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“TJ!” Melody shot forward, her heart lurching at the sight of him. She shouldn’t be this eager to see him, should she?
His face blanked for a minute before he shoved his phone into his pocket. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t seem as happy to see her as she was to see him. Hurt snarled through Melody, but she plastered on a smile. “I was early, so I hung out here.”
“I see.” He smiled then, looking himself. “Come on, let’s go to my parents’.”
As she walked beside him, she furtively checked her phone. Jeremy still hadn’t replied. How strange.
“What’s that there?”
Stifling a yelp, she blacked out her phone screen. Had TJ seen the dating app? Should she tell him about Jeremy? He wouldn’t understand. He’d worry about her talking to a stranger. Think she was crazy. Or worse yet, he might be hurt.
“Oh, nothing.” She put the phone away. Jeremy would simply have to wait. It looked like he was busy, anyway. “You want to go to the playroom after lunch?”
“I thought we could work on it at home. My parents’, I mean.”
She smiled at his slip of the tongue. She was aware he considered the Halverson residence his true home. It must be nice to have such a place, filled with warm and wonderful memories. She had no idea what that was like.
“Your parents won’t mind?”
“You kidding?” He unlocked his door and climbed behind the wheel. “They’ll love it. And they can be our test audience. You sing June’s part and see what they think.”
Sure beat the cold, musty practice room at Artisan’s Hope. “Sounds good to me.”
He left the parking lot three cars ahead of her, but he was waiting for her outside his parents’ front door like a true gentleman. When she hesitated on the front step as he held the door for her, he tilted his head in question. “Aren’t you coming in?”
She’d never told him. Probably never would. But she felt like a trespasser every time she crossed this threshold. Even though she came twice a week and had done so for many years. She could never shake the feeling that she didn’t belong.
Melody Reed had grown up east of 16th street. The Halversons lived on Riches Row, as the poor kids in school had dubbed 1st Street, the road that ran along the coast with waterfront views. Only the wealthiest residents in town afforded a home there.
The Halversons were one of those families. What was she doing here?
“You’re family, Mel.” As if he read her thoughts, TJ’s gentle voice tugged her into the warmth. “Get inside already.”
Arlene Halverson was waiting and pulled Melody into a motherly embrace as the smells of homemade meatloaf and roasted potatoes wrapped around them. “Come in and warm up, Sweetie. Lunch will be on in a few minutes. Care to lend me a hand? Charity’s nursing sweet Azalea at the moment, and Lucy got called straight to work from church. That Silas McIntyre doesn’t know what rest means. That leaves you, I’m afraid. Ben and TJ would be useless. The menfolk in this family didnotget the cooking gene, I can assure you.”
Melody trailed the talkative woman she’d known since she was thirteen. Why had they welcomed her then? Why did they now? She had never understood, she still didn’t, and she didn’t know if she ever would.
But she was glad.
So glad she wanted to weep.
Chapter Seven
TJ watched in fascination as Melody filled the sheet of paper, originally blank except for lines and clef symbols. Now it was covered in tidy handwritten music notes. Quarter notes here, two half notes, a whole.
She was like a magician, turning mere space into melodies.
“There are more modern methods of composition.” She eased back on the piano bench where they sat, crowded together. “But this is my favorite.”
He didn’t say anything. He was too awestruck by her talent. Too happy to sit beside her and soak up her presence.
All too soon—actually, it was almost four hours later, which was still too soon for TJ—they were done. As Melody prepared to leave, checking her phone with a frown, he remembered the half-typed message he abandoned in Holy Appimony when he discovered her outside the church. He was trying to come up with an honest reply that wouldn’t give himself away. She knew way too much about his family.
As soon as she was out the door, he stepped into the bathroom to wrestle with his response.
Jeremy: I’m so sorry for the delay. Something came up with a friend, and I stepped out for a while. Sure is cold today, isn’t it? But the sun felt great on my face. In answer to your question, my family is big. There are seven of us in all, and everyone thinks it’s his or her job to boss me around. What about you?
