Page 36 of Luke

“Then what reason would I have to be mad at you over her behavior? You asked her to leave, warned her even. It is what it is.”

Luke’s jaw fell open for a moment before he recovered.

“Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be able to handle it if it keeps happening.”

“Fair.”

“We will also talk about the fiancée comment,” she whispered.

Luke nodded and took a bite of his pasta.

She smirked to herself, knowing that Luke always hid behind his food when he wasn’t sure what to say. She was honestly not mad at him over that woman’s behavior. It was humiliating and out of his control, but being mad about his past wouldn’t solve anything.

Luke had certainly changed and she knew that. It was frustrating that he claimed her as his fiancée even though he’d only recently told her they weren’t going to get married right now.

“Sir, I want to apologize for the interruption earlier. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?” a man in a dark suit said as he approached the table.

“All is well,” Luke answered.

“Very well.” The man nodded. “If you think of anything, please let me know.”

Luke nodded at the man. As he walked away, Luke leaned toward her, whispering, “He’s the manager here. Very concerned about patrons who spend a lot of money.”

“I can imagine so,” Paisley replied.

“Are you ready to go?” Luke asked, noting that she was just pushing food around on her plate.

Paisley nodded absently. Luke paid the bill and picked up Garrett as she let her thoughts roam free.

While she wasn’t upset with Luke for the woman earlier, she couldn’t help but wonder how often that would happen. Would she always have to remind other women that she was there or be overlooked?

She was plain, sure. That wasn’t a new fact. She cleaned up nice and had been told that she was pretty more than once, but there was an elegance that even that other woman had that Paisley lacked. It came from having a lot of money and the confidence that went with it.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked.

It was only then that she realized she’d zoned out the entire way home. They were in the house already and she didn’t even remember the trip. “I’m fine. Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts.”

“You sure? You can talk to me.”

“I know I can. I am just kind of sorting things out in my head right now.”

Luke nodded understandingly. “If you need a sounding board, I’m happy to be that as well.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him. “Why did you tell her I was your fiancée?”

Luke shrugged. “It felt more permanent and meaningful than saying girlfriend. I wanted her to understand the importance of you to me.”

She couldn’t argue with that, didn’t want to.

“Think we could compromise on the marriage thing and just be engaged? Then it’s obvious that we are together permanently to other people,” Luke hedged.

Paisley wanted to laugh at the nonchalant way he spoke, like he wasn’t going to be upset if she didn’t agree, but his tense body told a different story. She knew better but also felt just as tense. This was a great idea, she believed that, but once they told everyone, would it change things? She hated that she couldn’t stop questioning things.

“I think that’s a great idea.” She smiled. No sense stressing over it. If she was willing to marry him as it was, how was this different?

“I’ll need to get you a ring.” Luke leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“I don’t need one,” she assured him.