Even if she might have a point, especially where he was concerned. He didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to long-term loving relationships. "Look at the view from here." They'd reached a bend in the road and a gap in the trees revealed a clear view down to a river sparkling in a valley below them. "Isn't it amazing to see a river running here so close to the vast barren desert?"
"This whole mountain range seems to rise up out of nowhere. I guess it shows you that life can flourish in surprising places."
"And joy can flourish in unexpected places, too."
She turned sharply to look at him. "You're a flirt."
"Either that or I'm speaking the truth."
"Or both." She laughed. "I think you're very easy to take at face value."
"Good. Would you like to walk down toward the river? There's a path here-look." A narrow trail between the trees zigzagged across the hillside.
"Why not?" The sparkle was back in her eyes. "In fact, I'll lead the way." The kestrel spiraled overhead as she proceeded-gingerly-down the gravelly path toward the sparkling water in the wadi below. He enjoyed the view of her body in the fitted jeans that showed off her athletic-looking curves. The mystery of her traditional clothing had its own allure, but he preferred the what-you-see-is-what-you-get simplicity of Western clothing. Maybe mystery wasn't his thing. His hands itched to run themselves over her lithe body, but he counseled himself to take it slow. Take your time. It will be worth it. The last thing he wanted was to add to her burden of grief and regret. When they parted, he wanted to leave her smiling.
His own thoughts jolted him, and he almost slipped on the loose ground. Why was he thinking about their parting already? In business he always had an exit strategy in mind. Was he the same in relationships, even though he'd never admitted it to himself?
Something felt different this time, though. What were his intentions with Dani? She was quieter and gentler than the kind of women he usually dated, and that made him take their whole new relationship more seriously. He knew everything that happened between them would mean a lot to her, and that made it important to him, too. Already he felt a connection to her far deeper than such a short acquaintance would normally produce. He wanted to make her happy.
"Almost there!" She flashed him a brilliant smile that made his breath catch in his lungs. In moments like this he could see Dani shake off the shroud of fear and transform back into the vibrant young woman she was supposed to be. Her exhilaration was catching and he bounded down the last few yards like a clumsy gazelle, arriving on the pebbled shoreline at the same tizme she did.
"I wonder if the water is cold." He crouched and dipped his fingers in it. "Yes. It must be spring water."
She let her fingers play in the water. "In the old days there were underground channels that carried water hundreds of miles through the desert-all the way to the cities-without evaporating."
"Proves that in some ways our ancestors were more advanced than we are. Today that kind of pipeline is usually filled with oil."
"One day something else will replace the oil. A few centuries ago the frankincense trade was the beating heart of this area. You still see the trees dotting the landscape. Some of them are hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands. They tap them for the sap, which dries into hard chunks of frankincense. People still burn it for the aroma, though it isn't worth more than gold anymore."
"Value is always relative." Quasar splashed water on his face and neck. "Anyone in business will tell you that. Can't knock the oil, though. It made my family wealthy, though they've since branched out. Is your father in the oil industry?"
"He used to be. Right now he's employed by the latest building boom. He does pretty well but for some reason he's always complaining. I think he feels he should be a millionaire by now. He's never satisfied. He's griping about supporting me again. I wish I could find a job."
"Have you looked?"
"Here in Salalah?" She laughed. "I haven't. I've just assumed there's nothing in my field."
"Don't give up before you even try." He splashed a little water at her. She shrieked and splashed him back. Suddenly they were engaged in an all-out splash war that left them both drenched and breathless-and kissing again.
Four
Dani's clothes had almost dried by the time she unlocked the back door to the house and snuck in, hoping no one had noticed Quasar's car on their street. He could hardly drop her off at the market damp and disheveled, so she had to take the risk.
"Where have you been?" She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of Khalid's voice.
"Why are you home from school so early?"
He stood in the hallway looking gangly and awkward in his too-small school uniform. At fifteen, he was going through a teenage growth spurt and had shot up about three inches just since she'd been home. "Our algebra teacher is having surgery. They let us go home. Why are your jeans wet at the bottom?" His eyes traveled back up to meet hers. "And why are you wearing jeans at all. I thought Dad told you to dress traditionally."
"I'm a grown-up. I can dress how I want." She attempted to sweep past him but the hallway was narrow and their elbows bumped.
"Hmm. Sounds like you were doing something you're not supposed to."
"I know. Walking around without a male relative. It's a shame you weren't here or I could have taken you with me to the dry cleaner."
"How did you get wet at the dry cleaner?" He was following her down the hallway.
"I stepped in a ditch. Someone must have just emptied water in it." The lie made her flesh creep a little. It was pathetic that she couldn't even tell her own younger brother that she'd spent the afternoon in the mountains. He'd probably be interested in hearing about the steppe eagle they saw, but she knew her father would freak out and possibly never leave her unattended again if he knew she'd been out in a car with a strange man. There was no way she could tell the truth.
Which was ridiculous. "Are you going to follow me into the shower?"
"Why are you taking a shower in the middle of the afternoon?" Her brother's question grated on her nerves. He wasn't a bad kid. She'd been trying to get to know him since she'd been back here, since the age difference between them meant they'd never been especially close. He'd only been about six when she'd gone off to the United States for college. He was very by-the-book, though. The kind of person who'd never be able to sleep at night if his homework wasn't done and his teeth not brushed. He was not someone she'd dare confide in.
"I'm hot. It's always hot here in Oman, but I guess I'm not used to it anymore."
"What's it like living in America? I bet it's pretty cool."
His wistful voice made her turn. Leaning against the wall he looked much less like an inquisitor and more like a curious fifteen-year-old. "It is pretty cool. The food takes some getting used to but there's stuff going on all day and night and more places to go than you can imagine."
"Do you think Dad would let me go there for college? He let you go."
She sighed. "I don't know." He probably wouldn't be willing to risk another of his offspring going astray. She hadn't exactly stuck with the program. "Wait until the dust has settled. I think he's still stirred up about me being back here with my life in shambles. He doesn't think America is a very good influence."
"Do you think it's a bad influence?"
She frowned. "No. It's big, though, and confusing. You have to be careful or you can just...get lost." She'd lost herself, giving her heart and soul to a man who could never be happy.
At least now she could see that the fault lay with him. It had taken some time to gain that perspective. And even now she wondered what she could have done differently. What she could do differently in the future so she didn't screw up again.
Quasar was different. Excitement flickered in her heart at the thought of him. Khalid walked back down the hall toward his own room, and she sagged with relief. She'd been afraid to even let Quasar cross her mind until her brother had taken his keen eyes off her. She worried about what he might see-a telltale sparkle in her eyes, a giveaway flush in her cheek. Even thinking about him produced a physical reaction. It was startling and disturbing.
She closed the door of her room behind her and glanced down at the wet cuffs of her jeans. She'd better hope Khalid didn't mention anything to her father. And if he did she'd better have a good story. A glance in the mirror showed that her face was tanned from their afternoon in the sun. She unwound her headscarf and let her hair fall down her back. A memory assaulted her of Quasar's fingers raking through the long strands, of his hand pressing against the base of her skull as they kissed, so deep and long that she could barely breathe.