Hidden in Her Heart EBOOK

Right after you buy an eBook, we’ll send you a link in your confirmation email so you can start reading straight away. Plus, you'll get a backup email from our partner, Bookfunnel, just in case.

You can enjoy my eBooks on just about any device—be it your Kindle, Kobo, Nook, smartphone, tablet, computer, or through the free Bookfunnel app. My delivery partners will explain exactly how to get your eBook loaded onto the device of your choice.

CHAPTER 1

Eden Tracey rearranged the canapés on the sterling silver serving tray. “I shouldn’t have come,” she muttered. The hors d’oeuvres were already perfect. Fiddling with them was just an excuse to avoid going back into the living room.

There was only so much time she could hide in the kitchen. She took a step back and eyeballed the tray, then tilted each miniature pastry bite a few millimeters to the left. Things out there might be awkward and scary, but she could control this tray of food and make it faultless.

“Oh, there you are!”

Eden straightened up, jostling the tray and sending the canapés skittering out of their precisely angled rows into an untidy jumble.

Geoff Gallagher smiled at her from his kitchen doorway, his gray eyes lighting up. He walked up to her and glanced at the trays. “Those look amazing. I’ll grab one and we’ll go back in. Everyone’s eager to know you. Wait a second.”

He reached toward her and tucked back a lock of black hair that had slipped out of her loose chignon. “There. Come on, let’s go.”

Guilt gnawed at Eden’s conscience, settling into her gut like a dark writhing mass. Geoff had invited her to his place to meet his friends, but she wished she’d made an excuse and stayed home. She didn’t know what he had told all these people about their relationship. In fact, she and Geoff had never actually defined what they were to each other.

He was a silent partner in the videography business she ran with his sister, and she’d drifted into the habit of seeing him a couple of times a month. She supposed their outings could technically be called dates, but she hesitated to go as far as saying he was her boyfriend. And then he’d asked her to help him host a dinner party for his closest friends, and she hadn’t known how to turn him down or back out of it.

All eyes turned to her as she followed Geoff back into the living room, gripping her tray of canapés.

As soon as she’d arrived here tonight and seen the suppressed eagerness on his friends’ faces, she’d known it was a mistake to come. Things had moved on to a much more serious level than she wanted. Didn’t all the magazine articles say a guy must be keen on you if he wanted you to meet his best friends? Geoff definitely seemed keen on her, and he was a great guy. But the closer he tried to get, the more uneasy she was. And now she was probably leading him on without meaning to. But how do you dump a guy who isn’t officially your boyfriend?

She held the tray toward a woman in a dark blue evening suit who had introduced herself as Beverley. Beverley smiled as she reached out for an hors d’oeuvre. “I really shouldn’t because I’m trying to cut down on carbs, but those pastries look absolutely divine.”

Geoff spoke from across the room where he was topping off everyone’s drinks from a jug of cinnamon-laced fruit punch. “Eden made those herself. Trust me, they’re incredible.”

“Then I’ve definitely got to try one.” Beverley popped one into her mouth and moaned, rolling her eyes heavenward. “These are divine.”

The other guests made similar reactions as they helped themselves to the canapés. Beverley’s husband—was he Fred or Frank?—jabbed a long, bejeweled finger toward Eden. “You have got to give me the recipe for these. Where did you learn to cook like this? These are restaurant quality.”

Eden set the tray onto the coffee table and smiled at the compliment. “Thank you. Cooking is a hobby. I find it really relaxing.”

Beverley snagged another canapé. “I find it relaxing, too, but more often than not I end up scorching everything.”
Everyone chuckled, and Fred—or Frank—elbowed Beverley gently. “Oh, the stories I could tell.”

The chatter continued as Eden sat down on the edge of an armchair, willing her tense muscles to relax. There was no need to get worked up. She’d said nothing to give Geoff the idea they were romantically involved, and she could make it clear to these people that they were just friends.

