Page 20 of Legends Luke

“And don’t think I didn’t notice how Luke affected you too. Now eat. Spaghetti’s not good cold.”

Thea was going to tell her whatever it was she had to say regardless of any protests Melody made. So, she swirled spaghetti on her fork before sliding it between her lips. The richness of the sauce was the best she’d ever tasted, and she quickly swirled up a second bite as Thea began to talk.

“You asked about English. He’s a transplant like you. Moved here several years ago, while Jed and I were young. No one is sure where he’s from. If you ask him, he says he’s from all over. But it doesn’t matter. Anyway, he opened the bar. Then when the garage came up for sale, he bought it. He didn’t buy the hardware store until a few years ago, and I suspect he did it to give to his son to manage.”

“Anyway, he had no family of his own. At least not that anyone knew of. He lives above the bar, and one day he found a runaway boy sleeping in the alley at the bar. The boy was Jackson, Luke’s brother, the one who had a baby. English never planned to take Jackson in, but over time, it just happened. After Jackson came Luke, Easton, and Ben. It’s like English became known as the guardian of wayward boys. Now Luke, well, he had a reputation for being a troublemaker. His parents were no good, so it’s no wonder he turned out to be a delinquent. But then his daddy killed his mom before committing suicide, and Luke had nowhere to go. So, he wound up with English. They’re family now, as much as me and Jed are.”

“So why tell me this?”

“Because those boys deserve to be happy with families of their own. Jackson’s got his. I guess I’m hoping Luke might be starting one too. And in case you’re having doubts about whether or not Luke is worth the effort, well, he is.”

Melody nibbled on a piece of garlic bread, debating the wisdom of confiding in this woman she’d only just met. “Look, Thea, even if I wanted something serious, it’s premature to say Luke is it for me. We haven’t even gone on a date yet. He mentioned getting together on Saturday, but I haven’t heard a word from him. For all I know, he’s having second thoughts and is trying to figure out how to let me down easy.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it. He’s not impulsive. He wouldn’t ask you out if he wasn’t sure he wanted to spend time with you. He doesn’t play games. Believe me, if he did, I’d know about it.”

Melody tried to gauge what Thea wasn’t saying, but her expression gave nothing away. She placed her fork back on the table, the paralegal in her taking the more direct approach.

“How long did you and Luke date each other?”

Thea barked out a laugh. “Nope, sweetheart. You’ve got the wrong idea. I never had my sights set on English’s boys because everybody knew they attracted trouble like magnets. My daddy would have locked me in my room and thrown away the key if I even thought about it. But I was friends with plenty of girls and women who would have given their right arm to catch the eye of one of English’s boys. Luke’s no saint, but he’s no player either.”

“Why bother to tell me this? You don’t know me.”

“I don’t know,” Thea admitted, surprising Melody. “But I’m pretty sure I didn’t make a mistake by talking to you.”

Jed called for his sister. Thea smiled, her entire face lighting up with a pretty countenance. Then she rose and went into the kitchen. And Melody finished her lunch, too lost in thought to really taste the food.

∞∞∞

Melody stepped inside the law office only to be stopped by the receptionist with a request. Always willing to be helpful, she agreed to carry the newly delivered package to Sandra’s office on her way to her desk. Sandra’s door was open, but her desk chair was turned away to face the window so Melody couldn’t see her boss. She knocked before stepping inside the office.

“Sorry to bother you. I brought—”

The chair spun around, and Melody faltered. The young face of Sandra’s daughter stared at her with a teenage disdain meant to intimidate her. Almond-shaped eyes lined with thick black makeup smoldered with a brewing anger which made Melody want to leave and deliver the package later.

“She’s in a meeting or something. She said she’d be right back, but that was an hour ago. So, I don’t know.”

Annoyance dripped from the teenager’s words, and Melody employed an old technique her mother had used on her and Lyric when they were being insolent. She smiled.

“It’s nice to meet you, Erin. I’m Melody, one of the paralegals here. Is there something I can get you while you’re waiting for your mom?”

“An Uber so I can go home?”

It was on the tip of Melody’s tongue to ask why she wasn’t in school, but remembering Sandra’s concern about being a topic for the gossip mill, she decided to mind her own business. She could only guess the reason behind Erin’s visit to the law firm was not good.

“I’m sure your mom won’t be much longer. I’m going to leave this for her.” Melody placed the package on the intake tray on Sandra’s desk. “My desk is down the hall if you decide you need anything.”

Melody moved to leave when Erin’s voice stopped her. “Do you like working for my mom?”

She slowly turned back, mentally bracing herself for the hidden motive behind Erin’s question. “Yes.”

Erin leaned forward with her arms resting on the desktop. “It’s okay. You can say it. I won’t rat you out. She must be a bitch to work for. I know she’s a bitch to live with.”

Melody stiffened, not appreciating the awkward position the teenager was putting her in. “Being tough and being a bitch are two very different things. Sandra is tough, but I admire her. She’s very good at what she does.”

Erin rolled her eyes, leaned back in the chair, and crossed her arms across her chest. “You’re going to have to lie better than that if you’re going to make it around here.”

“You’re going to have to be more clever than that if you want to mess with me.”

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