“To see me?” She couldn’t figure why Sydney would want to meet someone as ordinary as her.
“I heard you were graduating tomorrow. That’s so exciting!”
Sloane couldn’t hide her shock. “You heard about that?”
“Yes. The whole town is talking about it. Everyone is really impressed with your bravery: escaping your parents, working your way through college, and now earning your master’s. We’re all hoping you’ll get the school counselor’s job here in Keeneston.”
Sloane didn’t know what to say. They thought she was brave? They weren’t mad she’d brought her family to town, even if it did lead to the greatest bust of Ryan’s career. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“Well, I wanted to give you a graduation present. I hope you like it.” Sydney reached back into the truck bed and pulled out a garment bag with her logo on it. Sloane knew about Sydney’s clothes, but she’d never even been able to afford them so she had never thought about trying them on.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Sloane told her, even as she was reaching for the bag. You didn’t turn down a Sydney design.
“I wanted to. Let me know if they don’t fit. I have more at home. Go on, open it! I’m excited to see if you like them.” Sydney clapped her hands as Sloane slid the zipper down the garment bag.
Sloane gasped and Syd squealed in delight. A stunning, jungle-green dress was the first thing Sloane saw. “I thought that would be perfect for tomorrow. That is, if you don’t already have something picked out.”
Sloane could only shake her head. She’d seen this dress in a magazine. It was from Sydney’s summer line, literally fresh off the runway. It wouldn’t be available to the public for another two weeks. “I shouldn’t accept this. It costs more than my rent. But I love it too much to turn it down. Thank you so much!” Sloane handed the bag to a smiling Gabe and hugged Sydney.
“Seeing you smile while wearing it is more than enough thanks. Now, wait until you see the rest.”
“There’s more?” Sloane said with surprise. It dawned on her that this was charity, but it also seemed like something more—friendship. It was as though Sydney actually cared about Sloane, and for that Sloane hugged her again. “Thank you,” she said, trying to fight back tears.
“You deserve it. Now, take a look at the rest. You won’t hurt my feelings if there’s something you don’t like. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind, but I totally had Nash break in earlier to find your shoe size. You can’t wear a dress like that with flip-flops.” Sydney reached back into her truck and pulled out a bag filled with four shoeboxes. “These are from Dani. There’s a note inside. You’ll learn there’s nothing Dani loves more than shoes. Well, maybe Gabe. But just barely.”
Sloane pulled out the note, wishing her well on graduation and then opened boxes with names of designers she’s only seen in magazines. Sloane shook her head. “I can’t. This is too much.”
“This is how Keeneston is. We support each other, and we celebrate everything.” Sydney pulled out the green dress and exposed a beautiful navy blue sundress with white lace trim. Shorts, skirts, and tops followed. It wasn’t a complete wardrobe, but it was a week’s worth of outfits and more than Sloane ever dreamed to have.
“I really should say ‘no thank you’ and ‘they’re too much,’ but I love them!” Sloane hugged Sydney tight. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, get your beauty rest. Tomorrow is your big day!”
Syd hopped into her truck and drove off with her hand waving out the window. Sloane shook her head as she looked at Gabe. “She is not what I expected.”
“You of all people should know that.”
Sloane followed Gabe inside and thought about what he had said. He was right. She was constantly thinking and assuming what other people were like or what they would think of her if they ever got to know the real her. Gabe wasn’t anything like the gossip sites showed. Sydney wasn’t anything that a millionaire model-turned-designer was portrayed as. Hell, most of Keeneston was nothing like Sloane had expected. She was constantly surprised by the residents’ support and understanding. It was time to be herself and trust that real friends would embrace her. Tomorrow, when she walked across that stage and took her diploma in hand, she would do so as Sloane Holiday and Chanel Malone—past, present, and future. They were all pieces of her that made her who she was today.
27
Gabe and Sloane awoke to banging on the door. Sloane jumped, pulling the sheet to cover her bare breasts. Gabe groaned. He had had plans for that morning.
