“Addison, the roads are starting to flood or worse, wash away. There was no need for the staff to risk life and limb just so they can bring you your bloody coffee. Evelyn told them not to come in, and I sent her home a few hours ago.”

“You did what?” Addison said, slamming the jug down on the island.

“Look, can we not do this?” Joanna said, getting to her feet. “Let’s just meet in the middle.”

Addison didn’t want to admit it, but arguing with Joanna was getting old. Although not yet ready to concede she had met her match, the woman was annoyingly right more than she was wrong.

“Fine,” Addison said, crossing her arms. “What did you have in mind?”

A smile slowly spread across Joanna’s face. “I’m more than capable of making our meals for a day or two, and I’ll even take care of cleaning up the kitchen. All you have to do is make your own coffee or tea, or whatever. I agreed to be your wife in name only, but I didn’t sign up to be your servant. Okay?”

It was indeed a fair compromise, and most wouldn’t have balked at agreeing to it, but when you’re raised with spoons of silver and uniformed staff, even the simplest of tasks can prove to be daunting. Racking her brain, Addison tried to think of a counteroffer as her face began to heat.

Joanna thought the arrangement was fair, but when she saw Addison’s face flush scarlet, she prepared herself for the woman’s temper to flame. As she waited for the explosion of attitude, Joanna couldn’t help but notice that Addison seemed to be staring at the coffee jug on the counter as if it was a bomb.

The silence was broken by Joanna’s loud guffaw. “Oh, my God! You don’t know how to make coffee?”

Addison’s expression darkened instantly as her nostrils flared. “I don’t like your tone.”

“Yeah? Color me surprised,” Joanna said, hopping to her feet. Strolling over, she snagged the insulated carafe from the island and then walked past Addison to what was easily the newest appliance in the kitchen. Having watched Noah set up the combination grinder and brew system dozens of times, Joanna deftly began opening compartments and pushing buttons, and in no time at all, the aroma of coffee filled the room.