Page 70 of Legends Luke

Drake shook his head. “Not a lot. Alex usually takes the lead on those.”

“What is the likelihood they’re going to find Erin safe and sound?” Melody surprised herself by asking the question. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she felt her stomach churn while she waited for him to answer.

“Every circumstance is different. From my experience, it’s better to have hope than expect the worst. No need to worry over something until you have a reason to.”

Melody gave him a rueful smile. “You’re right. It’s just hard for menotto worry. My sister tells me to stop overanalyzing everything, but it’s a hard habit to turn off.”

“It’s not a bad habit to have. Doing what we do, overanalyzing a situation is necessary.”

Melody tilted her head as she regarded him. “How so?”

Drake placed his mug on the counter before leaning against it, his hands holding to the edge. “Because you can’t predict the situation you’re walking into. If you don’t plan for every contingency, you or someone else could be hurt or worse. We work with a plan A, but if we’re smart, we have a plan B and C just in case. We may never use them, but they’re there for our safety.”

His words tumbled around in her brain a few seconds before her smile widened. “So, it’s like prepare for anything, but hope for the best.”

Drake shrugged. “Something like that, I guess.”

Her stomach rumbled. A blush stained her cheeks as her hand covered her abdomen. Her gaze swung to the microwave on the counter behind where Drake stood, and her eyes widened in shock.

“It’s after 9? I didn’t realize it was so late. I should have offered you breakfast already. Can I make you anything?”

Drake grinned. “I sort of helped myself. I didn’t figure you’d mind, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you made yourself at home. I think I’ll make some toast.” She stood but paused as a sudden thought struck her. Turning on her heel, she backtracked the way she came, but Drake stopped her before she stepped out of the kitchen.

“Where are you going? Do you keep your toaster somewhere beside the kitchen?”

She turned back with a chuckle. “No. I remembered I left my phone in the bedroom. My sister should be on her way. I want to keep my phone handy in case she calls me while she’s on the road.”

Her phone was where she left it on her nightstand to charge. The screen illuminated when she picked it up, and she was surprised to see three unread text notifications. Unlocking the phone, she realized two of the three were from Lyric while the third was from Luke. She was barely aware of her smile as she decided to read his first.

Good morning. No news. Just wanted to check in. Miss you. Later.

Her thumbs flew over the keyboard in her haste to reply.Good morning. All good. Miss you too. Take care.

It wasn’t the most heartwarming text, but she hoped he smiled at receiving a message from her the way she did when he texted her. They hadn’t hadthetalk, though Melody already wondered if he felt the same as she did. Too much was going on to broach the subject of where their relationship was heading, but she knew exactly how she felt and what she hoped. Luke was important to her. When she thought of her life a few months or even a few years from now, she could easily picture him being a part of it.

She opened her texts from Lyric, and her jaw dropped.

Hey. I know you were worried about me driving all night, so I compromised. I drove halfway. Spent the night at a decent motel. Now I’m on the road! Can’t wait to see you!

No shortened text speak for Lyric. When she was excited, it was full-on sentences and exclamation points. The second text included a picture of Lyric standing at a gas pump, smiling while giving her a thumbs up.

Only two hours to go until sister time!

Double-checking the time stamp, the last text was only sent twenty minutes ago, but with the way Lyric drove, the two hours could easily become an hour and a half or sooner. Her earlier idea of breakfast now forgotten, she scurried into the bathroom to shower and dress, so she was ready when Lyric arrived. Though she originally tried to talk Lyric out of coming, she was glad her sister ignored her. With her growing feelings for Luke and the situation with Sandra and Erin, she could use her sister’s calming effect and level head about now.

The shower eased the kinks from her body after her restless night, so she lingered a bit longer than she needed. By the time she was ready to emerge from her bedroom, she was certain Drake wondered where she’d gone off to since she’d only told him she was getting her phone. She found him at the kitchen table, a laptop open in front of him, his mouth turned down in a severe frown. Her excitement to tell him about Lyric’s arrival dissipated, and her worry flared with a vengeance.

“Drake? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t reply at first, and she couldn’t read his expression. Apprehension tightened in her stomach like a vise.

“Please tell me Luke is okay,” she finally said, and he softened his countenance.

“I didn’t mean to worry you. Luke’s fine physically. He’s angry and frustrated like the rest of us. The crew has struck again.”

“Where? Was anyone hurt?”

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