by Regina Duke
“Good thinking.”
“You ready?”
“Very. Let me grab my purse.” Belle collected her things, then turned to rejoin Uly. This time he was the one caught staring at legs. Belle felt a flush of heat as his blue eyes completed their appraisal of her tall, slender form. She broke the spell with, “Shall we go?”
Uly’s eyes twinkled. “After you, Mrs. Garrison.” He took one hand off its crutch long enough to wave her ahead of him.
Belle felt his eyes on her all the way down the hall. She found herself smiling at the thought.
Kamal waited at the front door, keys in hand. The Cadillac turned out to be an Escalade SUV.
Half-joking, Belle asked, “Where’s the limo?”
Uly said, “Tex has it and the chauffer to drive around his business guests.”
“Oh. Well, I can drive this car.” She didn’t like the idea of having to choose every word carefully because their driver could overhear their conversation. She had a few questions for Uly, now that the marriage was official, and she didn’t feel comfortable asking them in front of a stranger. “Kamal can stay here with Lulamae.”
Kamal started to object, but Uly took the keys with a big smile. “Great idea, Belle. Kamal, tell Mrs. Franklin we’ll be back for our evening visit at poolside.”
Once Belle was behind the wheel with Uly in the passenger seat, he said urgently, “Let’s go before Lulamae gets out here to insist that Kamal goes along.”
Belle started the car and pulled easily around the circular drive toward the street. “Why would she insist?”
“So he can report back to her on what we’re doing and how we get along.”
“Really? That lovely southern lady would do such a thing? She said she doesn’t like the cloak and dagger stuff.”
“I know. She prefers the direct route. Like having Kamal eavesdrop.”
Belle laughed. “Which way?”
“Left.” Uly directed her to West Charleston Boulevard. “Head west. We’ll start with the Red Rock scenic drive.”
“Sounds lovely.” Belle glanced at the temperature display. “Is that thing right? It can’t be ninety degrees already.”
“Sure it can. Vegas, baby!” His smile faded for a moment as he adjusted his position.
Belle caught his discomfort out of the corner of her eye. “I know you took your morning pills, but did you bring the bottles with you?”
Uly patted a pocket in his shorts. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. I’ll have you trained yet.”
“Probably about the time I don’t need them anymore.”
Belle glanced sideways at him. Time for the big question of the day. She wondered if he would answer. “Those bruises of yours are looking mighty colorful. So tell me again how you hurt yourself.”
Uly shrugged. “Like I told you. I fell.”
“Face down? Backwards? On stairs? Over a railing?”
Silence.
Belle let him stew for a few minutes. From her experience in the ER, she knew exactly what had caused the bruises and contusions around his rib cage. She’d seen those results every time someone was hauled in from a barroom brawl. She hoped she hadn’t gone too far. Uly was obviously hiding something. She decided to let him take the next step. She didn’t want to aggravate him into changing his mind about their arrangement.
Uly pulled his phone out of a pocket and checked it for text messages and missed calls.
Belle recognized it as an avoidance maneuver.
“Expecting a call?”
Uly shrugged. “Just someone who said he would stay in touch.”
“But hasn’t?”
Uly made a face. “You got it.”
“Well, even if he calls, you’re my prisoner now. And I say we forget about the world and enjoy the ride.”
The scenery was spectacular. Belle had always been a Colorado girl, but she had to admit that the Red Rock desert was splendid. The flats were dotted with sagebrush, and the cliffs and buttes that gave the area its name took her breath away.
“I love those colors,” said Belle. “Sand and orange and ochre. And the stripes are amazing. Layer after layer of different colored stone. And all of it under a perfect blue sky.” She glanced at Uly again. “This was a great idea.”
Uly seemed to relax. “I’m glad you’re having fun. You sure you don’t mind driving us around?”
“Are you kidding? The Escalade is even more fun than the sports car. Lots of room, and I don’t have to look up other people’s tailpipes.”
