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She turns the phone around, and I give a little wave.
“Nice to meet you, Lucy.”
She smiles widely. “Nice to meet you too, Lucas.”
She turns the phone back around. “He’s very good-looking,” Lucy whispers, and I flick my eyes to Melody, whose cheeks have flushed pink.
“Can I call you later, Mom?”
“Of course. Have fun.”
“Bye, Mom.”
Melody ends the call and drops the phone into her lap.
“I’m sorry about that,” she says, avoiding eye contact.
I chuckle. “She seems great.”
“Yeah, she is.”
She sighs, and I can hear the wistfulness in her tone. It must be hard having no family and moving to a town where she knows no one.
She turns in her seat and passes the phone back to Roman.
“You can carry on playing your game, Rome. We’ll call Nana and Gramps later.”
After a few minutes, I check that Roman isn’t paying attention and reach my hand across the cab. I tangle my fingers with Melody’s, squeezing gently.
“You must really miss them.”
“Yeah. It’s been a tough few months.” She turns to face me. “They flew back when Dexter left, but they could only stay for a few weeks. It’s hard for them too, especially since I had Roman. I know how much they miss him.” She sighs again and gives me a small smile. “Time for a fresh start, though, right?”
“Definitely.” I want to keep my hand in hers, but I’m acutely aware of Roman in the back. Instead, I rub my thumb over the back of her hand before untangling my fingers from hers.
Melody
When Lucas tangles his hand with mine and pulls away a minute later, I know he’s thinking of Roman, and I couldn’t be more grateful that he is. I always thought if I ever dated again, I’d wait until I was serious about someone before I introduced them to Roman, but things have developed so quickly with Lucas, it just feels right.
While I’ve been lost in thought, Lucas has pulled onto a driveway and cut the engine. When I look up, I frown. “Oh my God!” I exclaim, my eyes wide.
“What’s wrong?”
“The house next door. That’s where my great-aunt lived.”
“Your great-aunt was Mrs. Rose?”
I nod. “You remember her?”
“Yes. I’ve lived here my whole life. She was our neighbor for years. I bet my mom remembers you visiting.”
I shake my head. “I doubt it. It was years ago. I think the longest I stayed was a few weeks one summer.”
“Come on. Let’s find out.”
I climb out of the truck, and by the time I get around to Roman’s side, Lucas is unclipping him from his car seat. He lifts him out of the truck and grabs the bag I packed with towels, floaties, and a change of clothes for Roman. He slings it over his shoulder and turns to face me.
“Ready?”