Geoff had been part of this group since they were all undergrads at the University of London. They seemed tight-knit, their conversations ranging seamlessly from philosophical to deeply personal topics. Eden had no problem keeping up with their witty banter, but she balked at delving into more private topics. And from what she’d seen so far, these guys really liked to go deep.

Heather and Federico, the dark-haired pair on the sofa, had been dishing out the details of their latest couples’ therapy session when Eden had escaped to the kitchen to fiddle with her tray of canapés. She couldn’t understand why some people were willing to let all their personal stuff just hang out.

Geoff stood in the middle of the room and gestured toward the dining table. “I’m about ready to serve dinner. Care to move over here? Go ahead and bring your drinks with you.”

The guests gathered around the tastefully decorated table, complete with ornately folded napkins and hand-lettered name cards for each place setting. Geoff hurried forward and pulled Eden’s chair back as she got to her seat.

“Thank you,” she said. “Can I help you with anything more?”

He shook his head and squeezed her shoulder. “No, I’m on top of it. Just relax and get to know everyone.” A fresh shard of guilt stabbed her as he smiled at her. The first chance she got, she needed to make it clear that he was in the friend zone. He disappeared into the kitchen.

Beverley, sitting to her right, touched Eden’s hand. “It’s great to finally meet you. Geoff can’t stop talking about you. He tells us you work with his sister?”

Eden nodded, her rebellious stomach roiling even more. Did they think she and Geoff were dating? She arranged a polite smile on her face and replied to Beverley. “Yes, Ruby and I carry on the day-to-day management of the business, and Geoff is a silent partner.”

Heather leaned forward. “Have you known Ruby long?”

“A couple of years. We met when we were both pitching a client for a video production job. Neither of us got hired, but we got along so well we thought we should join forces and go into business together.”

Heather laughed. “What a story! And then Geoff invested in the business, too, right?”

Eden nodded. “Yes. I’m lucky to get on well with my business partners.” She emphasized the words “business partners.” Maybe it would send a clear signal that this was all Geoff was to her.

Beverley smiled as she leaned back in her chair. “You know, I always find it interesting to learn how people got together. I made most of my closest friends back at university. I’m still in touch with a couple of people from elementary school, but the vast majority of them have fallen off by the wayside.” She glanced at her husband. “Wouldn’t you say so, Fred?”

Fred’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “It’s exactly the same with me. Where did you say you grew up, Eden?”

“Surrey,” Eden said. They looked at her, clearly expecting her to say more, but she didn’t volunteer any further information. If she gave more details, they might realize who her family was, and that would lead to a bunch of questions she wasn’t willing to answer. Not even Geoff knew her background, since she’d changed her name legally as soon as she’d turned eighteen. Eden Forrester, who had spent most of her childhood as a fixture on reality TV shows along with the Forrester family, didn’t exist anymore.

Right from Eden’s conception, which was the climax of a TV series that followed her mother’s IVF journey, her mother had welcomed cameras into the Forresters’ lives to share their private moments. The breakdown of her parents’ marriage had been splayed across the tabloids and TV screens, and when her mother had married Eden’s stepfather, that, too, had been on an episode of Celebrity Weddings.

The cameras had been there to capture Eden’s milestones as well. Nothing had been off-limits, not even the drama of Eden’s first period or the day her mother had explained the birds and the bees. Eden had been desperate to escape that life. Now, at twenty-six, she was Eden Tracey, and she guarded her privacy as fiercely as her mother courted publicity.

The group chatted about childhood friendships and high school cliques and who was still in touch with whom. Eden let the conversation swirl around her. Maybe they’d move on to talk about something else.

No such luck. Heather turned toward her. “How about you, Eden? Are you still friends with your BFF from high school?”

Eden injected a light tone in her voice. “No, I lost touch with my BFF. Hasn’t everyone?” They all laughed and continued talking. Lost touch? More like she had ghosted him. These guys had better not ask any more questions about her background. Everything was a landmine she’d rather avoid.

