Page 51 of The Lies We Told Ourselves

We both headed to the house laughing, and as we passed Booker, I heard him whisper, “You’re going to tell me, right?”

Dex just laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder. I didn’t know him well enough to know if that was a yes, but I had a feeling that if it was, Booker would have the perfect ammunition to tease me with.

“Oh my god, I think I’m going to explode,” Blake declared, rubbing her stomach as she groaned. “If you decide that you can’t put up with Booker, please, for all that is holy, come and move in with me.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Delaney waved her arms in front of her. “Let’s at least consider all the options. I could convert a barn into a kick-ass cottage for you, and I’ll even throw in a monthly supply of cider. Besides, she still hasn’t moved out yet.”

“Stop trying to bribe the woman,” Blake gasped.

“I’ll be your best friend too,” Cade chimed in, swirling a piece of garlic bread through the meat sauce left on his plate.

“Betrayer!” Blake gasped dramatically. “Et tu, Brute?”

Cade squinted in confusion, not getting the reference, and then turned to me to give me the biggest smile.

“Wow, so it’s like that. Just, wow.” Blake crossed her arms but then darted a hand out to snag another piece of garlic bread.

Even though she seemed absolutely devastated, I could see how close they all really were. Even Booker was smiling at their antics, not that he’d ever admit it. This was exactly what he needed.

Booker might have moaned and pretended to be annoyed as his friends and family had turned up at his door. But sitting at this table now, surrounded by people who actually cared about each other, I could see just how happy it made him.

Looking around this table, I saw a group of people who had become the family they always wanted for themselves. A part of me was almost envious of Booker. There were a lot of people out in the world who were still trying to find something like this.

Delaney and Trace gave each other a dreamy look over the top of their son’s head, and he reached around to run his hand over her back as he smiled at her. They were the picture of domestic bliss, and from what Delaney had told me of their story, they absolutely deserved it.

This was the family Booker didn’t realize he had. The one that was slowly pulling back together after what their parents had put them through. One that was built on a foundation of respect and caring.

Yet Booker wasn’t the one who I was worried about right now. Even if that was a bit strange, considering that I’d never really met Xander before unless you counted my slight freak out when he drove to the ranch the other day.

“Can I get anyone anything to drink?” I asked, giving Xander a smile and hoping it wasn’t creepy.

Everyone declined, and when I looked back at Xander, he just shook his head silently.

He looked so uncomfortable, and I had no idea what to do to stop that, or why no one else seemed to have noticed. He’d barely said anything, choosing instead to sit back and watch the conversation unfold in front of him. At least he seemed to enjoy the food, even if he had been nursing the same glass of water since he arrived.

Maybe it was me? Maybe I freaked him out with the way I acted when he turned up the other day.

Did he hate me?

It couldn’t have looked good that his own brother had seemed ready to set his dog on him because of some random woman he’d never even heard of.

Maybe I should just try to talk to him. Let him see I wasn’t a massive weirdo who was out to take advantage of his brother. Yeah, that was probably a good idea.

“So, Xander, Booker mentioned you were a doctor in the city. What type of medicine is it you practice?” I asked politely

“Primary care,” he answered and then added absolutely nothing else.

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best tactic to win him over to my side.

Blake glanced at him out of the side of her eye and then over at me. She reached for her wine and sat back for a minute, and I tensed, waiting for her to say something that would make the situation a million times more awkward. If there was anyone in the room who would call it like it was, I could already tell it was her.

“Are we all excited about the carnival?” Blake asked, and I almost sighed in relief.

She gave me a quick wink, and I resisted the urge to leap out of my chair and hug her for breaking the strange tension that was closing in around us.

I heard Booker grumble something under his breath, and Xander cut a glare at his brother, not saying a word.

“Yes!” Cade cheered. “I’m going on all the rides and doing all the games, and Dad is going on the Ferris wheel with me!”

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