Page 50 of The Secrets We Built Together

"You want to have lunch with Mrs. Schulster? Voluntarily?" Xander looked at me like I'd just suggested we go skinny dipping in the town fountain.

"And I forgot to pack my ham," I sighed dramatically.

"Your... ham?" The confusion on his face was almost comical.

"For Titus," I explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Her dog."

"You've been carrying around ham to bribe Mrs. Schulster's dog?" Xander was still looking at me like I was certifiably insane, but there was also an amused glint in his eyes that made my stomach do a little flip. "That's... actually kind of brilliant."

"I have my moments." I preened a little under his approval.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the table. "Let me introduce you to Billie."

I followed him to the table, suddenly feeling nervous. This was my chance to make a good impression.

"Ladies," Xander greeted them with a warm smile. "I hope we're not interrupting."

Marie’s face lit up. "Xander! And Blake! What a lovely surprise." Her eyes darted between us, no doubt cataloging every detail for the town gossip mill. "And who is this little angel?"

"This is Amelia," I said, watching as Xander gently transferred the baby from his shoulder to the carrier. "My niece."

"She's precious," Marie cooed, leaning over to get a better look.

"Blake, this is Billie Schulster," Xander said, gesturing to the blonde woman. "She's the new physiotherapist at the ranch. Billie, this is Blake Mitchell, my… erm, fiancée."

At the pause, I'd felt my cheeks warm. This was the first time either of us had said it in public. We probably should have tried it out more in private first. Well, we kind of did back with Delaney and the others. But that word… it felt so much different now, especially after last night.

"It's nice to meet you," Billie said with a genuine smile. "Xander's told me a lot about you."

I could practically see Marie vibrating beside her as she absorbed this information in absolute delight. The town gossip was going to explode the second our backs were turned. Especially because Xander chose that moment to slip his arm around my waist and draw me into his side as he gently kissed the side of my head.

I was actually starting to worry for Marie’s health as her eyes darted between us with increasing speed.

"Oh,” I said in a slightly too high pitched voice, “All good things, I hope." I laughed, trying not to wonder exactly what Xander had been saying about me.

At least it was taking the pressure off me worrying about whether we were actually convincing anyone that this sudden and surprising engagement wasn't a figment of our imagination.

"Of course," Billie assured me. "Though the pink hair was a surprise. He didn't mention that."

"Keeps him on his toes," I winked, and Xander rolled his eyes.

“Let us see the ring, Blake!” Marie gasped and my stomach plummeted.

How could we have forgotten something like a ring?!

“Oh, it’s erm…” Oh god, this was the first time we’d been out in public and I was already failing at this.

“It’s getting resized,” Xander quickly added.

The ladies nodded but I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of a question in Billie’s eye.

I darted a glance at Xander, praying that he could somehow telepathically hear me as I screamed in my headAbort! Abort! You’re too pretty for prison!

Thankfully, a low growl rumbled from under the table, stealing everyone’s attention, and I looked down to see Titus, the immortal zombie dog, staring up at us before his left eye seemed to start to roll independent of the other in a completely freaky way.

"Oh, Titus, hush," Helen scolded, but the dog ignored her completely.

To everyone's shock, Titus suddenly perked up, his tail wagging as he sniffed around Amelia's carrier. The dog whined and shuffled closer, looking up at Amelia with what could only be described as adoration.

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