A Secret to Keep

By Railyn Stone

Keeping secrets is a horrible way to live. Sloane Davis should know.
She’s kept her son a secret from his father for almost a year.

Now, her worst nightmare is coming true. Her ex is re-entering her professional life in the midst of the biggest project of her career. She's about to come face to face with the only man she’s ever loved - her son’s father.

Gates McCall is a brash man. He hasn’t always been this way, but when Sloane walked out on him, something inside him broke. When his company's newest acquisition brings the two of them together once more, little does he know seeing her will bring back a flood of memories, feelings, and an unexpected surprise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing
• Release date: Jun 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781631121142

Railyn Stone

Railyn Stone hails from the TarHeel State and is a romantic at heart. She believes you can find romance in the simplest aspects of life and enjoys letting her imagination run wild. Trying new restaurants, listening to music, playing golf and writing over the top stories about ordinary people are the hobbies she cherishes most.

Book preview

A Secret to Keep

By

Railyn Stone

This is a fictional work. The names, characters, incidents, places, and locations are solely the concepts and products of the author’s imagination or are used to create a fictitious story and should not be construed as real.

5 PRINCE PUBLISHING AND BOOKS, LLC

PO Box 16507

Denver, CO 80216

www.5PrinceBooks.com

ISBN-10:1631121146 ISBN-13:978-1-63112-114-2

A Secret to Keep

Railyn Stone

Copyright Railyn Stone 2015

Published by 5 Prince Publishing

Front Cover Viola Estrella

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations, reviews, and articles. For any other permission please contact 5 Prince Publishing and Books, LLC.

First Edition/First Printing June 2015 Printed U.S.A.

5 PRINCE PUBLISHING AND BOOKS, LLC.

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks to my family. You are the ones I always know I can come to for the truth, love, support and reaffirmation that God can do anything.

Dedications:

To five young ladies who’ve made a tremendous impact on my life. Never give up on your dreams. With faith, the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. Love you Jocelyn, Mariah, Ashley, Ayanna, and Elise. You girls are going places.

A Secret to Keep

Chapter 1

Sloane walked briskly down the hallway to her boss’s office. She wasn’t quite sure why Antony wanted to see her first thing this morning, but she knew it must be pretty important for him to leave her a voice mail before she was scheduled to be in the office. She paused at the door, smoothed her black pencil skirt and straightened the collar on her cobalt satin blouse. Peering into the edge of the chrome frame hanging outside the beveled glass door she checked her teeth for any remnants of her breakfast before knocking softly and turning the knob.

Antony, you wanted to see me? Stepping into the beautifully decorated office, she fully expected to see Antony sitting behind the huge mahogany desk he’d purchased on his last trip to Brazil and typing away on the antiquated Royal typewriter he refused to give up. Instead, she froze in her tracks and held onto the brass doorknob as she came face to face with her ex-fiancé, Gates McCall, one of the biggest names in real estate development on the East Coast. Her breath caught in her throat as he and Antony both stood from their seats to greet her. Gates? What…what’re you doing here? She wanted to move, but her feet felt like anchors and her heels sunk deeper into the plush burgundy carpet affixing her to the floor.

I like personally checking in on my investments. She watched a slow sly grin grace his majestically tanned perfect face. He was still as handsome as ever and time had done nothing but enhance his appearance. He stood tall and commanding and the expensive suit he wore hung on his frame as if the designer had him in mind when he drew the sketch. Every dark hair on his head knew its place and she sucked in a breath as his brooding hazel eyes, curtained by dark thick lashes, locked on hers.

She licked her parched pouty lips and heard her own voice betray her as it squeaked out. Your investment?

Ah, yes, Sloane, I’m glad you’re here. McCall International has purchased Boston Developers and Mr. McCall took time out of his busy schedule to personally stop in to visit our Foundation. They’re going to hold a meeting for all of the companies that were working with Boston to let them know the status of their projects. But, I wasn’t aware you two knew one another. Sloane broke her intense gaze with Gates to turn a bewildered look towards her jovial employer as he walked around his desk.

We uh… Still shocked by Gates’ presence, Sloane scrambled to think of exactly what to say to Antony. It wasn’t like she could just broadcast to her boss she was once engaged to the man who would determine if their project would be built or not. Nor could she reveal she’d kept Gates’ nearly nine month-old son, Brayden, a secret from him. In a matter of seconds, the carefully crafted life she’d orchestrated was hitting a sour note. Here she stood in front of a man she had once loved more than life, but with no way to reveal the truth that could easily destroy her entire world.

