Aaron was still sleeping like an angel when Hallie, freshly showered, dressed, and ready for the day, crept downstairs. The wonderful fragrance of coffee brewing drew her to the kitchen.

“You!” she blurted out, upon discovering Karim at the round table, already frowning over the screen of his laptop. “You can use a kitchen appliance?”

At the interruption, he looked up with his usual smile from whatever work was needing attention. He appeared shiny and well-rested; no middle-of-the-night heebie-jeebies for him. Unless that neutral façade was another way to hide the feelings he rarely let show.

“Filling a pot with water and adding a filter of ground beans does not constitute actual cooking, I’m afraid,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Although I might, if pressed, be able to put two slices of bread into the toaster.”

“Well, that’s something, anyway,” she grinned. Pouring herself a cup, she joined him and gave him a once-over. “You’re looking quite snappy this morning.”

“Pardon. What does that mean, snappy?” For the first time, he seemed at a loss. Unusual for him. Perhaps he was just distracted.

“It means that I like the way you’re dressed. It’s different. And becoming.”

He wore a casual pale yellow polo shirt, untucked; lightweight khaki trousers; and brown loafers, minus socks. The Sheikh glanced down, almost…self-consciously?

“Ah. You approve. And you, as well, Hallie. You look radiant.”

“Flatterer.”

Given the very small amount of sleep she had managed to snatch, ‘radiant’ could not be absolutely valid.

“In fact—” Closing the lid of his laptop, he leaned forward. “—if I may say; you look quite delicious.”

Color rose to her cheeks, and she hastily, if figuratively, retreated.

Time to change the subject.

“Where did all this food come from, anyway? I don’t recall you doing any shopping in between flights here and there.”

“No. Our hosts provided a selection for us, in the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. And where is little Aaron right now?”

Hallie lifted her hand, showing crossed fingers for good luck.

“He had a rough night, getting himself overtired and crabby. His Highness is still sleeping in.”

“I’m sorry. If you think it was too much for him—”

“Oh, no. The kid has turned into a real party animal, and he had a great time. It’s just that he doesn’t know when to call it quits.”

They shared a laugh; then, for a few minutes they simply sat in companionable silence, enjoying their breakfast coffee, delighting in the view through the large bay window. Just like any old couple, mused Hallie, a trifle wistfully. Shortly, she would fry up some bacon and eggs, to serve on the pretty chinaware that matched the kitchen’s color scheme.

She took another slow sip of coffee. “I called my mom a little while ago.”

If she didn’t know better, she thought he might have just pricked up his ears at the announcement, like a watchful German Shepherd.

“Oh? Just to check in?”

“Well, yes, that. I told her about the party last night, and my dress. And that I’d be home sometime later this afternoon.”

“Ah. About that…”

After some consideration—based on his reaction to this weekend and possibly her own—Karim had come up with a different plan, one which he broached to her now.

“I thought we might stay here another day, and return in the morning. If that would be convenient for you?”

Another day here, in this delightful setting, with leisure galore and all the comforts she could ever ask for? How could she ever stand such hardship?

“I’m not due back to work until Tuesday,” she reflected slowly, working out the details. “Yes, that would be fine, Karim. It would be wonderful, actually. But I thought you needed to get back to the office yourself, for—well, for whatever things must be piling up on your desk.”

He shrugged.

“Many of those things can be dealt with remotely, and I can also leave instructions with my very capable secretary. So. It is but a matter of letting your parents know about the change in plans?”

“Sure. I can do that.”

“And, perhaps…” He gaze was set steadily on her face as he hesitated. “Perhaps we might explore the grounds again, later, and take a picnic lunch along.”

Hallie nearly dropped her empty cup. This man was full of surprises, veering suddenly from one point to another, and it was a dizzying business just to keep up with him.

“Well, that sounds like—” heaven! “—fun. Certainly something different to do up here. Meanwhile, Karim, how would you like some breakfast?”

