Page 22 of Legends Luke

Ben walked with Luke to the end of the aisle. “No side trip to the garage?”

“I don’t care if Chum’s burned the place to the ground. All I want is a shower and my bed, and since I’ve talked to you, there’s nothing to keep me from it.”

Ben chuckled and stopped when they reached the front of the store. “I’ve checked in with Chumley a couple of times. The garage is still standing, and all your customers are happy.”

“Good…” Luke’s voice tailed out, and whatever he meant to say next flew from his mind.

He thought, at first, his tired eyes had imagined the sight in front of him. But no, he wasn’t seeing a mirage. Melody Douglas was truly in his brother’s store, standing at a counter and talking to the kid who greets everyone as they come in. He drank in the sight of her in slacks hugging her ass like a lover and a pink blouse complimenting the rich color of her curls. He couldn’t see her face, but from his body’s reaction, he knew it was her.

“Luke, you okay? What’s going on—” Ben followed his brother’s gaze and grinned when he realized what had snared Luke’s attention. “Okay. Good taste, brother. Who is she? I haven’t seen her before.”

“She moved here a few months ago.” Luke whipped his head around to glare at Ben. “Never mind. I’ll see you later.”

Ignoring his brother’s knowing stare, Luke strode over to the counter where customers could leave online retail returns for shipping. From what he overheard as he stood at Melody’s back, she finished her business. The kid who waited on her changed his demeanor from pleasant and professional to nervous and fidgety when he noticed Luke’s presence. Melody turned and froze, her incredible eyes widening as she saw him.

“Hi.” He barely refrained from grimacing at the lame greeting.

“Luke. Um, what are you doing here? Oh, um, give me a minute.” She turned back to the kid, thanked him for his help, and then took a couple of steps away from the counter, forcing Luke to follow.

She finally allowed her gaze to rest on his face. He enjoyed staring into her deep brown eyes, the swirls of different colors fascinating him…until he saw the uncertainty shining from their depths. He noticed how Melody twisted her fingers together, and he felt like someone punched his gut. He suspected he was the reason she was uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t matter. He wished he knew how to fix it — and why he wanted to.

Her smile was hesitant. “It’s good to see you, but I should go. I only swung by on my lunch break to return a package, and this was listed on my internet search as the closest drop center. I should get back though. We’re busy right now. Lots of cases, you know.”

Even as she insisted she was in a rush, she didn’t move to leave.

“It’s good to see you too. I’m sorry I haven’t called. I had to go out of town.”

“I know. I’m glad you made it back safe.”

“You knew?”

A flush stained her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze. “I went back to Jed’s one day, and Thea told me.”

He smirked. “The Fire Creek grapevine, alive and well.”

Melody’s gaze snapped up, and he hated the vulnerability he saw. “I was glad to know. I had wondered when you might call about Saturday. Now I know you were busy.”

He’d had every intention of calling, but he didn’t know how to explain his sudden out-of-town trip. So, he hadn’t. Then he’d gotten caught up in the case. Now he felt like an ass. Easton was better at charming his way out of a mistake than he was, and he never thought he’d wished for some of his brother’s charisma.

“It’s okay, Luke,” she said before he could reply. “If you’re changing your mind about Saturday, it’s not a big deal. All you have to do is tell me.”

“No way in hell,” he said before he thought about it. “I…well, I’ve had…shit!”

He muttered the curse under his breath, and she smiled. He almost growled in frustration when Ben suddenly appeared at his side, proffering his hand to Melody.

“Hi, welcome to Fire Creek Hardware. I’m Ben Weston, Luke’s brother.”

She accepted his handshake, a light smile playing on her lips. “Another brother. Nice to meet you, Ben. I’m Melody Douglas, a…friend? Of Luke’s?”

He scowled at her use offriend, though he wasn’t sure how else to describe their relationship. “Ben, don’t you have to get back to work or something?”

Ben ignored him and smiled before he squeezed and released Melody’s hand. “You said another brother. How many of us have you met?”

“Met? Just Easton, but I heard about the one with the newborn. Congratulations on being an uncle.”

Ben’s smile widened. “Thanks. Baby Jax has us all wrapped around his chubby little finger. It’s good to meet you, Melody. Luke’s right. I need to get back to work, but if I can help you with anything while you’re in town, let me know. I’m here at the store most days.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

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