“Athens. You’re all over the papers here, Mom. Malik Badir is like some kind of local god. I think he owns about half of Piraeus.”

“I’m not seeing him, Karim. I’m visiting him.” That didn’t sound right. “Uh-huh. I thought you told me you didn’t know him.”

“It’s … it’s a long story. I knew him a long time ago but haven’t seen him for years—since you were a baby.” That didn’t sound right, either. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I … I just didn’t think it was important at the time.” “So what’s he like?”

“Karim, listen. Don’t believe what you read in the papers. Things … aren’t what they seem.”

“Uh-huh.” He sounded vaguely disappointed. “Well, he sounds like a pretty impressive guy. I’d like to meet him. Look, Mom, I gotta go. There are a bunch of people waiting for the phone.”

“Karim! You’re well? Everything’s all right?”

“Sure. Why should anything be wrong?” The infinite optimism of the very young man. “Gotta bounce, Mom. Love you.”

How ironic. Her son finally approved of a man in her life—and the man was her brother. It was like a French farce. She had to tell Malik.

He laughed uproariously. “My God! Can you imagine what the papers would be like if they knew the truth? “Billionaire Badir in Love Nest with Long-Lost Sister.” They’d put Elvis in the story before they were through. A ménage à trois.”

Jenna laughed, too. But she went to sleep that night missing Brad.

O

It was hard to keep track of time in the eternal balm of southern California.

Had another week gone by?

Jenna was edgy. Time to go home. She wasn’t really needed here. Laila was doing well; although she still tended to avoid others and to sleep a great deal, she hadn’t missed a single appointment with the psychiatrist in Los Angeles, Jabr driving her there and back. She had even asked Jenna’s opinion about writing a letter of apology to the banished boyfriend.

“Don’t apologize,” said Jenna. “Explain. Tell him how you felt then, and how you feel now. If he’s the man you think he is, he’ll understand.” The reunion with Malik was winding down, too. His business was reclaiming his attention— meetings, international phone calls and faxes, discussions with Farid late into the night. And there were his racehorses. Soon, too, Karim would be home, a new school year beginning.

And there was Brad. Surely, she could find a way to make him under- stand. Her words to Laila echoed in her thoughts.

O

Finally, on yet another hazy blue-and-gold desert afternoon, after dis- cussing her plans with her brother and Laila, she booked a flight to Logan for the following day.

Malik was on his way to the track, where his favorite three-year-old was entered in a major stakes race. “Come with me,” he invited. “We’ll make a little good-bye party for your last day.”