Page 37 of Shelter for Morgan

He reached his arm around and settled his hand on her lower back. "Anytime, Morgan. I'll always be there."

When they pulled back from the hug, they both looked a little shocked or maybe confused was a better word.

"Rhett!"

"Sorry." "No, go."

He ran up to the truck and got in.

Rush moved forward as soon as the door was closed.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Morgan said she had car trouble?"

"Yeah."

He looked in the side mirror and watched Morgan walking into the school with the others.

"So," Rush's tone sounded like he was grinning ear-to-ear, "have you asked her out yet?"

"What?" Rhett looked at him, his brow furrowed. "Why would you ask that?"

"Curious. That hug looked pretty friendly."

"It felt pretty friendly." Rhett smiled to himself and leaned back against the seat. "And I'm planning on asking her out. I called and asked her brother today."

Rush took a moment to comment. "You know, man, you're an actual gentleman. You asked her brother?"

"Well... I think it was more I told him that I wanted to date his sister and he didn't immediate threaten me."

"Well, he's known you quite a while. And if he thought she was safe living with you in your apartment, I don't think he'd have trouble with you dating her."

"I didn't think about that."

Rush chuckled. "Well, you're too close to see it. Just letting you know, everyone's expecting you two to end up as a couple."

When Rhett looked over at him, Rush shrugged his shoulders.

"The gossip mill at Station Seven is better than social media."

Rush laughed out loud as they turned into the firehouse parking lot. "Absolutely."

CHAPTER SEVEN

MORGAN

As they walked inside, Amanda was almost on her shoulder. If Morgan had been a pirate, Amanda would have been a parrot. "He's so hot!"

Joan, at Morgan's other side, rolled her eyes. "Yes, Amanda, he's super-hot, but he's also taken."

Amanda stopped short and grabbed Morgan's arm to stop her too. That's when she leaned across Morgan and poked her finger at Joan. "He never said he was taken. I told him I was single, and he didn't say he was taken."

"But he didn't say he was single, either. Really, Amanda. This is all a lot to talk about before the first bell."

Amanda straightened up and glared at them both. "Who said I wanted to talk to you losers anyway?"

She walked away on her four-inch heels, students parting before her like water before Charlton Heston at the Red Sea.

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