His mother and father left the room, and Gabe took a deep breath. Somehow his mother had smelled blood in the water. He was interested in Sloane. She was different, but somehow he didn’t think she’d like him revealing he was a prince. That tended to get one of two reactions. The first was instant fawning and visions of fairy tales. The second reaction was a flight response. They ran quickly away from the pressure and the spotlight that came with a relationship to a prince. Gabe went to his old room, and as he fell asleep, the vision of emerald eyes and the feeling of Sloane in his arms haunted him.
* * *
Sloane fluffed her pillow for the fifth time in an hour. Sleep was evading her. She didn’t know if it was the image of Gabe, the guilty conscience, or that her apartment had been broken into yet again. When Sloane had closed the door on Gabe and turned on her lights, she’d let out a sigh. She’d forgotten to lock the window overlooking the fire escape. Sure enough, it was open and her laptop was gone. They couldn’t steal the television because it had already been stolen, which brought her right back to Gabe. He was too good for her. She didn’t need to know his background. He came from a family who obviously cared for him, and he had friends in high places if that scary guy was any indication. Someone like him wouldn’t want a woman who came with baggage. And Sloane came with lots and lots of baggage—baggage that let her know the speedball that man took was most likely a mix of cocaine and heroin that filtered out of Chicago.
Chicago was six hours from Lexington. That was as far she could afford to take the bus. She’d spent all her money on the ticket and arrived two days later in Lexington after a brief detour to Springfield. She could have gone farther if she worked a week in Lexington to build up some more money, but the rolling hills and small-town feel drew her in. It also helped that it was a college town and had enough people to get lost in.
She’d dreamed about it when she was mixing speedballs for her family. She’d dreamed about it as men with guns came and went from her family’s house. She hadn’t talked to them in nine years. She’d made sure they wouldn’t come looking for her, but it still weighed on her every day. Sloane was actually surprised they hadn’t hunted her down by now. But why would they with how she left it? Her older sister was everything her parents had wanted. Sloane had been a mistake, an accident. Someone they laughed at because she saw how they earned their living as wrong. They were probably happy she was gone.
But then Sloane thought of Gabe. Handsome, smart, brave . . . he’d sneer at someone from her background. And the first tear fell with that thought. The accomplishments of the past nine years seemed inconsequential to the pain of knowing she’d found someone perfect, only to have to let him go because when she told him the truth it would be over.
8
Sloane awoke to an email alert on her phone. This was it. She held her breath as she logged onto her student account. The final list of graduates was up. With her body shaking in excitement and her heart pounding, Sloane logged on and scrolled the long list of student ID numbers to find hers.
All her breath left her in a rush. It was there. She had earned her master’s degree in adolescent psychology. Now all she needed was a high school to take a risk and hire her as the school counselor. She had bookmarked web pages for twenty schools she was planning to apply to, but instead she pulled up the Internet and searched Keeneston High School. There, on her phone, was everything she had wished for.
The high school was small. It was beautifully placed on the outskirts of Keeneston among lush farmland. Horses looked over fences as boys played football to packed stands of parents, students, and townspeople. Sloane closed her phone. She wasn’t going to worry about it right then. She was going to brunch to celebrate her upcoming graduation.
* * *
Gabe waited as Draven strolled into Gabe’s office early in the morning. The police had just called. The college students were clear. They were on video camera at an all-night diner eating breakfast at the time of the shooting. So that left Draven, sporting a black eye and limping slightly.
“Your mother is a—”
Gabe cut him off. “Don’t finish that sentence.”
Draven snorted and then sneered at him. “You were my idol, and it’s so disappointing to learn your idol is the opposite of what you thought. You’re a disappointment. No better than any politician.”
“I’m not sorry. I love women, but I never abuse them. That’s where you’ve gone wrong. You should spoil them, pleasure them, and worship them. You don’t force them.” Gabe stood up and walked around the desk. He leaned against it, looking at Draven’s young face.
