Page 5 of Legends Luke

Putting the call on speaker, Melody opened the app and saw she had three potential matches. “Okay. Miller Reeves. Looks nice. Works for a pest control company.”

Lyric snorted derisively. “Not that one. Swipe left on him.”

Melody rejected Mr. Reeves and read the next profile. “StuartSmith. His name sounds made up. His profile picture looks like a stock photo he downloaded off the internet.”

“Not him either. His has to be a fake profile. Look at the one I favorited.”

Melody found the one her sister had marked within the app with a heart. She tried not to laugh at how impatient her sister was for her to skim through his information. Noah Spellman was a pharmacist in his thirties. His profile picture showed him with light brown hair and green eyes. He enjoyed playing basketball and racquetball. His favorite food was Italian, and his favorite music was country. He was handsome. He looked nice.

But so had the others.

“I don’t know, Bird. I don’t think I could stand being stood up again.”

“You need to let it go. It happens. You can’t hold the actions of one against all the others. Try one more. For me. I can’t stand thinking about you living a life that’s nothing but work and those mystery novels you can’t get enough of. I convinced you to treat this move and new job as an adventure, but I feel like you’re hiding from the adventure instead.”

Melody shook her head though her sister couldn’t see her. “It’s not like that. I swear I’m not hiding. I’m happy. I’ll show you whenever you come for a visit.”

“And I will. Very soon. Once I get through my midterms, I’m all yours. As long as you promise you’ll give this Noah guy a shot. Just one more date. I have a good feeling about this one.”

Melody sighed. “Fine. I’ll send him a message and see what happens. But if this doesn’t lead anywhere or the date goes bad, I’m deleting the app for good.”

“Deal.” Lyric couldn’t keep the excitement from her tone. “But it’s going to work out. I know it.”

Melody wished she could say the same. She wasn’t the romantic her sister was. Lyric dreamed of meeting the right man, settling down, and having a wonderful family of her own. Melody would settle for having a regular plus-one for social events or work functions. Not that she didn’t believe in love, not after seeing how happy her parents were. She was just focused more on her career than on finding a husband.

“So, what are you up to?” Melody was anxious to redirect the subject from her love life, or lack thereof.

“Oh, I got home from the library. Max is bringing a pizza, and we’re going to watch a movie. I need to take my mind off my midterms.”

Despite her instinct to tease her baby sister, Melody refrained from making a joke about Lyric spending the evening with her friend Max Nichols. Max’s feelings for her sister ran deeper than Lyric’s, and her sister was careful not to do anything to lead him on. Lyric was fond of him and considered him her best friend, but that was as far as her emotions ran.

“You okay? You sound more stressed than usual.”

Lyric sighed. “I’m fine. I’m just ready for the semester to be over. Did I tell you I put out some resumes last week?”

Melody sat up a little straighter, a smile curving her lips. “No, you didn’t. That’s great. Wow. It makes it more real, right? The fact you’ll be a college graduate in a few months.”

“I can hardly believe it.”

Lyric fell quiet, and Melody’s smile faded.

“They would be proud, Bird. Very proud.”

Lyric sighed. “I know. The closer I get to graduating, the more I think about Mom and Dad. I wonder how our lives would be different if they hadn’t died in the accident. It was such a freak thing but changed so much.”

Melody felt a pang in her chest. Her sister’s words mirrored thoughts she’d had before. Four years ago, Barry and Viola Douglas had enjoyed a night at their favorite restaurant followed by a jazz concert in the park. On their way home, a drunk driver ran a red light and plowed into their car, flipping it several times. Barry died at the scene. Viola succumbed to her injuries the next day at the hospital.

Melody worked at her first job and still lived at home to save money. Lyric had started her freshman year at Franklin. She almost didn’t make it through her first semester because of the grief, and Melody struggled with filling her parents’ shoes, settling their estate, and establishing her career. The sisters made it through those first few months, but not without strife and tears.

“Living through it made us the women we are now,” Melody pointed out. “I miss them too, but you know what Momma would say. Focusing on how things could be different keeps us from moving forward. You remind me of her, you know. Momma would havetold me the same thing you did about moving to Fire Creek. Chase the adventure.”

Lyric chuckled. “She said that’s how she met Dad.”

Melody smiled. “I remember. This is different though. Momma went on an adventure with her girlfriends and met Dad on the first day of her vacation. I, on the other hand, moved to a new town where I don’t know anybody to go to lunch with, much less go on a vacation.”

“Who knows? Your one true love may be in the same town. Which is why you have to give this Noah guy a chance. Momma would have been the first to tell you that you never know what moment would change your whole life.”

“I told you I’d give him a shot. As soon as we hang up, I’ll message him.”

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