The Sheikh's Island (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 4) (3 page)

“It’s not a competition,” she chuckled ruefully. “Although, I’ll admit that you two certainly do need outside help. Many situations can easily be fixed internally, but there’s something else at play here. Something that I can’t quite put my finger on.”

Haris reached across the table and took her hand. Wynifred was surprised by the gesture but didn’t pull away. “I have a feeling that you’re going to make me a better man,” he whispered.

“That is not the idea here,” she said with a gentle shake of her head. “You’re already a good man. So is Rameez. Even good men fight from time to time.”

“Rameez,” he hissed as he pulled away. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

His angry tone startled her, and she breathed in sharply. “I’m not here to take sides. You might be paying me, but the idea is to mediate a truce, not win a fight. It’s okay though. Many people have those feelings in the beginning. You’ll see the value of my services. Effort is the best indicator of interest.”

Haris’ shoulder relaxed and he lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, Wynifred. I didn’t mean to sound so angry. My cousin and I have been fighting for so long that I sometimes forget that we’re trying to resolve our issues. Please, forgive me. I know that you have to remain neutral.”

She picked up her wine and sat back. It was clear to her that this was going to be a challenging issue. She often mediated romantic relationships and saved marriages from divorce. Sometimes she mediated divorce cases and in some cases, the couple split amicably and in other cases, the divorce proceedings were completely halted. There were jobs where she worked with companies to mediate between employees, and sometimes she mediated between neighbors. Love wasn’t always the driving factor, but the cases where love prevailed were the most successful.

Family issues were no different. Although it was clear that Rameez and Haris were no longer close, she saw no reason why they couldn’t be. They were close enough in age to be good friends. They were both strong men who should have been supporting each other, not tearing each other apart. And most importantly, they are family. In some cultures, cousins are akin to brothers.

“It’s okay. We’re going to fix it.”

The waiter took their orders, and Wynifred pulled out her notebook to take notes as she questioned him. Although he answered some questions, he eventually sidestepped her other attempts to broach the subject, and she ate and drank in frustration. The conversation grew more intimate, and she struggled to keep things on track. The evening seemed more like a date than a meeting, but it had been so long since Wynifred had been on a date that she suspected she’d forgotten what a date even felt like.

His attentions made her feel beautiful and appreciated, but her mind was on the goal. Her only job here was to get two cousins to mend a broken family.

I
t was late
by the time Rameez left the Khalidizack palace, and he thought about going home, but he wanted to check on his mother. Knowing that she was probably asleep, he snuck in quietly.

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t sleeping at all.

“Mother,” he admonished gently when he found her staring out the kitchen window. “It’s past midnight. What are you doing out of bed?”

Shifa jumped as if she’d never heard him enter. “Rameez! You should not be sneaking up on an old woman like that,” she scolded.

“I didn’t announce myself because I thought you’d be asleep, but I’m not a ghost. You should have heard the door open,” Rameez said with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

His mother gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and she shrugged. “The usual aches and pains.”

Her eyes slid slightly to the left, and he knew immediately that she was lying to him. He almost pushed the issue, but there were bags under her eyes, and he could see the exhaustion written all over her face. “Go ahead and get in bed,” he said softly. “I’ll bring you some aspirin.”

Reaching up gently to pat his cheek, she stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek before leaving him. Rameez grabbed a glass and filled it with water before snagging a bottle of painkillers from the bathroom. By the time he’d joined her in her room, she was under the covers but still sitting up in bed.

“You’re so sweet,” she whispered. “I quite liked your lovely young lady today.”

Rameez scowled as he handed her the glass and bottle of aspirin. “She’s not my young lady. Right now, she’s nothing more than a thorn in my side.”

Shifa swallowed the pills and narrowed her eyes. “Rameez that is not how I raised you to be! She’s simply trying to help, and if you’d stop being so stubborn, you’d probably realize that you need the help. Sweetheart, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. I’ve wanted you to mend things with your cousin for years, but it’s not something that can be done overnight, and it’s not something that can be done on your own. If it was, you two would have fixed things years ago.”

“She’s an outsider,” he said darkly. “Furthermore, she’s so optimistic. If anyone is going to help, it needs to be someone with their feet planted firmly on the ground. Her book is going to be titled
Love Solves All
. I don’t need that crap. I need someone to tell Haris that he’s being an idiot.”

