The Sheikh's Christmas Baby (Shadid Sheikhs 3)

“She is.”

“So what’s the matter?”

Julia sniffed and sighed. “Kristy is down at the real estate office. She had the deed for the farm in her hand. I don’t know what happened, but she couldn’t even talk to me about it. When I asked her what was wrong, she started crying and telling me that she saw no other way out of it.”

Shock cascaded through him as he stared at her. “Kristy is selling the farm?” Why wouldn’t she have told him? Silently answering his own question, because she thinks I hate her.

“I think so. I know things haven’t been going well here, but I guess I didn’t realize how bad until I looked at the books. It’s not her fault. She can’t be blamed for the nicer resort or global warming, but I could see the guilt in her eyes. I’d bail her out, but we don’t have the money.”

“What does she plan to do when she sells?”

Julia got up and grabbed the laptop. “I found these on her computer this morning. I think she’s planning on working strictly with the dogs for training classes.”

Kashif pulled up the websites and couldn’t help but smile. Kristy had looked at sand sledding first before moving on to training search and rescue dogs. They weren’t terrible ideas. Kristy could go back to her love of training, and with her talents, she’d whip her dogs and anyone else’s, into shape in no time.

But that’s not what her dogs were meant to do, and that saddened him more than he wanted to admit.

“Julia, do you know which agency Kristy went to?”

“There’s only one in town. Kathryn Dulles is the only real estate agent that we have.”

Kashif nodded. “All right. Kristy said that I could spend the day with Arella. Is it alright if I take her for a walk in the forest?”

“Sure. Just be careful. A single hair out of place on that girl, and Kristy will murder you and bury your body where no one will ever find you.”

“Duly noted,” he chuckled. “Come on, Arella, we’ve got a few things that we need to do today. Are you up for it?”

“Puppies?”

He nodded his head. “Sure. We can take the puppies, but let’s leave the goat at home, deal?”

“Deal!”

Later that night, Kristy couldn’t sleep. Wandering downstairs to get something to drink, instead of returning to her bedroom, she found herself in Kashif’s room.

She could still smell him as she stretched out on his bed. Burrowing in the warmth, she closed her eyes and imagined that instead of the coverlet, it was his arms wrapped around her, protecting her. Alone, and unable to keep it together any longer, she didn’t bother to swallow back the tears that gathered in her eyes.

How had everything gone so wrong? Two weeks ago, she was a hard-working single mother who managed to make her life work. Now, sh

e knew the difference between existing and living her life. And as soon as she’d realized how she felt about Kashif, how happy she was to have him in her life again, she lost him.

Kristy could understand how he must feel. His words continued to squeeze around her heart. Lies. Betrayal. He was so right.

“Please come back,” she whispered in the darkness. “I love you.”

As usual, the darkness refused to respond.

Finally, she cried herself to sleep. It was a merciful sleep, devoid of dreams, and she had no idea how much time had passed, but when she woke up, she knew that she wasn’t alone.

The bed dipped as someone sat on it, and she immediately recognized his presence. Kashif cupped her face and stroked his thumb across her cheek as if to wipe away the tears.

“Kash?” she whispered not daring to believe he was really there. “Is that really you or am I dreaming again. Please don’t let it be a dream.” The tears from last night appeared again and she tried to wipe them away but he beat her to it.

Rubbing her cheeks gently with his thumb. “I am very real. I promise you,” he murmured.

“But you hate me. I was awful. I kept Arella from you. I shouldn’t have. She deserves a father like you. Only you. She deserves you. Kash, I don’t know what I’m saying. Oh, God, please, if I wake up now, this will be so very bad.”

“Shh,” he whispered. “You don’t have to say anything, habibti. Just enjoy the moment.”