What had Mom said in her letter, and to Neelam Premji—she wanted “Ruby to know who Ruby was” before she got the money.
And did Ruby know who Ruby was? Other than Maryam’s daughter?
“Ruby? Hey, earth to Ruby… I can see all your cards,” Ayesha said.
Ugh. “Sorry.” She lifted her hand higher.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” Rashid said.
“You just want to stop because you’re losing,” Ayesha said.
“No,” Jasmine said, shaking her head. “He’s recognizing that Ruby’s not in the right mind right now for a game that needs a lot of concentration because he’s a considerate and generous person.”
“Yes,” Ruby said. That’s exactly what Rashid was doing. “That’s why I fell in love with him.”
Ruby blinked. It was true. She loved his whole family, but she wasin lovewith Rashid. She’d been denying it to herselfand to others for so long. No one had ever treated Ruby as well as Rashid did, and it scared the hell out of her to rely on someone so much after being alone for so long. She fell in love with him during the holidays, and she was still in love with him now. Because he cared. Because he prioritized her well-being, even over his own enjoyment. Because he wanted to help her make her dreams come true, even if that pulled her away from him. Because he was sexy, and so fucking passionate, and so, so… beautiful. And he madeherfeel beautiful. She could be herself with him. With all her flaws and all her unresolved baggage, he still wanted her. And she wanted him. She was in love with Dr. Rashid Hakim.
Also… why was everyone staring at her like that? Holy shit… had she said that she loved him out loud? Ruby’s hand shot to her mouth, mortified. She wondered if it was possible to will a sinkhole to open in the ground to suck her into the permafrost.
“What did you say?” Rashid asked. His eyes were wide.
“We should go,” Jasmine said. It sounded like she was trying not to laugh. Ayesha looked like she was thinking of getting the bartender to make some popcorn for the show in front of her.
“Hell, no,” Ayesha said, crossing her arms. “I’m not going anywhere. You said it was a casual fling. You actuallylovemy brother? What happened towe’re friends?”
Jasmine stood. “Ayesha, come.” She walked around the table and literally pulled her sister out of her chair. Ayesha’s cards fell to the floor.
“Fine,” Ayesha said. “But I’m listening at the door.”
“These doors are too thick to hear anything,” Jasmine said. “Come with me.”
Ruby didn’t look at them when they left the room. She heard the door close, and she was alone with Rashid, and why the hell was that sinkhole taking so long?
“Red, what did you say?” Rashid asked again, his eyes locked on her. His jaw was set, but inside… inside he had a sweet and soft center. Just like gulab jamun. She’d seen it. She’d fallen in love with it.
And she definitely didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“Oh, you know me…” Ruby said awkwardly. “Foot-in-mouth disease. I’m always rambling nonsense like that. But yeah, I’ve got a lot on my mind. Like I was wondering if I remembered to turn off my dehumidifier—”
“Ruby.” That was all he said. Her name. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them the look on his face was clear as day. There was surprise, but also… maybe joy. Affection.
Ruby sighed. “I was having… an epiphany about my life.”
“An epiphany that you’re in love with me?”
Ruby waved her hand. “Among other things. I was wondering if maybe I need to stop chasing my mother’s dreams and figure out what my own dreams are… whoIam. And I was wondering how I can ever repay you and your family for all you’ve done for me. And I realized that I wouldn’t have loved the English countryside without your family here, and maybe—”
“I love you, too, Ruby.”
Ruby stopped rambling. She looked at him. Had he said he loved her? “What?”
“I said I love you.” He put his cards down on the table. “Ifell in love with you in December. I haven’t seen or talked to you in so long, I thought I was over you. But the moment I saw you standing near the pond at Lyme Park, it all came back. I knew I still loved you.”
“The first thing you said when you saw me was ‘Bloody hell, I’m going to kill my sisters.’”
He smiled. “Okay, that was my first thought. But then you laughed, and I thoughtRuby is still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen… and I am still so in love with her, and this weekend just got so much harder because I can never tell her how I feel.”
She smiled. “But you just did.”
