The night before, Joanna had made it a point of thanking him for the fabulous dinner again and again. Heaping on accolades about the flavors, the aromas, and especially the dessert, Evelyn couldn’t help but notice the young man’s chest swelling with pride. For Joanna, it was simply common courtesy, but for Noah, it was not. It was all the reason he needed to get up early on a Saturday and go to work…even when he didn’t have to.

The door to the kitchen swung open, and Joanna wandered in. “Good morning,” she said, holding her empty tea cup. “Where does a girl get a refill around this place?”

Evelyn and Noah briefly glanced at one another, and then in unison, they smiled.

“At your service,” Noah said, taking the cup from Joanna’s hand. “What kind would you like?”

“Huh?”

“We have black, white, green, oolong, and herbal, in English, Irish, Scottish, and Chinese blends.”

“Wow.”

“We aim to please,” Noah said, batting his eyelashes. “Now, what’s your pleasure?”

“Seriously?” Joanna said, looking back and forth between Noah and Evelyn.

“Of course.”

“You wouldn’t have any coffee, would you?”

“Coming right up,” he said, turning to get a new mug. Filling it to the brim, he placed it on the counter. “It’s Kona, and it’s hot, so please be careful.”

“I will,” Joanna said, but as she reached to pull out the stool next to Evelyn, she stopped. “Do you mind if I sit?”

Once again, Evelyn glanced at Noah, and once again, his expression mirrored her own. “Joanna,” Evelyn said, turning to the young woman. “You don’t have to ask. I work for you, not the other way around.”

Joanna had awoken feeling relaxed, but the awkwardness caused by her surroundings had returned by the time Iris had left her room. Joanna wasn’t used to being waited on, and Evelyn’s statement, while not exactly false, instantly rubbed her the wrong way.

“I think we need to get something straight,” she stated. “I may be marrying Addison Kane, but I am not like her. I don’t need to be coddled or called miss. I don’t need maids to make my bed or…or bring me tea in the morning, and I was raised to be polite and to ask before assuming. I have no intention of changing who I am just because my last name is going to be Kane, and the sooner everyone understands that, the better off we’re all going to be. Fran told me that everyone here can be trusted, and they know what this marriage is all about, so there’s no need to put on airs. Okay?”

“I’m not sure that’ll be as easy as you think,” Evelyn said, enjoying the pluckiness of the future Mrs. Kane.

“Why not?”