Yes, Antony, I know Sloane. Sloane diverted her vision to look at anything other than Gates. Her eyes traveled from the exquisite tapestries hanging on the wall Antony and his wife, Isabella, brought back from their trip to France, to the family photos lining the mahogany shelves behind his desk. However, nothing worked and she found her eyes sweeping back to his indomitable frame. Gates was magnificent and it was taking everything in her not to crumble under his glare. We have a few mutual friends. His cool demeanor and statement slashed her soul. In all honesty, he had no reason to feel anything for her anymore after she’d walked out on him. But his quick dismissal of their relationship cut her to the quick like it hadn’t mattered at all.

Well, I guess that’s a plus for us. Sloane and Aliyah have been working diligently on this project and if anyone can give you the ins and outs, it would be Sloane. She listened quietly to Antony’s glowing commendation and waited for Gates’ response.

I look forward to it. His expression never changed and she felt overexposed and horribly unenlightened to what Gates may be planning. Antony, it was good to meet you and see the Foundation. Looks like you’re doing a lot of great work here. I apologize, but I do need to visit a few more places before I head back. She watched the men shake hands and head towards the door as she teetered closer to the desk to fasten herself upright.

Well, of course. I do appreciate your time this morning Mr. McCall. Let me walk you out. Sloane glanced up with a start when Gates shifted his attention to her leaning against the desk. She quickly pulled herself up to stand somewhat unsteady on the three inch black pumps she wore.

Sloane. She felt chills run down her spine at the way her name rolled off his tongue and she mustered what little wits she had left.

Gates. Watching him exit the office with Antony she exhaled, realizing she’d been holding her breath the entire time. Oh mercy, what am I going to do?

Pulling herself together enough to exit Antony’s office, Sloane raced down the hallway to her best friend and project partner, Aliyah Cross’s office. Just short of needing an inhaler, she struggled to catch her breath while holding on to the frame of the doorway. Did you know about this?

Aliyah looked up to see a seemingly frazzled Sloane plop down in the chair across from her desk. You saw him huh?

Please tell me this is a joke? Sloane slid lower in the chair and threw her head back. If it wasn’t a joke, it was definitely a problem. Gates had acquired the development company her non-profit had contracted to work with on their hospital project. But what really had her heart palpitations going at an ungodly rate was the fact she’d kept the child they conceived before she left him a secret. Gates McCall had no clue she’d given birth to his heir and she intended to keep it that way. As much of a tyrant as his father was, she knew Gates had become a lot like him. He valued money and power more than people and she didn’t want her child subjected to that. Couldn’t he have just shown up in a tabloid getting married to some model or something? It’s not like he’s not always in the paper or on TV with some new woman on his arm. Couldn’t he have just done that? Why buy Boston Developers? Why now? She reluctantly pushed herself up from her seat to walk over to the window. It was a gorgeous spring day and she wanted to be anywhere but in her own skin right now. She’d finally managed to push Gates out of her daily thoughts and now she was going to have to convince him to go through with the project; all the while holding onto her secret. He can’t do this. She murmured the words so softly Aliyah could barely hear her.

Well, according to the email he can, and he did. Sloane sighed as she listened to Aliyah read the first paragraph of the email.

This is not happening. It can’t be happening.

Aliyah sat back in her chair and watched Sloane pace back and forth in front of the window. When’s the last time you talked to him? I mean, besides this morning?

Sloane shrugged. She felt suspended in some crazy otherworldly dimension and was past the point of being able to think clearly. Every thought seemed to form and shape its nucleus around Gates, and her once dormant fears were awakened at the decibel level of a jet at takeoff. It was one thing for him to be in New York, but now he’d bought Boston Developers and was going to be in close proximity. Being this close, it was only a matter of time before he found out about Brayden. I don’t know. I guess it was a little over a year ago. She pivoted to focus in on Aliyah. So wait, read that again, did you say Dawson & Stein are looking at our location?

Oh, yeah, Aliyah looked back at the screen. I guess with the shakeup, they’re looking to get our spot. She looked up at Sloane who was now firmly planted in front of her desk with the most befuddled look on her face.

This is just great. They want our spot and Gates is in control of who gets it. Closing her eyes Sloane shook her head and quietly seethed. Her emotions were so out of whack; accelerating from worry to anger in a matter of seconds. Why did he have to come here now? She was trying to move on with her life; at least as much as she could without him in it. His presence was only going to mess up everything. Already his brief visit had her stomach in pretzel-like knots and it was a distraction she knew would interfere with her career; the one she’d worked so hard for to provide Brayden with the life she knew he deserved. She wanted to pick up the phone, dial Gates’ number and curse him from one end of the line to the other, but she knew it would do no good.

