Page 38 of Legends Luke

Luke chuckled. “Peter Chumley. He’s another mechanic. He holds down the fort when I’m busy with other things.”

“Oh.” Melody felt her face flush again, and she busied herself with cutting her chicken.

“What about you? What was your day like?”

“Not bad. My boss’ caseload is a lot right now, and I’m trying to take on some more responsibility to ease her stress as much as I can. She has a lot going on, and I can tell it’s taking a toll. I hate seeing her so exhausted.”

“You remind me of Becky. The family friend who made the cobbler. She likes to take care of people too.”

“If her cobbler is as good as it smells, I may have to be her friend too. Who is Becky exactly?”

Luke chewed a green bean. “She and Gish go way back. He helped her get out of a bad situation with her boyfriend years ago, and she stuck around.”

“So are she and English a couple?”

Luke shrugged. “Depends on who you ask. Gish and Becky both say no. Easton and Reagan think Becky wants to start something with Gish but is afraid to say so. Ben thinks Gish feels the same way. Jackson thinks Gish is still hung up on Reagan’s mother, but Traci’s happily married to Reagan’s stepdad.”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I try to stay out of it. I’m not good with that stuff.”

She scoffed. “I don’t know if I believe you. I saw how the women looked at you the night I was at the bar. When they saw me sitting beside you — well, let’s say if looks could kill, I wouldn’t be sitting before you now letting a delicious dinner get cold. You seem to have your pick of girlfriends, so you have to be good at something.”

His mouth twisted in a smirk. “What you’re talking about is dating. It’s not a big deal because it’s superficial. It’s two people having a good time with no promise of what’s to come. What I’m talking about is different.”

She understood what he meant. Somehow, he summed up what she’d been feeling without realizing it. This was different. He was different. And she was left in a unique position. For once in her life,she had no plan or idea of what to do. Good sense told her to slow it down otherwise she was setting herself up for a major heartbreak if things didn’t work out. Being with Luke made her want to throw good sense out the window.

Her fork scraped against her plate, the obnoxious noise grating on her already sensitive nerves. She placed the utensil on the table and sipped her water. She tried to ignore his watchful gaze, but she would have had an easier time trying not to breathe.

“Are you okay?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to reassure him she was fine, but he would see right through her. She sighed.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m more nervous than I expected to be.”

Luke covered her hand with his and squeezed. “Talk to me, Melody. Why are you nervous?”

The warmth of his touch calmed her. She fixed her gaze on their hands. “Because it’s like you said. After our first date and then our phone and text conversations, I feel this is different. It’s like I’ve known you for years. And now I’ve probably scared you off by admitting it. It’s understandable. It’s too soon to think we are doing anything more than just dating.”

“Then let me try to put your mind at ease. I also feel like I’ve known you for years, and if I have my way, that’s exactly what will happen. I think you’re hot and sweet and funny and sexy as hell. This, between me and you, is different. What we have between us is not superficial. I may not know what to call it, but it doesn’t scare me.”

His tone was low but warm, and goosebumps popped up on her skin. She had not had time to create a romantic atmosphere for their dinner with candles or soft music, but somehow the way he studied her and spoke to her created intimacy. She raised her head, her heart fluttering in her chest as she met his stare.

“It doesn’t scare me either, but I’m not sure what this means or what we do now.”

“Damned if I know.”

She barked out a laugh, feeling the nervousness fade. “Okay. Fair enough. So how about this? We eat and talk. If we venture into uncomfortable territory, we stop and move on without reading too much into it. Think you can handle it?”

He nodded. “I don’t usually talk a lot. My brothers rib me about it all the time. But yeah, I can handle whatever you dish out, baby.” He pierced his fork through a slice of chicken and popped it into his mouth. “And dinner is great. Thank you.”

They slipped back into the easygoing banter she’d come to expect from their earlier conversations. She asked about his job as a mechanic, about his brothers, and about the elusive English, who fascinated her with how he took in Luke and his brothers when they were teenagers. He asked her about her work as a paralegal, about her parents and Lyric, and about how she learned to cook. They discovered they both enjoyed comedy movies. He loved the outdoors. She loved spending rainy days reading a good book. He was good with computers. She loved research.

Before she realized it, their meal was finished, their dessert eaten,and the dishes put away in the dishwasher. As they worked side by side to clean up, she realized how right it felt to have him there, in her space, moving as if he felt at home.

They retired to her comfortable couch. She curled her legs underneath her as she settled into one corner, her body facing him. He rested his arm along the back of the couch. Then he curled his fingers to beckon her to move closer. She hesitated only a moment before sliding next to him. She snuggled against his side, her head resting on his chest. His arm came down to drape over her shoulders, his fingers tangling in her hair.

She sighed, feeling content. “I think this evening was just what I needed.”

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