“And I certainly don’t shoot at the one person trying to help.”
“What are you talking about?” Draven asked, completely bored with the conversation already.
“Fine, pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. But listen to me, Draven.” Gabe handed him the thick packet he was holding. “You’d better watch your back or you’ll find out I don’t need anyone to fight for me. If you think my mom has a hard punch, wait until you see what I can do to you. And I won’t be a coward and send someone after you either. I’ll do it myself. Now, read this. It’s Idris and Suri’s proposal.”
Draven threw it onto the desk. “I want—”
Gabe had his hand wrapped around the knot of Draven’s tie and was hoisting him up before Draven knew what had happened. “And that’s the problem. It’s always about you, isn’t it? Well, this isn’t about you. It’s about your people and your country. Grow up. Take responsibility. Read the proposal. Make notes. We will discuss it tomorrow. Got it?” Gabe asked, accenting his question with a shake of Draven’s body before dropping him back into the chair.
“I’ve got it,” Drave said, his English heavily accented in his anger.
“You’ll be watched closely, Draven. If you want the world’s respect, you have to earn it. You need to do what is best for the people. Will you let me help you with that?” Gabe asked. It was so hard not to ruin him right there on the spot. Sloane had inspired Gabe to try to reform Draven, not destroy him. It’s what she wanted to do with her life, and it took courage to go that route.
Draven didn’t answer but simply gave a nod of his head. “I’ll look this over.”
“Let’s meet tomorrow morning to discuss your thoughts on it—just you and me. Then we can meet with the others after lunch. How does that sound?”
“Fine,” Draven said, pushing himself up from the chair.
Gabe wanted to talk to Sloane. He wanted her ideas on how to handle Draven. After all, he was only one or two years removed from adolescence, and you’d never guess that based on how he acted. Gabe got up and headed for the door only to stop. But then he’d have to tell her who he was. The urge to see Sloane had overridden his logic.
“Where are you off to this morning?”
Damn. His mom. She was worse than John Wolfe. He knew she was onto him.
“Running home to get some things,” Gabe answered as he kept walking down the hallway toward the door closest to the garage. He needed to borrow a car.
“You could always just invite her for dinner.”
Gabe didn’t answer as he closed the door on his mother.
* * *
“Tell me everything,” Dani whispered as she trapped Miss Lily in the Blossom Café right before lunch.
“Hmm?” Miss Lily blinked.
“You know what I’m talking about. You do know we have a security camera on the post of the gate, right?” Dani slid a still photo she had security print off for her. The black-and-white photo showed Miss Lily, ass up, over the side of the large garbage bin with each sister holding down a leg to prevent her from falling in.
“Sugar,” Miss Lily cursed. “Fine. I found a positive pregnancy test at Sophie and Nash’s wedding, and I thought it was Mila’s.”
“I wish it were,” Dani sighed, fighting off the illogical hope that somehow it could be. The desire for grandchildren had her feeling crazy. It was worse than bab
y brain when she was younger.
“You’re right. We didn’t find anything,” she said, sounding defeated. “We also didn’t find anything in Sydney’s trash before Robyn started barking. Dang little dog. Ahmed is right, she’s Satan’s spawn. She caught us almost immediately. We saw Deacon turn on the light and each of us grabbed a bag and sped away in the car. When we went through the trash, we didn’t find anything unusual. No pickles, no tubs of ice cream, no prenatal vitamins, no nothing.”
Miss Lily leaned closer. “We’re going to hit Riley’s house next. We know where the key is hidden,” Miss Lily whispered as Dani looked around at the group of friends sitting around the café. Matt and Riley were eating lunch with Sydney, Deacon, Sienna, and Ryan. One of Dani’s best friends, Tammy, had half of her kids in town. Her youngest child, Cassidy, who was twenty years old, had just returned from college right in time for the Rose sisters’ surprise birthday party. She sat at the table of married couples along with her sister, Piper, and her cousins, Greer Parker and Reagan Davies. Greer was Ryan’s younger sister. Reagan and Riley were twins.
