A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [53]
“This is AJ,” Dare said meeting his sister’s astonished gaze. “Shelly Brockman’s son. I think Mom mentioned to you that she had returned to town.”
Delaney nodded. “Yes, that’s what I heard.” She smiled down at AJ and immediately fell in love. He was a Westmoreland, and she was happy to claim him. “And how are you, AJ?” she asked her nephew, offering him her hand.
“I’m fine, thank you,” he said somewhat shyly.
“And how is your mother?”
“She’s doing fine. She said she couldn’t wait to see you later today.”
Delaney smiled. “And I can’t wait to see her. She was like a big sister to me.”
With love shining in her eyes, Delaney then glanced at the imposing figure at her side and smiled. “AJ, this is my husband, Jamal Ari Yasir.”
AJ switched his gaze from Delaney to the tall man standing next to her. He wasn’t sure what he should do. Was he supposed to bow or something? He let out a deep sigh of relief when the man stooped down to his level and met his gaze. “And how are you, AJ?” he asked in a deep voice, smiling.
AJ couldn’t help but return the man’s smile, suddenly feeling at ease. “I’m fine, sir.”
When the man straightened back up, AJ switched his gaze to the baby Delaney held in her arms. “May I see him?”
Delaney beamed. “Sure. His name is Ari Terek Yasir.” She leaned down and uncovered her son for AJ to see. The baby glanced at AJ and smiled. AJ smiled back, and so did everyone else standing around them at the airport. Delaney looked over at her mother, in whose eyes tears of happiness shone at seeing her two grandsons together getting acquainted.
Suddenly Prince Jamal Ari Yasir cleared his throat. Everyone had become misty-eyed and silent, and he decided to put the spark and excitement back into the welcome gathering. This was the family he had come to love, thanks to his wife who he truly cherished. His dark eyes shone with amusement as he addressed the one brother who he hadn’t completely won over yet. “So, Thorn, are you still being a thorn in everyone’s side these days?” he asked smiling.
Twelve
S helly smiled as she looked at the young woman sitting in the chair across from her on the patio at Dare’s parents’ home. The last time she had seen Delaney Westmoreland she’d been a teenager, a few months shy of her sixteenth birthday, a rebellious, feisty opponent who’d been trying to stand up to her five overprotective and oftentimes overbearing brothers.
Now she was a self-assured, confident young woman, a medical doctor, mother to a beautiful baby boy and wife to a gorgeous sheikh from a country in the Middle East called Tahran. And from the looks the prince was constantly giving his wife, there was no doubt in her mind that Delaney was also a woman well loved and desired.
And, Shelly thought further, Delaney was breathtakingly stunning. Even all those years back there had never been any doubt in Shelly’s mind that Delaney would grow up to become a beauty. She was sure there hadn’t been any doubt in the brothers’ minds of that as well, which was probably the reason they had tried keeping such a tight rein on her. But clearly they had not been a match for Prince Jamal Ari Yasir.
Delaney and Shelly were alone on the patio. Mrs. Westmoreland was inside, singing Ari to sleep, and AJ had gone with his father and grandfather to the store to buy more charcoal. The brothers and Jamal had taken a quick run to Thorn’s shop for Jamal to take a look at Thorn’s latest beauty of a bike.
“I’m glad you returned, Shelly, to bring AJ home to Dare and to us. I don’t think you know how happy you’ve made my parents. They thought Ari was their only grandchild and were fretting over the fact they wouldn’t be able to see him as often as they wanted to. I felt awful about that, but knew my place was with Jamal, which meant living in his country the majority of the time. One good thing is that as long as his father is king, we have the luxury of traveling as much as we want. But things will change once Jamal becomes king.”
When Shelly nodded, she continued. “We hope that won’t happen for a while. His