Geoff came into the room balancing several plates on a large tray. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served.”

Eden stood and helped him pass the plated-up entrées around the table. Geoff had made a vegetable tagine, served on a bed of couscous. The aromatic scents of ginger, garlic, cumin and cinnamon filled the air.

He took his place, basking for the next few minutes in his guests’ compliments about how delicious the food was. His gaze kept drifting to Eden until she added her own compliments. He grinned as his shoulders relaxed. “Glad you like it.”

Heather dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Our marriage counselor was telling Federico and me that you can learn a lot about a person from the earliest memories they remember. It was really amazing! So, I thought it would be fun if we all shared our first memories and tried to figure out what they say about us. Are you all game?”

Eager murmurs erupted around the table, but Eden’s heart shrank. Beverley jumped in first, and the others followed one by one, talking about the earliest things they could remember from their childhood.

Eden eyed the kitchen door as the conversation got deeper and Geoff and his friends played armchair psychoanalyst and pulled apart each other’s memories. Maybe she could grab some empty dishes and pretend to be clearing up. But Federico and Geoff were still eating.

As it came closer to her turn, she racked her brain for a red herring to deflect the question. She would not lie, of course, but why should she share her personal thoughts with this group of strangers? Even Geoff, whom she’d known for a couple of years, wasn’t someone she wanted to delve into her past for. She didn’t delve into her past for anyone.

Finally, it was her turn. Everyone’s eyes turned to her. She twisted her napkin in her hands, her insides roiling. “I… I don’t remember all that much from my childhood.” God, forgive me for that lie. She cleared her throat. “Interesting to hear your stories, though. Anyone need a top up to their drink?”

They were all silent for a couple of seconds. Beverley and Federico stared at her, while Heather dropped her gaze to her plate.

Geoff stood. “Of course, where are my manners?” He went around filling up everyone’s glasses.

A cell phone ring tone cut through the air, its bouncy melody jarring Eden’s nerves. She jumped to her feet. “Sorry, I think that’s mine.” Why hadn’t it rung five minutes earlier and saved her from having to be part of that conversation?

She walked over to the armchair where she’d been sitting and pulled her phone out of her purse. She didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Hi, Eden?” The voice was high, girlish. “This is Izzy, your sister.”

Eden sat down. That was the last person she expected to hear from. “Izzy? Hi. What’s up?”

“You said you live in Basildon, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m at the train station, but I don’t remember your address. Could you... could you come and get me?”

Eden shook her head. This wasn’t making sense. “You’re here in Basildon?” She spoke louder than she intended, and the people at the dinner table turned to look at her. She lowered her voice. “Sure, I’ll be there in about ten minutes. See you soon.”

She slipped her phone back in her purse. What was Izzy doing here? She took a few steps toward the table. “I’m sorry, but something’s come up and I have to leave. It’s been great meeting all of you.”

Geoff rushed to his feet. “You’re going? You can’t stay for dessert?”

“No, I need to leave now. Bye, everyone.”

He followed her to the doorway. “Is something wrong? Aren’t you feeling okay?”

Eden pulled her coat on and turned to face him. “My little sister just turned up at the train station and needs me to pick her up.”

Geoff’s face lit up. “Your sister? I didn’t even know you had a sister. Why don’t you bring her over? I’d love to meet her.”

Absolutely not. Eden had no idea why Izzy was here, and the last thing she wanted to do was mix up her past and her present. She shook her head. “I’m not sure whether that’s possible. It’s getting late and your friends probably want to enjoy some grownup conversation. You don’t want a teenager nobody knows hanging around.”

“I really wouldn’t mind, but I guess you know best. See you soon?” He leaned forward.

Eden moved her head so the kiss he’d intended for her cheek instead glanced off the top of her ear. “Thanks for tonight. Bye,” she said, and hurried out to her Ford Fiesta, which she’d parked on Geoff’s drive.

