Managing a chuckle, Delaney said, "Of course I do. I"m a pediatrician, for heaven"s sake. So are you, and I have to a.s.sume you like babies, too."
Tara took the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it in the pocket of her doctor"s scrubs. "But not as much as you do. I wished I had a camera for the look of awe on your face when you were holding Victoria Ford. You were in hog heaven. And that"s with every baby you care for."
Delaney chuckled, knowing that was true. "I already told you that I"m the only girl with five brothers and I was also the youngest. By the time I came along there weren"t any babies in my family. And my brothers have declared themselves bachelors for life, which means I won"t be getting any nieces or nephews anytime soon."
Tara folded her arms under her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and nodded. "And for me it was the complete opposite. I"m the oldest of four and I had to take care of my younger sister and brothers, so I can hold off having any children of my own for years to come."
Delaney laughed. She really liked Tara and appreciated their friendship. Like her, Tara had moved to Bowling Green without knowing a soul, and the two of them had hit it off. They lived in the same apartment building and carpooled to work occasionally, and on the weekends they would go shopping and to the video store, then stay up late for hours talking and watching old movies. Being the same age, they shared similar interests, and like her, Tara was unattached at the moment, although Delaney couldn"t understand why. With her dark mahogany complexion, light brown eyes and dark brown hair, not to mention her hourgla.s.s figure, Tara was simply gorgeous. Delaney knew that a number of doctors had asked her out and she had turned them down without blinking an eye.
But then so had she.
It wasn"t uncommon for the single doctors to check out the new unattached female residence physicians. Although Delaney had been asked out several times, like Tara, she had declined the offers. Usually in the afternoons when she left work, unless she and Tara had made plans to do something together that night, she went home, took a shower and went to bed.
And each night she dreamed of Jamal.
"Tara to Delaney. Tara to Delaney. Come in, please."
Delaney laughed when she realized Tara had been trying to get her attention. "I"m sorry, what were you saying?"
"I asked if you have any plans for tonight."
Delaney shook her head. "No, what about you?"
"No, none. Do you want to check out Denzel"s new movie?"
Wincing, Delaney sucked in a deep breath. Tara"s question reminded her that she had already seen the movie...with Jamal. She closed her eyes as she tried to blot out the memory.
"Delaney, are you all right?"
Delaney snapped her eyes back open and met Tara"s concerned stare. "Yes, I"m fine." She took in another deep breath of air. "I"ve already seen the movie, but if you really want to go I can see it again."
Tara looked at her for a moment before saying, "You went with him, didn"t you?"
Delaney took a deep breath. "Him who?"
"The guy you won"t talk about."
Delaney didn"t say anything for the longest time and then she nodded. "Yes, and you"re right, I don"t want to talk about him."
Tara nodded and reached out a hand to touch Delaney"s arm. "I"m sorry. I didn"t mean to pry. I have no right."
Delaney shook her head. "No, you don"t." A smile softened her features when she added, "Especially since you"re harboring secrets of your own."
A gentle smile tilted the corners of Tara"s lips. "Touche, my friend. One day, after I"ve taken one sip of chardonnay too many, I"ll spill my guts."
Delaney"s expression became serious. "And one day when my pain gets too unbearable and I can use a shoulder to cry on, I"ll tell you about him."
Tara nodded, understanding completely. "Good enough."
"I can"t marry Princess Raschida," Jamal said, meeting his father"s deep stare. He had arrived back at the palace after having been gone three weeks. It had taken all that time for him to make decisions he knew would change his life forever. But there was nothing he could do about that. Delaney was the woman he wanted, and she was the woman he would have...if she still wanted him.
King Yasir held his son"s gaze. "Do you know what you"re saying?" he asked, pushing himself up from the wing chair he had been sitting in.
Jamal stared into the face of the man who had produced him, a man loved, respected and admired by many-a man Jamal knew would do anything for his people and a man who, in addition to everything else, believed in honor.
"Yes, Father," he answered quietly. "I know what I"m saying and I also know what this means. I truly thought I could go through with it, but now I know that I can"t. I"m in love with someone else, and there is no way I can marry another."
King Yasir looked deep into his son"s face. He had known when Jamal arrived home three weeks ago that something had been troubling him. Subsequently, Fatimah had shared with him what that something was. But he had turned a deaf ear to the thought that his son was in love with a Western woman. But now, seeing was believing. Jamal looked tormented and his features were those of a man who was hurting and whose very soul had been stripped away. With all the arrogance and lordliness Jamal was known to have, King Yasir was shocked that a woman had brought his son to this.
"This woman you love is a Western woman, is she not?" he asked gruffly.
Jamal continued to meet his father"s gaze. "Yes," he said calmly.
"And you"re willing to walk away from a woman of your people and marry someone not like you, of your faith and nationality?"
Chin up, head lifted and body straight, Jamal answered stiffly, "Yes, because, although not like me, she is of me. She is a part of me just as I am a part of her, Father. Love has united us as one."
