The Sheik's Ruby (9 page)

Chet and some of his friends had worked since before dawn, separating the newborn calves from their mothers.

The cows, penned close by, were the source of the mournful noise—bellowing to have their calves returned.

“We’ve got a pretty good group this year.” Burke ran his palm over his short hair and replaced his white cowboy hat. “Let’s hurry and get these calves done and back to pasture.”

The smells and sounds brought back waves of nostalgia. For as long as Shelby could remember, branding day was a big deal. As far as traditions went, the event rivaled Christmas. Even as a toddler, she’d watched her dad and the other men through the fence while they worked. As Shelby grew, her responsibilities increased. The last few years, she worked as hard as the men wrestling the calves. Shelby felt a bit disappointed that this year, thanks to her injury, her jobs would be much less physical.

She crammed her hat over her hair and leaned on her crutches, zipping up her coat against the cold. Taking a deep breath, she followed her dad across the melting snow and mud to the corral. Shelby smelled the smoke from the fire. The flames had burned down, and the brands already sat in the hottest coals.

Burke and Chet rolled a large barrel over to the fence and overturned it outside the corral by the fire for Shelby to use for her equipment.

Shelby hopped around on her crutches, getting her tools and other paraphernalia set out and ready on the barrel. She was in charge of the tags and vaccinations, which she’d pass over the fence to the men. She put more wood on top of the fire to keep the irons hot, and then propped her crutches against the corral fence to keep them out of the way.

State law required each calf to be branded and tagged through the ear. Females got one color tag and males another. Shelby used a marker to write the numbers on the ear tags and loaded them into the hand-tool that attached them. Then, she filled a syringe with the clear liquid containing vitamins, antibiotic, and vaccination for the animals.

“Shels,” Chet yelled, “Look who’s here!”

Shelby glanced up and saw Dan had arrived with Jake. The sight of her old boyfriend made her stomach turn.
Great
.

“If it isn’t the fancy city girl getting her boots dirty.” Dan walked over and swept her into a giant bear hug. He set her back on the ground carefully, helping her to balance against the barrel before releasing her.

“Hey, Dan.” Shelby smiled at Lacey’s husband, refraining from comment on his new mustache. “Hey, Jake.”

“You’re looking good, Shel.” Jake gave her a quick, one-armed hug.

An awkward silence followed, and Shelby could have kissed Chet when he jogged over to thank Dan and Jake for coming.

“We got us some early winter calves this year. I think a few of ’em are big enough to give us a little rodeo.” Chet patted the two of them on the back.

Shelby hopped back and forth on her good leg, handing the men in the two pens the equipment as fast as she could. The men always competed light-heartedly to get the most calves done, and she didn’t want either group blaming her for losing because she was too slow.

Chapter Six

Hakim fought against the pounding of his heart, and his mouth went dry. He paused at the bottom of the steps, inhaled a deep breath, and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. His gaze darted once toward the car. Stepping onto the wooden porch stairs, he hesitated a moment, deciding whether to knock or ring the bell. Squaring his shoulders, he made up his mind and pushed the doorbell.

While he waited, doubts flooded his mind. Had he made a mistake? He thought back to the conversation earlier that morning. Nasir had raised various concerns about their expedition—How would they find Shelby in this town? How could he ensure Hakim’s safety in a place where they had no contacts and no information on the area? But, once Nasir understood Hakim’s wishes, he stopped trying to sway the prince.

The flight to Culver Springs in Hakim’s Gulf Stream had taken all night and most of the previous day. They had landed at the small airport twenty miles outside of town, rented a car, and found the ranch easily enough with the map and directions from the gas station attendant. Hakim found he had quite enjoyed the excitement of their unplanned adventure. He’d never done anything like it before.

When they arrived, Hakim had wanted to go alone to the ranch, but Nasir refused. Hakim almost laughed when Nasir surveyed Culver Springs with suspicion, complaining he couldn’t do his job and keep the prince safe in this unpredictable environment.

Nasir pointed out most of the street signs were riddled with bullet holes. The roads twisted randomly, giving minimal visibility.