“Cover up the royal prince and answer the damn door!” Gabe heard Aniyah yell.
Sloane let out a giggle and fell back against the bed, fear leaving her body instantly. “You know I’m going to call it that now.”
“Don’t you dare,” Gabe growled as he climbed on top her. He would not have his plans put off. He kissed her and loved the little sigh she made when their lips joined.
“Gabriel?”
Well, hearing your mother call your name definitely disrupted those type of plans. It was like a splash of cold water.
“Was that your mom?” Sloane asked, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. “Do you think she knows we’re—?” Sloane motioned at them.
“Yeah, I think everyone outside that door knows we either are, or were, making love,” Gabe said before kissing her quickly and getting out of bed. “And we probably have less than a minute before she walks right in.”
“What’ll she think of me?” Sloane groaned as she pulled on the first thing she could find—one of Gabe’s T-shirts.
“She’s probably hoping you’re pregnant,” Gabe said dryly.
“We can come back!”
Sloane stopped hopping into a pair of shorts as Gabe tossed his head back and looked up to the ceiling as if praying. “Who was that man?”
Gabe just shook his head. “No. I didn’t just hear Father Ben.”
Sloane gasped. “She brought the priest?”
“Be right there!” Gabe called with warning in his voice. He strode out of the room in nothing but a pair of shorts. He was going to kill his mother.
Gabe flung open the door to confront his mom, but instead faced more than he was expecting. Aniyah pushed past him, Father Ben followed with his mother, then an army of friends and family marched past him.
“What’s going on?” Gabe roared. The woman simply ignored him as piles of bags were placed on the small table.
“Your dad and brother are at the house. Go eat breakfast with them. We’re here to help Sloane get ready for her special day.” His mother smiled as she shooed him out of the house. His last glimpse inside was of a confused Sloane staring in wonder at all the people jammed into the small living room.
Gabe stared at the closed door and then down at himself. He was still shirtless and had no shoes or socks on. Plus his keys were inside. He went to open the door, but the handle just rattled. They’d locked him out of his own house. This would be a fun walk to the main house. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that this was actually a surprise wedding planned by his mother.
* * *
“Good morning, dear!” Dani called out when she saw Sloane peeking around the wall.
Sloane didn’t have time to ask what was going on before she was ambushed. Women were talking everywhere. They were hugs, laughter, and the sounds of bags opening as women filled the tiny house.
“Um, I feel as if I’m missing something here. What’s going on?”
“It’s your graduation day. We have something special planned. Now, I know the ceremony starts at eleven,” Dani told her as she pulled Sloane into the living room. “So, girls’ morning! It’s more fun to get ready for these events with your friends and family. And I was hoping you’d let Mo and me fill in for family, along with Annie, Kenna, and Paige.”
Sloane could only nod. She was afraid if she tried to speak she’d just break into tears. Never, even for her prom, had she ever had someone to get
ready with.
“Now, just take a seat,” Dani instructed as the doorbell rang. “That’ll be the Rose sisters with breakfast.”
Sloane was still battling tears when the way-too-sexy Father Ben stepped in front of her. “Please tell me you’re actually a stripper. Otherwise, I’m scared to find out why there’s a priest here.”
Sophie and Layne laughed behind her. “I knew I liked her!” Layne said.
“Yeah, you were a real peach when we first met,” Sloane said dryly as Layne laughed harder. So this was what it was like having friends and family. It was the best graduation gift she could ever have.
“Surprisingly, that’s not the first time I’ve been asked that,” Father Ben replied. “But I’m here only to offer an ear if you’d like to talk. We have a couple of minutes before I get kicked out.”
Sloane was ready with her automatic denial, but at the last minute she decided against it. “Actually, there is something I’d like to talk to you about. Can I meet you out back?”
