Valerie suggested they do the dishes together, so she joined Matthew at the sink. Even though she wanted to keep her left hand dry, she watched closely as he squirted dish soap with his right, tackling the dishes as a team.

After a while, she couldn't help but speak up. "Mr. Grant, I just came up with a job that would be perfect for you."

"Hmm," Matthew replied, not quite understanding her. He was holding a plate.

Valerie grinned mischievously. "I think you'd make a great masseuse, you know? Look at your hands," she gestured to his focused, efficient scrubbing. "With those washing skills, I bet you could really work some magic on people's backs and shoulders."

Matthew was momentarily speechless before arching an eyebrow. "Feel free to give it a shot," he quipped, implying she could test his massage skills.

At first, Valerie didn't catch his meaning. But when she did, her face flushed bright red. 'Damn it, even Mr. Grant, usually so serious, can crack off-color jokes,' she thought.

Thankfully, the unexpected ringing of the phone saved Valerie from responding.

"Probably my brother," she said, darting to answer the call. Her hand was still cold from the water, and she could feel her cheeks burning.

"Hey, Julian. How's Aiden?" Valerie asked eagerly.

"Just wanted to let you know Aiden's fine," Julian said. "No after-effects, just keep an eye on him. We got quite a scare. Need to thank your husband properly later."

Valerie felt a wave of relief. "I'm so glad to hear that. I'll be sure to tell Matthew," she said, noticing how easily his name flowed from her tongue.

Julian hesitated. "Did Matthew say anything to you after we left today? He's worried Matthew might hold it against you."

Valerie chuckled. "Well, he was a bit upset. But he was just worried about me. He promised to back me up no matter what."

Julian was skeptical. "When a guy has to deal with in-laws like that, demanding he sell his house for a wedding gift, how could he not be furious!" He thought Valerie was only telling him the good news.

Valerie chuckled, understanding Julian's concern. She told him about the awkward dishwashing session. "We tried using one hand each, but it was a mess. It took forever to wash one plate. Pretty hilarious, huh?"

After Valerie finished, there was silence. Then Julian asked, "Didn't you buy rubber gloves?"

Matthew emerged from the kitchen just as they heard Julian's question. They both glanced at the new rubber gloves in the corner. They'd completely forgotten about them.

Valerie laughed, and to her surprise, Matthew seemed amused, the corners of his mouth turning up. She grinned. "Hey, Mr. Grant, you know what? You look great when you smile."

Matthew hadn't noticed until Valerie mentioned it, but her words wiped the smile from his face.

Valerie leaned in. "Come on, Mr. Grant, just one more smile."

Matthew tried, but it came out awkward.

"Ah, what a pity. I should've snapped a picture when I had the chance," Valerie lamented inwardly, forgetting she was still on the call, leaving Julian speechless at the overly sweet moment.