The rest of his attention was focused solely on the other people in this house. He couldn’t joke or laugh his way out of last night’s reveal. He had no idea what the Kanes were thinking about him.
Panic rose up in his chest, that same panic that always came with the thought of revealing his parentage, and he tried to distract himself. “Hey, man.” Gabe sat on the ottoman near the couch. “I’m sorry about the drama yesterday.”
Nicholas cast him an incredulous look, putting the remote down. “Uh, I’m the one who should be sorry. That was my father who outed your secret.”
“Yeah, well.” He grimaced. “Still my secret.”
Nicholas swiveled. “You’re a Kane. And even before the biological thing came out, you were a Kane. Despite my father’s best efforts, Kane business is Chandler business. Especially after today.”
He swallowed. Nicholas looked tired, but Gabe had never seen someone so grimly determined to get through a day. No one was going to screw up Nicholas and Livvy’s wedding. “Thanks. We’re cool, right?”
Nicholas’s smile was broad and unusual on the reserved man’s face. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
Jackson stuck his head inside the door. He was dressed in casual clothes still, but since he was overseeing the food for the reception, that was to be expected. He ignored Nicholas and focused on Gabe. “Hey, can you come with me?”
He had been expecting a summons like this, but from Livvy, not Jackson. Still he got to his feet and followed the other man into the hallway. “I know you have lots of questions.”
“I do, but can you not talk for a second and follow me?”
“What’s going on?”
“That’s talking.”
He shut his mouth, mystified, and nodded. Jackson gave him a searching look. With a satisfied grunt, he started walking.
Gabe grew more confused as they made their way to his mother’s room. Jackson knocked, and then opened the door.
The room was large, but it was filled. Sonya and Rhiannon sat on his mom’s bed. Tani and Maile perched on the couch, and Livvy leaned against a wall, dressed in her robe still. They looked somber, but Livvy grinned when he walked in. “What’s this?” he asked.
Livvy took charge. “I’m sorry to corner you like this, but I thought at least a quick talk before we all get up in front of strangers might be good.”
He stuck his hands into his pockets. Normally he loved talking, but he dreaded this. “Sure. I owe you that, I suppose.”
“You don’t owe us anything,” Jackson muttered.
“We only wanted to welcome you to the family,” Maile said softly.
His chest tightened. “Ah.”
“About damn time,” Sonya muttered, and his sister elbowed her.
“It is about time,” Livvy agreed. “I’ll never understand why Dad didn’t acknowledge you—”
Sonya snorted loudly, and Livvy looked at her. “Do you know, Sonya?”
“Not for sure, no. But I think it’s pretty clear that the husband of one of the town’s princesses couldn’t have possibly sullied the Oka name by bringing an illegitimate child into the home.” Sonya jutted her chin out at Tani. “Tani didn’t want me to even adopt Gabe.”
“I didn’t,” Tani agreed when everyone looked at her.
Maile gave a disgusted noise. “I swear to God, Tani. The way you half-answer things, it’s like you want people to think you’re the villain. Tell them what you told me last night.” Maile turned to the rest of them. “Tani didn’t want Sonya to adopt Gabe—”
“BecauseIwanted to adopt him.” Tani finally looked at him, and he was shocked at the tears in her eyes. “The second he walked into my house, I wanted him. I loved Robert so much I could never have turned his child out.”
He rubbed his chest. “You didn’t like me being out in the sun, because my skin darkened. I looked more like Robert.”
Tani frowned. “Gabe, my mother died of skin cancer. I didn’t like any of you children out in the sun without protection.”
