Chapter 9
“Its just like a man to leave us here with all the kids when we have to do something important like take them all to the doctor for shots,” Shawna grumbled to Abra as she held a fussy Alexi and tried to control a rambunctious Kess. Kadeem sat quietly in the corner, sulking like he always did when he was with Shawna, and Shawna was positive the boy didn’t like her. And as for Abra, well, Shawna wasn’t positive the woman could understand everything Shawna said.
“Rafee didn’t have to go baby-sit Nik,” Shawna continued. “Not that you can probably understand all this, but remember one thing, Abra, men are babies when it comes to taking care of all the details. Complete and total babies. Even Rafee.”
Abra smiled politely and nodded. Yep, she didn’t understand a damn word. And Kadeem was now glaring at her. She frowned and returned her attention to Alexi who just wouldn’t shut up.
“Shawna,” came a welcoming sounding voice and Shawna glanced up to see Doctor Stacy Chen, white lab coat, smiling with sincere surprise. “It’s good to see you again. Is anything wrong?”
Since they were in the hospital waiting for their pediatric appointment, it was no wonder Stacy thought something was wrong. Shawna shook her head and standing to meet Stacy’s height said, “No. Just waiting for our doctor appointment with Doctor Plummer.”
“Oh, he’s a wonderful pediatrician. Have you seen him before?”
“Yes. He saw Kess when she was a baby. And its time for Alexi’s shots and we have to have Kadeem evaluated…I don’t think he’s had all the vaccinations we require in
Stacy looked at the teen boy in the corner who had taken rapidly to American dress. Then her eyes landed on Abra, still dressed much more traditional, and she smiled with sympathy. “I see the family made it in from Kumar,” she surmised.
“They did. Most have come and gone already. Abra and Kadeem here are from Johar and will be staying awhile.” Then, remembering her manners, Shawna nodded down to Abra and said, “Abra, this is Doctor Chen.”
“Doctor?” Abra asked in English and immediately smiled and stood. She shook Stacy’s hand and said in her broken English, “I work with doctor in Johar.”
“Were you a nurse?” Stacy asked back and Abra looked at Shawna beseechingly while Shawna racked her brain for the correct word in Arabic.
Beating her to it, Kadeem spoke to Abra and Abra shook her head saying, “Not real nurse. No…training.”
The boy had obviously picked up his share of English. Then again, he spent hours with the men learning all he could about his new home. But when it came time to learn anything Shawna had to teach him, he ignored her or pretended not to understand. He was never willful, he just wasn’t very cooperative.
And Abra had done her best to bridge the gap between Kadeem and Shawna. She was a very calming presence in the house. And she was trying her hardest to learn English and American ways. But she was often shy, often reserved and not entirely believing of her own abilities.
Shawna noticed, however, that when Stacy began talking about nursing that Abra’s eyes had lit up. Abra had looked interested, in fact, since they’d stepped foot in the small local hospital. Thinking it might be good for Abra to get to know someone in the medical field since she had worked so closely with Ali in Johar, Shawna said, “Abra helped save Rafee’s life in Johar. She is very knowledgeable, I am told. I think she has a knack for medicine.”
With a polite smile Stacy looked at Abra and said, “I don’t have to start my shift for a while. Would you like me to show you around the hospital?”
“Show me?” Abra asked back.
Stacy nodded and Abra’s eyes immediately lit up again. “Please. Yes.”
Abra stood and Kadeem did as well to follow. Shawna shot a hand out and grasped the teen’s wrist saying, “Not so fast, buddy. You have a doctor to see.”
He glared down at Shawna but she didn’t let go. Finally he relented and sat back down.
“I do not like you,” Kadeem growled lowly and Shawna let out a sarcastic chuckle.
“Good to know I wasn’t imagining it all,” she mumbled. “But sorry, Kadeem, I’m here to stay. And you don’t have to like me; you just have to listen to me.”
**
Emir was settled in his room downstairs. It was the room furthest away from Jenny’s at Villa Serena and it didn’t shock her any that Nik had been so tactical in his room assignment for Emir. But she wasn’t going to whine anymore about that to Emir, for Emir was being polite and trying not to drive a wedge between Jenny and Nik. Jenny, however, wasn’t going to stand for this…not after all she had endured in Johar.
She found Nik in his study with Tara and Nico. They were talking and watching Nico scribble on a piece of paper with his crayons. Being the doting father, of course, Nik insisted it was the best artwork he had ever seen and the precocious little boy beamed brightly.
