounded the corner into the stable parking. And Nasri and Parsia were with her. Maddy shrieked with delight from the backseat. Almost as soon as she was out of the car, Aliyah led her daughter off and she found herself standing in the parking lot staring at the stable block.
“Hello Mackenzie.” Amahd’s deep voice struck a powerful chord inside her.
Her heart leaped at the sight of him. His hand and arm were bandaged, and he had a nasty bruise by his left temple, but otherwise he was the same tall, strong, serious man she’d fallen so madly in love with. “Hello Amahd. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Come with me.”
No kisses. No hugs, just a summons. What had she expected? This was Amahd. He’d already made it clear their affair was over. Now he probably had a valve that needed replacing. And here she was in her best jeans.
He led her into the stable block, where the heads of more than twenty horses popped out to greet her. He walked along the line—and she said hello to the lovely gray she’d ridden to the team gold medal—until they got to the end. “There’s a new horse here. I’d like you to meet it.”
This was the only horse that hadn’t stuck its head out in greeting. She peered into the darkness and saw a narrow, bony hindquarters and three white socks. Recognition struck her like a bolt of lightning to the chest. “Star!”
The horse spun around, tail flying, and whinnied. And there was Star’s beautiful face, her star shining and her eyes bright. “I don’t believe it.” She unlatched the stable door with trembling fingers and rushed in to throw her arms around the neck of her long-lost friend. “I don’t believe it.” Her repeated words came out on a choked sob as tears ran down her face.
She really couldn’t believe it. She ran her fingers over Star’s face, her straggly mane, her too-thin body, then hugged her around the neck again. Star nuzzled her, just the way she used to when she would groom her. “You found her.”
Amahd stood in the doorway with a huge grin on his face. “A team of expert professionals found her. They found pictures of you winning contests in your local paper and carried and posted them all over Texas asking people if they’d seen that horse. They finally struck lucky at a diner outside Lubbock.”
“Lubbock? That’s miles away.”
“It was a big search operation.”
It must have been a huge and very expensive operation, especially for it to happen so fast. Her chest tightened at the thought that Amahd had arranged all that just for her. It was the sweetest and most thoughtful and wonderful gesture ever. “Thank you so, so much.” She could see from his big smile and the sparkle in his eyes that he was enjoying this almost as much as her.
She kissed Star’s beautiful soft nose. “You have no idea how much it means to me, to see her again.” Then again, he probably did. She’d never found anyone as horse crazy as herself until she met Amahd. “How did you get her here?”
“It was a long flight. Two long flights, in fact. The officials on the other side weren’t sure she was in good enough shape to make it, but I had two attendants accompany her to make sure she stayed fed and hydrated. They even told me she’s gained more than fifty pounds since they first found her in Texas.”
“You poor baby.” She stroked Star’s thin forelock. “I’ll make sure you get back to your fighting weight. She used to win almost everything she entered at one point.”
“I know.” He laughed. “They sent me all the pictures. But I don’t think you can give her all the credit. Not after this weekend’s events.”
“Your horses are pretty impressive, too.” She stroked Star’s neck. “But where am I going to keep her? I can’t leave her here at the palace. Are there stables near the oil field?” Her plans for leaving Ubar had screeched to an abrupt halt.
“I was hoping you could keep her at my house.”
His house? That would be awkward. Especially once their affair was well and truly behind them and he was entertaining other women—even his wife—there. She prided herself on being a tough cookie, but even she couldn’t handle that.
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea.” She turned to look at him and watched the smile vanish from his face. “I’m hugely grateful that you found her. You really are a hero in more ways than one, but I know our relationship needs to stay within certain boundaries.” She glanced over his shoulder, hoping no one could hear. “So perhaps it’s better if I don’t come to your house regularly.”
Amahd had been standing outside the stable door, but now he came in. Star reached her nose forward to sniff him, and he stroked her neck.
“I think it would be better if you spent a lot of time at my house.” His serious expression gave nothing away.
Mac frowned. “What do you mean?”
She watched his chest rise, stretching the dark gray shirt he wore. “I would like you to come live there.”
She blinked. Did he mean for her to be some kind of live-in mistress? No. She’d rather die. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” He looked stunned at her refusal. Yes, he was royal, but was he really so used to getting what he wanted?
