Page 10 of Legends Luke

Luke nodded, not sure what to say. The truth was they were worried about Reagan. Her due date was long past, and she’d been having discomfort along with Braxton Hicks contractions which left her and Jackson on edge. The doctor ordered Reagan to bed rest until the baby was born, something his very busy sister-in-law was struggling to comply with.

“Do they know what they’re having? A boy or a girl?”

Luke shook his head. “No. They tried to find out, but the baby wouldn’t cooperate. We’re all going to be surprised.”

“I love it. Maybe it will be a little girl. She would have the best protectors with her dad and her two uncles.”

“Three uncles,” he corrected.

“Oh. Is the other brother here too?”

Luke shook his head but didn’t elaborate. Tonight was supposed to be Ben’s night to fill in at the bar, but he had headed outof town earlier for a job which probably should have been Luke’s. Ben volunteered for it, but only after Luke put up some resistance. He wasn’t in the right headspace to take another case, not when his mind couldn’t let go of what he learned at the police station.

“You know, I have to say I was surprised when Easton said you are brothers. You don’t resemble each other very much.”

If he didn’t already know she was new to Fire Creek, her observation was enough to verify his suspicions. Everyone in town knew of the boys and their makeshift family. When a confirmed bachelor like English Barlowe took in wayward teens in need of a home, the news spread throughout the small town until it was no longer gossip but the way things were.

“We’re not blood brothers.”

“We’re brothers in all the ways that count,” Easton added as he popped up in front of them. He placed a sampler platter of loaded potato skins, corn nuggets, fried mushrooms, and honey barbecue wings in front of Melody. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought a variety for you to try. These are all customer favorites, so I hope you like it.”

“It smells delicious,” she gushed. “But it’s so much food. I can’t possibly eat it all. I don’t suppose you could join me.”

Easton shook his head. “Too busy.” He moved then to serve a couple of ladies who stepped up to the bar.

Melody pushed the platter between her and Luke. “Here. We can split it.”

Luke hesitated. “Pass. I need to keep an eye on things.”

She looked around them as if searching for something. When she swung her gaze back, she flashed a triumphant smile. Luke felt something soften in his chest.

“Everything looks pretty calm now, so I think you’re good to take a break from being a watchdog,” she said teasingly. “Eat up, Lucas.”

“Luke.”

“Sorry,” she said though her tone indicated she was anything but apologetic. “I figured your name was short for Lucas.”

“Nope,” he said, popping a corn nugget in his mouth.

She looked at the platter before selecting a chicken wing. He’d seen women try to hold a chicken wing by the edges to eat it without making a mess. Melody didn’t seem concerned with getting her hands dirty. She wrapped her long, slender fingers around the morsel and dived in, eating at the chicken wing until there was nothing but bone. Then she dropped it back on the platter and used a couple of napkins to wipe her lips and fingers. It was the sexiest sight Luke had seen in a while.

“Wow. I can’t remember the last time I had wings, and those are delicious.”

Despite his intent to remain aloof, he grinned at her reaction. “Yeah, like Easton said, they’re a favorite around here.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a hint of a blush staining her cheeks. “I can see why. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I was hoping to eat dinner with my date if things worked out, but his car had other ideas.”

“Had car trouble, did he?”

She dipped a potato skin into a cup of sour cream arranged on the plate. Nodding as she chewed, she swallowed before she replied. “Yes. He got caught at work and was running late, but then his car wouldn’t start, so he canceled.”

His curiosity was piqued. As the operator of Barlowe Auto Shop, he would have received a notice if someone called for a tow or an emergency repair, and he hadn’t received anything. Even so, he couldn’t imagine any guy in his right mind not doing all he could to make it for a date with Melody.

“It was just as well,” she continued. “I haven’t had much luck with blind dates.”

“I hate blind dates.”

Melody stopped chewing the last of the potato skin she popped into her mouth. Covering her lips with her hand, she spoke with her mouth full of food. “Me, too, but at least he didn’t walk in, take one look at me, and then leave. It’s already happened to me once, and I don’t think my ego could have taken it a second time.”

---