Page 43 of Legends Luke

She thought once she heard Lyric was safe and sound at her friend’s apartment, she could relax. She was relieved Lyric sounded more like herself, but she was far from relaxed. Her body was tense, her mind such a jumble of thoughts she developed a headache. She longed for a hot shower and her comfortable bed. Instead, she sat in Luke’s truck, heading to his brother’s home in search of answers.

He had amazed her tonight with how he took charge of Lyric’s situation and helped her even though they were so far away. When she asked him how he learned to do what he did, she expected a simple answer. Something like how he learned a few tricks during his free time or his military service. He responded with his own question. Would she go with him to his brother’s house, and they would explain everything?

Melody looked down at her hands folded tightly in her lap. Sheunlocked her fingers and squeezed the skin of her left wrist with the pointer and thumb of her right hand. She winced at the resulting ache. No, she wasn’t dreaming. She was living a bizarre experience that belonged more in an action movie than her life.

“So, why Melon?”

The three words were the only ones Luke had spoken since they left her house. He’d left her alone with her tumultuous thoughts. She wanted answers from him, not another random question, but she supposed she could play along with his game of twenty questions now.

“It started with Lyric’s nickname. My mom called her Songbird from the time she was born. Over time, we shortened it to Bird. She decided she didn’t want to be the only one with a weird nickname, so she started calling me Melon. She’s the only one to call me by the nickname.”

“That’s like my brother, Jackson. No one calls him anything but Jackson except for English. He’s called him Jacky as long as I’ve known them.”

“I know you said he’s more of a mentor, but to me, he sounds like a father.”

“He’s more of a father than my own ever hoped to be. He helped each of us out of bad situations, gave us a place to live, and taught us what it meant to be men. We always figured he never wanted to be a dad. We didn’t find out until recently that he already was one before we ever showed up. It’s complicated.”

Melody scoffed. “I’m starting to figure that out.”

Luke turned the truck onto a cement drive. A truck and car were parked side by side in front of an enclosed garage, and Luke stopped behind them in the center of the drive. An exterior light illuminated the front door of the modest home. The bold blue door swung open once they parked, and the man who stepped out on the doorstep left her wondering if she was wise to trust Luke enough to come here.

Even from this distance, the man was huge. He stepped out the door sideways to guide his broad shoulders through the opening. His head almost brushed the top of the door frame, and his arms were about the same diameter as a tree trunk. Or at least in her mind, they were. The defined muscles stretched the material of his cotton T-shirt, and the black sweatpants hugged his massive thighs.

“It’s okay. He’s my brother, Jackson.”

Luke stepped from the truck, but Melody wasn’t ready to follow suit. Not until a tall, willowy woman stepped out behind the man, carrying an infant in her arms. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, putting her striking features on display. Wide eyes, sharp cheekbones, and a friendly smile went a long way to ease Melody’s tension, and when her curiosity got the better of her, she finally stepped out.

“Come on. Meet my family.” Luke motioned for her to precede him, but she hesitated long enough for him to lead the way instead.

When they stepped up to the door, Luke and Jackson grasped hands and embraced in a classic bro hug. Then Luke leaned over to kiss the top of the woman’s head before smiling down at the squirming infant in her arms.

“Hi, Melody. I’m Reagan. This is my husband Jackson, and this little guy is Jax. Come on inside. I have some refreshments for us.”

She didn’t wait for Melody to reply. She turned and stepped back inside as if fully expecting her guest to follow. Jackson followed her, but Luke hovered close by. He probably wondered if she was going to change her mind and bolt, and she considered it. But she wanted to know why Luke brought her here and why the situation felt so cagey. She was falling for this guy, and she had to know if she was wasting her time before her heart was too invested.

Once they were all inside, Reagan passed Jax over to Luke’s arms, and Melody watched as the brooding man seemed to melt before her eyes. His icy gaze warmed as he looked at his nephew. He extended a finger, and Jax wrapped his tiny fist around it, causing his uncle to smile brightly. The transformation did funny things to her. A strange fluttering started in her chest and slid down to her belly.

“You guys are just in time. Jax is ready for his last bottle before bed, and he’s all yours. You guys go and hang out in the nursery and leave me and Melody alone for a bit.” Reagan pushed her husband and brother-in-law toward the back of the house.

Melody hovered by the door, her gaze sweeping the open area set up as a living area feeding into a kitchen and dining area. The furnishings weren’t fancy, but she liked the lived-in feel of the home. This was a place the family spent time in, where guests were comfortable to hang out in. If she wasn’t so nervous about what was to come, Melody might have felt more at home here.

“Can I interest you in a beer or some wine? I thought we couldsit outside for a bit while the boys are babysitting.” Reagan tossed the suggestion over her shoulder as she walked toward what Melody assumed was the kitchen.

“I think I’d rather have water. I’m not sure what’s going on here, so I want to keep a clear head.” Melody followed behind reluctantly.

Reagan pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and placed it on the kitchen counter in front of Melody. She picked up a long-stemmed wine glass already half full of rich red wine. She sipped the liquid as she faced Melody, her expression unreadable.

“You asked Luke a complicated question, one I asked myself not long ago. When I married Jackson, I made the boys promise to let me help them explain their situation to any woman they wanted to share it with. For Luke, you’re that woman. It wasn’t an easy promise for him to make because he is someone who faces challenges head-on. But he’s also a man of his word.”

Melody was sure Reagan thought she was clear with her explanation, but Melody was more confused than before. “Why do I feel like I’ve walked into a minefield?”

“It’s not a minefield, but it is complicated.”

Melody crossed her arms over her chest. “Usually when someone says it’s complicated, they really mean I’m not going to like what I’m about to hear. And then of course, all of you are acting very cagey about this, and after the scare I just had, I think maybe I should leave.”

“I hated to hear about what your sister went through. I’m glad Luke was able to be there for both of you.”

“My mind is still spinning. The way he helped Lyric by using a computer when we were so far away…well, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t witness it.”

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