His mother sighed and set the glass down. “I think, darling, what you need is to relax and let someone else help you. Relinquish a little of that control, dear.”

Rameez didn’t say anything as he sat on the edge of the bed. He needed that control. He needed to know that every aspect of his life was organized and structured. It was one of the reasons that he’d gotten along so well with the Crown Sheikh. There was a man who understood control.

“I’m serious,” his mother said as she reached out and gripped his arm. “I have a good feeling about this Wynifred. Promise me that you’ll give her a chance. For me.”

“Trying to make me feel guilty?” he asked with an indulgent smile. He’d do almost anything for his mother.

“You are an adult and your own man. You have been for a long time, but I’m afraid of the life you’ll lead if you don’t let someone help you now and then. I only want what’s best for you!”

Rameez could tell that his mother was getting a little too emotional. He bent down, kissed her forehead, and nodded his head. “I promise that I’ll hear her out,” he said softly. She searched his face for a moment and finally closed her eyes.

“That’s good, baby,” she whispered. “That’s good.”

The tension seemed to ease from her body, and he sat with her until she was sound asleep. Moving quietly from the bed, he shut off the light and gently closed the door behind him.

As he leaned against the wall, he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Wynifred. It wasn’t the first time he’d thought about her since seeing her that morning, and he knew that it wouldn’t be the last.

The problem wasn’t that she was on his mind. She was an unexpected turn of events and a pain, but that wasn’t why he was thinking of her.

When she danced across his mind, it wasn’t as the frustrating mediator but as a seductive woman begging for his touch. His fingers itched to unwrap the bright dressing and discover what was underneath. Just seeing her punched him with desire, which did nothing to make him feel more comfortable about the situation. She wasn’t the enemy, but if she was working for Haris, she wasn’t the solution.

Which was too damn bad. If she wasn’t the mediator, he’d already have bedded her.

* * *

N
oon the next day
, Haris glanced anxiously at his watch. Wynifred was supposed to meet him for lunch, but she was running a few minutes late. It wasn’t like her to be late, but navigating the city could be difficult. Still, he didn’t have much time for lunch; he needed to be back at the office, and he desperately wanted to see her. When a shadow passed over the patio table, he immediately turned his head to smile.

Dread immediately filled him. It wasn’t the beautiful woman joining him. “What are you doing here?” he hissed.

Anton Negatin relaxed in the chair and gave him a chilling smile. “Why are you so upset, my friend?” he asked easily. “You’ve failed to return any of my phone calls. I can only assume that something is wrong with your phone. I would think you would be glad to meet in person. After all, you wouldn’t want me to think that you’re ignoring me, would you?”

Haris immediately glanced around to make sure that no one he knew could see him. Anton was a dangerous man with shady connections. If anyone saw them together, it wouldn’t bode well for Haris.

“I didn’t return your phone calls because there is nothing to report,” he said through gritted teeth. “And if anyone recognizes you, you’ll never get what you want. You aren’t even supposed to be in this country. If the Khalidizacks find out, you’re finished.”

Anton didn’t seem concerned. “I’ve heard a rumor that your dear cousin has come forward with a proposal to bury the hatchet between you two. It’s an excellent chance to expedite the business matter between us.”

“What do you mean?” Haris said softly as he tensed.

“The feud between you two is well-known. I can only imagine that there is an excellent reason for his desire to call a truce. I suggest you make sure that you get something in return.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t be dense, Haris,” Anton snapped. “You know exactly what I mean. Barter the island for your participation in the truce. I don’t give a damn about your family issues, but if it helps me, you better believe I’ll see to it that things go my way.”

A cold sweat broke out on Haris, but he struggled not to show any weakness. One misstep and Anton would eat him alive. “I hired a mediator. I’m slowly drawing her closer to me, but she’ll be suspicious if I barter the island.”

“Use her. Seduce her. Hold a knife to her throat. I don’t care what you do, but make sure this matter is handled quickly. Make no mistake, Haris,” Anton said darkly as he leaned over. “I want that island. And I don’t really care what you do to get it, but if you continue to dodge my calls and work against me, there will be consequences.”

“I’m not working against you,” Haris argued, but the man was already standing. Looking over, Haris saw Wynifred moving through the crowded tables to join him.