She brushed her fingers against her ear, where Geoff’s attempted kiss had landed. What is wrong with me? Geoff was a nice guy, and he ticked all the important boxes: kind, hardworking, a Christian. Plus, he was easy on the eye, handsome in a dark-haired lupine sort of way. So, why was she throwing up walls?

No time to worry about that now. She needed to find out why Izzy was here.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Eden pulled her car up to Basildon train station. She spotted her sister immediately.

Izzy stood at the pickup point behind the taxi rank, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her collar was turned up against the sharp January wind that blew a tumble of brown curls across her face. The pink scarf around her neck was a bright splash of color against the drab gray brick of the station.

Izzy ran up to Eden’s car and pulled open the passenger door, letting in a blast of freezing air. “Hi! That didn’t take long.”

She shrugged off her backpack and slid onto the seat, then reached out and hugged Eden. “Thanks so much for coming.”

Eden touched Izzy’s cheek, her fingers brushing against the frames of her sister’s glasses. “Your face is so cold! Good thing you didn’t have to wait too long. Just put your bag in the back seat.” Curiosity burned inside her, but she held back her questions. Izzy must have a reason for turning up like this.

“I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything important,” Izzy said.

Eden shook her head as she eased the car out onto the main road. Thanks to Izzy, she’d had the perfect excuse to leave Geoff’s dinner party early. “No, nothing important. It’s been ages! I haven’t seen you since… my goodness, not since last summer when you were in London.”

Eden had attended a ceremony at the Royal Society of Biology when Izzy received the Gold Certificate she won in the prestigious Biology Challenge. Their parents had been there, too, soaking up the reflected glory of Izzy’s achievements. It was one of the infrequent times Eden saw her sister.

Their ten-year age gap meant Izzy had been only eight when Eden left home. Even before Eden had gone, Izzy was living in a parallel and separate universe of Loom Bands and My Little Pony. They’d kept in touch more recently via social chat apps. Eden avoided going back to her hometown, and Izzy had never visited, let alone turned up unannounced like this.

“Did you have any trouble finding the way here on the train?”

“No, it was straightforward,” Izzy said. “Took over two-and-a-half hours, though.”

Eden navigated the roundabout and turned left onto Laindon Link. She glanced at Izzy as they waited for the traffic light to turn green. When did her kid sister grow up?

She had clearly inherited their mother’s deft hand with a makeup brush. Izzy was wearing only enough mascara and eyeliner to emphasize her striking brown eyes. Her complexion, a flawless tawny brown, was several shades fairer than Eden’s, and free of the pimples that had plagued Eden when she’d been sixteen.

“Your hair looks amazing,” Eden said. “Are you still going to Mum’s guy, Julio?”

Izzy raised a hand to the dark brown curls which fell across her shoulders. “Aw, thanks. Julio’s retired. Mum found this new stylist who’s supposed to be a genius with curly hair.”

“He’s done a superb job,” Eden said, moving the car forward as the lights went green. “How are you getting on with school? Do you like being in the sixth form?”

Izzy smiled. “The extra privileges are nice.” They chatted for a while about Ridgeview School, the private school Eden had also attended.

Eden slowed her car to match the speed limit as they arrived at her neighborhood. “I guess you must be really busy if you have Oxford in your sights.” She glanced at Izzy. “Didn’t you mention Mum had arranged for you to be in a show about high schoolers trying to make it into Oxford?”

Izzy turned her head away. “I don’t think I’ll be doing that show anymore.”

“Really? That’s too bad, I guess. Wasn’t Mum very excited about it?”

Izzy pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, mumbling a reply Eden didn’t catch. Eden threw her a sidelong glance. Something was definitely off. When Eden had last seen her parents, her mother Elonora had been full of how Izzy was going to be in a new reality TV show. The series was going to follow high school students as they tried for places at Britain’s top universities. In addition to her Mensa-level IQ, Izzy studied hard, and it was obvious she was going to succeed on the path where Eden had failed. And she was going to do it all on TV, the surest route to their mother’s approval.