“Jenny,” Tara said with a sincere smile. “This is a surprise. I didn’t think you’d come back until tomorrow for your birthday. What brings you by tonight?”
Jenny narrowed her eyes at Nik. “Didn’t Nik fill you in? He fetched me.”
Tara turned curious eyes Nik’s way.
“I simply invited her and her friend to stay with us at Villa Serena. Nothing more,” he defended in that oh-so-perfectly-poised way of his.
Jenny frowned at him. “Invited? Yeah, I call it ‘inviting’ someone when you bring Rafee along.”
“Rafee was perfectly behaved, was he not?”
Tara’s head was moving back and forth from Jenny to Nik like she was watching a tennis match. All the while the little lines in her forehead were growing more pronounced with concern.
“He was, but just his mere presence insists one must follow orders. Did you really think Emir would refuse?” Jenny postulated.
“If he was any sort of gentleman and had any respect for you, then no, I didn’t think he would refuse. That tells me something about his character,” Nik answered.
It was then that Tara held up a halting hand. “Whoa, just a minute. Emir’s in town?”
Jenny and Nik both nodded their heads.
“He’s downstairs,” Jenny announced.
Tara appeared confused over this news and looked pointedly at her husband. “You invited houseguests over that you didn’t tell me about, Nik?”
“It was spur of the moment,” he defended.
“It was an ambush,” Jenny insisted.
Nik remained cool, his face never gave anything away and Jenny wanted to hate him for his interference but couldn’t. He had been hers and Tara’s rock for years. He had replaced her dead father—Walter—and now that the senator was insisting he was Jenny’s blood father, she knew that Nik would be there to lend her a shoulder as well. But this thing with Emir…well, Jenny had a feeling it made Nik a little crazy.
Trying a different tact, Jenny placed a hand upon her hip and asked, “Why is it that you allowed me to fly down to LA when I was a younger girl and stay with Christian and yet you won’t allow me to even be near Emir without an armed guard?”
With a slightly cocky smile, Nik replied, “Simple. Christian had a very vigilant mother and he wasn’t a Johar soldier with ideas of marrying you.”
“Johar officer,” Jenny corrected. “And you should be pleased that he’s serious about me.”
“Not when you’re just eighteen I’m not.”
Sighing and thinking that she’d have better luck banging her head into a wall, Jenny said, “Nik, you have to realize something…you have to realize what I went through in Johar. And I know you can understand what I’m talking about because you were there. I grew up in that war. I grew up quickly. And Emir was my rock. Always my rock. Can you at least give him some credit for that?”
“I can admit he is brave and provided for your protection adequately. But I cannot and will not accept you marrying him this young.”
“And I’m not planning on getting married anytime soon. He knows that,” Jenny argued.
“Does he? Do you honestly think a man as young, virile and handsome as he will wait forever for you, Jenny? Do you really think you will maintain your innocence that long? I doubt it.”
She rolled her eyes. She should have been blushing hearing Nik talk of her “innocence” so, but she wasn’t. She could have a candid conversation and not blush. She could.
“So you just think he’ll use me for sex then hightail it back to Johar?” Jenny asked pointedly and Tara groaned saying, “I don’t think I want to hear this conversation any longer,” and left with Nico in tow.
“No. I think he has every intention of marrying you. Marrying you now. And that, I cannot allow,” Nik said.
“Oh, so he’s simply going to pack me away in his luggage, kidnap me to Johar and lock me in his cellar. Yeah, I think that’s more likely,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I wish you would quit with the sarcasm and quit sounding so defiant, Jenny,” Nik quipped. “I am being reasonable here.”
“No, you’re not. And in case you don’t understand American law, tomorrow, I am perfectly legal. I can marry anyone I want or I can sleep with anyone I want and I won’t be breaking any laws. And if you are so concerned about my innocence or lack there of, you shouldn’t be laying down such absurd ultimatums, because that is just the incentive I need to defy you!”
With those angry words Jenny turned on her heal and ran. But she didn’t cry. No, she was too mad, too incredibly incensed to cry. Instead, she rushed down the long curving stairs and raced out of the front door, oblivious to the small crowd that had gathered in the living room for conversation and unknowing that Emir was chasing after her.
**
“Kess, come on, use the potty,” Rafee was pleading and Kess remained in the bathroom, legs crossed, eyes nearly bulging with her need but still refusing.
