The Sheik's Ruby (2 page)

Shelby leaned back in her seat, gazing up at the majestic view above the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The updates the resort had made improved the ski experience, and she was excited to try all the new runs. “So, where did you learn to ski like that?”

“Various places. New South Wales, Austria, Oslo.” He shrugged. “I have skied since I was young. We also have an indoor ski resort near my home.”

“Indoor skiing?” She jerked her head around and faced him with widened eyes. “Where is home?” If he’d skied in all those places, he wasn’t as inexperienced as she’d thought. And
indoor skiing
? That would be an excellent angle for an article. Hakim might just be someone she wanted to get to know better—
for his ski experience,
not his dark eyes and white smile
.

“Khali-dar. You have probably never heard of my small country.”

Again, she detected the slightest hint of an accent. Something about the way he pronounced “
h
” from the back of his throat. Shelby nodded once. “On the Arabian Peninsula near Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. I
have
heard of it.”

His eyebrows arched. “I have spoken with few Americans who knew of my country.”

“I’m not like most people. I really like geography. When I was a kid, I spent hours poring over my dad’s atlas.” Shelby glanced at her companion. She estimated he was not much older than she, although discerning his age was difficult with his ski hat. Thick lashes ringed his deep brown eyes. He had a thin mustache. A well-trimmed beard just covered the tip of his chin, and a small triangle of whiskers sat right below his bottom lip.
Like a goatee with no sides.
But what drew her gaze were his straight, white teeth. When he smiled, his top teeth overlapped his bottom teeth perfectly. “Hakim Khalid?” Shelby broke the silence. “That’s not your full name, is it?”

He studied her for a moment, squinting. “My proper name is Hakim Abdal-Salam bin Rashid Al Khalid. In my experience, Americans tend to shorten names. But, as we have established, you are not like most people.”

“So, your father’s name is Rashid?”

“From where does this knowledge of foreign name dissection derive?” A smile quirked at the edges of his mouth.

“I took a Middle-Eastern culture class in college.”

“Is Shelby Walker
your
full name?”

“I guess my proper name is Shelby Jo Walker,” she mimicked his manner.

“And your mother is named Jo?”

“No, my mom is Debbie. Jo is short for Josephine. That’s my grandma.” Shelby slid her poles beneath her knee to hold them in place on the swinging lift chair and pressed down between her fingers to push her gloves on tightly.

“Where is your home, Shelby Jo Walker?” He shifted in the seat, holding on to the bar over his head.

“I’m from a small town in Southern Colorado called Culver Springs. You’ve probably never heard of it.”

“No, I have not,” he admitted.

“It’s about a five hour drive from here. I still consider it home even though I don’t live there now. I moved to Denver for college and stayed.”

The conversation tapered off as they neared the top of the lift. They each busied themselves adjusting gloves and pole straps until the time came to slide off the quad chair.

Unlike the first run, this one was not a wide, open track, but a series of “chutes”—trails leading through trees and around rocks. Knowing how difficult chute skiing was, Shelby didn’t mention a rematch. She set a fast but not deadly pace, free-styling through the trees, rocks, and powder on the steep, un-groomed trails. Glancing back from a parallel trail, she noticed his eyes were squinted, and she smiled. He was a pretty good sport. Again, Shelby saw only one other skier on the hill. The new runs had certainly cut down on the crowds. She’d have to remember that for her article.

A cat track sloped at a gentler incline, linking them to another run. The two slowed their pace and moved to the lift line.

“What is indoor skiing like? How is it even possible?” Shelby pushed up her goggles.
This could be a perfect angle for my next story.

Hakim slid forward on his skis as the line moved. “The runs are rather limited, obviously. The snow is man-made. A ski-lift conveys you to the top of a slope inside a giant, refrigerated dome. The ceiling is the stage for a fantastic lightshow. The major advantage, of course, is that the weather is not a factor. No snow falls in Khali-dar, but one can ski any day of the year.”

“That’s amazing!” Shelby made a mental note to look up indoor ski slopes on the internet when she got home. “How did anyone ever dream up that idea? Let alone afford it?”

“Khali-dar is an amazing place,” he answered.

