Page 15 of Legends Luke

“Uh oh is right. My husband is out of town for work, so I’m on my own dealing with whatever mess Erin has gotten into this time. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, so touch base with Tyrell when you get back. He mentioned needing your help on a new case I assigned him this morning.”

“Of course,” Melody assured her. “And if I can help with anything, let me know.”

“Thank you, Melody. Enjoy your lunch.”

The call ended, and Melody picked up her pace. With her mind already looking forward to a chicken salad sandwich and quinoa salad, she pocketed her phone. She ran headlong into another body and instinctually reached out to steady herself by grabbing the first thing her hands touched — the cotton fabric of a sweaty T-shirt.

“Oh!” She balanced on her heels and immediately released theshirt, absently wiping her hands down the sides of her slacks. “I’m so sor—”

She was stunned speechless when she looked up into an unusual pair of icy blue eyes and recognized them instantly.

“Are you okay?”

The rich baritone washed over her like a hot shower after a stressful day. Butterflies tickled her stomach, and she could feel the beginning of an epic blush sliding up her neck to stain her cheeks.

“Luke! Uh, hey. Um, yeah. I’m…well, I’m…Yes. I mean, I’m okay. I’m sorry. I should have watched where I was going.”

Fumbling her words only made her blush deepen, and his knowing grin only made the matter worse.

“Yeah. You did seem distracted. Not setting up another blind date, were you?”

Her nervous laugh sounded too high to her ears. “No. I deleted the profile and told my sister I was done with it.” She patted her phone in her pocket. “I was finishing a work call.”

He acknowledged her explanation with a nod and fell silent. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to think of something to say. Excitement burst within her when a topic finally popped into her mind.

“I’m glad I ran into you.”

His furrowed brow might have been the sexiest thing she’d seen in a while. It gave him a dangerous vibe, changing the hue of his eyes to a vibrant blue. “Me? Why? Need your car fixed?”

She blinked. “What? No. Why would I need my car fixed?”

He shrugged as he pushed his hands in his jeans pockets. “You’re walking. I’m a mechanic. That’s usually what people need if they’re trying to find me.”

She shook her head. “No, my car’s fine. I work down the street, and I was coming from the courthouse. It didn’t make sense to drive. And I didn’t know you were a mechanic. I mean, I knew you were filling in at the bar the night we met, but—”

“Why did you want to run into me, Melody?” His voice took a husky tone which had her wondering if he was flirting with her.

“It’s not like I waswantingto run into you. I said I was glad I ran into you because I was wondering about your brother. The one having the baby. I never heard how everything went or what he had. I was curious.”

“Jackson and Reagan had a baby boy. They named him Jax. Everyone is fine.”

“Oh, good.” She ran out of ideas for conversation and fidgeted with her purse strap. “Well, I won’t keep you. I was heading to the deli for lunch.”

“And I’m heading to lunch at Jed’s right down there.” He pointed to a spot over her shoulder, and she turned to look for a restaurant sign, perplexed not to see anything.

“I didn’t know there was another restaurant on this street. I’ve been eating at the deli for months because it was so close, but I wouldn’t mind another option.”

Luke chuckled. “Jed’s is a little too laid back to be called a restaurant. It’s more like a hole-in-the-wall dive. They’re only openfor breakfast and lunch, and they don’t really have a set menu. Jed only serves what he feels like cooking when he opens for the day. You have to call to find out what they have, or take your chances they’re offering something you want.”

She tilted her head. “So, are you a risk taker, or did you play it safe by calling first?”

“There’s more fun in taking a risk.”

Did he wink at her? The movement happened so fast, she couldn’t be sure, but his words voiced in a husky tone were definitely flirtatious.

“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.” Her voice sounded breathy, and she could only hope Luke didn’t notice.

He moved past her but kept his body turned so he could hold her gaze as he walked. “You could, or you could take a risk with me.”

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