Page 93 of The Secrets We Built Together

"I told you he'd turn against me," he suddenly blurted out as he darted off the counter and then dashed around the table to hide behind Booker. His hands gripped Booker's shoulders as he peered over at me.

"Are you actually using me as a human shield right now?" Booker laughed, reaching up to swat at Dex's hands.

"You're wide enough that I'm thoroughly protected." Dex's grin was impish as he ducked to avoid Booker's swatting hands.

"Did you just call me fat?!" Booker gasped in horror, his face a comical mask of outrage.

Dex poked him in the side. "I dunno, Booky Bear, but there's definitely a bit more pudding around this middle than there used to be."

Reece burst out laughing as Booker went to grab Dex, who darted away again, cackling about pudding. I watched the madness unfold in front of me in bemusement, unable to keep the smile from my face. The normalcy of it all was a balm after the stress of the past few days.

"I'm thoroughly lost with what's happening right now. Maybe Delaney went mushroom picking and..." I trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"Not in front of smaller ears," Delaney blurted out, throwing a pointed look at Cade, who was watching the chaos with delighted eyes.

"I need that story later," Blake loudly whispered out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes dancing with amusement.

I nodded in solidarity. This was nice. The feeling of having someone in my corner, even if it was just against the madness of a family gathering. Blake's shoulder brushed against mine as sheleaned closer, and I resisted the urge to wrap my arm around her waist.

"So, spill," I said, fixing my glare on Booker and trying to pull up that doctor voice I used on my patients who were hiding something. I crossed my arms over my chest and did my best imitation of sternness.

Booker just laughed at me, shaking his head. Dex actually looked like he was about to break, his mouth opening and closing as he fought against the urge to confess. But then Blake pulled an ace out that I hadn't even considered.

"I'll get you a donut as well as cookies," she told Cade, her voice a stage whisper.

"Aunty Reece saw you kissing through the window, and now they're planning your wedding," he said with a shrug, his expression completely unrepentant. He looked up at Blake with adoring eyes, clearly pleased with himself for delivering this piece of information.

Well, there went that secret. I felt my face heat up, not with embarrassment but with a strange mix of pride and possessiveness. Let them know. Let everyone know that Blake was mine.

"Betrayer!" Trace gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if he'd been mortally wounded.

Cade shrugged, his small shoulders rising and falling. "Blake’s my girl."

Wait, was I going to have to compete with a ten-year-old? The thought was so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh, breaking the tension in my shoulders I hadn't even realized was there.

“Well, I hate to disappoint you all, but you didn’t see what you think you saw,” Blake said so confidently that I almost believed her as well.

Reece squinted at her suspiciously and I could tell she was getting ready to pepper us with questions.

Thankfully, Amelia chose that point to make her presence known, letting out a squeal from her car seat. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the baby, cooing and fussing over her as I carefully unbuckled her. She blinked up at me with those big eyes that always made my heart melt, her tiny hands reaching for my face.

"Hello, little bug," I murmured, lifting her against my chest. I took a deep breath of her scent of baby powder and the lavender lotion Blake had rubbed into her skin after her bath. It was starting to get addictive.

Dinner was a chaotic affair, with everyone talking over each other, passing dishes, and stealing bites from each other's plates. It felt like family, in a way that my childhood dinners never had. I was just starting to relax when the front door opened again, and a figure stepped into the kitchen.

Jasper Farrington.

My father.

I should have known he was coming from the empty seat across the table.

I felt my body go rigid, my grip on my fork tightening until my knuckles turned white. The jovial atmosphere of moments before evaporated like morning dew under a harsh sun.

"Sorry I'm late," Jasper said, his voice hesitant as he took in the sudden stillness of the room. He looked older than I remembered, the lines around his eyes more pronounced, his hair grayer at the temples.

"Dad, come on in," Trace said, rising to greet him. "We've just started. I wasn’t sure you were going to make it or we would have waited."

I watched as my youngest brother embraced our father, a gesture that still felt foreign to me. Booker offered a nod, more reserved but not hostile. I couldn't bring myself to do even that much.

---