The Perfect Gift (2 page)

CHAPTER TWO

Abigail Mueez, or Abby as everyone called her, looked down the table at Uncle Nabi. Something was up with him. He had a smile on his face, but he seemed distant. She knew he wasn’t really her uncle, but he was closer to the kids who ran around Desert Sun Farm than any of their real uncles. Abby was of a mind to see him happy.

“Psst, Zain,” she whispered across the table to her childhood playmate. Zain and Gabe were now young men, but she’d been playing with them since she was old enough to pick a lock. If she needed a co-conspirator, the twins were it.

“What?” Zain mumbled over huge bites of biscuits and sausage gravy.

“Did you think Nabi is acting a little differently?”

“Yes,” Gabe answered for his twin.

“He said something about a wish list on his computer. I’m going to check it out. Maybe if we get him something from it, he’ll cheer up.”

“Dad’s taking him out riding with Ahmed after breakfast. We could go then,” Zain told her as he reached for another biscuit.

“I want to go with you,” Ariana whispered.

“I do, too!” Kale told them excitedly before Abby could tell him to hush.

Too late. Abby saw her father’s head turn their way. He raised an eyebrow in silent question. Abby raised one back at him and kept eye contact. Her father could intimidate everyone else in the world, but it didn’t work on her or her mother. With a look that told her to stay in line, her father turned back to talking with the rest of the adults.

Abby tried not to roll her eyes at Ariana and Kale. They were just eight months apart and inseparable. “Fine, but you two will be the lookouts.”

Abby waited until her mother went to check on the dog training center and Aunt Dani went to placate their chef before grabbing her brother and friends to sneak out the back door. She held up her hand, signaling them to stop as she saw her father, Nabi, and Mo ride past them. “Okay, all clear!”

“Gosh, I’ve missed Kentucky,” Zain said as he and his brother flanked Abby. Kale and Ariana were running ahead of them, laughing about who knew what.

“I can’t wait to go to college. Dad still won’t let me date. To have the freedom to go where I want and do what I want,” Abby sighed, “would be heaven.”

“For you maybe,” Gabe said sadly.

“For us it’s a lot of hard work because studying is the only thing we can do without pretense,” Zain told her.

“Everyone wants to be our friends because we’re princes. We are constantly worried about dating because no one seems sincere. If our date isn’t wonderful, then it could end up on the gossip sites,” Gabe continued.

Abby scrunched up her nose. “That sucks.”

“Yep. Keeneston is the only place we can be ourselves. I’m just glad we can spend this summer break here instead of going to Rahmi,” Zain said with a smile on his face. Abby didn’t know when, but sometime since they left they had become men. Handsome men, but ick, they were like brothers to her, and it grossed her out just admitting they were good-looking.

“Well, it’s nice to have you here. I’m glad those prince lessons are done. Maybe you can help me run interference with Dad. We can say we’re going out to the movies, and I can actually go out with Corey.”

“Corey?” The twins both groaned at the same time.

“Sorry, Abs, but I agree with your dad on this one. That guy is a total tool.” Zain made a face, and Gabe laughed.

“That’s not fair! I didn’t say anything when you lost your V card to . . .”

“No need to remind me,” Gabe said has he held up his hands. “But, you’re like our sister. We have to look out for you. And Corey . . . well, Corey’s a player.”

“Ugh!” Abby rolled her eyes. Growing up was no fun. Now her best friends were acting like her father. Did that suddenly happen when you turned eighteen?

Zain stretched forward and opened the door for her. “Ari, you and Kale keep lookout,” he instructed before the three of them headed upstairs to Nabi’s room.

“Should we feel bad for snooping?” Gabe asked as Abby opened the laptop.

“We’re only snooping to make Nabi happy, so no. Besides, it didn’t stop you all from reading my diary when you were younger.”

The computer turned on, and she stared at the login. She tried a couple times and cursed under her breath. “I need Kale to open it.”

