Forever Concealed

by Kathleen Brooks

  “I will. Just not yet. Tomorrow is her graduation, and she has enough to worry about with her family being indicted on all these charges. Plus, I can tell she’s a little worried about what it means to become my wife. I’m hoping to take it slow and ease her into the idea.”

  “Pfft.” Draven made a noise of disbelief as he executed the right cross Gabe had taught him. “What woman doesn’t want to be a princess?”

  “The right one,” Gabe answered.

  * * *

  “So, you love him?” Sophie asked as she held the bag Sloane was currently punching.

  “Yes, very much,” Sloane said, hitting the bag hard enough that Sophie had to widen her stance.

  “Then what’s the problem?” Layne asked from where she was working her punching bag. They were at Sophie and Nash’s house working out since Annie and Bridget said something about a girls’ day at the spa.

  “The problem is who I am and who he is. I want a job and the job of princess isn’t what I had envisioned.”

  “What have you envisioned?” Sophie adjusted her hold and motioned that Sloane should change up hands.

  “I want to do work with kids who are forced into the drug world, either through their parents, their neighborhoods, or through using,” Sloane told them. “That’s why I want to work as a school counselor.”

  Sophie shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t see the problem. Is Gabe telling you that you can’t do that?”

  “No,” Sloane said reluctantly. “He’s telling me if I can’t get the school counselor job, then I can start and run a charity aimed to combat drug use among kids.”

  “Then you’re creating a problem that doesn’t exist,” Layne said bluntly.

  “It’ll be a problem as soon as the news finds out I’m still alive and dating the world’s most eligible prince.”

  “A problem for who? Gabe doesn’t seem to mind.”

  Damn. Sloane had liked Layne up to this point, but she was quickly pointing out what Gabe had been telling her, and what Sloane was now forced to see might be true. He really might not care where she came from.

  “And it’s not like he’s talking about marriage, is he? I mean, has he even told you he loves you?” Sophie asked.

  “Well,” Sloane said, stopping her punches and taking a deep breath. “He hasn’t said anything about marriage, but he has said he loved me. Lots of times, actually.”

  Layne and Sophie looked at each other. Then, as one, they ran. Sophie tossed down the pad she was holding and Layne used her teeth to pull the boxing gloves from her hands. They shoved each other as they stumped toward the bench, holding their purses.

  “I call one month,” Layne shouted as she grabbed the back of Sophie’s shirt, pulling her to the ground.

  “No! I call it!” Sophie reached out and snagged Layne’s foot, sending her arms flailing in the air before she crashed onto the mat.

  Sloane stood slack-jawed as Sophie tried to crawl over Layne who was reaching for her phone. Layne stretched, her fingers inches away, but Sophie wasn’t done yet. She wrapped her arms around Layne’s neck and flung her body away from the phone. The women went rolling, but it was Sophie on top when they finally came to a stop.

  “Ha!” Sophie lunged off as Layne scrambled to her feet. She didn’t hesitate. The second she was up, Layne launched herself at Sophie. She hit her in the back, tackling her to the ground while at the same time her left hand stretched out and snagged the phone.

  “Ha-ha!” Layne said triumphantly as she straddled Sophie’s back, pushing her face into the mat. “Twenty bucks on one month!”

  Layne threw up her hands in victory as she stood up. “Gosh, I love this new betting app that Poppy developed.”

  Sophie stuck out her tongue at Layne and reached for her phone. “One month, one day. You’re going down, Davies.”

  “You’re on, Dagher.”

  “What just happened?” Sloane asked slowly.

  “Nothing,” the two women said immediately.

  * * *

  “Oh my gosh!” Dani Ali Rahman gasped at the breakfast table.

  “What is it, my dear?” Mo asked.

  “Two simultaneous bets were just placed on Gabe getting engaged soon,” Dani told her husband as she placed her own bet.

  Mo pulled out his phone. “Ah, you’re the three weeks?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “I’ll place it at two weeks. That boy is in love. If bets are being placed, then someone knows something about how Sloane feels. Once two people fall in love, it’s a heartbeat away from forever.”