“Don’t make me track you down again,” Anton threatened softly. To Haris’ relief, he left the table quickly.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Wynifred said breathlessly as she sat down. “Was that a friend of yours? You should have invited him to stay! I’d love to get the opinions of your friends.”

Haris smiled tightly. “Not someone I would call a friend. More like a business associate. Did you have a hard time finding this place?”

“Oh, I didn’t get lost. I couldn’t find the key to my hotel room this morning,” she said with a gorgeous smile. “My head can get a little scattered. The taxi driver had nothing but great things to say about this place! Your city has some fantastic restaurants! I feel bad that my meals are always with you. I really need to convince your cousin to meet me someplace public so I can get to know him a little better.”

Jealousy pierced him, but he struggled to keep his face calm. “You want to go out with Rameez?” That wouldn’t fit in with his plans at all.

Wynifred bit her bottom lip absently as her eyes scanned over the menu. “Of course. Mediation is about understanding both sides. I can’t get to know him if I don’t ever see him,” she said casually.

The knot inside his stomach eased, and he leaned back and nodded. Of course. She wanted to see Rameez professionally. That made sense.

Rameez’s hesitation to work with Wynifred could work to his advantage. “You’re brilliant at your job, and I know that you’ll win him over. I find it so refreshing that someone believes in love.”

Her eyes brightened. “Oh, I do. Love is everything. In family and friendships.”

“In couples,” he murmured. She immediately colored, and he felt his stomach flip. Originally, the plan was simply to charm her, but now that he was getting to know her, that plan was rapidly changing. She was gorgeous, and he wanted her.

Anton’s idea of seduction was sounding better and better.

A
s Wynifred left the restaurant
, Haris walked her to the waiting taxi. “I’d be more than happy to take you back to your hotel,” he said in a husky voice.

She frowned and stared at him. Was he getting a cold? There was no way she wanted to be near him if he was getting a cold. “That’s sweet, but no, thank you. I’m not actually sure I’m going back to my hotel. I was hoping to reach Rameez. I’d like to talk to him in private before we try to schedule another meeting between you two.”

He opened the door for her. “That won’t be very pleasant for you,” he muttered.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, she flashed him a smile. “I hope that isn’t true! I think your cousin probably has a soft center. I just have to find it. Thank you again for lunch. I really enjoyed it.”

She slid into the taxi as he mumbled something under his breath. Before she could ask him to repeat it, he shut the door.

“Where to, ma’am?” the driver asked politely.

“Oh, gosh! Yes! You need an address. Give me a second,” she said as she dug through her purse and pulled out the address for her hotel. Rattling it off, she also pulled out her phone and called Rameez.

“What do you want?” he growled.

Well, at least he picked up. That was something. “Hi, Rameez. It’s Wynifred Fellows. I was wondering if you had some time to get together and talk today.”

“I know who this is. And yes, I do have time to meet.”

“Excellent!” She pulled out her notebook and opened it. “Where would you like to meet and what time?”

Rameez chuckled on the other end. “I said I had time to talk. I didn’t say that I would. Have a good afternoon, Wynifred.”

He disconnected the call, and Wynifred narrowed her eyes in frustration. Many of her clients were stubborn, but it looked like Rameez was working hard to take the prize for worse client ever. Pushing aside her frustrations, she called another number. A few minutes later, she hung up the phone and leaned forward.

“Excuse me? It looks like I’m not going to my hotel after all,” she said with a smile.

Filled with satisfaction, she leaned back and smiled out the window. There was more than one way to get Rameez’s cooperation.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi pulled up to Shifa’s house. Rameez’s mother opened the door and waved. There was a big, beautiful smile on her face, and Wynifred’s heart went out to her. She was such a lovely woman, but she always seemed so alone.

“Thank you so much for seeing me at the last minute. I had hoped to make an appointment with your son, but he’s evading me. I had lunch with Haris, though, and I feel like I’m really making progress.”

Shifa gave her a quick hug. “My son can be hardheaded,” she muttered. “But I promise that he’s a good man.”

The kind of man that only a mother could love? Wynifred pushed aside her frustrations and smiled. “I have no doubt that I’ll get him to open up.”

Shifa stepped aside and ushered her inside. “I was actually very happy that you called. I found a few photos that I thought you might get a kick out of seeing! Can I get you something to drink?”