Gabe went to the window and signaled for Abby’s computer-genius brother. Kale stormed up the stairs with the subtlety of a hundred elephants. She rolled her eyes in the silent suffering of an older sister. If Kale didn’t look so much like her dad, she’d swear he was adopted.

“Can you get through his password?” Abby asked as she handed him the laptop.

“No problem-o,” Kale said as he started typing. Yep, he had to be adopted. “Here you go,” Kale said twenty seconds later.

“Wow. Good job,” Abby said as a draft email came onto the screen.

Zain and Gabe leaned forward, and they all sat motionless as they read the email to Nabi’s father.

I have given up hope of finding a woman to love. Please arrange a marriage for me.

“An arranged marriage?” Abby gasped.

Zain shrugged. “It’s still done in Rahmi among the upper class. Our father was the first prince to not have an arranged marriage.”

“But look at how happy your parents are. Don’t you want Nabi to have that?” Abby asked as her heart sank. She had no idea he was so sad.

“What can we do about it?” Gabe asked almost apologetically.

Abby slammed her hand on his desk. “We can find the perfect woman to love him!”

“You want us to play matchmaker?” Kale raised his lip in distaste.

“Yes. And we will need some help,” Abby grinned as she pulled out her cell phone.

*     *     *

An hour later, the quiet of the empty driveway of the white Victorian bed and breakfast disappeared as one vehicle after another pulled in and passengers got out. Doors slammed and greetings were made as members of the large, young group of friends and family started gathering on the quaint street full of old houses, large yards, and colorful flowers. Zain, Gabe, Abby, Kale, and Ariana hopped out as Ryan Parker pulled in right behind them. Ryan’s younger brother, Jackson, and sister, Greer, followed him out of his truck.

Cade and Annie’s children—Sophie, Colton, and Landon—quickly followed. Both sets of Cy and Gemma’s twins were the next to join them. Reagan and Riley shot daggers at their younger twin brothers, Porter and Parker.

“I can’t believe you spied on me!” Reagan yelled as she gave her younger brothers a shove.

“What? You were the one kissing that boy right on the doorstep,” Porter shot back. “You’re just lucky Dad didn’t see you.”

“It was only natural to cool you off,” Parker grinned.

“By dumping a bucket of water on her?” Riley shot back. “Before we leave for college in the fall, I vow we will make your summer a living hell.”

Pierce and Tammy’s four children—Piper, Dylan, Jace, and Cassidy—joined the rest of the group a moment before Sienna and Carter made their way forward. Ryan, who had a long-standing crush on Sienna, much to her father’s chagrin and her mother’s amusement, ran a hand over his hair and looked around. As soon as he spotted Sienna, he sauntered over to her.

“Man, give it a rest,” Carter, Sienna’s eighteen-year-old brother, groaned as Ryan stopped to hug Sienna.

Sienna blushed. “It’s good to see you. It’s strange being back in town and working while you’re off at college.”

“You’re so lucky you graduated this year. But, I have just one more year to go,” Ryan said with pride.

“And then what?” Sienna asked.

Ryan shrugged. “I haven’t worked that out yet. I’m thinking of the FBI or DEA. I’m actually leaving in two weeks for a summer internship at their headquarters in DC. I’m spending one month with the FBI and then one with the DEA. I’m hoping it will give me some idea of which field I want to go into.”

“Wow,” Sienna said, impressed. “That’s so, grown-up. I guess I’ll always think of you as a little kid.” Sienna laughed as she waved at Marshall and Katelyn’s daughter, Sydney, and her seventeen-year-old brother, Wyatt.

“Hi y’all,” Wyatt called out as he joined the group forming in the driveway.

“We’re all real sorry about your great-grandfather,” Abby said as she gave him a hug before giving one to Sydney.

