Luke

“Luke, I’m scared to leave you,” she whispers as she clings to me.

“Baby girl, you’re going to be okay. I’m going to check up on you all the time. Just because you aren’t living with me, doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you,” I tell her as I kiss the top of her head.

The social worker comes and takes Whisper away from me. She screams for me and I can hear her screams as the car drives away. I make a promise to myself that I will always be there for that little girl.

I wake up a jolt. I can still hear Whisper screaming for me every night. It’s been five years, and I can’t figure out why I can’t get her out of my head. I meant what I said when I told her I’d check up on her, unfortunately, the system thought otherwise. A short time after Whisper left me, I received a call from my father who had informed me that my grandfather had passed away and I needed to come home for the reading of the will.

After that phone call, I was left feeling confused. I had never met my grandfather because my father forbade it. My parents were assholes, and that’s putting it nicely. I think that is why I was so compelled to help Whisper. She reminded me of me at that age.

I went back to my hometown to hear the reading of the will made by a man I’d never met. Turns out, my grandfather was a very wealthy man and he left me his fortune as his only grandchild. My net worth is in the billions now, but I don’t care about money. I never had it growing up, and I enjoy my job. My parents were furious, of course, and tried taking me to court, but they lost.

I shake my head of those thoughts and get up to make sure I get ready in time to head to work. I have to coach my boys’ basketball team in a couple days and I need to make sure they are ready. My best friend, Nathan, is my assistant coach and this is our way of giving back to the community. If it wasn’t for us, some of these boys would be out running the streets, but we give them something positive to focus on. Nathan and I met in college. We were both freshmen assigned to the same dorm.

I grab my phone to text Nathan.

Me: Hey man. I think I need to try and date again. I can’t take these dreams anymore.

Nathan: Dude, I told you to go see Delilah. She’s amazing, look at me

Me: I’ll try and go see her today.

I put my phone away to get ready for the day. It’s going to be a long day of meetings. I am now the Police Chief of the Atlanta Police Department. I’m the youngest the department has ever seen, but I’ve worked my ass off to get to where I am today. I worked my way up the ranks at lightning speed.

I jump in my Chevy Silverado and head to work. All I can keep hearing is Whisper’s faint screams in my ears. She told me the reason behind her name, but she was never quiet around me. I found it funny when I could get her all riled up so she’d yell at me. I shake my head of the memories, knowing that they are going to haunt me if I don’t stop dwelling on them.

I pull into the police headquarters and sit for a minute. My phone dings letting me know that I don’t have time to just sit around in my truck. I get out to start my day.

It’s lunchtime, and I have decided I want to try this whole matchmaking thing. I can’t sit and think about the young girl I took in any longer. None of my other relationships ever lasted because I was all about work. Now, I’m thirty-four and it’s time for me to settle down. I want the whole wife, two point five kids, and the house with the white picket fence.

I texted Nathan to get the information, but he usually never texts me throughout the day since he’s busy with his business and fighting for his woman. I shake my head and laugh because that man has never had to chase tail before, and now here he is, chasing a woman.

My phone dings with a text from Nathan.

Nathan: Elite Matchmaking Services. It’s on North Ave, it's in a nondescript building. It’s between 1^st and 3^rd St. If you hit 3^rd St, you’ve gone too far. Her number is 770-555-2234, email is I’d recommend just going to see her assistant and getting an interview set up. Just talk to Lev, my fiancé. Tell her I sent you and you’ll get the royal treatment.

I decide to go to the office since Nathan said it would be easier. I find the location and he was right, if I wasn’t looking for it, I’d have gone too far and wouldn’t have found it. I walk into the building and there sits the woman who has gotten my best friend’s panties in a bunch. I chuckle to myself as I walk over to her. She looks up at me and smiles.

“Good afternoon, and welcome to Elite Matchmaking Services. How can I help you today?” she asks me.

“Hi, I’m Luke. Nathan sent me. I would like to set up an appointment with Delilah please,” I say.

She looks at the computer and frowns. I’m not liking that look on her face.

“I’m sorry sir, but we have nothing available until after the holidays,” she says.

“Shit, okay. I’ll just take the first available appointment she has,” I tell her.

She types away on her computer. “Looks like we have the second week of February open. What was your last name?” she says looking back at me.

“Davis.”

“As in Nathan’s best friend, Luke Davis?”

“The one and only,” I say chuckling. I am not prepared for her to jump up and hug me.

“Oh my God. I’ve heard so much about you. We should have dinner one night,” she says with so much excitement, I don’t know how to handle it. Nathan’s fiancee is perfect for him, I decide.

“We’ll definitely have to do that. So, about that appointment. Nathan says Delilah is the best, so I’ll take it,” I no more than get the words out of my mouth and I see a streak of red come out of her office. She’s holding a child looking like she’s glowing.

“Hey, Levi, do you have that file for me,” she asks.

“Yes, give me one moment, I’m booking this gentleman’s appointment for February,” she says as she starts typing away again.

The redhead looks at me. She’s inspecting from head to toe.

“What’s your name,” she asks me.

“Luke Davis, ma’am,” I tell her.

“Come with me Mr. Davis,” she tells me while leading me to her office.

I look over at her assistant and shrug and follow her.