Ruby put her hand on her chest. “What a generous offer, Dr. Hakim. How could I turn down a chance to see a country house with a real British gentleman.”
Ruby loved Lyme Park. It was everything she expected an English manor house to look like. But even better than the house were the tea and scones they had in the garden. The Hakim family was so charming when they were all together. Ayesha and Farida doted on the twins, and Ayesha, Jasmine, and Rashid teased each other nonstop. They even teased their mother when she couldn’t read the tea menu because she forgot that her reading glasses were around her neck. And best of all, Tara and Noor were so chatty—miles away from how they’d been when Ruby first met them. When Ruby mentioned it privately to Jasmine, Jasmine said they were seeing a child psychologist now. They still dreaded visits with their father, but either Rashid or Ayesha went with them, and the girls felt safe with their aunt or uncle with them.
After they were done exploring Lyme Park, they all left at the same time. In the car, Ayesha asked Ruby if she was mad about them springing Rashid on her.
“I mean, it’s his mother’s birthday. I can’t be mad he’s here.”
“But are you mad I didn’t tell you?”
Ruby shook her head. It had been such a nice day, andnone of this would have been possible without Ayesha, so she couldn’t be mad at her. And she truly didn’t mind that he was here. She’d been dreading seeing him, but it hadn’t been scary, overly sad, or painful when she did. Theycouldbe friends now, which was great. “It’s fine. It was… nice to see him again. There are no hard feelings. We’re friends.”
“Friends?”
“Yes, friends.”
Ayesha snickered. “Sure. Friends who are madly in love.”
“Ayesha!” She wasn’t madly in love with Rashid. “Seriously, it was a casual fling, and I’m over it.”
“Okay, fine. I don’t know you that well, so maybe you are over it. But I do know my brother.”
“You think he’s still into me?” Ruby frowned. “Maybe I shouldn’t be here.” She didn’t want to make his mother’s birthday hard for him.
“Oh no, you’re staying. Watching my brother squirm is the most fun Jasmine and I have had in months. He’s had a stick up his arse too long—he deserves to be all flustered like this.”
Ruby raised one eyebrow. “I always wanted siblings, but now I see that all they do is meddle and shit-talk each other.”
“It’s true!” Ayesha said, laughing. “But seriously, I love those two more than life. We shit-talk because we care.” She paused a moment before continuing. “My brother’s great, but he’s always been a bit oblivious because of his convictions, you know? Doctors can be so sheltered—it comes from never leaving the hospital while training. He needed someone like you to knock him off his high horse. You’ve seriously done a huge service to this family.”
Ruby chuckled. Was that what she’d done? Ruby had been so grateful for the big and maybe even lasting impact the Hakims had had on her life, but now she wondered if her fling with Rashid made an impact on his life. Had he changed for the better? And who was going to benefit from this new Rashid who rode a much shorter horse? His family, yes, but also the next woman who was lucky enough to date the man.
Ruby’s stomach clenched at that thought. Not that she was jealous of this hypothetical woman. She wanted Rashid to be happy. She was sad that they probably wouldn’t be friends like they said they would, since they lived on different continents.
Ruby was entranced when she first saw the Weeping Sparrow Inn. It was adorable—all quaint and comfortable, and just the right amount of shabby. Farida said they were planning a renovation soon but planned to keep the traditional country style. It was a touch bigger than what Ruby and her mother had envisioned buying themselves, but this was pretty darn close to Ruby’s dream.
Farida’s birthday party that night was a lot of fun. Ruby was introduced as Ayesha and Jasmine’s Toronto friend and met aunties, uncles, old friends, and colleagues of Farida and Hakim. She ate biriyani and samosas, and talked until she literally lost her voice. Rashid seemed to be staying away from her but did smile and nod whenever their eyes caught. Ruby wondered if Ayesha had told him what Ruby said in the car, that she was over him.
The next morning, Ruby met Rashid downstairs before anyone else was awake. He was alone in the lobby, a couple of to-gocups and a paper sack in his hand. He wasn’t in his Canadian flannel like yesterday, but instead in darker, better-fitting jeans, and a slim dark green Henley shirt, with a gray tweed sport coat over it. He looked hot. Devastatingly so, actually. This country gentleman vibe was even better than his urban doctor look. Ruby pushed down the fluttering in her stomach at seeing another side to him.
“You look nice,” she said.
“So do you. All these new colors on you.”
Ruby preened. She was wearing a gray wool miniskirt with tights and a pale lavender turtleneck sweater.
He held up the bag. “I had the cook make us breakfast. Egg and tomato baps and tea. A bap is a roll sandwich—”
“I know, Rashid. I’ve been living in the UK for almost three months.” She took one of the cups from him. It was black tea with plenty of milk. “Thank you.”
“Come on, I’m parked in the back lot,” he said.
They were mostly silent on the forty-minute drive to Chatsworth. Which, of course, was completely normal because she was in a car with Rashid. It was strange; it felt kind of like they were back in Toronto, like the last few months hadn’t happened and they were still in the middle of the hottest fling Ruby had ever had. Except now he was sitting on the opposite side of the car, and outside the grass was green. And their fling was over.
“The last time I was at Chatsworth was for this Christmas light thing Mum dragged us to,” he said as he turned down a narrow road off the main highway.
Ruby chuckled. “That must have been torture for you.”
He nodded solemnly. “I hated every moment of it. Eachroom was decorated with greenery and holly everywhere. Way overdone. Worse than that castle in Toronto. They even projected designs onto the outside of the building. You would havelovedit.”
