The Sheikh's Island (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 4) (2 page)

Wynifred gasped and frowned. “Mr. Molamid, I assure you….”

“That is no way to talk to a woman,” Haris said hotly. “Making assumptions. I see some things have never changed.”

Taken aback by the hostility, Wynifred cleared her throat. It wasn’t a good start. She took a deep breath and tried again. “I’m sorry, if I could just…”

“So afraid that your arguments will be invalid, and you’ll need someone in your cheering section?” Rameez growled.

Blinking, Wynifred tried to regain her footing in the argument. “I am not a cheerleader. I think we should….”

“I hardly need someone to vouch for me,” Haris snapped back.

Rameez opened his mouth, and Wynifred quickly stepped between the two men and put her hands up. “Enough!” she shouted.

Both men snapped their mouths shut and stared at her. She felt ridiculous putting herself between them, as they both towered over her, but she needed to get the upper hand. “Good,” she said when she was met with silence. “If we could all take a step back, I think we’ll see this is not how we should get started. First of all, Mr. Molamid, my name is Wynifred Fellows. I am not your cousin’s girlfriend. I am a professional mediator. Haris would like very much to find some common ground for you two to stand on, and I’m here to help you navigate things until you do.”

She reached into her bright yellow purse and pulled out her business card. Rameez took it, but there was a stunned look on his face. “You hired a professional mediator?” he said in a low voice. “What angle are you playing here, Haris?”

“Before you answer that,” Wynifred said quickly, “I’d like it if Rameez recognized that it was unfair for him to immediately believe that you have an agenda.”

“Exactly,” Haris said with a smile. “Recognize that, Rameez.”

The older man burst out laughing. Setting her jaw, she shifted her clipboard under her arm and planted her hands on her hips. With one raised eyebrow, she waited for the man to get control of himself.

“Oh, you’re serious?” Rameez asked when he finally calmed down. “Mrs. Fellows, was it? I find it hard to believe that in your profession, you would be so naive. Allow me to remove the veil over your eyes. My dear cousin always has an agenda.”

“It’s Ms.,” she said calmly. “And I prefer it if you call me Wynifred. We are going to be working closely with each other, and it helps if we’re working in an informal atmosphere. As for the veil over my eyes, I can assure you that I see things quite clearly, and I’m perfectly capable of making decisions for myself. What I will not do is take either of your opinions to heart without a formal assessment of the situation. I assure you, if Haris has an agenda, we will discuss it and work through it. If not, you need to move past the accusation to see the bigger picture.”

Haris smirked, and Rameez at least had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. She took a deep breath and continued.

“Now that I’ve seen you two together, I’ve made an assessment of the situation. You both have alpha male tendencies, so it’s not hard to see why tensions run high, however you both have a common and intimate thread. You both love Shifa Molamid. I firmly believe that with that love and bond, we will find a way to make this work. I am staying at a local hotel, and I will be working with both of you individually and together. Do we understand?”

Rameez scowled. “Love, huh?” he grunted. “Let me make this easy for you, Wynifred. My cousin has a card hidden up his sleeve, and he’s waiting for the right time to play it. I would rather have all the cards on the table. Tell me, Haris, what do you want me to give you to make this ridiculous feud go away?”

“Oh!” she said, startled. “That isn’t how mediation works.”

“I’m hurt that you think such things of me, cousin. I simply want to find a solution,” Haris said mockingly.

Wynifred sighed. This obviously wasn’t going to be as easy as she originally thought.

S
moothing
her hair back until she could gather it to the left side and slide it through a hair tie, Wynifred gazed at herself in the mirror. Her long dark hair curled down one shoulder, and she’d chosen a pink button-up blouse to pair with her cream-colored skirt. It was always important to look professional, but there was no reason she had to wear dreary colors. Pretty pastels made people happy, and happy people were less likely to have a go at each other’s throats.

Gathering her clipboard and tote bag, she slipped on her strappy sandals and headed down to the waiting taxi. Today, she would speak with the woman who could bring these two men together.

Rameez’s mother.

Shifa Molamid had clearly been a beauty in her day. Despite her age, she still had smooth, clear skin and sparkling eyes. It was clear to see where the son got his good looks.

“You must be the mediator. Haris has told me all about you. Please come in,” she said as she stepped back and opened the door wide.

“Mrs. Molamid, I want to thank you for meeting me. I insist that you call me Wynifred, and I promise to do my best to get this situation resolved.” She held out her hand but to her surprise, Shifa simply leaned over and gave her a hug.

“You have no idea how much your efforts mean to me. Please call me, Shifa.”

Wynifred stepped in and looked around. Although the house was large, the decorations and furniture were modest and comfortable. It seemed that the woman was more interested in creating a home rather than a designer house. She knew that both men were well off, but she wasn’t quite sure where the money came from.

“You have a lovely home,” she commented softly.