“That would be wonderful, Hallie,” he admitted with gratitude. “I’m afraid the apple I had simply did not provide enough substance, first thing in the morning. You must think I am very spoiled.”

“Not at all. I’m feeling a bit peckish, myself.” Grinning, she took herself to the working part of the kitchen to see what she could concoct.

* * *

As if on cue, right as they finished their egg-and-bacon-topped, open-faced sandwiches, a muffled “Ah-wah-wah!” and what sounded like a good solid kick of foot against crib drifted down from upstairs.

“Excellent timing.” Hallie put the dishes in the sink and removed the housewifely apron tied around her waist. “I’ll just run and see if—”

“May I help?” Karim was already pushing back his chair.

“Well…sure. Of course, if you really want to.”

“Yes. I really do.”

And so they rescued the wide-awake and irritated baby together. A quick diaper change—while Karim entertained him with a toy, as he rolled around on the bed trying to escape—and they could return to the kitchen. Therein lay the food, and Aaron was now most interested in his own breakfast.

“What is that?”

Hallie had mixed a bowl of what looked like glue and was spooning it as rapidly as possible into Aaron’s opened mouth.

“It’s rice cereal. Why?”

He imitated a shudder. “Do all babies eat that?”

“Well, I don’t know about all. But here in the States, a lot of them do.”

“It appears most unappetizing.”

She chuckled.

“They’re not too concerned with appearance at this age, Karim. They only know that their tummies are empty, and they need to be filled, quick. Wait till I give him slices of banana on the tray, and he starts mashing it all up into his hair.”

Aaron, strapped securely into his high chair seat, was busily reaching for some snacks in between voracious bites. With the cereal gone and the finger foods finished, piece by piece, he was ready for a bottle. Karim was more than happy to volunteer his service.

While Aaron sat happily on Karim’s knees, worked at his bottle, kicked bare feet, and stretched curious fingers to play with the various facial features hovering above him like some giant moon, Hallie could only sit and dreamily watch. Her surrogate husband, her child’s surrogate father. The family she didn’t have.

Just as Aaron abruptly signaled that he’d consumed all he could, for the moment, Hallie snapped to attention. No. She would not fall into the clutches of that hopeless fantasy. She would complete her weekend here, as agreed, and return to what she had left behind. Period. Time to grow up and leave la-la-land behind.

You’re an adult, she told herself sternly. Start acting like it.

“Okay, kiddo,” she said, rising to take the baby now squirming for freedom. “Let’s go have a bath and get dressed.”

Aaron was old enough now to sit up in the tub’s few inches of water and splash to his heart’s content. He was making noises and grabbing for bubbles when Hallie lifted him out, wrapped him into a plush towel, and rolled him around on the bed. Giggling, he made a dive to get away, but she grabbed one fat little thigh and hauled him back.

“It’s a game we play,” she explained for the benefit of Karim, who seemed to be enjoying the sideshow. “He’s getting stronger every day, and learning so much. He’s at the age now where you have watch the little dickens every minute he’s awake.”

“I can understand. It is a never-ending job, is it not?”

“Yup.”

She was buffing vigorously to get him dry before taping his little bottom into the ready diaper, then a cute little romper with a dog in blue-and-yellow embroidery on the front.

“And it’s a lot to ask of my mom. I’m afraid she’s having trouble keeping up with him, and it’s hard on her. But she insists she loves taking care of him.”

His gaze shifted from the energetic child, twisting about, to Hallie’s hands, competent and gentle, to her face, intent upon a necessary task.

“And hard on you, as well?”

“Oh—sometimes. Just like every mother. But—” Finished, she lightly tickled the little boy’s tummy until he erupted into deep chuckles; then, with a nuzzle into his chubby neck, she swung him up into her arms. “—my Aaron is such a little love, he makes everything worth it. Don’t you, sweetheart?”

Turning to Karim, she added, “Okay, then, let’s go get some food ready for this picnic; what do you say?”