Putting a hand on her stomach, Wynifred shook her head. “I am so full from lunch. I told Haris earlier that the food in this city is magnificent. I’m going to gain ten pounds before I leave this place.”

“You look like you could use ten pounds,” Shifa said dryly.

Wynifred blushed. She’d been so busy with the book that she missed a few meals here and there, but Shifa was one to talk. A small breeze could knock the woman over.

Rameez’s mother bent down to the bottom shelf of her bookcase and picked up a box. Wynifred saw the woman stumble and hurried to help her. “Let me help you!”

“Thank you, darling! Sometimes I forget that I’m not as young as I used to be,” Shifa said with a grateful smile. They sat on the couch, and Wynifred set the box in Shifa’s lap. When the older woman pulled off the top, Wynifred leaned over eagerly. The box was full of photos.

“Haris and Rameez didn’t always fight,” Shifa said softly as she passed over a few photos. “When they were growing up, they were actually as close as brothers. They would spend hours out in the yard, playing soccer, dreaming of when they would play in the World Cup!”

Wynifred smiled and shuffled slowly through the photos. The first few photos featured the two boys as toddlers with their arms wrapped around each other. As she slowly flipped through the photos, the boys aged. There were pictures of them in the yard, kicking the ball around. Birthday parties. First day of school pictures of the boys dressed in their school uniforms. They were smiling and clearly happy.

She stopped at one photo and frowned. The two boys were still smiling, but something was wrong. Those smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes, and although they were standing next to each other, they weren’t arm in arm. There was a clear space between them. “How old were they here?” Wynifred asked softly as she flipped the photo over.

Shifa inhaled softly and put a hand over her heart. “That’s Rameez’s fourteenth birthday. I remember this photo. Haris kept trying to play with Rameez, but my son kept shunning him. He seemed to want to play with his friends instead. Rameez was maturing, becoming a man, and even though Haris is only a year younger, Rameez starting treating him as though he was a child. I think that mentality has followed them all the way through this feud.”

There were a few photos of the two boys after that, but soon it was only photos of Rameez with his friends or Haris with his; there were no more of the cousins together. Wynifred stacked the photos neatly together and placed them back in the box. She didn’t want to say anything, but she knew there was more to the feud. At least now, she had an approximate age when it started. Even so, twenty plus years is a long time to hold a grudge.

“Any tips on getting Rameez to communicate? I can’t seem to get him alone,” Wynifred mused.

“Rameez acts on gut instinct, and it can be hard to change his mind. In this case, I think years of bias are clouding his judgment. Please be patient with him,” Shifa pleaded with her.

Wynifred’s eyes widened. Did it seem like she was about to give up? That wasn’t the case at all. “I have all the patience in the world,’ she assured the older woman. “And if I can’t get him alone, I’ll have to gain his trust when we’re all together.” An idea formed in her head, and Wynifred’s mouth slowly curved into a smile. “What kinds of things does Rameez like to do?”

* * *

“
P
ull
!”

A large disc flew through the air followed by the loud crack of a gun. Wynifred grimaced and shook her head. When she plotted to get Rameez and Haris together for something fun and light-hearted, she’d imagined drinks on a boat, not skeet shooting.

Not only was it loud, but it bolstered competition between the two men.

And it wasn’t friendly.

“Having this discussion around guns might not be such a good idea,” she cried out as she covered her ears.

“What are you talking about?” Rameez said with a grin as he picked up his own gun. “This is a great idea. Plus, I’m winning!”

That was the problem, but she couldn't tell him that. There was another crack, and she flinched. “Rameez, I was hoping we could talk.”

“Sorry, babe. It looks like I’m up.” He flashed her a quick grin before walking to the edge of the boat.

Babe? The word pissed her off more than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to call her babe, although she certainly shouldn’t want him to call her babe. But he said it in such a cavalier manner, as if he knew that it was getting on her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to subdue her annoyance. When Haris walked back to her, he had a dark look on his face. It was clear that he didn’t like placing second. “Having fun?” She asked with fake cheer.

He growled in response, and she gritted her teeth. Things were escalating out of control, and they hadn’t even been here an hour. Not only had she not been able to talk to either one of them, but the anger between them was starting to affect her. She felt uncomfortable being near them. “Rameez,” she called out. “I’d like to put a halt to the game, so we can talk.”