“Let me know if you need a getaway driver,” Dani smiled and patted Miss Lily’s hand.
“Don’t say anything. We want to know even before John has any idea. I can’t wait to beat that old billy goat out on the biggest piece of gossip this town has had in years.” Miss Lily rubbed her hands together in gleeful anticipation of besting her husband.
“I promise,” Dani swore as she headed back to the tableful of her friends. One of them was about to become a grandmother. Dani let out a sigh. She had really hoped it was Mila, but since Dani had struggled with fertility herself, she felt for her son and daughter-in-law.
* * *
The café was full for lunch, and she was dying. Her stomach rolled and pitched. She broke out into a sweat as she tried to eat a bite of food. She set down her fork and sipped on her water. She pretended to listen to her friends, but her entire concentration was not giving into this morning sickness that was hitting way more than just in the morning.
“Excuse me,” she smiled at the table of friends and family as she calmly made her way to the bathroom, making sure to smile and stop to talk with people as she went. She didn’t want anyone to notice anything strange.
She closed the door to the bathroom and locked it. She fell to the floor and let the morning sickness come. She was clammy, hot, sweating, and miserable. Her body shook in the aftermath as she sat on the floor and wiped her mouth with toilet paper. How had this happened?
She rolled her eyes. Well, she knew how it had happened. But that didn’t stop her from asking this question multiple times a day. She was so embarrassed she hadn’t told anyone yet. She was old enough to know that by pretending that it didn’t happen didn’t mean that it would go away. The constant nausea made sure she never forgot.
She stood on wobbly legs as she splashed her face with cold water. She hated the term accident ,too. Yes, it was a bit of an accident. But that didn’t mean she didn’t already fiercely love the baby growing inside of her. She was ten weeks along now. She’d gone to the doctor as soon as that pregnancy test came back positive. She was taking care of herself and the baby. She just couldn’t bear the thought of the looks on people’s faces when she told them.
How was she to tell them? What would they think of her? Damn pregnancy hormones; she was already starting to cry. She pinched herself. She was going to be blessed with a child. That was nothing to cry over. So what if it wasn’t planned? So what if she thought she’d had a plan for the future? She looked at herself in the mirror. She could do this. She would do this. And she’d love this child with all her heart.
9
Sloane practically skipped down the darkened stairwell of her dilapidated apartment building. She was going to treat herself to brunch to celebrate, maybe even have a mimosa. All her friends from school had family in town for graduation the next week or were too busy packing up their apartments to celebrate. That was all right, though. She was used to being on her own. Even with the few friends she had, she’d kept them at arm’s length because of her past.
Sloane pushed open the door to the sidewalk and did a double take—Gabe. What was he doing there, looking sexy as sin in jeans and a dark gray T-shirt, leaning against a black SUV?
“I was just about to call you,” he smiled, slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans.
Her heart thudded against her chest. He was so perfect. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Everything right out of a fairy tale. And in the light of the day, she had a good look at those eyes that seemed more midnight blue in the daylight.
“Gabe, what are you doing here?” she asked, a smile broke out on her face as she walked over to him. She was so nervous. Normally she was so sure of herself and her decisions. She hadn’t even been nervous when she fled Chicago and started a new life in Lexington. So she didn’t really have time to date much, but when she had, she hadn’t been nervous like this. She’d been bored, actually. Bored wasn’t a word she thought she’d ever use with Gabe.
“I wanted to see how you were doing,” he said, pushing away from the SUV and stepping in front of her.
Sloane had to look up at him. He hadn’t shaved yet. If she’d thought he’d looked drop-dead gorgeous in the tux the other night, it was nothing compared to jeans, a tight T-shirt, and . . . “I didn’t take you as the cowboy boots type of guy.”