While Karim carried the baby downstairs, to play with his toys on a blanket spread across the floor, Hallie rifled through the cupboards and shelves for supplies. It didn’t take long. She made tuna salad sandwiches and grabbed a bag of chips; several containers filled with grapes, cherries, sliced bananas, and wedges of cheese; a package of chocolate chip cookies; napkins; bottled water, and peach juice.

Truly, a gourmet feast!

Karim, rummaging around, even found a picnic basket to stuff everything into. Then, there was the bulging bag with all of Aaron’s necessities: diapers and wet wipes; a change of clothing; food and snacks and bottles; playthings; bibs; and the blanket to be toted along.

Nonplussed, Karim stood staring at the pile to be hauled some distance away—and back again—and screwed up his face with dismay.

“What?” Hallie turned from putting a tiny sunhat on Aaron.

“Have we reserved a wagon somewhere, of which I am not aware? Or am I to serve as the pack horse?”

She burst into laughter.

“Silly man. I have the handiest carryall to tuck Aaron into, and I can deal with his diaper bag. Muscles, see?” Proudly, she flexed her biceps. “And if you will kindly grab the basket and the blanket, then we’re all set.”

His expression told her he might be regretting his impulsive suggestion. But it was too late now. Time to load up and move out.

A wide, paved walkway took them from the terrace to the pond, where white swans lounged on the bank or swam, in reflected glory, upon water as smooth and calm as a mirror. Hallie pointed out this detail or that to the fascinated little boy snuggled against her breast as he took in everything and gurgled his own baby language.

Karim paused atop the gently rounded bridge to absorb the view.

“It’s beautiful here,” Hallie, stopping beside him, said quietly. “What a place for rest and relaxation. I envy the owners.”

“A getaway,” he added, lifting his free hand to touch first the baby’s velvet cheek, and then hers. “To leave the world behind.”

“Do you know anything about them?”

“The owners?”

“Yes. Imagine having a home like this, only to leave it. For what? Travel? Wherever else in the world could be as nice as right here?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “There are all sorts of reasons for being gone, Hallie. Perhaps they, too, regretted departing as much as you might.”

Wandering on, along a path worn through the thick, cut grass, they reached the shady section where a small table and chairs had already been established, and decided this would be the perfect place to stop.

Karim put down the heavy basket with a sigh of relief and spread the blanket upon the lawn, plush as any carpet. Hallie, too, gave a sigh of relief, as she relinquished the equally heavy baby to playtime. Settling herself cross-legged beside him, she pulled a handful of colorful teethers and toys from the bag and spread them out.

“He is not so much interested in those,” observed Karim, taking his place on one of the wrought-iron seats.

“You’re right. He just wants to crawl.” She glanced around at their surroundings. “Oh, well, I suppose it can’t hurt. This grass is probably cleaner than my living room rug.”

And so, Aaron, freed of all constraints, explored this part of his world and delighted in what he found. And what he could put into his sweet little mouth to taste. Blades of grass. A fallen leaf. A busy ladybug, which promptly flew away home.

At that, Hallie drew the line. Picking up the little padded bottom, she returned him to home base and distracted his howl of outrage with a foam ball of many colors.

Karim, leaning forward, chuckled. “A child who knows his own mind.”

“Oh, he’s an independent little devil,” agreed Hallie—not with irritation, but with pride. “He’ll be walking soon, just to show me he can do it.”

For a few minutes, they discussed her hopes for the baby’s future: starting him in a good nursery school, prospects for his education, further advantages to suit his potential, whatever that might be. Karate and baseball and perhaps joining a band. From there, the possibilities were endless, after college. A surgeon. An airline pilot. A biologist. A teacher.

“A teacher?”

“What’s wrong with being a teacher?” Hallie asked, her chin up.

“Absolutely nothing. I was but following your train of thought. Being a teacher is a most noble career.”

“All right, then. Watch yourself, buster,” she teased. “We don’t want any disparagements being cast upon teachers.”

Leaning forward, elbows resting on wide-spread thighs, he laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Soon, Aaron began making the squawking noise that indicated his stomach was empty and he wanted food—now. Another rummage into the diaper bag, and Hallie could oblige. Sitting up on the blanket, he was treated to first a bib, and then a plate of his usual baby snacks and teething biscuits.