For the next few hours, they took turns choosing different runs. Shelby picked a lift that led to another, higher up the mountain. Weaving back and forth over the network of trails, the run took much longer than the others. By the time they reached the bottom, the time was nearly noon, and Shelby’s stomach rumbled. “Can I buy you a cup of chili?” she asked, when they stopped in front of the snack shop.

“That is not necessary.”

“Are you just saying that to be polite, or do you hate chili? Or do you have other plans for lunch?” She stepped out of her ski binding.

Hakim’s silence stretched for several long seconds. He rubbed the back of his neck with his gloved hand, his brows furrowed.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Shelby knelt and pretended to adjust her other ski to conceal the color spreading over her cheeks.

He cleared his throat. “Shelby, I do not wish to offend you—”

“Oh, no, I understand. Not a big deal.” Shelby tried to keep the embarrassment out of her voice and turned to leave.

He touched her shoulder. “Wait, please let me explain myself. Where I come from, gender roles are much more…traditional. For a woman to initiate something like this would be almost forbidden. I was just surprised for a moment and unsure how to respond. Please allow me to try again.” Taking a deep breath, he smiled. “Shelby Walker, I would love to have lunch with you.” His gaze held hers. “I apologize for acting rudely.”

Relief washed over her. “You weren’t rude. That’s something I should have remembered from my college class. But, just so you know, things are a little different here. And I don’t really go for the ‘gender role’ thing.” She saw the sincerity in his face, and her smile returned then she picked up her skis and poles.

They deposited their equipment on the outside rack and made their way toward the crowded restaurant.

Stuffing her gloves into her pocket, Shelby turned to Hakim. “How about since I asked you to lunch, I’ll get the food, and you get us a table?” She spoke with a light tone, but her gaze searched his expression for any sign of discomfort.

He nodded and turned to scan the room.

Waiting in the line, Shelby gazed around the little snack shop. She liked the rustic log cabin look. The decor was much nicer than the snack shops at most resorts. Filling the air was the familiar noise of conversation and ski boots clomping around on the rubber floor mats. The line was long, but fast moving.

Shelby put two bowls of chili on her tray and grabbed some breadsticks and bottled water. She carried their lunch toward the cashier. While she waited, she turned her thoughts to Hakim. Was he spending the day with her because he couldn’t think of a polite way to get out of doing so?

Throughout the years, she had met plenty of skiers. Hanging out with a stranger for a run or two was not unusual, but she even surprised herself with the amount of time she was spending with this man. She felt such a comfortable easiness while they were together. Maybe because he was an out-of-towner, she knew no pressure existed to make a friendly day of skiing into anything more. But that did little to explain the way her heart thumped every time he smiled.

Shelby slid her tray in front of the cashier, pulled her wallet out of an inside coat pocket, and paid for the meal. Once she spotted Hakim on the other side of the crowded dining room, she picked up the tray and clomped toward him in her stiff ski boots. As she got closer, she realized he spoke with another man. With all the noise in the snack shack, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but by the cadence of their voices, she could tell they weren’t speaking English.

When Hakim saw her, he waved and both men stood. “Shelby, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Nasir.” He gestured to the man next to him.

Shelby recognized him as the other skier she had seen on the slopes that morning. Nasir was a goliath. Hakim stood close to six feet tall, but Nasir loomed above him—at least a head taller. Large muscles bulged under his ski parka. He sported a dark goatee and piercing eyes that didn’t quite look directly at her.

“Nasir, may I present Shelby Jo Walker?”

Shelby resisted the urge to cringe from the large man and extended her hand.

Nasir put his hands together and inclined his head. “
Ahlan wa sahlan
.”

“Nasir says he is pleased to meet you,” Hakim translated.

Yeah, right
. Nasir’s stony expression did not change, and his gaze was severe. Pleased looked like the farthest thing from the man’s mind, but Shelby put her hands together anyway and gave a little bow, “
Ahlan wa sahlan, Nasir
.” She hoped her pronunciation sounded even close to correct.

He tipped his head forward, his gaze focused on something above her head.

