Abbie’s face is the picture of concentration as she gently pokes at the crust dough, bending down to see how thinly it’s rolled out. “No, she can date. Just… not him.”

She’s very tempted to ask more questions about how Abbie feels about Hannah’s dating life, but bites her tongue. Not her place to ask and she doesn’t want Abbie to feel like anything is going on. Hannah would not be happy and this kid is far too perceptive.

She’s relieved when Abbie changes the topic to her field trip to Plymouth Rock.

***

She tells Hannah about the conversation that night as she settles back into her bed. She’s amused by it, now that she’s had time to reflect.

Hannah seems slightly less so, even though she sounds cautiously glad about Abbie being okay with her potentially dating.

Before they hang up, Hannah asks, “What are you wearing?”

Caroline pauses, looking down at herself as the question immediately prompts a million thoughts in her head. Are they doing this now? She desperately hopes they are.

“What are you wearing?” She cautiously responds to test the waters.

Hannah only seems to realize what she’s asked when Caroline parrots the question back. She coughs and Caroline can hear the embarrassment in her voice. “Not – I meant. Tomorrow. To Thanksgiving with your family. What’s the dress code? To Thanksgiving,” she repeats.

She’s both entirely besotted and disappointed all at once, even as she laughs softly. “A dress code? There’s not…” She thinks about the fact that Hannah is used to spending Thanksgiving with the Dalton family and she can only imagine that’s a formal affair. “It’s casual. Jeans, leggings, whatever you want. I don’t have an outfit planned. But I’m not going to be wearing one of my business suits, if that’s what you mean.”

“Hmm. Okay.” Hannah murmurs before she clears her throat. “That’s kind of disappointing.”

She sounds like a very appealing mix of confident and uncertain, and Caroline’s eyebrows lift as interest stirs inside of her. “Oh? So… you like me in a suit?”

For a moment as there’s silence, she thinks she said too much. Pushed their boundaries too far.

But Hannah blows out a breath and when she speaks, her voice is an octave lower. “I do. Very much.”

Heat works through her and she draws in a breath. “I can wear one tomorrow. If you want me to.”

“No…” Hannah trails off, and Caroline so wishes she could see her right now. “I like the way you look in everything.”

“That’s a coincidence. But if you have any special requests, I would be happy to fulfil them.”

Part of her still can’t believe this is actually happening. Really happening. But her entire body is on alert, waiting for Hannah’s answer.