They reached the compromise that Nasir would drive him and remain close by in case of an emergency. To Nasir, this meant patrolling the perimeter of the property. Hakim worried the Walkers and their neighbors would feel uncomfortable with the large Arab driving around, but Nasir’s training enabled him to be invisible and assess any situation. He had assured Hakim he could be discreet.

The sound of footsteps pulled Hakim back to the present. The knob turned. The woman who answered the door appeared so much like Shelby that he was speechless for a moment. Then he saw her nervous expression as she looked him over, taking in his entire appearance. He hadn’t even considered people might be alarmed at finding a foreign stranger on their front porch. “Is this the Walker residence?”

“Yes.” She glanced behind him and then returned her gaze to his. “I’m Debbie Walker. How can I help you?”

“I am looking for Shelby. My name is Hakim Khalid.” When he saw hesitation on Mrs. Walker’s face, he continued, “I was with Shelby when she had her accident. I wanted to make sure she is all right.” He still sensed a little reservation in her manner.

Debbie smiled tightly. “I’m just headed out to the field with lunch. How about you ride along?” She squinted her eyes. “You’ll have to change your shoes, though. Let me see what I can find in Chet’s room. Go ahead and make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.”

Hakim turned and signaled to the car.

As he’d promised, Nasir waved and drove out of the driveway.

Hakim followed Debbie into the house, and once he was left alone, he studied the living room, fascinated. The first thing he noticed was the deer head hanging above the fireplace. The couches looked old, comfortable, and well-worn with a knitted afghan draped across the back of each. An old TV sat in the corner next to a bookshelf full of DVDs.

This was the first time he’d ever been in an American home. In fact, he couldn’t remember ever coming to any house and ringing the doorbell for a visit. Nearly all of his appointments were planned, scheduled, and announced weeks, sometimes months, ahead. Most of his interactions with others took place only in formal meetings.

Walker family pictures in mismatched frames filled the mantel above the fireplace. Studying them, Hakim recognized a picture of Shelby as a little girl wearing cowboy boots and sitting on a tire swing holding a popsicle that dripped all over her hands and shirt. Her hair was pulled into two braids, and she grinned with a mouth full of missing teeth. How different her childhood had been from his. He tried to imagine growing up in this house. Hakim still held the picture when Debbie returned with a pair of boots and a jacket.

“Wasn’t my little Shelby adorable?” she said. “She was quite a little spitfire. Never wanting to comb her hair or wear girl clothes. While her friends were dressing like princesses, she was running around outside with her pockets full of frogs.”

Hakim smiled at the image and placed the frame back on the mantel.

“I rustled up some boots. I think you and Chet probably wear close to the same size.” She held up a pair of worn leather boots. “Also, I grabbed you a jacket. It’s my husband Burke’s. You don’t want to get your nice clothes all dirty.”

Looking at Debbie, Hakim recognized Shelby’s bright blue eyes. They were the same color and shape, but where the skin around Shelby’s eyes was smooth, and they shined with life and energy, the fine lines around her mother’s spoke of experience and compassion. “Thank you.”

Debbie excused herself to give him a moment to change.

He slipped on Chet’s boots and traded his leather jacket for Burke’s denim one. He had never borrowed clothes before. Hakim was surprised to feel so comfortable with Debbie fussing over him. His throat constricted, and he felt the loss of his mother all over again. For a moment, he wondered how different his life would have been if she had lived to raise him. A succession of nannies and tutors had ensured his safety and education, but they had been paid to care about him. Shelby’s mother’s small act made him realize how much he missed a mother’s attention.

“All set? Let’s get going then.” Debbie re-entered the room carrying a cooler. “Here you go. Can you put this in the back seat while I grab my keys?”

“Of course.” Hakim held the door for Debbie, put the cooler in the car, and they rode the short way down the lane. He felt the nagging self-doubt that had accompanied him throughout the last few days. Was he doing the right thing? Would Shelby want to see him again?

Hakim watched out the window as Debbie drove down the dirt lane, passing corrals and outbuildings. They pulled in next to a group of pick-up trucks, and Hakim could see the black-and-white masses of cattle separated into various pens. He tried to discern what was taking place. People worked with the smaller animals, and as soon as Hakim got out of the car, he spotted Shelby. He raised a hand in greeting, his heart racing.

