Page 84 of The Secrets We Built Together

"You won't lose us," I promised softly, the words tasting like both truth and lie on my tongue. "We're not going anywhere."

His smile was slow and sweet as he bent to kiss me, a gentle questioning press of lips that held the promise of more. "Good. Because neither am I."

But what if you do?The thought followed me as I drove to Marie's bakery twenty minutes later.What if you realize that what I said when I was sick changes everything? What if it makes you uncomfortable? What if it ruins what we have?

The pink and white striped awning fluttered in the gentle spring breeze, and the scent of fresh bread and pastries wafted out whenever the door opened. My mouth watered. Being sick had robbed me of my appetite, but it was definitely making a comeback now.

I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror one last time, smoothed my dress, and grabbed my purse—oh, and the Tupperware container of ham I'd brought for Titus. Old habits die hard.

The bell above the door jingled as I stepped inside, and Marie waved from behind the counter. "They're in the back room," she said with a wink. "We've been waiting for you."

I tried not to let my nerves show as I made my way to the private room at the back of the bakery. This was silly. I was a grown woman, not a teenager trying to sit at the cool kids' table. Still, my palms were sweaty as I pushed open the door.

The room fell silent as I entered, four pairs of eyes turning toward me. Helen Schulster sat at the head of the table, elegant as always in a lavender cardigan with a brooch that probably cost more than my car. Carol from the bookshop was next to her, wearing a floral dress that somehow didn't clash with her bright red lipstick. Across from them sat Billie, who gave me a friendlywave, and at the end of the table was a woman I didn't recognize, probably in her sixties with short silver hair and kind eyes.

"Blake!" Helen's voice was warm as she stood to greet me. "We were beginning to think you might not show."

"Sorry I'm late," I said, hovering awkwardly by the door. "I'm still recovering from the flu."

"Nonsense, you're right on time. We've only just ordered our drinks." Helen gestured to the empty chair next to Billie. "Sit, sit. We've been dying to properly welcome you to the fold."

I slid into the chair, setting my purse on the floor beside me. The Tupperware container of ham sat awkwardly on my lap. "Um, where's Titus?"

As if summoned by the mention of his name, a strange snuffling sound came from under the table. Then, to my utter shock, Titus emerged from beneath the tablecloth and trotted over to me, his tail wagging furiously.

"Well, I'll be," Helen said, looking genuinely surprised. "He's never greeted anyone like that before. Not even me, and I've had him for fifteen years."

Titus pressed his weird little head against my leg, looking up at me with adoring eyes. I reached down to pat him, and he made a sound that was somewhere between a purr and a wheeze.

"I, uh, brought him some ham," I said, holding up the container. "But it looks like he doesn't need bribing anymore."

The table erupted in laughter, and just like that, the ice was broken. The mystery woman introduced herself as Martha, the town's retired librarian and, according to Carol, "keeper of all the best secrets."

"Women like us need to stick together," Martha said, her eyes twinkling. "Men think they run this town, but we all know the truth, don't we, ladies?"

"Amen to that," Billie chimed in, raising her coffee mug in a toast as Marie rushed in to join us.

And so began my initiation into the Wednesday Lunch Club. As we ate—fresh salads for everyone but me, I went for the loaded potato soup because, well, recovery—the conversation flowed from topic to topic with dizzying speed. I learned more about Willowbrook in that hour than I had in all the months I'd been living here.

I discovered that Mayor Thompson was having an affair with his secretary. Scandalous! That the new high school principal had once been arrested for skinny dipping in the town fountain when she was eighteen. Respect! And that the old Johansen property on the edge of town was being converted into a wellness retreat.

But it was when the conversation turned to the Farrington family that I really perked up.

"Of course, we've always had a soft spot for the Farrington boys," Helen was saying, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Especially after what they went through with that mother of theirs."

"Regina was a piece of work," Carol agreed, shaking her head. "Remember when she threw that fit at the Fall Festival because Xander only got second place in the science fair?"

"She always did push him the hardest," Helen mused. "Probably because he was the most like her—driven, focused, too smart for his own good sometimes."

I frowned. That didn't sound like the Xander I knew at all. My Xander was kind and gentle, patient in a way Regina Farrington could never have been.

"He was such a serious child," Martha added. "Always with his nose in a book, never getting into trouble like the other boys. I used to let him stay in the library after hours sometimes. He'd sit in the corner and read until his father came to pick him up—usually hours late."

"That poor boy," Helen sighed. "He was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders even then. Did you know he was the one who found Gage after the accident?"

I set down my fork with a clatter. "What accident?"

Something cold settled in my stomach. Xander had never mentioned an accident involving Gage. He'd barely mentioned Gage at all, except to say that his brother had left town on his eighteenth birthday and never came back.

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