Masoud normally worked for about half the time in the air when he flew. The flight was long enough for him to catch up on a few things and still arrive in Al Hayla rested and ready to go.

He went straight from the airport to the restaurant where he had made a reservation. The local five-star favorite was more than willing to offer their best table to members of the royal family, and when Masoud arrived, the owner of the restaurant met him at the door and showed him to their table.

His mother arrived a few minutes later and was escorted over by the owner’s wife. The woman offered her best wishes as she left the table, and Masoud stood to greet his mother, the Sheikha.

Reya Al-Saffar was beautiful, with long black hair that didn’t have even a hint of grey and warm brown eyes that sparkled. Masoud stood up as she approached. She held out her arms to her son and Masoud gladly embraced her.

“Happy birthday, Mother.” Masoud handed her a large bouquet of flowers, a pretty mix of purple and white orchids and roses, which were his mother’s favorite flowers.

Reya took the bouquet with a wide smile. “Thank you, my dear. They’re lovely.”

“Just like you,” Masoud said as he held the chair for her.

Anyone who had met Reya would be able to tell where Masoud got his grin. “I look pretty good for my age, don’t I?”

“You look good for any age, Mother. I’m hoping I take after you as I get older.”

She laughed. “I won’t tell your father you said that.”

“Tell him I got his business sense.”

Reya patted his hand. “That’s true. You’ve done the family proud running the company.”

Masoud hesitated. “Speaking of work…”

She didn’t let him finish and leaned over to pat his hand. “Why don’t you save the report for later? I want to hear all about the new town you’re living in. It sounds like quite the place.”

“It is. Small-town America is far more charming than I thought it would be. The people are nice, and although the town isn’t large, there seems to be plenty to do there.”

The restaurant’s sommelier stopped next to the table, bowing slightly.

“My apologies for interrupting, sir. May I bring you something to drink?”

“Yes, please. Mother, a bottle of wine?”

“That sounds lovely.”

Masoud and the sommelier conferred, then selected a light white wine. The Sheikh thanked the man and then turned back to his mother, who was watching him patiently. He knew what she was going to ask before she said it.

“Have you met anyone in town?”

“I have, actually. It’s hard not to run into people, and I’ve gotten to know several of the townspeople.”

She let his evasion go for the moment, but Masoud knew she would circle back again later during dinner.

After they ordered, Masoud asked after his father.

“He sends his love and said he’ll call you before you fly back tomorrow.”

“How is Uncle Tamir?” His father’s younger brother, who lived in Paris, was recovering from surgery. Asif Al-Saffar had traveled to stay with him.

“He’s doing well, almost back on his feet. Your father expects to be back home in a few days.”

“And he’s taking you someplace fantastic to make up for missing your birthday?” Masoud teased her.

Reya gave him an admonishing look. “I told him he should go. And yes. We’re going to Zurich for the weekend and then a lovely chalet in the Alps for the rest of the week.”

“Good. We can compare mountain ranges.”

“I thought the town wasn’t actually in the mountains?”

“It’s not, really. More just on the edge of the Sierra Nevada range. The view is rather stunning, anywhere you go in town.”

“Tell me more about the people in town. Do you have neighbors?”

“I do, actually. The town’s veterinarian, who also runs a sheep farm, lives next door.”

“A sheep farm? Fascinating.”

“Leila watches the flock from the backyard. She’s enthralled with them. If I’m not careful, she’s going to run off to become a sheepdog.”

His mother laughed. “I’m glad you’re both settling in nicely. Did you bring her with you?”

It always amused Masoud that his mother asked after Leila almost like she was asking after…maybe not a child, but at least a close personal friend. He knew that she wanted him to develop closer relationships with people, but Reya was happy he at least had some kind of companionship in his life.

“I left her with my vet neighbor, actually. Trust me, she loves it there.”

Reya looked interested. “Tell me about the vet.”

Masoud had no idea how she did it, but somehow, Reya knew about Kelsie. Not specifically, but she had figured out that the vet wasn’t just a random next-door neighbor. Masoud wasn’t going to get out of the conversation, so he tried to keep it as neutral as possible.