Shelby turned from handing something through the fence and froze with her brow wrinkled. “Hakim?”

“Shelby.” He closed the gap between them with a few long strides and took her hand in both of his. Her confused expression was replaced by a wide grin, dispelling any question about whether he had made the right choice about coming.

“Hakim, what are you doing here?”

Hakim glanced over her shoulder at the unfamiliar people, uncomfortable with all the gazes scrutinizing him. “Shelby, I was unsure what to say when I arrived.” He paused, rubbed the back of his neck, and then leaned closer. His heart felt light when he saw her smile. “I just knew I needed to see you again.”

Shelby squeezed his hand. “I’m so glad you came.”

“What’s going on here?” A tall man in a cowboy hat tromped over to them. “Gosh, Shels, you could at least introduce us.”

Shelby rolled her eyes. She let go of Hakim’s hand and grabbed the handle of her crutches. “Hakim, this is my annoying little brother, Chet.”

“Little, nothing,” Chet held his hand toward him. “Hey, Hakim, how’s it going? Cool beard.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Chet,” Hakim said. “Your mother loaned me your boots. Thank you.” He stared at Chet’s extended hand, unused to another person acting familiar enough to initiate a greeting.

“No big deal. You can borrow my ropers whenever.” Chet grasped his hand and shook it, clapping his other on the back of Hakim’s. “Looks like you got here right in time. We’ve still got some wrangling to do. You ever branded calves, Hakim?”

“I have not, but would be glad to assist you as much as I am able.”
Branding…me?
Hakim hoped his uncertainty didn’t show on his face.

“Good man.” Chet grinned, smacking Hakim on the back and heading over to where Debbie was handing out sandwiches.

“Hakim, you don’t have to do this. My family would understand if we got out of here.” Shelby jerked her head to the side.

“I came to be with you, Shelby. If you are branding cattle, then that is where I wish to be. Besides, I have the boots.” He smiled and held up a foot. “For me to miss my opportunity to be an American cowboy would be a shame.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.” She shook her head. “You’d better come meet my dad. He’s always grateful for extra help.”

They walked to where the group was eating lunch. The men all sat or leaned wherever they could find a spot.

Debbie and a man whom Hakim assumed was Shelby’s father sat in the cab of a pick-up. When Shelby and Hakim approached, the older man opened the door and stepped out.

“Dad, I want you to meet my friend, Hakim Khalid.” Shelby moved her hand back and forth between the men. “Hakim, this is my dad, Burke Walker.”

Burke wiped off his hand on his jeans and extended it to Hakim.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Hakim said with a small bow.

“Howdy, Hakim.” Burke nodded. “You were one of the friends with Shelby when she had her accident?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you,” Burke said in his gruff voice. “Thanks for helping my little girl.” He patted Hakim on the shoulder and cleared his throat. “You hungry, son? You’ll need your energy if you’re gonna wrangle with these boys.”

Debbie hopped out of the truck and opened the cooler on the ground. “We’ve got sandwiches here. Most of them are ham.” She paused, and her gaze moved to Hakim. “I hope I don’t sound too ignorant. I mean, we don’t get many foreigners around here. Do you eat ham, Hakim? If not, I think there are still turkey sandwiches on the bottom.”

“Thank you for being sensitive to my culture. I am not forbidden by religion, but pork is not a very common food in my country. I would prefer the turkey.”

Shelby rested her crutches against the truck and used her arms to push herself up onto the tail gate.

Hakim sat beside her while they ate their sandwiches.

“Hey, Shels. So’s this your ‘gentleman friend’ Lace was talking about?” Another man with a dark mustache strode toward them.

Shelby gave him a playful shove on the arm, holding on to the side of the truck bed for balance. “Hakim, this is Dan Peterson. He’s married to my best friend, Lacey.”

“Nice to meet you, Dan.” Hakim shook his hand

Another cowboy walked past without looking at the three of them and grunted.

Hakim raised his eyebrows, appalled by the floppy-haired man’s lack of respect. Such a thing would never happen in his country without a penalty.

“And that idiot is Dan’s friend, Jake,” Shelby said. “Just ignore him.”

After the meal was over, Burke handed Hakim a pair of gloves.