Gabe looked down and shrugged. “I’m a lot more than I appear to be. I grew up in a small town on a horse farm.”
“For some reason, you seem more of a big-city type of person.”
“I’ve spent my fair share of time in big cities,” Gabe said as he took a step closer to her. Sloane tried to remember to breathe. He was just a man after all.
“What did you do before you came back to school?” Sloane asked, striving for normalcy.
“Are you saying I look too old to be a college student?” His eyes danced with amusement. And that smile . . . Sloane felt her body flush.
“Not too old, just more mature. In a very good way,” she added hurriedly. She was so messing this up. “Which city were you in before coming here?”
“Why don’t we discuss this over lunch?” Gabe asked instead of answering.
“Like a date?” Sloane blurted and then closed her eyes briefly in embarrassment. He was just being nice. He wasn’t asking her out on a date, and now she’d made the whole situation awkward. She opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her, only this smile was softer.
“Yes, like a date. If you’re interested.”
“I guess that would be okay,” Sloane said, keeping her excitement under control. “I was just about to grab a bite to eat to celebrate.”
Gabe opened the door to the SUV for her. “Celebrate what?”
“I’m graduating next week,” Sloane smiled with pride.
“That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to hear about it.” Gabe closed the door, and Sloane watched him walk around the front to the driver’s seat. Maybe she was underestimating herself. He was right, what she accomplished was fantastic, and she’d done it all on her own. She wasn’t some simpering girl only at college to find a husband. She’d earned every grade, every degree, and that was something to be proud of. Gabe would be lucky to have her.
“How about Mirabelle’s?” Gabe asked. Sloane tried not to show her surprise. She was expecting something low-key and cheap, not one of the nicest restaurants in Lexington. She looked down at her nautical blue sundress with spaghetti straps and flip-flops. She guessed she could pull it off.
“Are you sure? That place is awfully expensive? Or so I’ve heard.”
“We’re celebrating, right?” Gabe asked, not at all concerned about the price.
“As long as it’s okay with you. I’ve always wanted to go.”
Gabe filled the short drive into downtown with small talk. They talked about the upcoming downtown festival with live music, and before she knew it, a valet was opening the door for her.
>
“Mr. Ali Rahman,” the young woman behind the counter greeted as soon as they walked in. “Table for two?”
“Yes, please.”
Gabe Ali Rahman, so that was his full name. And apparently he ate here a lot if they knew him by name. Gabe held out his hand and waited for Sloane to follow the woman leading them to their table. She felt him behind her and again wondered just who he was.
They took their seats, and she opened her menu. The prices had her breaking out in nervous little breaths. She couldn’t afford this. So she picked out the cheapest thing on the menu, a side salad, and set it down. “So, what did you do before going back to school?”
He caught her looking around and smiled at her. “I worked with my parents.”
“On the farm?” Sloane asked, not realizing a farmhand could make enough money to be known at Mirabelle’s.
“Yes, the offices were on the farm.”
“What kind of farm?” Sloane asked as the waiter poured their glasses of water.
“Thoroughbreds. Now, how about a drink to celebrate your graduation?”
Ah, that explained it. She’d heard that racehorses could make a lot of money if they were good and apparently his parents’ farm was good. She felt less guilty then when she nodded. “A mimosa please.” And maybe she’d bump up her order to a sandwich.
Gabe placed the drink order and turned back to her. “So, Sloane, tell me about yourself.”
Sloane smiled and slipped into the speech she’d been giving since she arrived in Lexington. “I’m from Chicago and wanted something different. So on a whim I applied to college here. When I was admitted, I came for a visit. I loved it so much I knew this is where I belonged.”
“Speaking of places you belong, if it’s not too small for a big-city girl like yourself,” Gabe teased as he reached into his back pocket, “here is the name of the person you need to talk to about a school counselor’s job at Keeneston High School.”
Forever Concealed Page 6