Uly laughed. “Good point.” He shifted a bit to look into the back seat. On the floor was a cooler. He reached back to pop the lid and retrieved two bottles of water and set them in the drink holder. “We’ll need these when we decide to get out and look around.”
At the Fee Station, Belle pulled money from her purse. A covert glance in Uly’s direction told her he was still mulling something over. He stared into the desert and pulled on his bottom lip, deep in thought.
Belle didn’t want to push him too hard. But now he knew that she was aware something more was involved in his injuries than a clumsy fall. That hadn’t rung true to her from the beginning. He was young, athletic and very strong. His mother may have fallen for the story about a fall, but Belle didn’t buy it. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Poor little rich boy couldn’t talk to his parents about whatever was really going on. But then, maybe that was the norm. She used to fantasize as a little girl that having a mom and dad would make her life perfect, and she would daydream about her idealized parents. She’d tell them about an insult at school, and they would arrange meetings with the teachers and the principal and make sure the culprit got what was coming to him. All in her mind, of course. And here was Uly, oldest child of billionaire parents, and he couldn’t even talk to them. So maybe she hadn’t missed out on as much as she thought.
“There’s the Visitor’s Center,” said Belle. “That should be a good place to start.” She parked the Escalade, then moved to Uly’s door to help him with his crutches.
The heat was oppressive, but whenever they got hot, they got back in the car to cool off.
As they finished taking photos at the High Point Overlook, they returned to the vehicle’s air conditioning yet again.
Belle kept a close eye on Uly. If the heat was affecting her, it was certainly bothering him, but he didn’t complain. He even took his pills on time without having to be reminded. She was enjoying his company, and that surprised her considering their near disastrous first encounter.
“I need more water,” she said. “What else is in that cooler?”
Uly extracted two cool bottles of water. “Food! Rita packed us a lunch!” He rolled his eyes heavenward and thanked God for Rita. “Do you want to have a picnic?”
Belle gave him a doubtful look. “You want to eat outside? In the heat?”
Uly looked at her, then laughed. “No way. In here. The view is spectacular, and the car is cool.”
Belle clapped her hands together. “Perfect! What did she pack?”
“Sliced homemade bread and three different fillings, Rita’s chicken salad, sliced beef, and avocado, tomato, and sliced dill pickles. And olives. And little bags of chips. There’s fruit, too.”
The rest of the afternoon was like a dream. After Red Rock, Uly directed Belle through a neighborhood of luxury homes. Some of them rose like castles out of the desert floor. Others were impeccably landscaped while maintaining a lower profile. One was surrounded by an eight-foot-high white stone wall. A prominent sign read, “Patrolled by tigers.”
“Maybe a slightly safer neighborhood,” said Belle.
“Definitely. Let’s look for neighbors who are protected by bears. Something we can handle if they get loose in the neighborhood.”
Belle laughed.
The hours flew by. At last they returned to Lulamae’s driveway. Just then, Belle recalled the snippet of overheard conversation from that morning.
She was having such a great
time, she wondered if she should even ask. But since she had remembered the comment at the perfect private moment, it felt like a sign, so she cleared her throat and began.
“By the way, were you talking to Lulamae this morning about some phone call? Something you didn’t want her to tell me?”
Uly’s expression fell. “Guilty as charged. I just didn’t want anything to ruin our day together.”
“I appreciate that,” said Belle. She was touched that he wanted her to enjoy herself. Yet another indication of what a good man he was at heart. “Was it something I need to know?”
Uly tapped his knuckles on the dashboard, stalling for a few seconds. At last he said, “I guess I should tell you. Remember, you have access to my family’s lawyers.”
“Oh, dear.” Belle braced herself.
Uly took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. “Okay. Reese McAvoy, the owner of the Cattleman’s? He called and wanted you to know that a man was at the hotel looking for you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Uly was sorry he had to give Belle troubling news. “He didn’t have a name, just that it was a man. I thought maybe it was that doctor that was giving you trouble in Denver. Am I forgiven?”
