“How about I make things pretty, you grow trees, and oh yeah, I give you free labor you need? And you keep your judgments about my career and my bows to yourself?” Miriam shot back. Her hair was standing even taller than usual around her head, and it was really cute, which made Noelle even grouchier.

“It’s not free! You’re getting room and board!”

“No one else is staying in those rooms!” Miriam pointed out, loudly.

“I’M CALLING AN INTERVENTION!” Hannah shouted over them, and they both startled. Noelle hadn’t even heard her walk up. “Noelle, I sent you in here to ask Miriam what she wanted for dinner, and you’re yelling at each other where guests can hear you! Meet me in my office in ten minutes. I have plans for you both.”

When Noelle arrived, neither Hannah nor Miriam was in the office. She settled into a chair, getting her thoughts together. For Hannah’s sake, she was going to be nice and try to put this animosity behind them. She heard their voices float through the open door, Miriam’s voice sending a shiver down Noelle’s spine, and she grimaced at herself.

They walked in together, and Noelle’s stomach gave a traitorous dip. All of her nerve endings became raw when Miriam was in the room. She didn’t like it. When Miriam’s inner lights were turned on, when she was present, she was sparkly and fascinating, and Noelle wanted to collect her like a raccoon collecting treasure. When her lights were off, when she went away from herself and seemed to almost leave her body, Noelle wanted to find out why and turn them back on. It annoyed her. She didn’t need attraction, and she didn’t do that kind of emotional connection. It was too risky, especially with an engaged woman.

Noelle leaned forward, her elbows on her spread knees and her hands clasped, bracing herself. Hannah sat behind her desk, her bookshelves at her back making a throne. When Noelle took a breath to speak, Hannah held up her hand.

“You have said enough, missy,” her best friend told her. Oof. She’d told Hannah about her fight with Miriam. She’d tried to be honest about her own part, because it was important to her sobriety, and Hannah had told her she was being an asshole. Moving Hannah from being steadfastly Team Noelle was hard, but this had accomplished it.

“I’m going to talk,” Hannah said, “and you’re both going to listen. When I’m done, you are going to figure out a way to work together until Thanksgiving, because you’re making it impossible for me to do my job.”

“But, Hannah—” Miriam started.

Hannah stopped her.