Look, maybe it won’t be as bad as you think. Boston Developers were gung ho to go with our project. We have a good thing and Gates has to know that. Aliyah tapped her pencil on the desk before turning to finish the email.

You don’t get it, Liyah, Sloane started, referring to her friend with the more shortened version of her name she always used. Gates is married to his bank account. He’s going with whoever can make him the most money. And right now, that would be D&S. That’s one of the reasons I left him.

What do you mean? Sloane could see the questions swirling around in Liyah’s face and she knew she was going to have to finally come clean with her friend. They’d known each other since high school and were closer than most sisters, but Sloane had kept this secret and all that transpired between her and Gates to herself.

When we first started dating, we had so much fun together. But things started to change when he took over his father’s company; he slowly turned into his father. He went from sweet and caring to canceling plans and more focused on the money and the next deal. Just like Victor. It was like I never knew him. She picked up a frame sitting on the edge of the desk of a picture she’d taken of Liyah and Brayden. The baby looked so much like his father, and she grimaced at the thought of the last encounter she’d had with Gates’ father.

I hope you know you are merely a passing fancy for him, Victor hissed as he sidled up to Sloane. Something different for the time being. She and Gates were attending another fundraising event and he’d been pulled away into a conversation with a few potential clients. No less part of his father’s design she was sure, seeing a voluptuous redhead playfully squeezing Gates’ arm as they stood across the room. Sloane had never felt quite comfortable at these events. There were always tons of people she didn’t know, far too many cameras flashing, nothing but talk of money and how more could be made, and of course, women. And they all wanted Gates. His father wasn’t helping the situation. He always took the opportunity to point out the fact that she wasn’t a ‘blue blood’ like Gates or many of the others. The people in his circle were either heirs or the dying patriarchs of old established money. It never mattered to her, but the way Victor needled her about it made her tremendously uncomfortable.

I beg your pardon, she said, glancing into the eyes of a much older and less handsome version of Gates.

Oh, you are beautiful, sweetheart. Such a sweet temptation with that smooth brown skin of yours. Exotic even. I can see why Gates is indulging, but you don’t have nearly the power or money to be a part of our world, he added, letting his eyes stroll up and down her body and making her feel even more uneasy with each passing second. Right now, you dating Gates is nothing more than a blip on his radar. When things go the way I’ve planned, Gates will be married to Allie and you will be out in the cold. I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you.

What are you talking about?

You can get it out of your head that you are going to marry my son. And don’t even think about having any children with him. I won’t have you sullying the McCall name. Things are already in motion sweetheart and there’s not one thing you can do about it. Pretty soon he’ll realize you aren’t the woman for him. His snake eyes gleamed with incandescent coolness and she guessed Victor had been waiting for an opportunity like this to inject insecurity into her mind.

Gates loves me, she added, twiddling with her engagement ring as she glanced across the room at her fiancé. His charisma and charm exuded out of every pore and he didn’t seem to mind the redhead’s overt advances, but Sloane wouldn’t let Victor see her squirm.

Chuckling, Victor followed her gaze across the room before leaning over to whisper in her ear. I’m just so sure he does, dear. You keep telling yourself that. It would be in your best interests to make arrangements to head back to the cotton fields of Georgia where you came from. You are playing a game that’s way out of your league here. He hissed and sauntered off to mingle amongst the throng of socialites as she stood trying her best not to falter. The threat of tears pinched at the corners of her eyes but she managed to keep them at bay and pull herself together as she continued to watch Gates laugh with the beautiful woman and a host of others who swarmed around him.

A few days later, she received even more confirmation of what she needed to do. She had decided not to tell Gates about his father’s threats. She knew it would do her no good with the way she and Gates were arguing as of late. He continuously made plans with her, only to cancel them at the last minute for some meeting or client matter. Many nights, he would come home late, take a shower and slip into bed without saying a word. Of course, Victor continued to do nothing but preempt their plans and make unreasonable demands on his son’s time. The final straw came when his father called demanding he accompany him and a potential client to play golf. Sloane begged Gates to stay with her; their plans for the night before had also been interrupted by his father’s need for him to attend a dinner with ‘clients.’ Once again, Gates defended his father’s motives, to her chagrin.

Sweetheart, we’ve been through this over and over again. What do you want from me? He stood with the most exasperated look on his face.

