"You''re such a kid. When did I ever say I''d turn her down? I''ve always thought Scarlette was great. It''s just that, since she''s dating you, I had to take a little extra time-otherwise, the old-timers at work would use me of favoritism. Sure, I have the final say, but after all these years, they trust me, so I can''t just do whatever I want. Even if you hadn''t brought Scarlette to see me, I would have ended up working with her anyway."


    Morgan smiled, obviously confident in Scarlette''s abilities.


    Scarlette had always been strong-willed. If Carrie had agreed to work with her just because she was dating Morgan, Scarlette wouldn''t have felt right about it. She''d put so much effort into this project—she wanted to be recognized for what she could do.


    It was clear to her that Morgan had nudged Carrie into saying all that, just to reassure her. He wanted her to know that, even without his help, the partnership would have happened eventually—it just might''ve taken a little longer.


    That''s the thing about dating a mature guy: he just gets it. You don''t have to spell everything out he can read your mind without you even saying a word. With Nichs, though? He was way too impulsive for that kind of understanding.


    Scarlette dropped her gaze, only realizing as she walked out with Morgan that she''d forgotten to properly say goodbye to Ms. Carrie. She''d been lost in her own thoughts.


    Morgan leaned over, buckled her seatbelt, and said softly, "Don''t worry-my aunt isn''t one of those uptight elders. You''ve spent enough time with her to know she cares more about what you can do than anything else."


    Scarlette let herself rx in the seat. After working so hard on this project, it was finallying together. All that was left was signing the contract.


    "Dr. Morgan, let me buy you lunch. Where do you want to eat?"


    Morgan turned the wheel and smiled. "How about my ce? I''ve got a ton of fresh veggies in the fridge. I''ll cook."


    Morgan was a great cook-total homebody vibes. Even when he was alone, he''d still make meals that looked amazing.


    Scarlette had long since added him on social media, so she saw his steady disciplined lifestyle every day. A guy in his mid thirties, st keeping up that kind of routine? Pretty rare.  s


    "That sounds perfect. I''ve actually been craving your ribs. And I can make a couple of dishes, too."


    She''d learned to cook back when she was taking care of Nichs, and now all that practice was finally paying off.


    Scarlette watched the city slide by outside the window. It was just after eleven In a couple hours, she''d be back home. By then, Nichs would probably be up.  s


    She let out a long breath. As long as this contract went through, she''d have more than enough work to keep her busy.


    When they got to Morgan''s ce, she stopped at the little store downstairs to


    grab some beer before heading up.


    What she didn''t know was that Nichs was already awake.


    He''d slept like a rockst night-Scarlette was just too good to him. It almost<fnb414> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fnb414>


    made him want to stay in that dream forever.


    He rubbed his forehead, feeling more rested than he had in ages. Then he checked the time-already eleven He nced at the empty spot next to him in bed. The sheets were cool-Scarlette must have been up for a while.  s