“Because…” Her heart squeezed. Maybe the truth was the way to go. Having her treasured horse beside her gave her strength. “Because I have feelings for you. I didn’t intend to, but now I can’t just pretend they don’t exist.”
Amahd frowned, his expression more grim than ever. “I love you, Mackenzie.”
She stared. Then blinked. What? She must be dreaming. Or hallucinating. Star was here and now—
“When I first met you I was very attracted to you. You looked so gorgeous and sexy dancing in your slinky black dress—”
“It was a nightgown.” As soon as she’d said it she cursed herself for cutting in on his romantic speech.
“And when we kissed I felt something I couldn’t explain. Something really…different. I thought it was lust, but then I got to know you…”
He picked up his uninjured hand and took her hand with it. Her skin heated and hummed against his. “And I realized that in addition to being the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, you were smart and strong and shared my love of horses.”
He squeezed her hand, and she felt the contraction in her heart. “I tried to convince myself that I needed to marry a different kind of woman, one who existed only in my mind, but I’ve realized I was wrong. I was stupid. I can’t even believe that I insulted you by asking you to have an affair. Of course you said no.”
She swallowed. “Saying no didn’t slow things down much anyway.”
“The attraction between us, the connection, was too strong.”
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “I love you, too, Amahd. I didn’t want to. Heck, you’re my boss, and way out of my league. But I felt that…pull from the first time I met you. That’s why I went over to you in the evening of the wedding party. I was going to ask you to dance but you were a gentleman and figured it out and asked me first.”
“And then we kissed.” Amahd’s dark eyes glowed with warmth. “And my life was never the same again.” He bowed his head for a moment and inhaled deeply, then looked right into her eyes. “Mackenzie, will you marry me?”
Mac couldn’t believe her ears. She wanted to scream yes! But caution stopped her. She wasn’t the only one whose life was at stake. “How do you feel about Maddy?”
“I would like to help you raise her if you’ll allow that. I obviously lack experience, but I’m good at picking up new skills. I’ve always wanted to be a father.” His shy smile made her breath catch.
“Maddy has always wanted a brother or sister. And a cat.”
Amahd laughed, emotion glittering in his eyes. “You’ve seen my house. We’ll have plenty of room. I’ve always imagined having a large family, but I’ve learned not to get caug
ht up in the pictures in my imagination. We’ll have the family we’re meant to have.” He squeezed her hand. “If you’ll say yes, that is.”
“Yes.” The word came out on a sob. “Yes, Amahd, I will marry you.”
He stepped forward, holding his injured arm awkwardly to one side. Very carefully she moved closer, and cupped her arm around his waist on his good side and tilted her chin up until their lips met. Amahd’s mouth claimed hers with all the hunger of a man who’d almost denied himself a lifetime of happiness.
Mac was so overwhelmed she didn’t know which end was up any more. Amahd’s kiss invited her to let go and lose herself in him. She stroked his face, his hair, ran her fingers over his strong shoulders and told him she loved him until she could almost believe she was saying it aloud.
“Can we go tell everyone?” His serious expression made her heart trip. “I know they’ll be happy.”
Mac laughed. She had a pretty good idea that they’d be happy, too. Which was funny, really.
Who’d have thunk it? A country girl from Nowheresville, Texas, getting engaged to a desert king. Little Maddy truly would get to be a princess.
Star whinnied, making them both laugh. Her treasured horse was back in her life again.
It was all too good to be true, except that it was happening to her, right now.
“I’m sorry there’s no ring yet. I didn’t have time. We don’t really use them here in Ubar anyway. There are also some long speeches in our language I need to make to you but we can save them for later.”
Mac grinned and kissed his stubbled cheek. “Sounds like a plan.”
EPILOGUE
Nine months later:
“Welcome, all of you, to the coronation of Princess Madison.” Mac, sitting in the palace garden next to her little princess, was impressed with herself for understanding every word of Amahd’s speech, even though it was in the local language. Maddy beamed as if she understood it all, too. “Everyone who’s met Maddy knows that she’s been a princess all along, but today, on her birthday, we make it official.”
Desert Kings Boxed Set: The Complete Series Books 1-6 Page 79
