“Over the past few weeks, getting to know you, it’s become excruciatingly obvious you’re a lot more than I first judged you for.” She sounded gruff, and still pained, like she was uncomfortable having this conversation and couldn’t quite figure out how to say what she wanted to. Miriam realized that earlier, she might not have been damning with faint praise—she might have been trying to start this conversation and not finding the right words.

Maybe she wasn’t still mad at Miriam. Maybe she just sucked at apologies.

“Even if you weren’t,” Noelle continued, “I had no right to talk to you that way. Can I make it up to you?” She stared at Miriam and waited.

For several heartbeats Miriam stared back.

“Why are you telling me this, now?” she finally asked.

“Other than my sponsor chewing me out for not apologizing earlier? I feel like a complete monster every time you try too hard to show me you belong here. You shouldn’t have to. Cass wanted you to stay. Hannah and the Matthewses want you to. You don’t need to prove anything to me.” Her shoulders rose around her ears.

“I need to be really explicitly crystal clear, because I don’t like guessing how people feel about me. Are you telling me right now that you don’t hate me?” Miriam said carefully, feeling foolish.

“I don’t hate you. I don’t know you that well, but I kind of understand why Hannah, Cass, and the Matthewses think highly of you. You’re fine. You have several positive qualities.” Noelle ducked her head, and Miriam wanted to laugh. She truly wasn’t great at this, which somehow made Miriam feel much better.

“You don’t think I’d drive the business into the ground?” Miriam asked.

“You know you wouldn’t drive the business into the ground. Or further into the ground. You have a killer social media marketing game, and you know a hell of a lot about bookkeeping.”

Miriam nodded. She did have those skills. “You really don’t mind if I stay?”

“I know you have a lot to think about,” Noelle said gruffly, not making eye contact. “Your business, your life, your engagement. Whatever your decision is, don’t let how I’m going to feel about it stand in your way. You might be good for Carrigan’s. You should decide if Carrigan’s would be good for you.”

Noelle turned to leave, then stopped and turned back. “It’s like Sleeping Beauty.”

Miriam tilted her head in confusion.

“What you said, before. You were sleeping, in a castle. And you were behind all these obstacles, to keep yourself from waking up,” Noelle said, her hands in her pockets and her shoulders hunched. She kicked at a rock instead of making eye contact with Miriam.

Miriam almost cried. Yes, that’s exactly what it was like.