“Thank you. Great-Grandma Wyatt is taking it pretty well. She’s just too stubborn to allow herself to grieve,” Sydney told them before they were all wrapped up in hugs from the group. Beauford Wyatt had passed away two months before. The entire town of Keeneston and even some old Atlanta society had come to the funeral.

“Who are we missing?” Sienna asked as she started looking around the group.

“Layne, as usual,” Piper sighed.

The black Mercedes Layne had received earlier that year for her eighteenth birthday from her parents, Miles and Morgan, tore down the street and, with a controlled slide, turned into the parking lot, barely missing one of Miss Lily’s rose bushes.

“Sorry I’m late, y’all. I was volunteering with veterans today,” Layne called out as she hurried from the car while tying her long black hair into a sloppy bun. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing yet. Abby was waiting for everyone to get here before telling us what’s going on,” Sophie told her.

“Well,” Abigail said once she had everyone’s attention, “now that everyone is here, we need some real help.”

CHAPTER THREE

Abby led the large group up the sidewalk to the front of Miss Lily’s bed and breakfast. Miss Lily and her sisters sat on the porch as they sipped sweet tea and waited for hugs from all the kids.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Cassidy was on the swing with Miss Daisy and Miss Violet. The older boys leaned against the house and the older girls sat on the steps. Everyone else sat cross-legged on the wooden floor. Tea had been passed out, and everyone was quiet as they munched on Miss Violet’s cookies.

“So, dear, care to share with us what was so important that we had to miss our crocheting group?” Miss Daisy asked.

“I think the better question, Daisy Mae, is whether we are the first to know it or if John already has the details.” Miss Lily looked pointedly at Abigail and waited. Miss Lily and her gentleman caller, John Wolfe, were in a competition for gossip. John had an uncanny way of finding gossip—the prevailing theory was aliens were telling him. So, if Miss Lily could get a scoop, she’d cherish every second of it. And brag continually for a week.

“You’re the first. It’s about Nabi,” Abigail started. “As you know, today is his birthday, and we wanted to get him the perfect gift. He told us about his wish being on his computer, so we snuck in and looked.”

“Abigail, that wasn’t nice of you,” Sienna chided. At twenty-one, Sienna Ashton was the oldest and took that role seriously.

“Oh stuff it, Sienna,” Abby shot back. “It was all done with good intentions. Remember, back when you were just eighteen, Nabi’s the one who drove to Lexington and picked you up when you had too much to drink at that party, and he didn’t tell your parents.”  Will and Kenna Ashton were very understanding parents under most circumstances.  This would not have been one of those times.

Sienna shot her the
I’m the adult here
glare and then rolled her eyes. “Fine, we all love Nabi. What crazy expensive thing does he want? I assume that’s why you need all of us.”

Abigail let out a long breath. “He needs a wife.”

“Darn tootin’,” Miss Lily chimed in.

“We need to clear the betting books,” Miss Daisy told them.

“He’s our longest outstanding bet,” Miss Violet clarified. The Rose sisters ran a betting ring on local tidbits: when someone would get married, when they’d have a child, if an upcoming baby would be a boy or girl, and other similar topics.

“No, I mean we have to find him one right now, meaning today! He’s ready to email his father to arrange a marriage for him.”

The kids gasped and started talking among themselves as Miss Violet explained what an arranged marriage was to Cassidy.

“But, Uncle Nabi should be in love with the person he marries. Just like in the movies or with Mommy and Daddy,” Cassidy said with all the outrage a nine-year-old could have.

“Exactly!” Abby called out. “We need to find his true love. She’s here in Keeneston. We just have to find her.”

“What about the lady who teaches yoga?” Ryan suggested. “She’s hot enough, and flexible.” He winked to his seventeen-year-old brother, Jackson, who just rolled his silver eyes that made Abby forget why they were there for a minute. She could get lost in those eyes.

“Tiffany Sanders is the new president of the Keeneston Belles. She’s pretty nice,” Sienna suggested.