  “What the heck?” Ariana called out as she entered the breakfast room. “All of a sudden, four bets have been placed on Sloane and Gabe.”

  “We saw that, too,” Dani said to her daughter as she gave Mo a wink.

  Ariana rolled her eyes. “So, that explains two of them.”

  “But we weren’t the first,” Mo pointed out.

  “Wait, what?” That got Ari’s attention. “You didn’t start this?”

  Dani and Mo shook their heads.

  “Oh my God. Sloane’s with Sophie and Layne this morning. They’re betting with inside gossip!” Ariana was offended and pissed that she didn’t get the inside scoop for once.

  “We placed the two- and three-week bets,” Dani told her daughter.

  “No way. Three days.” Ariana was already placing her bet as they heard the front door open and close.

  Hurried footsteps and heavy breathing could be heard as someone raced toward the breakfast room. The door opened and Zain and Mila tumbled in. “Did you see the bets?” Zain asked between breaths.

  “We had to run over here to find out what happened,” Mila panted.

  “I’ll tell you what happened,” Ari said angrily. “Sophie and Layne scooped us!”

  “Wait, Mom and Dad, you didn’t start the bets?” Zain asked as he and Mila took a seat at the table.

  “Nope. We are guessing it’s Sophie and Layne since Sloane is with them now.” Dani didn’t have time to finish dissecting the latest gossip as Zain and Mila were already nose deep in their phones placing bets. The front door slammed open, and they all had a pretty good idea who was now storming down the hall.

  “What the hell?” Gabe flung the door open and glared at the table full of his family.

  Dani blinked innocently. If her son weren’t going to tell her he was in love, then she’d make him pay for it. She also wondered if Sloane would object to Father Ben marrying them or if she had someone else in Lexington. She’d text him as soon as Gabe finished his hissy fit. Her sons were such babies when it came to falling in love.

  “I’m sorry, were we supposed to hold breakfast for you?” Dani asked as everyone continued eating.

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

  Dani set down her fork. “Honey, how am I supposed to know unless you tell me?”

  “I’m talking about you placing bets on me being engaged next month.” Gabe’s face was red with anger. Aw, he was head over heels for Sloane. Her mother’s heart couldn’t be happier.

  “I never placed a bet on you being engaged in a month,” Dani said truthfully. She just left out that her bet was three weeks but now she feared she’d lose. Ari would probably win if this was Gabe’s reaction.

  “Son, why are you so upset? There’re bets placed on you all the time,” Mo pointed out to him, which seemed only upset Gabe more. Yes, very interesting. Dani might need to hedge her bet and place another for tomorrow.

  “Did you do it?” Gabe accused.

  Mo shook his head. “I didn’t place a bet for you getting engaged in a month.

  Gabe looked around the table as everyone shook their heads. It was true; they hadn’t placed the bet for one month.

  “Dear,” Dani said gently. She’d lure him in with motherly concern and he’d crack like an egg. “Why would anyone be betting on Sloane and you getting married? Oh, dear. You’re not the panty-dropper are you?”

  �
�That would mean it was with a different woman each time,” Ariana so helpfully pointed out.

  “No!” Gabe yelled. “I’m not the panty-dropper, and I don’t know why the bets would be placed. Unless—”

  “Unless what, dear?” Dani hid her smile behind her glass of orange juice.

  “Unless someone heard me talking to Draven when we were working out this morning.”

  “Draven? What does your workout have to do with getting married?” Dani laughed as if she were clueless. Sucker.

  “I told him I loved Sloane.”

  Dani feigned shock. She had her son hook, line, and preacher. “I had no idea!” Gabe rolled his eyes. Okay, so maybe she was pushing it. “So, then, what’s the problem?”

  “Did you really not start the betting?” Gabe asked, instead of answering her.

  “I swear. I didn’t start the betting. I’ve been sitting here talking to our family.”

