“I’m Miriam’s fiancée,” Tara said tightly.

Miriam stepped in. “Noelle is the manager of the tree farm. She was Aunt Cass’s right-hand woman. She owns part of Carrigan’s now.” Miriam did not add “With me.” That was not a conversation to have in the middle of the foyer.

Hannah picked up Tara’s suitcase. “We’re so glad to meet you. I take it you’ll be joining us for Thanksgiving? I’ll just put this”—she looked at Miriam, who subtly but briskly shook her head—“in the back cottage! It’s so twee and comfortable, Tara, you’ll be snug as a bug.”

Tara’s eyes went from Hannah to Miriam, and her lips flattened. She turned her best Southern Belle on Hannah and said, while her eyes also cut daggers at Miriam, “Why, that will be so wonderful, I’ll adore all that privacy.”

“I have to say,” she told Noelle as she passed, “I love this whole dapper…” she paused, as if looking for the words, “aesthetic you’ve cultivated.”

“I call it Farmer Dyke,” Noelle said, grinning a little evilly. “And bless your heart.”

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Noelle

That night, Noelle flopped backwards onto Hannah’s bed and pulled her hair into spikes. Kringle complained about his spot being disturbed but resettled next to her head. “Please remove me from this timeline and insert me into one in which I have fewer feelings.”

Hannah put her head on Noelle’s stomach and looked up at her.

“Are you panicking because a certain beautiful cousin of mine is supposed to give us an answer tomorrow, or are you panicking because said cousin has a real flesh-and-blood fiancée you can no longer ignore?” Hannah asked.

“Miriam’s so beautiful, and talented, and funny. I want to hate her, but she’s actually great? Which makes me really mad?” Noelle stopped for breath. “She might be good for Carrigan’s? Or she might be a flight risk who disappears as soon as we all start to rely on her? She makes everything too complicated. I don’t want her to stay, because I’ll want to date her and I can’t. I do want her to stay and be single and make out with my face. I think I’ve been doing a great job of not freaking out about this situation up to this point, but I have reached my limit!” She pushed herself up, away from the headboard, and tugged on her hair.

Her best friend gave her a level stare. “You have been doing an absolutely terrible job of not freaking out about this but go on. Wait, first, why can’t you date her? Other than the fiancée?”