Eden turned into the parking lot of her small apartment block, then settled her car in her dedicated spot. She turned to look at her sister. “Here we are.”

Izzy followed her up the steps up to the second-floor apartment. They stepped into the entryway and Izzy looked around her. “This is really nice.”

Eden smiled, allowing herself a glow of pride about her apartment. It may have been a boxy and generic starter home in an anonymous housing estate, but it was all hers, earned by her own hard work. She’d livened up its default beige template, decorating with shades of gray, yellow, and blue. “Thank you. Let’s go through to the living room.”

Izzy stopped in the middle of the room and dropped her backpack on the floor. She crossed her arms tightly and stared at her feet.

Eden set her purse on the coffee table. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat?”

At the same moment Izzy blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”
Eden blinked. “What?”

Izzy, her voice trembling, repeated her impossible words. “I’m pregnant.”

It still made no sense to Eden. “Pregnant? With a baby? Are you sure?”

Izzy chewed her bottom lip and nodded. “I’ve taken three tests. They’re all positive.”

A dozen questions crowded Eden’s mind, fighting for which would come out first. Who was the father? How far along? Since when had Izzy been doing... that? What do Mum and Dad think? But before she had a chance to ask any of them, she caught the look on Izzy’s face. Those questions would have to wait. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her sister. Izzy leaned against Eden, her slight body shaking as she sobbed quietly.

Eden stroked her hair. Izzy was just a kid herself. How could she be having a baby? She must be terrified. No wonder she had shown up unannounced. This wasn’t the sort of news you dropped in a text message. When Izzy’s sobs subsided, Eden pulled her gently toward the sofa and handed her a box of tissues.

Izzy grabbed one and blew her nose. She took a shaky breath. “I found out a couple of days ago. I didn’t want to believe it, and that’s why I took all those tests. Kieran and I had never—it only happened once.” She ducked her head.

Eden grabbed at the name. “Kieran. Is that the—is he the—”

Izzy nodded. “He’s my boyfriend. I told him this morning.”

“And what does he say?”

“Not much. He’s as shocked as I am.”

“And have you told Mum and Dad?”

“Not yet. They’re going to kill me!” Izzy’s eyes filled up again. “I don’t know what to do.”

Eden put an arm around her. Izzy was probably right: their mother was going to hit the roof. But saying that wouldn’t help. She struggled to find more encouraging words. “We’ll figure it out, sweetheart. It’s an enormous shock and I don’t have any immediate answers, but we’ll work it out. You’re not in this alone, okay?”

Izzy blew her nose again. “Thank you.”

They sat quietly as Eden’s mind buzzed. They needed to get Izzy to a doctor and have her checked out. What about school? How would all this affect Izzy’s plans for her education and career? And what about this Kieran character? What sort of boy was he? Was he going to vanish off into the ether? And their parents. Eden shuddered. Their mother Elonora, who saw her children’s success as an extension of her own, would not take this news well. No wonder Izzy had come to her, the sister she barely saw.

“Does Mum know you’re here?” Eden asked.

Izzy stiffened. “No.”

“Okay, the first thing we’ll do is tell her you’re here and you’ll be spending the night. You will stay here tonight, won’t you?”

Izzy nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Okay, great. I’ll leave her a message and then I’ll take you down to Hatbrook tomorrow.” The least she could do was be with Izzy when they told their parents. Eden was used to disappointing Elonora. She could absorb the initial heat of her mother’s reaction.

Izzy threw her arms around Eden. “I’m so glad I came here! Thanks so much.”

Eden hugged her back, warmth rising in her heart. “I’m glad you came, too.” She prayed silently. Lord, thank you for encouraging Izzy to come here. But what are we going to do?