The king"s eyes darkened. "Love? And what do you know of love?" he declared. "Are you sure it"s not your libido talking? l.u.s.t can be just as strong an emotion as love," he persisted.
Jamal walked closer into the room to face his father. "Yes, I"m aware of that, and I do admit I was attracted to her from the moment I first saw her. I even thought it to be l.u.s.t for a while, but it is not. At thirty-four I know the difference. I have had an ongoing affair with Najeen for a number of years, yet I"ve never thought about falling in love with her."
"You wouldn"t have. You knew her position in your life. She was your mistress. If a man of your status were to fall in love it should be with his wife."
"But things don"t always happen that way, Father, as you well know. Look at the number of other dignitaries who are besotted with their mistresses. And to answer your question as to what I know about love, I can honestly say that I know more now than I did some weeks ago," he concluded heavily. "I know love is what has me willing to stand before you now and plead for your understanding that I marry the woman who has my heart. Love is what has me in total misery, torment and depression. Love is also what has kept me functioning regardless of those things."
He took a deep breath and continued, "Love is what I see whenever you and Fatimah are together, and love is what has me willing to abdicate my right to succession if I have to."
Shock was reflected in his father"s face. "You will give up the right to be my heir-the crown prince, the future king-for this woman?"
Jamal knew his words had caused his father pain, but they had to be said to make him understand just what Delaney meant to him. "Yes, Father, I would. Fatimah was right. Love is powerful enough to bring even the strongest man to his knees. I love Delaney Westmoreland, and I want her for my princess."
"But does this woman want you? What if she refuses to accept our ways? What if she refuses to change, and-"
"I don"t want her to change," Jamal said vehemently. "I love her just the way she is. I believe she would be willing to meet me halfway on certain things, and in my heart I also believe she will love our people as much as I do. But Delaney is not a woman who will bend because a man says she has to."
"This woman is disobedient?" the king asked, troubled, astounded.
"No more so than Fatimah was when she first came here. If I remember correctly there was some rumbling among the people when you married an Egyptian princess instead of one of your own. But over the years they have come to love and respect her."
King Yasir didn"t say anything for a long moment, because what Jamal had just said was true. Fatimah was loved and admired by all. Finally he released a long, deep sigh. "Sheikh Muhammad isn"t going to be happy with the news that you refused to marry his daughter. He may declare that our sheikhdom lacks honor. Are you willing to abide with that, Jamal?"
Jamal shook his head. That was the hardest thing he had to contend with. "I will talk to the sheikh and if I have to I will agree to scour the entire countryside and find a replacement that pleases him. But I will not marry his daughter."
The king nodded solemnly. He then picked up doc.u.ments off his desk. "Finding a replacement might not be necessary. Fatimah brought something to my attention a few weeks ago, gossip that was circulating among the servants. It seems that the servants in the Muhammads" household had been whispering, and even with the distance separating our sheikhdoms, the wind carried some of those whispers here. Rebakkah felt it was her duty to make her queen aware of what was being said."
"And what was being said?" Jamal asked, watching lines of anger form in his father"s face.
"Word that Princess Raschida is with child, which is the reason Sheikh Muhammad is in such a hurry to marry her off."
Jamal was taken aback. "I would have married her, not knowing this, and the child would not have been my true heir?"
"Yes," the king answered in a disgruntled voice. "Evidently they were hoping no one would be the wiser since she is in her very early stages."
Jamal became furious. "I can"t believe Sheikh Muhammad would do such a thing."
"He was trying to save both himself and his daughter from embarra.s.sment, Jamal. But I agree that what he had planned was dishonorable." He gazed down at the papers he held in his hand. "This report tells everything. When Fatimah brought me word, I had my men look into it, discreetly. It seemed that the princess has been involved in a secret affair-right under her father"s nose-with a man who is a high-ranking official in his army."
"Well, the man can have her!" Jamal was appalled at how close he had come to being taken in. And here Delaney could be-and for some reason he believed that she was-pregnant with his legitimate heir.
"I think you should know, Father," he said, drawing his father"s attention, "there is a possibility that Delaney carries my child."
His father"s eyes widened. "Do you know that for certain?"
Jamal shook his head. "No. I haven"t had any contact with her since I left America. I can only cite my beliefs on male intuition or possibly a revelation from Allah. But I plan to go to her and find out. I also plan to ask her to marry me and return with me as my bride."
"And if she doesn"t want to do that?"
"Then I will convince her otherwise. Whatever it takes."
King Yasir nodded, knowing just how persuasive Jamal Ari could be when it suited him. "I much prefer that you marry someone from our country, Jamal, however, you are right, I do understand love doesn"t recognize color, national origin or religion."
"Do I have your blessings, Father?"