Shelby wondered if he spoke English, but she didn’t like the idea of engaging this intimidating hulk in conversation. Instead, she turned and spoke to Hakim. “I’m sorry…I didn’t realize you were here with a friend. Here, you two eat these, and I’ll run and grab another bowl of chili.”

“Thank you, but no,” Nasir stated in a heavy accent. “I will leave now.”

The two men spoke for a moment in what Shelby assumed was Arabic.

Then, Nasir again put his hands together and bowed in her direction. “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Shelby Jo Walker. I hope your day is enjoyable.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Nasir.” Shelby smiled.

Once more, Nasir glanced around the dining room, and then strode out the door, turning heads as he passed.

He was obviously accustomed to the attention his size attracted.
Wow. He didn’t spare any of the gawkers a single glance.

Hakim held the back of the wobbly metal chair and waited for Shelby to be seated before he sat on the other side of the small table.

“Hakim, I’m sorry.” Shelby set their meals and utensils in front of them. “I didn’t know you were here with someone. Am I keeping you from your friend?”

“Please do not apologize. Nasir prefers to ski alone.”

“What about you? Am I monopolizing your time today? Would
you
rather ski alone?” She chewed on her lip and stirred her chili.

Hakim unwrapped the plastic spoon, and then set it down next to his foam chili bowl. He lifted his gaze and met Shelby’s. “Today, I prefer to ski with you.”

“Oh.” Her heart skipped a beat, and her ears got warm.

After a moment, Hakim opened his paper napkin and spread it over his lap. “Tell me, Shelby Jo Walker, do you have a job you are escaping today, or are you a professional skier?”

Before answering, she swallowed a bite of her breadstick. “Actually, I’m working right now. I write for a sports magazine called
Wintersports
. Basically, I travel around and stay at different resorts, demo new equipment, or interview athletes for research.”

“And do you enjoy this job?”

“It’s fine. I’ve worked there for three years. Since my senior year in college.” Shelby sipped from her water bottle. “This job isn’t what I want to do forever. I mean, sports reporting doesn’t exactly change the world.”

“You intend to change the world?” Hakim asked.

She couldn’t tell whether his question was asked out of amusement or curiosity, but based on his sincere expression, he didn’t intend it sarcastically. “I want to advocate for an important cause, or write stories that cause people to change the way they think…or brings an issue to their attention.” She leaned forward. “Something that makes a difference. Writing for a sports magazine is fun, the pay is ok, but this position’s not where I want to be in five years.” After twisting the lid onto her water bottle, she sat back, realizing she’d been speaking too passionately.
I need to calm down before I scare this guy away.
“What about you? What type of work do you do?”

He chewed slowly then swallowed, his eyebrows crunched together. “I work for my father. I am expected to take over the family business someday.”

“That’s great. What’s the business?”

“Consulting, as well as real estate and horse breeding.”

“My dad raises horses, too. What kind of horses do you have? Oh, that’s a stupid question. They’re Arabians, right?” Shelby wiped the breadstick grease off her hands with a napkin.
How crazy that this man from the other side of the world and I share such common interests.

“Yes, most of our horses are Arabian. I am here in the States to meet with a business associate and tour some land in Kentucky my father hopes to purchase for horse breeding. I arrived a week early to ski. I will fly to Kentucky on Friday.” He smiled, but his eyes remained serious.

His mannerisms were stiff, and the way he spoke was guarded. Shelby tried to read him, but struggled. She wondered if he simply had a lot on his mind. Once they’d finished their lunch, she stacked their bowls on the tray.

Hakim took the tray and emptied it into the trash on the way out the door.

Shelby walked outside and squinted at the brightness of the sun on the snow. She followed Hakim to the ski rack.

He grabbed their equipment. “Now, may I choose the run?” He planted their poles before he tipped her skis toward her.

She nodded and concentrated on separating her skis.
He wants to spend the rest of the day with me?
Her chest felt light and her fingers a bit shaky as she laid the skis in the snow, and then pushed her toes into the bindings and stepped down on her heels.

“I hope you are not too disappointed if I choose a less difficult hill. After all, we just ate.” Hakim stepped into his skis and clicked his boots into place.