“Thank you. Now that Rameez is all grown up and gone, it seems silly to stay here by myself, but he insists. It’s one of the few things he and Haris agree on. They seem to think that I’m attached to the house. Would you like some tea?”

“I’d love some.” Wynifred perched on the barstool in the kitchen and pulled out her notebook. “Are you not attached to the house?”

“To some of the things inside the house,” she said wistfully. “But not the house itself. Still, they both make a conscious effort to help keep it maintained. They just don’t make the effort to come together and help out.” Shifa shook her head ruefully.

Wynifred made a few notes and chewed on the top of her pen. “I may be asking some indelicate questions. If you’re not comfortable answering them, please don’t be offended and simply let me know. I know that your husband and brother-in-law passed away a long time ago, but is Haris’ mother not in the picture?”

Sighing, Shifa gazed out the window. “Haris’ mother passed away when he was still a toddler. I don’t think he remembers much of her.”

“His father must have been inconsolable.”

“I don’t actually know much about their marriage, but I don’t think it was one of love. Mohammad mourned her passing, but he was panicked at the idea of raising a child alone. We tried to urge him to remarry but he never did. I stepped in and helped where I could, but Mohammad was a very good father to Haris.”

“You helped raise him?” Wynifred said with a smile. “No wonder he’s so attached to you.”

“He’s a good man.”

“I’ve done some research. The Molamid feud is well known throughout the city, but there’s no root of the problem. No one seems to know why the men hate each other, but their bitterness is well known. I read a few articles that said more than a few business deals went bad because the two were constantly undermining each other. Do they work together?”

“Rameez only recently started consulting on his own. He originally worked directly for the Khalidizack family. A few years after that, the Sheikh’s family hired Haris as an accounting liaison. It only took a few years before everyone in the city realized the situation was not working. Rameez branched out on his own, and Haris did the same thing.”

It looked like Haris was trying to follow in his cousin’s footsteps. Wynifred couldn’t help but wonder if that was out of admiration or jealousy. “Why do you think they have such problems with each other?”

Shifa shrugged. “I don’t think there is a root. Sometimes men simply don’t get along.”

She wanted to push the issue, but before she could, the door opened. “Mother. I wanted to tell you…” Rameez stopped short when he saw Wynifred in the kitchen. Their eyes connected, and Wynifred felt the room heat up several degrees. His gaze was smoldering, but as he looked her up and down, she read every sign that his body sending out.

He was angry.

“What are you doing here?” he growled.

“My job,” she said with a smile. It was important to stay bright and cheerful in the middle of volatile situations.

“I don’t care how much Haris is paying you; I will not have you harassing my mother with questions. Leave,” he demanded darkly.

“Rameez,” Shifa said with a gasp. “Wynifred is welcome to do whatever it takes to help you and Haris speak to each other in a calm and civil manner. You may be a grown man, but I am your mother, and you will not come into this house with that kind of attitude.”

Wynifred had to work hard to keep the muscles in her face still. She couldn’t help but be a little in love with Shifa. The woman knew how to put Rameez in his place, and Wynifred would be lying if she didn’t admit that she enjoyed the scene.

“Fine, but if she starts to make you uncomfortable, you let me know,” he said as he tried to regain control of the situation.

“I’m sure I can handle things on my own, dear. What did you come here to tell me?” The pot from the kettle emitted the piercing sound to let everyone know in a mile radius that it was ready, and she lifted it off the heat and poured two cups of tea. Wynifred accepted hers and smiled in thanks.

“I wanted to let you know that I met with Haris, but I guess you already knew that.”

“How did it go?”

“It went exactly like I thought it would. Rather than facing me man to man, he had to hire a skirt to hide behind.”

“Wow,” Wynifred muttered. “Please. Don’t hold back on my account.”

“I won’t,” he snapped back. “There’s a reason that she’s here, and it’s not for mediation.”

“Then you’ll have to calm down and face the situation head on until you know for sure what’s going on,” his mother said soothingly.

Wynifred had to admire Shifa. The woman had a way of calmly weaving logic into the arguments with her stubborn son.

Rameez frowned but didn’t say anything. Instead, he watched his mother closely. “You look better today,” he said at last. “I think you should get some rest while I talk to Wynifred. I’m sure she has some questions for me.”

Sneaky. He was effectively separating her from Shifa without alarming his mother. The devil had a silver tongue. Wynifred closed her notebook and slid off the barstool. If this was her chance to get the man alone, she’d take it. She could always come back later and speak to his mother. “I think that’s an excellent idea. Perhaps we could speak on the patio and enjoy some sunshine?”

“Behave, Rameez. She’s here to help,” his mother warned. “Wynifred darling, it was lovely to meet you. Please come back if you have any more questions.”

Wynifred nodded. “I appreciate your transparency. And thank you so much for the tea.”

Rameez kissed his mother on the forehead and opened the sliding glass door to the patio. Wynifred tucked her notebook under her arm and grabbed the cooling mug. “Don’t think I didn’t see what you did just now.”