  Gabe let out a deep breath as he dropped into his chair. “Well, then I need your help.”

  “Of course! That’s what a mother is here for. What can I do?” Dani was thankful her husband put a hand on her thigh or she’d have jumped out of her chair.

  “Sloane is worried about losing herself and her independence if she becomes a princess,” Gabe confessed.

  Mo’s hand tightened on her leg, keeping her pinned to the chair. “You’re talking about marriage?” Dani had to swallow to keep her voice from going higher with excitement.

  “No and yes. She thinks you all won’t approve of her if we grow more serious. She also doesn’t really want to do the princess thing.”

  Zain snorted and tried to hide it with a cough. Dani glared at him.

  “What?” Gabe pointedly asked his brother.

  Shit. If Dani didn’t get control of this, then the situation would dissolve into the twins rolling on the floor punching each other. She knew the tone of Gabe’s voice.

  “Nothing, it’s just funny the one woman you have ever thought about using the M word with doesn’t want to be a princess. Yet the legions of women before—”

  “Don’t matter,” Gabe ground out between clenched teeth.

  “Mila!” Dani practically screeched, drawing both boys’ attention. “We should help Gabe by talking to Sloane.”

  “Yes, right now.”

  God, Dani loved her daughter-in-law.

  “Don’t scare her,” Gabe warned.

  “Us?” Mila put her hand to her heart as if wounded. Yeah, best daughter-in-law ever.

  “We’ll tell you everything. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon,” Mila assured.

  Dani and Mila hurried from the room. Mila looked back at the closed door and whispered, “We have to convince her it’s okay to be a princess. I have fifty bucks riding on them being engaged in ten days.”

  Best. Daughter-in-law. Ever.

  25

  Sloane was staring at the app Layne had just put on her phone. One hundred thirteen bets were placed on when Gabe would propose. It was overwhelming.

  “Are you okay?” Sophie asked slowly. “You look kinda pale.”

  “This—this is not okay.”

  “They’re bets because they care. Bets were placed on Nash and me.”

  Layne shook her head. “But we grew up with it. I’m sure it’s hard to get used to when you’re new to town.”

  The door to the basement opened. Mila and Dani walked down the stairs. Oh great. What were they doing here? Probably making sure none of the bets were won by warning her away from Gabe.

  “It is hard to get used to,” Mila smiled warmly at Sloane. “Until you realize it’s all out of love. They want you two to be together and hope it’s soon. At least that’s the feeling I get when I see the bets being placed. I understand how you wouldn’t think that at first, though. I was just like you when I met Zain. It only took a short time to realize the people of Keeneston want to see you succeed in life and will help you do so.”

  “And believe it or not, those bets were going on even when I met Mo. And like you and Mila, I’m not from here either. But Keeneston is my home now. I can tell you, it’s all done with love.” Dani reached out and squeezed her hand.

  “How did you know I was here?” Sloane asked instead.

  “DeAndre.”

  “John Wolfe.”

  The simultaneous answers had everyone snickering over the ongoing battle for gossip.

  “But why are you here? Oh God, please tell me Gabe didn’t tell you to come talk to me.” Sloane wanted to hide with embarrassment.

  “No!” they both cried.

  “He didn’t ask us to come talk to you. We wanted to do this ourselves.” Dani smiled and Sloane cocked her head.

  “You’re lying! I recognize that look. Gabe gives me the same look when he’s trying to skirt the truth.”

  Dani cursed under her breath. “Fine. He knows we’re here, but we really did offer to come talk to you.”

  “Why?” Sloane asked suspiciously.

  “Quite frankly, you have that look a deer gets right before it bolts into the woods.” Mila patted her hand.

  “And we don’t want you to do that,” Dani said with such sincerity that Sloane paid attention. It didn’t seem like she was just giving lip service.

  “Why?”

  “My son loves you. You love him. There’s no need for any other reason.”

  Sloane narrowed her eyes at Dani. “You have that look again.”