“Her name is Kelsie Mack. She’s from Rancho Cordero, and her father started the sheep farm. She took over for him when he passed away a few years ago. Her clinic is there at the house.”

“Mmm-hmm. How old is she?” His mother’s question sounded innocent, but Masoud knew better.

“Mother, you do know why I’m in Rancho Cordero, right? I need to focus on business. I won’t be there long, anyway.”

Reya shrugged. “You can’t work all the time, my dear. You need to focus on your personal life, too.”

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea, Mother. If plans for the mine go through, I need to be able to negotiate with the whole town equally. I can’t do that if I have an established personal relationship with one of the town’s residents.”

His mother looked thoughtful. “I can understand that. But Masoud, you have to choose to want something more than work.”

“And I will, I promise. But right now, I need to focus on the business. I want to make you and Father proud of the work I’m doing.”

Reya leaned across the table and patted his hand. “And we are proud of you. But I also want you to be happy, to have a family of your own.”

Masoud nodded at his mother. “When the time is right, it will happen. Until then, I’m going to concentrate on doing what I do best. And tonight, that means making sure you have a good birthday.”

Reya looked at him for a moment and then relented. “I’m having a wonderful birthday. I’m so glad you’re home.”

Masoud called the server over and they ordered dinner. Over the meal, he told his mother about Rancho Cordero and the people who lived there. The Sheikha was intrigued and asked him more about the town’s workings. He should have known that she would want to know more about the infrastructure that made Rancho Cordero work—his mother was one of his uncle’s closest policy advisors.

She was especially interested in the fact that the town’s closest school wasn’t in Rancho Cordero. Her questions made Masoud think more about looking into the local education system; if his company could offer a higher standard of living for the mine workers, it might be easier to hire and retain them.

After dinner and dessert, which the restaurant owner brought out personally, Masoud kissed his mother’s cheek and wished her a happy birthday again. He took his keys from the valet and got into the car. As he pulled out into the city traffic, he had a flash thought of Kelsie reaching over to turn on the radio in her truck.

He flipped the radio on, but it wasn’t the same without her there. Masoud wondered what she’d make of his home. Would she like it there, in the city? Would she like the beaches or the little villages that dotted the coast?

He missed her. It was implausible that he could develop feelings for someone so quickly, but Kelsie had awakened something in him that he hadn’t expected. She was lovely, inside and out, and he already cared for her. He cared what she thought of him.

Which was why a relationship with her was likely impossible. She loved Rancho Cordero, and he wanted to turn the town into a mine. If his plan worked, he would ruin the stunning scenery and peacefulness of the whole area.

Could he do that to her? As he’d told his mother, he didn’t want a personal relationship with one of the town’s residents to influence his thinking. At first, he thought that meant giving her a better deal, but now, he wondered: if he started dating Kelsie, would he be able to go through with his plans at all?

But he did want a relationship. He wanted all the things his mother kept pushing him to find. He just wasn’t sure he could have those things with Kelsie.

When he got to his penthouse, the apartment felt cold and impersonal. It might have been because he’d been away for a few weeks, but Masoud thought it was more likely that it was because he’d become accustomed to his old, slightly worn house with a view of mountains and sheep. He didn’t even have Leila there to make it feel like home.

He tried to shake himself out of the mood he’d developed. Here he was, a grown man, missing his dog and his house and the girl next door. It was absurd. All he needed to do was finish the project and get out of Rancho Cordero. Once his work on the mine project was complete, he could come back to Al Hayla, maybe stay there for a while. Or, maybe he’d get a place in San Francisco, something that felt more like home, so he could remind himself why he liked the city.

Then, he could focus on a relationship. Someone who would understand his business and his lifestyle. She probably wouldn’t tell him ghost stories or fix him scrambled eggs, but Masoud convinced himself he was fine with that. He could still be happy.

As he tried to go to sleep, though, he couldn’t help but think of who was waiting for him at home. And how home, in his mind, was a tiny town by the name of Rancho Cordero.