I want things to be the way they were. You never used to ignore me or cancel on me. It seems like everything else is so much more important to you.

Sloane, you know nothing is more important to me than you, but I have to do this. The old man’s not going to be around forever and if I’m going to be the CEO of McCall International then I have to build relationships with these clients so it’ll be a smooth transition. It’s not going to be like this always. I promise, he reminded her.

What about the wedding and us starting a family and-

You can go ahead and plan the wedding. I’m fine with whatever you choose. As for starting a family, well, I don’t know about that right now. Things are too busy now, and besides, we’ve got a lifetime to think about that. He kissed her forehead and winked at her before turning to head to the shower.

As soon as he entered the shower, his phone buzzed and she picked it up to see the message that pretty much drove the nail in the coffin. Gates, it was so good seeing you last night. Looking forward to seeing you soon – Allie Placing the phone down, she silently sat on the bed contemplating her next move. When he emerged from the shower, she watched him get dressed and head out of the penthouse before making the hardest decision of her life. Gathering her nerve and forgetting about the consequences, she got up, took a shower and packed her bags. She only made one stop; to see Gates’ best friend, Evan, before she left New York for good.

Liyah, what am I going to do?

We are going to do our presentation for him and win this contract.

You know what I mean. Sloane sank into the chair again and thought about the son she’d kept from Gates. Gates has a son that I never told him about. Just exactly how do you think he’s going to react when he finds out? It wasn’t like she had wanted to keep him a secret, but she felt she had no choice. The constant arguing they did over him putting work before her and the rumored affairs were too much for her to handle. Coupled with his father’s constant maneuverings, she just couldn’t take it. She didn’t find out she was pregnant until weeks after she’d left and she never could work up the nerve to tell him. Plus, Gates had been so focused on ‘building his empire’ she felt a baby would get in his way. Victor had ignored both Gates and his sister during their entire childhood. Sloane didn’t want the same for her baby. She wanted them to be a family. Something she wasn’t able to have growing up. With the way he’d changed, she knew it wasn’t possible. And Victor was so hell bent on her never having the McCall name; she wasn’t sure what he would do. So, she had decided not to tell him. Now with Gates suddenly appearing, she feared how the situation would play out if he knew the truth.

Honestly, I can’t understand why you never told him in the first place. It’s not like he couldn’t provide anything Brayden needed.

I know Gates could give Brayden the world if he wanted it, but it wasn’t that. There was too much there to deal with. Plus, I didn’t want my son to feel the same disappointment I did. Sloane felt a stab of pain in her heart at the thoughts of how she and Gates drifted apart. She didn’t want Brayden to be put last by the man who was supposed to love him and teach him all the things he needed. Or worse, ignored completely.

Liyah nodded her head before noticing a new email pop into her inbox. Well, regardless of what happened between you two, we have to get ready for Wednesday.

Wednesday? Sloane sat up from her sprawled position in the chair, feeling a dull ache forming in the base of her brain. What’s Wednesday?

Liyah continued scanning through the email. Looks like that’s when Gates has called a meeting for all of the companies who were working with Boston Developers.

You’re kidding? Sloane jerked forward, white knuckling the arms of the chair as the heart palpitations increased again. She was sure her heart was going to beat right out of her chest and she felt lightheaded. There was no way she could face him so soon.

Nope, he’s not wasting any time and if we want to keep our spot, we’ve got to be ready for anything.

Oh, I’m so not ready for this. Sloane stood and started towards the door to head to her own office. She could feel a headache starting at the base of her neck and her stomach churned with more anxiety than she’d ever known.

Hey, it’s going to be fine. You’ll see. Liyah pushed her chair back from her desk and followed Sloane down the corridor.

I don’t know, Liyah. I’ve worked my tail off trying to provide a life for Brayden, built my own identity and career without Gates so I could take care of my baby. Now in a matter of seconds, Gates has come in and taken over the one thing I could control in my life. Granted, he did give me a beautiful son and I even learned some great project management stuff from him, but what am I going to do? Sloane wrung her sweat-laced hands wondering how she could go back and stop today, or any other day going forward, from happening.

Sloane… Liyah stopped as Sloane turned on her heel to face her. There was true terror painted across her face and Liyah waited for her to say something.

Liyah, Brayden is my world. What have I done? She squeaked before she turned to push the door open to her own office. Reaching her desk, she withered into the black leather chair. Chewing on her bottom lip, she wiped at the tears finally escaping the corners of her eyes and swiveled to glance at the photo of the cute smiling face of her most precious possession on the credenza behind her desk. A wave of nausea like the day after a raging frat party hit her and she felt a cool sweat seep through her clothes and bead up at her crown.

