The Boss Project(62)

I nodded. “That makes a lot of sense.”

The doctor smiled at Kitty. “To be clear, this has nothing to do with age. I’d recommend the same to a thirty-year-old.”

I laughed, knowing Kitty had already read him the riot act. “Good to know.”

Dr. Martin looked to all three of us. “Any questions?”

I turned to Kitty and Merrick. Merrick still looked cross, but he shook his head. “I’m good. Thank you.”

The doctor nodded to Kitty. “I’ll stop back later before my shift ends to check on you.”

Kitty batted her eyelashes. “Thank you, doc.”

After he left, she fanned herself. “If only I was twenty years younger.”

Merrick raised a brow. “Twenty?”

She squinted at him. “It’s going to hurt a lot more than usual when I kick you in the ass with this cast on.”

I chuckled. “I’m sorry you’re not going to get to go home today like you’d hoped. But they’re being thorough and taking good care of you.”

“Oh that one was thorough alright,” Merrick grumbled.

Kitty’s eyes gleamed. “Something wrong, my darling grandson?”

“It’s hot in here,” he mumbled. “I’m going downstairs to the cafeteria to get something to drink. Either of you want anything?”

“No, thank you,” I said.

Kitty barely waited until Merrick was out the door. Her smile bordered on wicked. “That one has it bad.”





CHAPTER 21


Evie


“You two should go,” Kitty said. “You’ve been here all day.”

Merrick looked up from the newspaper he’d been reading. “Visiting hours end in fifteen minutes.”

Kitty pointed to her iPad on the hospital tray next to her bed. “Oh, that’s plenty of time for me to show you the updated family tree…”

Merrick shut the paper and stood. “On second thought, we probably shouldn’t wait for them to kick us out.”

I chuckled at Kitty’s smirk. She certainly knew how to push her grandson’s buttons.

I stood. “I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon, but I’ll be back in the morning. My flight isn’t until four.”

“Don’t rush back early, sweetheart. Get some sleep. I appreciate you coming at all.”

I bent and hugged her, then stepped aside so Merrick could say goodnight.

Outside, it was a beautiful evening. The air was warm and unusually dry for late summer in Atlanta. When we approached Kitty’s hot rod, I got an idea. “Can we put the top down on the car? I’ve never been in a convertible.”

“Really?” Merrick said.

“Nope, never.”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

I was surprised that folding away the ragtop was as easy as pushing a button. Before we were even out of the parking lot, I was in love with the feeling of the wind blowing through my hair. I held my hands in the air. “This is ahhmazing.”

Merrick looked over. “You’re not very hard to please.”

He made a left and a right and then we were on the highway, going pretty fast. I let my head fall back and stared up at the dark sky as my hair whipped all around me.

“You hungry?” Merrick yelled over the wind.

“Starving! Can we get junk food?”

He smiled. “Whatever you want. Did you have something particular in mind?”

“How about Wendy’s?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Cute.”

I laughed. “Any chance you know a place called Mix’D Up Burgers? It’s not exactly on the way back to the house. It’s more on the way to my Airbnbs. I stumbled on it one night when I was trying to find gas.”

“I don’t know it, but I’m sure I can put it in the GPS.”

“I’d be your best friend if you did.”

He handed me his phone. “Here, type it into Waze and see if it comes up.”

It did, and I spent the rest of the drive enjoying the warm breeze while salivating at the thought of what I was going to order. When we arrived, Merrick pulled into the parking lot. “You want to go inside to eat or take it home?”

“Can we order a meal and eat the fries on the way home?”

He smiled. “Good plan. “Do you know what you want?”

“I do. I want The Pile. It’s a burger loaded with cheesy fries. But you also get a side order of fries.”

He laughed. “You’re killing me. Between the monkey bread this morning and now this, I’m going to have to hit the gym a little harder next week.”

“Oh God. Don’t remind me. I don’t even want to think about weight. I’ve been on a junk food tear since my wedding debacle.”

Merrick’s eyes raked down my torso, stopping to linger on my breasts. “Trust me, junk food works for you.”

? ? ?

“Do you mind waiting out here a second?” Merrick unlocked Kitty’s front door and pushed it open halfway.

“Umm, sure?”

He held out the fast-food bag to me. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“Alright, but I’m going to eat your dinner if you take too long.”