Belle was tight-lipped, but she nodded. “Totally forgiven.” Her features softened. “I had a marvelous day.”
“Me, too. Next time we go to Red Rock, I’ll have my cast off and we can go at four a.m. and get there early enough to hike some trails.”
“I would love that!”
Uly smiled. “Good. Me, too.” He looked around and saw that someone had opened the front door. “Kamal must be champing at the bit to park this car.”
“We should go in,” said Belle.
Uly wanted to stay in the car. He wanted to tell her to drive away, that they would get a room at one of the big hotels and continue their good time. If only Lulamae weren’t waiting for them poolside. She was the last person on Earth he ever wanted to hurt.
“You’re right,” he said at last. “Tomorrow, Valley of Fire. You on?”
Belle smiled happily. “You bet!”
She stepped ahead of Uly to open the storm door for him. As she did so, a flashy figure approached the doorway.
Uly lost color and his face fell.
Belle reached for him. “Are you okay?”
Uly was grim. The laughter of the day fled at the sight of the man in the doorway. “Hello, Ahmed. Where the heck have you been?”
Ahmed was Middle Eastern with dark hair, deep brown eyes, and an olive complexion. He wore Western clothes, white slacks and an open-necked shirt. A gold chain hung around his neck. His English, however, was all American.
“Hey there, Uly. Gee, I’m glad to see you, too.” He glanced at Belle and an unspoken question furrowed his brow. “Sorry I’ve been out of touch. Your father sent me to work for Tex.”
Uly’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Of course he did. What’s your job description? Spy on Uly?”
Ahmed looked apologetic. “Hey, no, I’m one of the good guys, remember?” He glanced at Belle again. “Just wanted to say it’s all good. Our mutual friend is back in the USA.”
“Great,” said Uly. “I’m glad things worked out.” He snorted. “One out of three ain’t bad.”
Belle had had enough of the cryptic exchange. “Well, nice to meet you, Ahmed. If you’ll excuse us, I need to get my husband inside. It’s still very warm, and he has had a long day.”
Uly was pleased. Belle had done that all on her own. She hadn’t needed prompting at all. He resisted the urge to do a fist pump. Besides he needed both hands for using his crutches.
Ahmed stepped back out of the way. A moment later, a friendly looking man with a comfortable belly and chubby hands appeared in the entryway.
“Ulysses Garrison, as I live and breathe! Come in, son, come in. Your daddy told me you’d had an accident. But it looks like you’re doing all right. Lucky for you your wife is a nurse, ain’t it?”
His words hung in the air, daring others to contradict them.
Belle walked straight up to the man. She was taller than he was by four inches. She took his hand and pressed it between her own. “You must be Tex. Lulamae has said such wonderful things about you. I’m so pleased to meet you at last.”
Tex’s eyes lit up. “Darlin’, you are much too pretty for a Garrison. You look like a movie star.”
Lulamae’s voice cut him short. “Tex, don’t be saying sexist things to Belle. You pay him no mind, cherie. He thinks he’s complimenting you.” She stood in the great room, dressed in a ball gown, steadying herself with her cane.
Uly was worn out. His heart sank when he saw his godmother in a dress. “If we’re interrupting something, we can—”
“No, no, not at all,” boomed Tex. “I just brought some of my business associates home for a couple hours of cocktails and conversation. Mostly fruit juice, but hey, I aim to please. You two come on in. I’ll introduce you. Ahmed can translate.”
Belle held up an index finger. “Excuse me, but if I’m going to meet strangers, I’d like to freshen up and change into something more appropriate.” She added for Ahmed, “We’ve been sightseeing.”
Lulamae gave her a nod. “Good thinking, cherie. You go on, now. And take Uly with you. He looks all in.”
Uly was once again grateful for Belle’s quick thinking. As he followed her down the hall to their rooms, he asked softly, “Where’d you learn to think on your feet like that?”
“ER,” said Belle. “Go lie down. I’ll come in and help you change if you like, but you need to rest a bit.”