“Hallie, are you sure you haven’t purchased the wrong product? Those look as if they were taken from a box of dog treats.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. Despite the circumstances of their arrangement, she found she was laughing more with Karim Al Ahsan than she probably had with anyone else in the past few months.

“Climb down off your mountain, Zeus.” Her eyes were dancing with mirth. “You need to take a few steps into the real world.”

“Oh. You think I am not cognizant with what an average citizen does?”

“Nope. But stick around with me long enough, and I’ll be happy to show you.”

Aaron suddenly yelled, “Aw-wah!” and waved both arms for attention.

“Okay, buddy, I get the picture. Solid food it is.”

As she scooched around, getting more comfortable, and produced a jar and spoon for mealtime, Aaron’s eyes lit up and he flapped some more, adding whatever noises he could to show approval. Overall, he was a happy, satisfied baby, complaining bitterly only when his will was crossed and life was treating him unfairly.

“Come on down here, Karim. Join us,” Hallie urged, never dreaming that the slightly stiff, definitely formal sheikh would even consider such a move.

But he did, sprawling beside the baby who was delirious with delight and ready to play. Pats and grabs continued to interrupt feeding and took twice as long, but no one seemed to mind. Oddly enough, during such a simple, quiet interlude, all three were having a grand time.

At some later moment, Hallie might wonder about that very fact. Here was this man, used to everything that was luxurious and opulent in life—from clothing to events to transport—and he was content to spend the day accompanying a woman and her child around the grounds of a country estate? Hard to figure, even if true. But, then, she was finding Karim Al Ahsan to be an enigmatic figure, who followed only his own rules…most of which were made up as he went along.

With the miniature jar empty and replaced in the bag, Hallie mixed up a bottle and handed it over. Aaron pounced on it like a cheetah cub, let out a triumphant shout, and rolled over on his back to enjoy it, all the while shifting his gaze back and forth from his mother to the man who had entered his young life so briefly, and would so soon depart.

Karim, watching with an inscrutable expression, occasionally tucked his finger into the baby’s fist to hold onto.

After a minute, he asked, “Have you any siblings, Hallie?”

Her gaze shifted, as Aaron’s had, the only difference being in eye color.

“Siblings? No, there’s just me. Sometimes I’ve missed not having brothers or sisters, but that’s the way it goes, I suppose. How about you?”

“I, too, am an only child. Now.”

“Now?”

Surprised, Hallie sat a little straighter to look at him, lying stretched out with one bent arm supporting his head, near the baby.

“Yes. I had a brother. Badir Al Ahsan—the Shining One.”

Karim seemed more absorbed in Aaron’s antics than in whatever revelation he was about to make. Or hoped to make, if his voice steadied itself enough to speak.

She reached out one hand to hold his.

“What happened, Karim?” she asked quietly. “Can you tell me about it?”

“If you would be interested in hearing.”

“I would,” she assured him very gently. “When you’re ready.”

It took a few minutes, as he carefully gathered his thoughts from some far place to put into words. She waited, holding his hand.

After a moment, during which the baby kicked happily and played with his toes while the bottle was being drained, Karim raised his sober focus to her face.

“My brother—ah, he was always the one seeking adventure. He was as reckless as I am…calculated. Badir was always seeking a new thrill, and my parents and I tried to rein him in, but he was hard-headed. Five years ago, he decided to go rock climbing in a remote location that only the most skilled climbers ever visit. He…never came home.”

Her fingers tightened their clasp. Who would have expected a disclosure of this magnitude, especially considering how little time they’d known each other? It was amazing that he, so reserved and self-contained, would be willing to let down the barriers to his very core. All she could offer was a listening ear, and sympathy—just as she would to her son, should he need the same.

“Karim, I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

“I carry it with me,” Karim said in a low voice. “Every day of my life.”

