Free The Broken Road (The Broken Series) by K.S. Ruff

frightening
that must have been.”
    Diwa
fidgeted with her scarf. “It is not uncommon for Afghans to be killed for
trying to make their country a better place.”
    I
set my tea cup down. My eyes sought Habib’s. “I hope you’re happy here. I hope
people in the United States have treated you well.”
    “Some
better than others,” Habib admitted frankly. He looked thoughtful as he sipped
his coffee. “It is not easy being Muslim here.”
    I
thought about the hate crimes that followed the September 11 th terrorist attacks. “No,” I admitted sadly. “I imagine it is not easy being
Muslim here.”
    “Did
you know a Christian woman can marry a Muslim man?” Habib asked rather unexpectedly.
    My
eyes narrowed. I thought it a very curious remark, since I had presumed a
Christian woman could marry whomever she wanted. I turned the statement in my
head before responding. “Can a Christian man marry a Muslim woman?”
    Diwa
shook her head. “No. In Muslim culture, the man is considered the head of the
house, and the head of the house must be Muslim. So a Christian man must
convert to Islam to marry a Muslim woman.”
    The
double standard didn’t sit well with me, but I held my tongue. A few minutes
later, I excused myself to use the restroom so I could pay for lunch without
debate. I figured it was the least I could do. Habib was undoubtedly losing cab
fare by accompanying me to my appointments.
    Habib
was mortified when he discovered what I had done, but instead of arguing with
me, he engaged in a rather heated debate with the person who had accepted my
cash. I have no idea what was decided between the two of them, since I couldn’t
understand the language they were speaking, but Habib remained courteous and
respectful to me as we said goodbye to Diwa and returned to his cab.
    Habib
and I viewed two more apartments together. By the time we were done, I realized
what a gem that third apartment really was. I dug my cell phone out of my purse
and scheduled an appointment with Mickey so I could make a deposit and complete
the necessary paperwork the next morning.
    When
Habib pulled up to the Holiday Inn, he insisted on dismissing the entire day’s worth
of cab fare. I tried to explain that I was being reimbursed for my expenses,
but he still wouldn’t allow me to pay him. I felt mortified that I had cost him
an entire day’s worth of work, but I feared I had injured his pride or
committed some cultural faux pas by paying for lunch. So I abandoned my
attempts to pay him and apologized for putting him in such a difficult position.
I assume he forgave me, because he agreed to drive me to the airport and
allowed me to pay the cab fare two days later.

Chapter 3 – Runaway train
     
    Complete
chaos broke out when I returned to Montana. I had no clue how to organize a
cross-country move. Project deadlines were bumped up at work, and my social
calendar blew up. My phone beeped constant reminders for farewell parties,
luncheons, and dinner dates with friends and colleagues who wanted to see me
before I moved to Virginia.
    I
would have liked to squeeze in a bit more hiking, but the air quality in Helena
squashed all hopes of that. The entire state was under a code red. The forest
fires were over a hundred miles away, but the air in Helena was thick with
smoke. Particles of wood and ash swirled around us like snow. Everyone was
discouraged from spending time outside. People walked to and from their cars
with bandanas tied around their faces.
    It
was in the midst of this insanity that I received an unexpected call. “Kristine.
This is Habib. Are you okay?”
    My
brows furrowed. “Yes, Habib. I’m okay. Why? What’s wrong?”
    “The
forest fires… I just saw the forest fires on the news. Are you in any danger?
Are you sure you’re okay?” The pitch of his voice increased with each word he
spoke.
    A
small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Habib didn’t realize how large the
State of Montana was. Still, it warmed my