“Does it matter?” he smirked. “I know you have questions for me, and I did want my mother to rest, so we both win.”

“True.”

“How does Haris know you?” Rameez asked gruffly. “I find it hard to believe that he had the brilliant idea to hire a mediator.”

“He hasn’t said how he got my name or number, but I’ve been in the spotlight for a few months now. He may have seen me in a news article.”

His eyes slid over her, and she couldn’t help the delicious shiver that run up her spine. “I looked into you,” he said in a silky voice. “
Love Solves All
. The book is already set to be a bestseller, and it’s not even published. The presales alone are going to make you a rich woman.”

Embarrassed, she sipped at her tea. The book was becoming bigger than anything she could imagine. “Money is not the goal. My target audience is anyone in a relationship, so the interest is widespread.”

“So you’re under the impression that love is the answer to everything. Any relationship can work so long as love is the driving force. You do realize that life doesn’t work that way. There will always be obstacles. Love isn’t always enough.”

“That is where we disagree,” she said with a frown. “Of course there will be obstacles, but if two people truly love each other, they’ll find a way to compromise. It’s okay if you don’t agree with my point of view. You’ll see that my methods are sound. I’ve heard Haris’ side of the story, and now I would like to hear yours. Exactly what is it that makes you dislike him so?”

“Haris only looks out for Haris. His only motivation is serving his own self-interest, and he doesn’t give a damn who gets hurt in the process.”

Wynifred didn’t even bat an eye. Although she’d spent some time with Haris and didn’t think this was true, it wasn’t uncommon for clients to have bias filtered points of view. “He seems to care quite a bit for your mother.”

“Really?” Rameez said with narrowed eyes. “I think, if that were true, he would accept my truce and we could put everything behind us.”

“This feud has lasted for years. You don’t actually think that it’s going to go away with the snap of your fingers, do you? Why don’t you let me do my job? There isn’t anything much stronger than the love of family. We’ll work through this.”

Rameez snorted in derision. “Do you always look at life with those rose-colored glasses?”

“Do you always look at life with cynicism and doubt?” she shot back.

“I go with my gut instincts. It’s never let me down before.”

“And what’s your gut instinct telling you now?”

His dark eyes hardened and he pushed his shoulders back. “That you’re trouble.”

* * *

H
e lingered on her mind
. As she reviewed the many articles devoted to the Molamid men, she found the photos of him captivating. She’d barely known the man for twenty-four hours, and she was already responding to him with embarrassing ease.

It had been a long time since she’d been under the spell of a man. For Wynifred, sex was nothing without love, and it had been a long time since she’d fancied herself in love. Obviously, his good looks were a reminder that she was lonely and nothing more.

There was article after article on the two men after a prominent deal went south. Once the media took notice, it seemed that the Molamid men were all anyone could talk about. When the reporters weren’t focusing on the feud, they were focusing on the women. It looked as though Rameez was seeing someone steadily for a while, but for the past few years, they had a different woman on their arms for each photo.

She was still trying to look past the frivolity of the media when Haris called her to ask her out to dinner. She’d almost turned him down since she still needed to review the notes from her publisher, but the job came first, and her stomach grumbled with hunger. She jotted down the address to the restaurant and agreed to meet him.

An hour later, she found him waiting patiently outside. To her surprise, the restaurant looked expensive, and he was well dressed. The lean cut jacket suited his figure, and he greeted her with a charming smile. Wynifred glanced at her own orange sundress and frowned. “I’m not sure I’m dressed appropriately,” she said softly as he took her hand.

“Nonsense.” His eyes swept over her intimately, and she felt her body warm. Had she misjudged the situation? She and Haris enjoyed each other’s company, but he was still a client. “You look wonderful. I wanted to make sure you got to experience the best this city has to offer while you’re here. It’s the least I can do for prying you away from your busy life to help me.”

“That’s what my rates are for,” she joked, but she felt better. Of course, he didn’t expect this to be a date. It was a silly notion and she pushed it out of her head. “I’m glad you asked me out tonight. I’d like to have a word with you about how you think the initial meeting went.”

His hand settled on the small of her back as he guided her into the restaurant. Wynifred immediately stiffened. It was probably an automatic move made by a man who knew how to treat a woman, but it seemed a little too personal to her. She quickened her step to move away, and he didn’t reach for her again.

Haris made a face as they settled at the table. “Talking about my cousin would certainly ruin dinner,” he muttered.

“That is exactly the type of stigma we need to move away from,” she said with a laugh. “You came to me because you wanted help, but Rameez can sense your hesitation, and it will only get worse when you think like that. I know it’s a troublesome situation, but you have to remember that relationships require an equal amount of effort from both sides.”

“I am putting in the effort,” he said with a grin. “I hired you, didn’t I? That’s more than he’s doing.”