The Sheikh’s Stubborn Bride by Leslie North
19
Kadir made the trip to the summer house in half the time it usually took. He needed to see his wife and tell her what he’d learned. It couldn’t wait. Not another day. Not another minute.
He strode into the house, ignoring the surprised reactions of the servants, and straight onto the deck on the back of the house. From there, he spotted his sister on the beach, but there was no sign of Stella with her. He moved on to the gardens off to the side and was relieved to find his wife there, tending a small patch of tomato plants, pinching off the new shoots at the stems to ensure stronger growth. Kadir had to smile at that, watching her work with the same precise moves she had to have learned from his father. Ibrahim would be proud of his daughter-in-law.
Stella had become important not just to Kadir, but to his whole family.
His chest squeezed at the sight of her with tousled hair in a breezy floral sundress, but there was no time for sweetness yet. Not until they’d had a long-overdue talk about everything. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and cleared his throat to make his presence known.
Stella looked up and froze. “Kadir. I didn’t expect you to come.”
“No.” He moved slowly toward her, not wanting to spook her, a wry smile on his lips. “I thought if I gave you fair warning of my arrival, you might disappear on me again like you did at the reception.”
A hot blush colored her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze, but she didn’t turn to walk away from him. Kadir took that as a win. He stopped a few feet from her and inhaled her floral scent—jasmine and rose and a hint of soap. Uniquely Stella.
My Stella.
At least he hoped she would be again.
She tucked her auburn hair behind her ear and stood, meeting his gaze. “How are you?”
He wanted to hug her, feel her familiar curves snug against his body. But first he had things to make right.
Kadir shrugged, hoping that he looked more confident than he felt. Everything came down to this moment. “I’ve been better, actually. I’m hoping that we can talk. I have much to say to you.”
Stella’s face didn’t hint at what she was feeling. “Of course, let’s sit.”
They walked over to a bench tucked in a corner of the garden beneath a sheltering palm. It took all of his strength not to reach for her hand, but he needed to give her time to hear everything he had to say.
Because there was a chance that she no longer wanted him.
“I was wrong,” he began without preamble, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could second guess himself. “About everything. The two of us, my family and the future of my country. You tried to help me see the beauty of the past and the rich history in the ground beneath my feet, yet I was so focused on the future that I was blind to it. And for that I’m sorry.”
Stella started to speak but Kadir took her hand and squeezed it gently.
“Please, there’s more I have to say to you.” He took a deep breath to steady himself, knowing that so much rested on what came next. “I have something for you.”
Kadir reached into the breast pocket of his blazer and pulled out a small green silk pocket square with the edges knotted together and handed it to her.
Confusion flitted across Stella’s face as she took the delicate pouch from him. “Every gift you’ve given me so far has been sparkly, but this doesn’t feel like jewelry.”
“It’s not but it’s far more valuable. Be gentle.”
He watched as her delicate fingers plucked it open and spread the edges back to reveal the contents.
“Seeds? Kadir, what is this?”
His heartbeat sped up with excitement. “Habibi, those seeds are a marriage of the past and the future. I know how crushed you were at the loss of the botanic garden so I tracked down the main botanist who took care of all of the heirloom plants there. Before closing she wisely protected the most precious ancient specimens with the hope that one day they would grow again.” He paused, his eyes locked on Stella’s. “What you hold in your hand are the seeds from a five-hundred-year-old pomegranate tree, which is one of the many cultivars that will grow in the new conservation site I plan to open. I’m calling it ‘Green Gardens.”’
Tears sprang to Stella’s eyes and her mouth dropped open. “My maiden name?”
“It fits, wouldn’t you say?” he smiled at her, feeling warmed by the raw emotion on her face. “The gardens will be a mix of collection museum, scientific study, preservation, community gardens as well as an educational academy for children. All located just a stone’s throw from the planetarium and close to the bazar you love so much. In a legacy building repurposed to mix the artisan work of the past with the technological innovations of the present.”
Stella’s hand was still frozen in midair, as if she couldn’t believe the treasure cradled in her palm. Kadir gently folded the corners of the scarf back up, tied the parcel securely then set it on the bench in between them.
“But that’s not all that I envision,” Kadir continued. “I want you at my side as I plot a course for the growth of Al-Fatha. My vision for innovation and your pull to the past will provide us with the perfect balance.” He paused and looked down at the ground. “That is, if we’re able to listen to one another.”
When he finally looked at Stella he could sense that she was moved by the future he’d mapped out for them, but Kadir could still sense her hesitation. The reason why finally hit him like a lightning bolt.
The one word he’d never said to her.
Kadir took her shaking hands in his, drawing them both over his heart. “Please say you’ll come home with me and be my wife, in every sense of the word, be my partner and friend and lover and mother of my children. I love you, Stella, my queen.”
Her breath caught on a sob, crying and laughing all at the same time. She threw her arms around his neck, whispering in his ear. “Yes, I’ll come home with you, Kadir. I love you too, my king.”
Then he was kissing her, and all felt right with his world again. He had his family and the woman he loved. Everything else would work itself out in due time.
