“You need to make amends, first of all.” The ringleader put out her cigarette and pointed a neon pink nail at her. Noelle nodded. She really, really did. “And then, you need to pray. You’ll figure it out. But not alone, and not all right now. One day at a time.”

She could do that. She could make an amends, and pray, ask for help, and take it a day at a time.

When she got back to the inn, Noelle found Hannah trying to teach Cass’s byzantine paper registration system to Miriam. It amounted to them never having kept records of anything.

“There wasn’t a set rate,” Hannah was explaining. “Cass charged you based on her own calculations of how much she liked you, and how much she thought you could afford. She definitely hosed some people and gave other people their rooms for a song.”

“You do realize that all these people are about to show up here, expecting to pay whatever they’ve always paid, and you’re not even going to know what to charge them, right?” Miriam’s voice rose in pitch as she spoke. “We need a filing system. We need an account book!”

She was cute when she got her serious business face on, and even cuter when annoyed. Miriam’s intensity about their financial structure (or lack thereof) surprised Noelle. She herself hadn’t cared how Cass charged people, as long as they paid something and she, in turn, was paid. She knew a hell of a lot about growing trees, but almost nothing about bookkeeping. Miriam’s obvious knowledge about the subject took Noelle aback. She knew now Miriam ran her own business but hadn’t really thought about the financial logistics it would include, just the art-making and social media pieces. She kept underestimating this woman and being proven wrong.

“Okay breathe,” Hannah said, putting her hands on Miriam’s crossed arms. “I’m still the manager of inn operations, I have a whole degree in hospitality management, and I will figure this out.”

Noelle smiled a little at her best friend, who was extremely territorial, no matter how much she wanted Miriam here. “Miriam, let Hannah do her job. She’s good at it, I promise. Scary good, really,” she said, laying a hand on Hannah’s shoulder.

“Of course you’re taking her side!” Miriam said.

At the same time, Hannah said, “Stay out of this, NoNo, I’m handling it!”

Noelle raised both hands and stepped back.

“Sorry,” Miriam said sarcastically, “my fault for trying to help at all, I forgot that Queen Hannah never needs any assistance. I saw visions of an IRS audit dancing in my head. I’ll let you deal with this clusterfuck.” Miriam stomped out of the room.

Noelle watched her go, annoyed by her impulse to soothe Miriam’s bruised feelings. She turned back to Hannah.