“She is,” twenty-year-old Sophie agreed. The Keeneston Belles were the up-and-coming elite of Keeneston society whose purpose was officially charitable, but really they were just looking to marry well. Once they married, they joined the prestigious Keeneston Ladies Group, which secretly ran the town. Their poor husbands just didn’t know it, bless their hearts.

“But she’s twenty-three years old,” Piper pointed out. “That’s like Sienna marrying him.”

“Ew,” Sienna said as she wrinkled her nose. “He’s like, old.”

“He’s only thirty-eight, dear. But I agree that any of the Belles are just too young for our Nabi,” Miss Lily said as she poured another glass of sweet tea.

“What about Geri Wright? She works on Dad’s farm and she’s thirty-six,” Carter, who was just as horse crazy as his dad, Will Ashton, suggested.

Reagan and Riley, Cy and Gemma’s eighteen-year-old twin girls, shook their heads. “She’s been divorced five times already.”

“He needs someone to take care of him some. He’s always taking care of us,” Wyatt said as they all nodded.

“And someone who likes kids,” Greer, Paige and Cole’s twelve-year-old added.

“And who is really, really old. Like thirty,” twelve-year-old Colton told them.

“She needs to be nice,” Landon, Cade and Annie’s youngest son, said on the heels of his brother, Colton.

“She needs to be athletic,” Zain said.

“In a fun outdoors way,” Gabe finished. “Nabi loves horse riding, ATV racing, and stuff like that.”

“But she also needs to be strong,” Layne suggested. “Nabi sometimes has to leave and can’t tell us where he’s going. She needs to be secure enough to handle that.”

Abby agreed. And if anyone could see that, it was Layne. She had a serious business side from her mother, Morgan, and her father, Miles, who was a former Special Forces soldier. Layne could take out a man three times her size, while maintaining a pretty appearance with her black hair and hazel eyes. She could also tell when someone was in need. She volunteered with military veterans and their families weekly.

“Nabi is technically military even though he said he hasn’t seen combat since before we were born,” Abby added.

“Those were the days,” Miss Lily grinned.

“Ugh,” Dylan, the fifteen-year-old son of Tammy and Pierce’s groaned. “Is there anyone in town who meets all those requirements?”

Cassidy raised her hand. “Yes, dear?” Miss Daisy asked.

“What about Mrs. Duvall?” Cassidy said as everyone looked at each other.

“That’s perfect!” Ariana squealed and jumped up.

“No, it’s not,” Abby called out, quieting everyone. “Cassidy, if her name is Mrs., that means she’s married already.”

The Rose sisters looked at each other and clinked their glasses in celebration. “It can mean she’s married,” Miss Violet told them.

“Or it can mean she
was
married,” Miss Daisy explained.

“Mrs. Duvall, or Grace as we know her, was married,” Miss Lily told them, “but her husband died. He was more concerned with rock climbing than being a good husband.”

“And four years ago he went on some major climb right after they moved here from Lexington,” Miss Daisy said, picking up the story. “He was way out west while Grace was here teaching Cassidy’s kindergarten class.”

“That’s right,” Miss Violet said as she remembered the incident well. “Your daddy,” she said, pointing to Sydney and Wyatt, “was the sheriff and had to tell her that her husband died when his carabiner broke near the top of the rock face.”

“Grace was devastated, so we’ve never thought of fixing her up with Nabi or anyone else for that matter,” Miss Lily told them.

“That’s so sad,” Sydney said and the other girls nodded.

“Maybe she’s not ready to date,” Jackson said.

“But she would be perfect!” Ariana protested. “Her father was in the military. She’s super nice and loves kids.”

“And she rides horses,” Cassidy added.

“Then there’s only one way to find out if they’d be perfect together,” Zain said smiling.

“We need to get them together,” Gabe finished.

“To the perfect wife!” Miss Lily cheered.

“Now we just need the perfect plan,” Abigail said as she started to lay out her strategy with military precision.