Father Ben stepped back to allow Sloane to slip back into the house. She hurried into her room, dug through her makeup bag, and pulled out her compact. Taking a breath, Sloane slipped the thin metal tray holding the pressed powder out of the compact. Underneath it was a key she palmed. It was time to trust again.
Sloane walked through the room with her life literally resting in the palm of her hand. She opened the back door and took a seat on the bench swing. Father Ben closed the door behind her and took a seat. “What can I do for you?”
Sloane fidgeted with her hands. “Will everything I say be confidential, even if I’m not a member of your church?”
“Yes. You are safe with me, Sloane.”
Sloane took a deep breath. She was starting to get the hang of this trust thing, but this was really putting faith in it. “I need you to get something for me and keep it safe.”
Father Ben’s brows rose. “What am I getting?”
“My life insurance policy.” Sloane handed him the key. “There’s a storage unit outside of Cincinnati under the name of Jennifer Long. A billion-dollar secret is hidden inside.”
Father Ben took a hold of her hands. “Drugs?”
“How did you know?”
“I may be on the sidelines, but that doesn’t mean I don’t listen. I saw the news. I know who your parents are. I know you’re not in jail, and you’re not dead. That leaves you with something that everyone wants.”
“It’s the recipe for White Lace. The recipe that won’t kill users—at least not immediately. The recipe that will leave millions so addicted they’ll be homeless, their hearts will eventually give out from using, and they’ll die penniless and alone in an alley or shelter. That recipe is the only thing keeping me alive.”
Sloane had pushed it out of her head, but she felt the full weight of her decision to come out of the shadows now. In order to start living, she had to put her past behind her forever. She wanted to bury it so deep they’d never be able to come after her or anyone else. And that meant taking out more than just her mother and father.
Father Ben swallowed hard. He knew the responsibility she was putting on him. “What do you want me to do with it?”
“Hide it. I need it close in case my life or the lives of the people I love are in danger. It’s the only bargaining chip I have, and I’m depending on you to know when to use it.”
Father Ben took a deep breath and with his thumb made the sign on the cross on her forehead. “You’ll have protection from evil on the ground from Gabe and now from above. I’ll leave straightaway.”
They stood and Sloane impulsively hugged him. She ran her hands down a muscled back as her face rested on his sculpted pecs. Slowly she leaned back and really looked at him. “You’re not like any priest I’ve ever seen before.”
“I wasn’t always a priest. Like you, we all have pasts. I’ll be back in three or four hours.” And with that, he left. Sloane was about to go after him, but the chaos inside overtook her.
Food was shoved at her. Hair was pulled, brushed, curled, and coiffed. She was attacked with makeup, nail polish, and a spritz of perfume. Finally, she was sent into the sanctuary of her bedroom to get dressed.
* * *
“Is my mom planning a wedding for today?” Gabe asked after Veronica pulled a perfectly tailored charcoal gray suit, a green tie that somehow matched Sloane’s dress, and shoes from her magic wand.
“Not that I know of,” Veronica told him as she slapped his hands away from his tie to fix it. “You need to look nice today.”
“Then why was Father Ben with her this morning?”
Veronica looked up from the tie. “She wouldn’t—” Gabe just stared down at her. “I’ll be right back.”
With Veronica on the case, Gabe headed to his father’s office. “Father,” Gabe called as he knocked on the door.
“Come in!”
Gabe entered and sat in the chair opposite the desk. “Is Mom planning a wedding for today?”
“Today? Not that I know of.”
“Tomorrow?”
His father chuckled but didn’t answer. “What can I do for you?”
“Every year for my birthday, Uncle Dirar sends me something from Rahmi. I remember an emerald necklace on my eighteenth birthday. He said it was for my future bride. I need to get it out of the family safe.”
Gabe expected his father to say no. He expected an interrogation. Instead, his father nodded and went to the safe. “I was expecting this. You do know you have more than just the emerald necklace in here, don’t you?”