“No…princess pu-up,” she demanded, wanting her princess character pull-ups and Shawna stifled a laugh as she put a sleeping Alexi in the crib.
Abra was in the nursery with her, folding some of Alexi’s clothes that had been laundered and putting them away. The door to the connecting bathroom was open and both women could hear the conversation between father and daughter. Even Abra was trying not to laugh.
“Kess…please. Daddy will get you anything you want tomorrow if you will just be a big girl and use the potty,” he said squatting down to her level.
“From desert warrior to potty-trainer,” Shawna quipped and she was rewarded with one of Rafee’s lethal glares.
“Perhaps you can do better then?” he challenged and Shawna simply strode past him, slipped off Kess’s pants and placed her on the toilet. “Yes, in fact, I can. Don’t bargain, just do.”
She walked back into the nursery, gathered Kess’s nightgown and tossed it Rafee’s way. “You can put her to bed.”
Abra followed Shawna out of the nursery, a wide smile on her face, and even though the two women couldn’t communicate entirely perfectly, their expressions said it all. Then Abra surprised Shawna by placing a hand upon her arm and halting her descent down the stairs.
“Thank you for…visit to…hospital. I like Dr. Chen very much,” Abra said.
“I figured you would like to see a modern hospital.”
“Yes, I like hospital. Maybe I work…in hospital one day.”
Shawna smiled, thinking that wasn’t such a bad option for Abra, and was rewarded with an offer of, “You and Rafee go…take walk. I listen for babies.”
It had become a ritual of sorts for Rafee and Shawna to stroll down to see the progress on the house each night. Some nights it was legitimately for looking at the construction, other nights it was just to sneak away for romance. Whatever the case, Shawna relished in the time alone with her husband. It was time they needed and both wanted.
“Thank you, Abra,” Shawna said and disappeared into her room to grab a sweatshirt.
She emerged a moment later, just as Rafee was leaving the nursery and she told him of Abra’s offer. He smiled wickedly, said his thanks to Abra and whisked Shawna off and out the door.
They walked, arms around one another in the cold night air, down the gravel drive. They didn’t talk for it wasn’t necessary. They just walked. And when they reached the house they looked at the progress and Shawna was pleased.
“You like it so far?” Rafee asked.
“I do. It’s wonderful.”
“You need to meet with a designer this week to pick out your kitchen cabinets and countertops and appliances. It all has to be ordered as soon as possible so that we stay on schedule.”
“Yes, oh mighty task-master,” Shawna teased.
“Silly woman,” he scolded as he tossed her over his shoulder and headed for their private bed in the back bedroom. “But I’ll remedy that sass by showing you who’s really boss.”
“Oh yeah, if you’re so in charge, why couldn’t you get a toddler to pee in the potty?” Shawna questioned as Rafee literally tossed her onto the bed.
“Because, not even the mighty Sheik Rafee can do that. No one can. Toddlers are notoriously impossible creatures.”
Suddenly Shawna remembered her trip to the doctor today and she frowned. “Yes, just like teens are.”
Rafee fell down next to her and faced her on the bed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, Kadeem hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“He does. He even told me today that he didn’t like me. He only grudgingly follows my orders because of you. Not because he gives a rat’s ass about what I say.”
Rafee appeared thoughtful as he stared up at the ceiling.
“I guess I could tell you he’s still upset over all that’s happened or that he’s not used to having a mother around…but that would just be a bunch of excuses. I’m not sure how teens think. And he listens to Abra so well. Why not you?”
“I don’t know. You tell me,” Shawna insisted.
“Is it a cultural thing?” Rafee proposed.
“Could be, but he seems to like
“He is.”
“I think,” Shawna proposed, “that he is somehow jealous that he has to share you with me and Kess and Alexi. He feels like he doesn’t perhaps fit into our family yet. Maybe he fears I’ll talk you out of keeping him.”
“You never would,” he declared.
“Of course I wouldn’t. It’s not to say I’m happy that we now have an additional child in our family that I never planned for…but I’m not cold-hearted. I’ll be a mother to him…if he’ll just let me.”
“Perhaps when this house is finished…once he sees his own room and gets to really be part of our family instead of just a guest at Villa Serena, he’ll fit in,” Rafee suggested.
Shawna laid her head on Rafee’s shoulder and felt him loop his arm around her. “I hope so. I really, really hope so.”
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The Sheiks of Kumar IX: Family Reunion – Chapter 10