Little Aaron had drifted peacefully off to sleep, the empty bottle having fallen sideways and his sweet rosebud mouth still splattered with milk. Smiling wistfully, Hallie lightly ran the backs of her fingers over the baby’s romper, already discolored by grass stains.

“And your parents?” she asked.

“At the beginning,” Karim reflected, “they were as broken as I. We have all done our best to recover, but it has been, as you can imagine, a difficult path to walk.

“My brother was the finest of men, Hallie. He left behind him a big legacy, to not only my family, but my whole country. Before his death, he was adored by our people—he did much charity work in between his traveling adventures. Such a big, bright personality; so fearless. But that is what ultimately caused him to leave us all. It became a burden, seeing memorials to him all over the city back home. A constant reminder that he was gone…and why.”

Hallie’s face expressed compassion and understanding.

“You weren’t always ‘calculated’, as you put it. You adopted that trait after his death. And launched yourself into work far from home so you could be away from the pain.”

“Yes. I suppose it is a natural reaction after such a terrible tragedy.”

“Of course it is, Karim. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”

“Perhaps…” He glanced up at her, attempting a small smile. “Perhaps I am but a coward, not wanting to share my brother’s fate. Choosing to be as different as possible from him in personality and lifestyle.”

“A coward? No. I don’t see that in you, Karim. You are circumspect, traveling your own road to attain your goals in the way you think best. And when—or if—you are ready to make any changes, you will.”

Silence swept over them, then. It was filled with a little rattling snore from the baby, the swirling current of a sudden breeze, a slight rustle of oak leaves overhead, and the distant cawing of a crow several hillocks away. There was an intensity of emotion, as their gazes locked together, made almost palpable.

She saw the muscles of his throat work as he swallowed.

“That is very kind of you, Hallie. I thank you for your generosity,” he said as he squeezed her hand, which was still entwined with his.

“It isn’t generosity. It’s just simple human nature.”

The afternoon wore on. After Karim’s surprising divulgence of his recently troubled past, he asked Hallie how she had dealt with Aaron’s father leaving. It was a short story, and not one as distressing as his own, yet the Sheikh looked deeply perturbed when she’d finished telling him about the milestones Aaron had already reached without a father there to cheer him on.

“Hallie, you are a remarkable, strong woman. I do not know how you have managed all this on your own, but you and Aaron both more than deserve to have a caring, reliable man in your lives. Not to complete your family—because you already are a beautiful family—but to add to it; to make things easier and amplify the joy you share. I deeply hope you can have that, one day.”

For a moment that only lasted a second, but seemed to stretch on into eternity, Karim and Hallie shared a deep, soul-baring look. Neither the one who had said nor the one who had heard the statement was sure if there was a deeper implication…a suggestion of a feeling, a hope…?

The moment was gone as soon as it had appeared, with a now-awake Aaron demanding a dry bottom and more food.

Once the adults had sorted out Aaron’s feeding, they realized the sun was beginning its descent from noon, and it was time for them to eat, too. They dove into their picnic supplies and Karim complimented her on the tuna salad, seeming impressed that such a simple dish could be so delicious.

During these enchanted hours, secluded on a country estate, no impediments existed between them; they were merely a man and a woman, sharing time, growing closer, and watching over an active, curious child.

By four o’clock, a few clouds had begun to move in, slowly darkening the sky and blotting out the brilliant sun. From off to the west came a soft rumble of thunder.

Hallie cast a worried glance upward.

“I haven’t seen or heard a weather report since we came here yesterday, but it does look as if we’re going to be in for a storm.”

“I agree. We should pack up and return to the house before the rains hit.”

With most of the food eaten, gathering everything together could be done much more quickly and efficiently. In a matter of minutes, they were ready for the return journey, with Aaron in his tote babbling away and, as usual, taking a keen interest in his surroundings.

They reached the terrace just as fat drops of rain began falling from the sky. Somehow, Hallie felt like she’d left something at their picnic spot, though she knew she hadn’t. Maybe it wasn’t a physical something, but something was definitely missing. What was it?