“In a minute,” he called out.

Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms. “I thought this truce was important to you.”

He looked over his shoulder hesitantly, and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s talk.” Propping the gun up on his shoulder, he sauntered her way. “It’s not like Haris could beat me anyway.”

Before Haris could respond, Wynifred stepped forward and put her hand up between them. “Stop. We’re not going to do this. We’re not going to argue like petty children. We’re going to sit down and talk about this like adults. Unless I’m missing something?”

Both men reddened. It wasn’t a great victory, but at least they were watching her with a little more respect. “Good.” She reached down and flipped open the cooler. Grabbing the bottle of wine, she handed it to Haris and passed the glasses to Rameez. It wasn’t a peace offering as much as it was a necessity.

For her.

Without a word, Haris opened the bottle and poured it. With the full glass of wine in her hand, she felt a little bit more in control. “Clearly, simply asking you two to put aside your differences isn’t going to work. So now, we’re going to talk calmly about why you two dislike each other. This isn’t something that can be covered up with a bandage.”

They sat down, and Wynifred took a moment to appreciate the view. The blue waters lapped lazily up against the boat, and although the shore was within distance, she felt like they were miles away from civilization. Her life had been so hectic lately that it was nice to have some alone time.

Well, not really alone time since she was with two men who hated each other.

“There are pictures of you two as children. You looked like you were inseparable. What happened?”

“We grew up,” Rameez muttered.

Shaking her head, she took a sip of her wine. “No. That’s not a reason. This deep-seated hatred isn’t because you grew up. Dig deeper. You two have to realize that this resentment isn’t based on some petty notion.”

“He’s an arrogant asshole who always needs to be the best,” Haris muttered.

“Easy,” she said soothingly. “Try to express yourself without profanity or hatred. Try to use owned language.” When both men gave her a quizzical look, she tried to restate it. “Haris, when you speak of Rameez, choose words that show him how you feel.”

Haris smirked. “Fine. I know that he’s far too competitive, and it surprises me that, given the size of his ego, there was room enough left for the two of us on this boat.”

“Well, it started out well,” she muttered. “Rameez?” she asked, fearing the worst.

“I know that my
little
cousin doesn’t do anything unless it serves his own interests. When it doesn’t, I’ve seen him become destructive, and I know that he doesn’t even care about the people he hurts,” Rameez said coldly.

“Maybe we should talk about specific instances when you were younger when you realized that you two were no longer compatible.” She chose her words carefully to try to diffuse the situation. The wind blew gently and lifted her hair. It was a nice reprieve from the searing heat. Both men stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably. “Rameez, you were older. How about you go first this time.”

“Well, let’s see. When he was seventeen, he stole my car and crashed it.”

“It was an accident,” Haris growled. “And I didn’t steal it. Your mother let me drive it while you were on vacation.”

“You never even apologized!”

“You never gave me the chance!”

Whoops. Time to intervene. “Gentlemen. Let’s calm down. Now, I know this feud began before you were seventeen, so try to go a little deeper in your memories. Haris?”

“When I was thirteen, Rameez told the whole school that I wetted the bed until I was eight,” Haris growled. “It wasn’t even true.”

Rameez snorted. “It was totally true, and I told one person. They spread it all over the school.”

She felt the tension grow between then and sighed. “All right, this isn’t working. The sun is setting anyway, so I think we should call it a day and head back to shore. I would really like you two to think about this. Sift through your earliest memories and try to pinpoint the exact moment when you two realized that you couldn’t be friends anymore. It’s most likely something that’s rooted in your childhood and grown without you two even realizing it. Can you two do that for me?”

They both nodded, and Rameez turned back to grab the wheel. Haris touched her elbow gently. “Would you like to have dinner with me this evening?” he asked softly.

“No,” she said absently as she pulled out her notebook. “I’ve got some work to do tonight, but thanks for the offer.”

He immediately pulled back. “Okay. I thought you might want some company,” he said sullenly.

Did she do something to offend him? She gave him a small smile. “Maybe tomorrow night? I’ve got some notes I need to look over, and a few articles that I want to read.”

Haris nodded, and she almost sighed with relief. This wasn’t going to work if both men were pissed off at her. Rameez studied them with suspicion in his eyes.