Shop, attend parties, go to concerts, see city sights…
Those were all things Malika liked doing, but she didn’t miss them, because she also enjoyed sitting with other women and keeping her hands busy, which was how Mavis described knitting.Burning Scrub organized all kinds of community activities to keep the townspeople busy, and everyone helped, so no servants were needed.Card parties were Malika’s favorite.
The thought of leaving Jayce and the ranch, and Burning Scrub, made her sad.Knowing she was leaving because if she didn’t, she’d be forced to marry Eli Chamas made her angry.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Certainly,” Vanessa said.
“I don’t have my banking cards with me and Adeel didn’t leave me any money.Would you mind terribly if I had my sister send money to me through you at your bank?”
Vanessa didn’t appear to find it an odd request.“Let me get you the information.”
A few minutes later, she passed Malika a piece of paper with the information she needed.
The ranch had a landline in the kitchen.It was quaint and old-fashioned and was attached to the wall.
“May I use your phone?”Malika asked.
Aisha’s number was stored in Malika’s cell phone, which she’d left it in her hotel room in Butte on the morning she’d gone to see the ghost town with Adeel.She punched the numbers into the landline three times from memory before getting them right.
It took a long time for Aisha to answer the phone.
“Malika!”she exclaimed.“Adeel has told us the good news.Eli Chamas is an excellent match for you.You couldn’t hope to do better.We’re all so excited for you.”
Malika’s pulse began to beat against the top of her head.Her favorite sister believed becoming a second wife was the best she could do.
She let Aisha talk about the wedding plans—plans that were already in progress—because she could think of nothing to say that wouldn’t reveal how badly her sister had hurt her.Aisha finally caught on that her enthusiasm over the wedding wasn’t being returned.
“What’s wrong?Why aren’t you happy?”
Malika couldn’t pretend an excitement she didn’t feel.“I need money,” she blurted out.
Aisha became very quiet for a long moment.“What do you need money for?Adeel said you are staying at an isolated, all-inclusive resort in the mountains.He is paying for your accommodations.”
Malika gripped the receiver tighter.This call was her last chance to escape an unwanted marriage.If Aisha said no, she didn’t know what else to do.
“He left me with nothing but the clothes I had on when I was kidnapped.”
“Malika,” her sister scolded.“Kidnapped.There’s no need to be so dramatic.Still, that was very thoughtless of Adeel.Men don’t understand such things.I’ll speak to him and have him transfer funds to the resort.I’m sure the resort will be happy to provide anything extra you need.”
“There’s no reason to bother Adeel.I have the bank information for the account you can transfer money to right here,” she said quickly.
More silence.
“I’m sorry, Malika.I promised Adeel I wouldn’t send you money, anymore.Give your bank information to him.”
Aisha hung up.
Malika’s stomach swirled.She had nothing left.No money.No friends.No backup plans.No options.
She had lost.
She hated to lose.
She returned the piece of paper with the banking information to Vanessa.Even though the older woman wouldn’t have captured the details of a conversation carried out in Malika’s native language, the outcome of the phone call would be glaringly obvious.
Smiling made Malika’s cheeks hurt, but she had her pride to consider.