Gabe thought about the gifts his uncle had sent him. “There’s a watch I’ve worn occasionally, the Rahmi ring I wear for state events, the diamond tiepin, the cufflinks, and the pin designating me as an heir to the crown. Am I forgetting something?”
“Yes. You’re forgetting my gift to you upon your birth,” his father said, turning around and handing the black velvet necklace case to Gabe.
“I don’t remember hearing anything about that.” Gabe wondered why his dad was going down memory lane as he opened the box and looked at the rectangular-cut emerald necklace.
“When you were born, I put aside the Heart of Rahmi ruby ring for your brother to someday give to his wife. I also put something aside for you.” Gabe looked to where his father stood, holding out a square golden box.
Gabe set the necklace down and reached for the box. Instinctively, he knew what it was. He opened the box and stared down at the rectangular-cut emerald ring with a diamond-encrusted band. “It matches the necklace,” Gabe muttered as he stared at it. It was made for Sloane.
“It’s known as the Eternal Spring Emerald. When I went to Rahmi after you and your brother were born, I retrieved the ruby for your brother. When I was there, I saw this ring sitting in the back of the vault. The thin gold band was cracked, but it still drew me to it. Your grandmother found me staring at it. It had been found close to five hundred years ago. She told me the story of it. It had been a gift to a bride of an arranged marriage—like most of Rahmi’s royal marriages until your mother and me. The king of Rahmi back then loved the girl he married. However, she felt trapped. To prove his love, he gifted her the ring and her freedom. The ring would purchase her a new life if she so chose. Instead, his wife gifted him one more day of marriage for his thoughtfulness. One day grew into two, two into three, and so on until they had shared a lifetime of love. Having been the spare heir and feeling the same pressure that you have felt, I wanted that freedom for you and your future wife.”
Gabe pulled the ring from the velvet and felt the history of the ring as if he had been there.
“I reset it and it’s been in the vault waiting for the right woman to wear it once again. It’s something of a legend in Rahmi. The moment I saw you fight for your love, I knew it had been meant for Sloane all along.”
Gabe swallowed hard as he put the ring back into the box. However, he couldn’t make himself close the lid on it. “Is there a necklace back there that I c
an put this on?”
His father looked at him curiously for a moment but turned back to the safe. He dug around until he came out with a leather cord. “You made this for me in the fourth grade when you were studying Kentucky history. I thought it would do better than a thin woman’s chain, which is all I have.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Gabe took the leather cord and untied it. He slipped the ring through the cord and tied the knot tight before slipping it over his head. He felt the weight of the ring come to a rest above his heart, right where Sloane lived.
28
Sloane stood in front of the mirror and stared. Who was this beautiful, classy woman looking back at her? A few other students had teased her for being so poor, but mostly everyone just ignored her. Sure, she had study partners and some she was friendly enough with to eat lunch with between classes, but mostly she’d been too busy to have any friends. Now she had a houseful.
Sloane knew it was silly, but knowing she’d have someone sitting in the audience clapping when her name was called made her so happy. She’d seen the look on the faces of her classmates when they had been happily chattering about who was coming to their graduations. Then they had asked her and she’d told them no one. Their happy looks had turned to looks of pity. The poor girl with no money and no family. But now she saw a survivor. She saw a woman who did what she had to do to fulfill her dream. She saw pride, not pity, in her own eyes.
With a deep breath, Sloane headed to the living room. The talking stopped as her friends turned and gasped.
“Dear, you’re beautiful,” Dani said with motherly pride that made Sloane tear up.
“Stop, you’ll make me cry.” Sloane laughed as her friends immediately began gushing.
“Ladies!” Dani called out. “It’s time for Sloane to leave. We don’t want her to be late for her own graduation.”
As fast as they’d come, they cleared out and Sloane was left standing on the small porch by herself. She was about to go back inside to call Gabe when she heard the sound of an engine. She raised her hand against the sun and saw a truck heading toward her. It stopped and Gabe got out the passenger’s door before it drove off to the mare barn.
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