Uly turned to face her. “Belle, I—” But over her head he could see Ahmed lingering in the hallway. Uly felt anger rising like a tide within him. He shifted his gaze to Belle and murmured, “Come into my room after you change.” Then he pressed a dry kiss to her forehead before heading toward his room.
Once inside, Uly crutched to his bed, then threw the crutches at the wall before collapsing on the duvet. He threw an arm over his eyes and wondered what he’d done to end up once again in the middle of his father’s crazy business schemes. And Ahmed? Their rivalry went far beyond his father’s business dealings, and that made it even more difficult for Uly to think straight under the circumstances. But on the other hand, Ahmed had saved his life in Kuwait. He struggled with conflicted feelings.
Why couldn’t his father just conduct his business in a straightforward manner? Why was he always wheeling and dealing? Uly realized he had to accept the fact that he was not cut out for such shenanigans. He couldn’t keep track of all the nonsense his father had set in motion. Had he sent Ahmed to verify that Uly had followed his instructions? And what about the others? They would most certainly report back to their colleagues in Kuwait about meeting his wife.
And yet, how could he be angry? Because of Rudy, he’d married Belle.
Belle. A beautiful name for a gorgeous woman. He’d had so much fun with her today. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so long and so hard, over silly little things. Word play. Movie dialog. Sports trivia. And he was looking forward to more of it tomorrow and the day after that.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if he had to thank his father for the ridiculous circumstance that threw him together with Belle?
He snorted at the thought. He’d never thank Rudy for that or anything else. Well, maybe the two million in his bank account. But the fact was, his father’s convoluted deals had made his life miserable on numerous occasions, and this time they’d nearly gotten him killed.
He sat up when he heard a soft rap at the door. He hopped over to open it, expecting Belle.
“Ahmed.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed, man. Hey, I wanted to give you this.” He pressed some folded bills into Uly’s hand.
“That’s not necessary.”
“If Rudy had recalled me two days sooner, none of this would have happened. Take it.” He reached out with one foot and kicked playfully at Uly’s cast.
Belle emerged from her room in time to witness the tail end of the strange exchange.
Ahmed gave her a tight smile and retreated down the hall.
Uly stuffed the money in his pocket. “Come in.”
She entered, closing the door behind her. “How do I look?”
Uly smiled his approval. “Very pretty. Is that a skirt?”
“Palazzo pants. Looks like a skirt, flows like a skirt, feels like pants.” She held the pale blue legs out as wide as they would go. “I feel like I should be dancing in these. I had to improvise with the blouse. I was a little rushed while shopping. I fell in love with these but forgot to select a matching top.”
Uly was dazzled. “You look totally pulled together to me. That blouse is very pretty. All gauzy.”
Belle laughed softly. “That is so cute. You should do fashion narration.” She struck a pose and sucked her cheeks in. Using an affected accent, she droned, “Here we have Tabitha who is wearing Snarky Fashion’s latest all gauzy top with her totally pulled together pants that look like a skirt.”
Uly found himself laughing again, for the hundredth time that day. “Stop, stop. My ribs hurt from laughing so much.” He gasped for air.
Belle went to his side and sat on the edge of the bed. “If you’re going to attempt to socialize this evening, you need to take your pills now. And who is this creepy Ahmed guy?”
“You think he’s creepy?”
“Totally. He thinks he’s clever and subtle, but he can’t stop looking at your cast, and he also can’t stop looking at me. Did you know him in Kuwait?”
“Yes, and beyond.”
“But he sounds American.”
“He is American. His parents were immigrants. They made sure he grew up speaking their native tongue, so he could communicate with relatives back home. He studied international business. The day my father hired him, my life started taking a nose dive.” Uly stopped himself before he could reveal any more of his long history with Ahmed. If Belle thought the guy was creepy, maybe now wasn’t the time to get into the details.
“He said Rudy sent him to work for Tex. So he doesn’t work for your dad anymore?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that simple,” said Uly.