Look, it’s going to be fine. We’ll get through the meeting, the hospital will get built, he won’t find out about Brayden and he’ll head back to New York with no problems, okay? Liyah stood on the opposite side of the desk watching for any reaction from Sloane. It’ll work out.

I hope you’re right. Sloane had wondered many times how Gates would react if he ever found out about Brayden and now it looked like those fears may be realized sooner than she imagined. My precious angel. Picking up the frame she smiled at the tiny cherub who was a perfect blend of them. I pray your father won’t hate me for this.

###

I think the best thing for us to do is to focus on how important this project really is to the community. Boston Developers were all for it before because of how much of an impact Mari made on the community and I really don’t see why McCall International won’t be behind it now. Liyah whispered to Sloane as the two watched their competitors slowly file into the room. Wednesday had come a lot quicker than she wanted it to and Sloane’s mind was nowhere close to being focused on the meeting. To say she was a little nervous was an understatement. Thinking about Gates discovering her secret inhibited her ability to form complete sentences, let alone think of their project. She hadn’t been able to sleep since he’d shown up and she felt like running away. How could he still have such an effect on her? It had been more than a year since she last saw him and even then he had been cold towards her.

His father’s funeral. Sloane gazed out of the boardroom window into the most vibrant blue cloudless sky. It was amazing how peaceful and serene the sky was and how it had the ability to make someone feel so calm even when they had so much inner turmoil consuming them.

What? Liyah looked at Sloane, whose bottom lip trembled with the thoughts of the last time she’d seen Gates.

His father’s funeral. That’s the last time I saw him. Sloane whispered, remembering the day she had finally decided to tell Gates about their baby.

Hon, you think of this now?

You asked me the other day when I saw him last. It was his father’s funeral, and I don’t know, but today feels a lot like that day. She had struggled with whether she should even attend the service, but soon found herself standing in the back of the crowd at the gravesite. It was a warm and sunny day, which was ironic because Victor McCall was far from warm and sunny. He was the coldest, most callous man she’d ever met and he never made any bones about the fact that he didn’t care for her. He only saw people for what they were worth and not in the soulful kind of way. Everything about him had to do with money. Since Victor was gone and no longer a threat to her, Sloane figured she could pay her respects and reveal her truth to Gates.

However, she felt chills scuttle up and down her arms as her eyes met his. It felt like he would bore a hole through her soul. His eyes were cold and his lips pulled tight. As the minister conducted the service, Sloane fidgeted under Gates’ unwavering glare. She felt so uncomfortable that she slunk away from the group before the minister could finish and headed to her car. His icy stare had convinced her it was better for her to leave. It wasn’t more than a day later she received an email from Gates. Don’t pretend you ever cared about me or my family. The gesture was thoughtful, but unnecessary. I can’t grieve what I don’t miss, and I don’t mean my father. She knew he was angry with her for leaving him. No one left Gates McCall. In that one email, she could feel every part of the hatred and contempt he had for her in each keystroke.

Hey, come back to the here and now. Sloane come on, we have to focus. Are you going to be able to do this? Liyah snapped her fingers in front of Sloane to get her attention. Sloane? Sloane?

Oh, Liyah, I’m sorry. What were you saying? Just as Liyah was about to answer her, she quieted and Sloane followed her gaze toward the door where her unbelievably handsome ex-fiancé stood.

Santo cielo. Liyah breathed and stood straighter, adjusting her jacket.

He’s just a man in a suit, Sloane said, trying to convince herself more than Liyah that he was just a man in a suit. She busied herself by stacking and reorganizing an already organized stack of papers. She could feel one single bead of sweat slowly meander its way down her back. But Gates’ magnetic pull soon had her staring at his deep-set hazel orbs. She tried to look away, but there was something about this man who was able to suck her in like cake flour through a sieve.

"He is so not just a man in a suit. Liyah swallowed hard, shaking her head at Sloane’s dismissal of him. I’m beginning to understand why you’re so nervous about this. Wow. You know, I didn’t realize how much Brayden looks like him."

Shh, keep your voice down. Sloane tried to move, to blink, to do anything, but her body betrayed her wishes and she could only stare as Gates mingled through the room before he stopped near the two of them. She felt the individual hairs on her neck called to attention as his deep voice rumbled over her.

Liyah, hello. It’s been a while. Sloane. Finally regaining her faculties Sloane pulled herself up to her full height of 5 feet 6