The king slowly nodded his head. "Yes, although I am certain you would still marry her without my blessings. However, before I can fully accept her as the woman who will one day stand by your side to rule our people, I must meet her and get to know her. That is the best I can do," he quietly conceded.
Jamal nodded. "And that is all I ask, Father. You are more than fair."
King Yasir hugged his son in a strong display of affection, which Jamal returned. After the king released him from his embrace, Jamal turned and walked out of his father"s study.
"Delaney, are you sure you"re feeling all right?" Tara asked for the third time that day. "I hate to be a nuisance but you don"t look well."
Delaney nodded. She didn"t feel well, either, but then she wouldn"t be feeling well for a number of days to come. She had missed her period and an over-the-counter pregnancy test she had taken that morning confirmed she was carrying Jamal"s child. She planned to keep her word and let him know, but decided to wait until after her first appointment with the doctor in a few weeks.
A baby.
The thought that she was carrying Jamal"s baby made her extremely happy, and if it wasn"t for the bouts of morning sickness she had started having a few days ago, she would be fine. At least as fine as a woman could be who was still pining over the man she loved. Each day she had checked the international news section of the paper for word of his engagement or marriage. So far she hadn"t seen anything.
Lovingly she caressed her stomach. Jamal had planted a baby inside of her. His baby, a part of him that she would love as much as she loved him.
"Delaney?"
Delaney looked up and met Tara"s concerned stare. She was not ready to share her news with anyone yet. "I"m fine, Tara. I"ve just been busy lately, preparing for my brothers" visit. I have to get ready, both mentally and physically, for them. They can be rather tiring and taxing to one"s peace of mind."
Tara chuckled. "When do you expect them?"
"Sometime later today. They had to wait for Storm to get off work before driving up. And I really appreciate you letting a couple of them stay at your place. There is no way all five of them will fit in my tiny apartment."
"Hey, don"t mention it, and I"m looking forward to meeting them."
And there was no doubt in Delaney"s mind that her brothers would definitely want to meet Tara. She couldn"t wait to see their reaction to her, as well as her reaction to them. Tara was a woman who didn"t tolerate arrogance in any man, and the Westmoreland brothers were as arrogant as they came.
On a private plane bound for America, Jamal sat back in the seat, relaxed. Asalum, using his connection with certain international security firms, had been able to obtain a residence address for Delaney in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Jamal planned to go straight to her home from the airport as soon as the plane landed.
He smiled at the thought of seeing her again. Inside of him the yearning to hold her in his arms was so intense it pulled at his inner strength. He laid his head back against the seat. They had been in the air eight hours already, and according to the pilot they had another four hours to go before they arrived in Kentucky.
Asalum appeared with a pillow. "For you, Prince."
Jamal took the pillow and placed it behind his head. "Thank you, Asalum." He looked up into the older man"s world-weary and rugged face. "I"m no longer feeling depression."
Asalum couldn"t hide his smile. "And what are you feeling now, My Prince?"
Jamal grinned heartily. "Jubilation."
Chapter 13.
Tara leaned against the closed bathroom door. Concern was etched on her face as she heard the sound of Delaney throwing up on the other side. "Delaney? Are you sure you"re going to be okay? That"s the second time you"ve thrown up today."
Delaney held her head over the toilet thinking it was actually the third time. And all this time she thought morning sickness was just for the morning. "Yes, Tara, I"ll be fine, just give me a second."
At that moment she could hear the sound of the doorbell. Oh, my gosh! My brothers are here! Oh, my gosh! My brothers are here! "Tara, please get the door. More than likely it"s my brothers, and no matter what, please don"t tell them I"m in the bathroom sick." "Tara, please get the door. More than likely it"s my brothers, and no matter what, please don"t tell them I"m in the bathroom sick."
Tara smiled. "Okay, I"ll do my best to stall them, but only if you promise to see Dr. Goldman tomorrow. Sounds like you might be coming down with a virus." She turned and crossed the room when the doorbell sounded a second time.
Opening the door, Tara"s breath caught and held at the sight of the four men standing there. Then just as quickly she regained her composure. It took some doing. Delaney"s brothers were definitely good-looking and oozing in raw s.e.xuality. Dressed in jeans and T-shirts that advertised the Thorn-Byrd motorcycle, they all had ma.s.sive shoulders, solid chests and firm thighs.
She cleared her throat. For the longest moment no one spoke. They just stood there staring at her in a way that made her glance down to make sure her T-shirt wasn"t transparent or something. She decided it was time to say something. "You"re Delaney"s brothers?"
A crooked smiled tipped up the side of one of their mouths. He seemed to be a little older than the rest. "Yes, I"m Dare. And who are you?" he prompted curiously, not taking his eyes off her.
"I"m Tara Matthews, Delaney"s friend, neighbor and fellow physician," she said, reaching her hand out to him. He took it and held it, a bit longer than she thought necessary, before shaking it. The others did the same when Dare introduced them. She took a step back. "Please come in. Delaney is in the bathroom."