The Sheikh's Island (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and Rameez didn’t always fight,” Shifa said softly as she passed over a few photos. “When they were growing up, they were actually as close as brothers. They would spend hours out in the yard, playing soccer, dreaming of when they would play in the World Cup!”
    Wynifred smiled and shuffled slowly through the photos. The first few photos featured the two boys as toddlers with their arms wrapped around each other. As she slowly flipped through the photos, the boys aged. There were pictures of them in the yard, kicking the ball around. Birthday parties. First day of school pictures of the boys dressed in their school uniforms. They were smiling and clearly happy.
    She stopped at one photo and frowned. The two boys were still smiling, but something was wrong. Those smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes, and although they were standing next to each other, they weren’t arm in arm. There was a clear space between them. “How old were they here?” Wynifred asked softly as she flipped the photo over.
    Shifa inhaled softly and put a hand over her heart. “That’s Rameez’s fourteenth birthday. I remember this photo. Haris kept trying to play with Rameez, but my son kept shunning him. He seemed to want to play with his friends instead. Rameez was maturing, becoming a man, and even though Haris is only a year younger, Rameez starting treating him as though he was a child. I think that mentality has followed them all the way through this feud.”
    There were a few photos of the two boys after that, but soon it was only photos of Rameez with his friends or Haris with his; there were no more of the cousins together. Wynifred stacked the photos neatly together and placed them back in the box. She didn’t want to say anything, but she knew there was more to the feud. At least now, she had an approximate age when it started. Even so, twenty plus years is a long time to hold a grudge.
    “Any tips on getting Rameez to communicate? I can’t seem to get him alone,” Wynifred mused.
    “Rameez acts on gut instinct, and it can be hard to change his mind. In this case, I think years of bias are clouding his judgment. Please be patient with him,” Shifa pleaded with her.
    Wynifred’s eyes widened. Did it seem like she was about to give up? That wasn’t the case at all. “I have all the patience in the world,’ she assured the older woman. “And if I can’t get him alone, I’ll have to gain his trust when we’re all together.” An idea formed in her head, and Wynifred’s mouth slowly curved into a smile. “What kinds of things does Rameez like to do?”

    * * *
    “ P ull !”
    A large disc flew through the air followed by the loud crack of a gun. Wynifred grimaced and shook her head. When she plotted to get Rameez and Haris together for something fun and light-hearted, she’d imagined drinks on a boat, not skeet shooting.
    Not only was it loud, but it bolstered competition between the two men.
    And it wasn’t friendly.
    “Having this discussion around guns might not be such a good idea,” she cried out as she covered her ears.
    “What are you talking about?” Rameez said with a grin as he picked up his own gun. “This is a great idea. Plus, I’m winning!”
    That was the problem, but she couldn't tell him that. There was another crack, and she flinched. “Rameez, I was hoping we could talk.”
    “Sorry, babe. It looks like I’m up.” He flashed her a quick grin before walking to the edge of the boat.
    Babe? The word pissed her off more than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him to call her babe, although she certainly shouldn’t want him to call her babe. But he said it in such a cavalier manner, as if he knew that it was getting on her nerves.
    Taking a deep breath, she tried to subdue her annoyance. When Haris walked back to her, he had a dark look on his face. It was clear that he didn’t like placing second. “Having fun?” She asked with fake cheer.
    He growled in response, and