  Dani rolled her eyes. “Fine!” she screamed, tossing up her hands. “I want grandbabies.”

  Sloane blinked with surprise. “You’d want me to be the mother of your grandchildren? Me? Whose own family is trying to kill me?”

  “As I said before, my son loves you and you love him . . . for all the right reasons. That is enough. You, not your family, would be the mother of my grandchildren. They’ll all be in jail anyway. That just means more grandmother time for me. I won’t have to share you or the kids.”

  Layne snickered behind her. Soon Sloane was giggling along with everyone else.

  “What?” Dani asked as they broke out laughing.

  “You’ve been married to a diplomat so long that you can spin Sloane’s family being in jail as a good thing,” Sophie said as she tried to stop laughing.

  “Well, Sloane wanted the truth and there it is. I want you to be with my son because he’s happy with you. That’s all a mother can ask for. Is it going to be easy? No, it’s not. I won’t lie. You’ll be discovered soon enough. But to us, you’ll be Sloane Holiday, the girl who makes our son happy.”

  “The royal family certainly won’t like it,” Sloane said softly. She wasn’t laughing anymore.

  “Well, the king won’t like it, but Mo can handle him. As for the rest of us, we’ll be thrilled to welcome you to the family if and when that happiness occurs.” Dani nodded as if it were a royal proclamation.

  “But the press—“

  “We can spin the press. Morgan will do that magic public relations thing she does so well. We’ll get the story out first with an exclusive. And this is where the hard part comes in. I know you want to stay invisible, but it’s time to step out of the shadows. It’s time for you to be known as the person who fought against her wicked family. The person who saved as many lives as she could. The person who wants to save children from the horrors of drug abuse and drug violence. It’s time to become the person you were meant to be.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Sloane said with tears in her eyes. If only she were that person.

  “I told you it would be hard, but you’re up to the challenge. The person who could take down Lisa Malone can face any number of reporters,” Dani said confidently.

  “Gemma Davies can interview you. She runs The Keeneston Journal,” Layne told her. “She’s Riley and Reagan’s mom and is married to Cy. She’s broken some huge stories before and she’ll distribute the story far and wide. With her, it’s just you and someone you know and can trust to tell your story.”

  “Great ide
a,” Sophie said to her cousin. “And you’re not alone anymore. You have an entire town willing to help you.”

  “And if and when things get serious between you and Gabe, I’ll be here to talk. I understand the pressure of stepping into the role of princess when you’d never prepared for it. But there’s a lot of good that comes with it, too. I’m happy to help in any way I can.” Mila opened her arms and Sloane hugged her.

  This is what it was like to have real sisters who loved you and a real family who supported you. Sloane was so filled with love at that moment that she realized she didn’t even freak out about them talking about marriage. If it meant being with Gabe, then it was worth the discomfort of coming out of the shadows and being who she really was. And the first step to doing that was to walk across the stage the next day and receive her master’s degree. She’d done it all on her own. But tomorrow she’d be sharing it with someone she loved.

  * * *

  You’re all good. Sloane won’t be running.

  Gabe closed his eyes for a moment as he read his mom’s text. How had his life changed so much in just a few weeks? He was madly in love and was loved in return. In moments, he would be surrounded by cameras in the sunroom overlooking the horse farm as he announced the treaty between Bermalia, Surman, and Tahjad. For once, he felt as if everything was going the way it was destined.

  “We’re ready,” Veronica said as she slipped into the room where everyone was waiting. Right after making sure Sloane was safe, Gabe had apologized to Veronica who had been more upset about a tear in her skirt than about being fired. However, after the promise of a week off and a sincere apology, all was well between them again.

  “No, we are not,” Draven said, standing up.

  Ah crap, he couldn’t back out now. Gabe stood, but Draven held up a hand to stop him.

  “I first need to apologize to Miss Pritchard. I have acted dishonorably, and I am sorry for any discomfort I have caused you.” Draven bowed his head and Veronica bestowed a glowing smile upon him.