Page 112 of Earned Husband

CHAPTER 47

COLIN

When our convoy rolled through the gates of the Saad estate in Cairo, I realized that my first arrival here seemed to only have been the rehearsal. Somehow, it was even bigger this time.

I’d barely had time to appreciate the familiar sandstone walls before I noticed that every tree had been wrapped in lights, white lanterns hanging from the branches, and fresh flowers covering nearly every fountain.

Cream-colored tents had been erected in the gardens and long tables stretched underneath them. Everything was already being decorated to the nines for our wedding. Or our arrival. Or maybe it was just because it was Wednesday. I wasn’t sure, but shit.

I’d never met a family who loved decorating, hosting, and entertaining as much as the Saads. Naturally, there were also hundreds of people present to welcome us back. I recognized some, but most were complete strangers.

On the other hand, I’d met so many people the last time I’d been here that I honestly hadn’t been able to keep all the names and faces straight. All I knew was that, faced by all these people, we were definitely back in Egypt.

As soon as we climbed out of the SUV, we were greeted in booming Arabic. Deja was immediately torn away from my side by Layla, who pulled her into a tight hug before passing her to a long line of women waiting to do the same.

Meanwhile, I shook hands and my shoulders were patted by people who grinned like they’d been missing me their whole lives. It was disorienting, to say the least, but Deja was laughing, clearly happy to be home.

When she finally managed to break away from the group of hugging aunts, she grinned at me and weaved her way through her family’s bodies to come back to my side. I opened my mouth to tell her not to worry about me while she said hi, but before I could get a word out or prepare myself, she grabbed the lapels of my jacket, pulled me down, and kissed me.

In full view of her entire family.

“I thought we were behaving this week,” I murmured against her lips when the kiss finally slowed to an end.

“Oh, we are.” She smiled, drew in a deep, and lifted her head away to look up into my eyes. “That was just some insurance.”

“For what?” I asked, but her smile turned mischievous, and the next thing I knew, a chorus of shrill voices interrupted us.

They were so loud, excited, and overlapping that I could barely make out what was being said, but finally, someone called in much more basic Arabic. “Deja! Come. It’s time.”

When I looked over her shoulder, I saw the aunt brigade descending like highly organized birds of prey. Some of them were already piling into the SUVs we’d just left, with more cars rolling up behind those. Completely bewildered, I watched as a few of them approached us, hands on Deja’s arms and pulling her away.

She laughed helplessly, letting herself get dragged toward the cars as she looked back at me. “I’ll see you in a week!”

“What?”

“For our wedding,” she shouted over her shoulder, those golden eyes alive with joy and laughter as she winked at me. “Don’t let my brothers corrupt you!”

“Not a chance!” I yelled back, but then she disappeared into a sea of colorful dresses and left me standing there, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

Well, there goes my fiancée. I just have no clue where she’s gone or why.

Basel appeared by my side a moment later, smiling warmly. He clapped me on the shoulder when the convoy started to roll away. “Colin, welcome home, son. Come on.”

With phase two of whatever was going on now underway, I was swept into the house with only the briefest explanation from Basel. “It is time for your pre-wedding preparations to begin.”

I frowned, wondering if he was referring to that bachelor party I didn’t need, but instead, I found a wall of men waiting for me in the foyer. Over the next three hours, I met more people than I probably had in the first thirty years of my life.

Apparently, some of these were Deja’s actual uncles, cousins, or second cousins, but others were lifelong friends, several supposedly close business associates, and I genuinely lost track after that.

It was a pretty jovial affair, though. Upbeat Arabic music was playing through speakers I couldn’t see and snacks had been set out on every single table and other surface in the house.

I was starting to suspect the pre-wedding preparations he’d mentioned involved meeting thousands of people, drinking, and being peppered with gifts from every man Deja was or was not related to. It also turned out that all the tents and decorations I’d noticed earlier were for this and the other pre-wedding things happening this week.

After I’d shaken more hands than I could count, thick Arabic coffee was pushed into my hand, but I’d only taken a couple sips before Basel replaced it with something considerably stronger.

Whiskey, I realized when I brought it to my lips.Thank God.

He didn’t wait for me to drink it before he was guiding me to an outdoor seating area that had been set up in the backyard underneath yet another tent. He pushed me into a chair right at the front before he disappeared without an explanation of where he was going or what I was supposed to be doing.