He walks back to the fire, standing beside me as he holds his hands out to the flames, warming his fingers much like I am. “I’m just guessing here,” he says, eyes locked on the flames, “but I’m pretty sure Olivia didn’t tell you about me on purpose.”
I glance over at him and take in his profile. I don’t always go for beards, but his is short and neat and it looks really good on him. “I don’t understand.”
He lifts his eyes to meet mine, and a spark of electricity races down my spine. “I don’t want this to come across the wrong way,” he says, “but you don’t really need to be here. There are a dozen different employees who could work a few shifts to cover the front desk and host the family reunion. It’s easy work. There’s no reason to have someone here full time.”
“Clearly thereisa reason, or they wouldn’t have hired me,” I say. “They offered me a job, and I took it.”
“Ajob,” he repeats, making air quotes in front of himself for emphasis, “that I or any other number of employees could have handled. It’s a setup, Megan. My family made up a job andgave their regular employees time off so you could come here instead.”
My brain temporarily snags on the sound of my name on his lips, but I force myself to focus. “A setup for what?”
He rolls his eyes like he can’t quite believe we’re even having this conversation. “A setup withme,” he says, annoyance dripping from his tone.
I frown. “But why would they do that? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Noah steps away from the fire and sinks onto a nearby armchair. “Because they didn’t want me to be alone for Christmas.”
I hear myself scoff even as heat floods my cheeks.
A setup?
But Olivia made the job sound so official. And Evie didn’t say anything to indicate there was any ulterior motive. Which, she totally would have had she thought the whole situation was anything but straightforward.
I sit down on the chair across from Noah and tuck my feet up under me. “I really don’t think that’s what’s happening here. Olivia listed a bunch of reasons why people needed time off. It all sounded legitimate.”
“Then why didn’t they tell me you were coming?” he says.
“You didn’t know?”
He shakes his head. “Not until this afternoon when Olivia texted and asked me to get your room ready, then added something along the lines of ‘she’s single, she’s beautiful, and you’d better not screw this up.’”
“Oh, wow,” I say, my defensiveness deflating. “That does feel pretty pointed.”
“And you for sure didn’t know anything about me being here?” he asks. “Was your surprise that I’m living in the farmhouse genuine?”
“Completely genuine,” I quickly say. “I didn’t know there would be anyone else here until I was told you were on the way to pick me up. But I still don’t understand why your family would do this.” There isso muchI don’t understand, honestly. But I can’t think of a question to ask that doesn’t feel rude or invasive, so I bite my tongue and hope Noah volunteers something to help me out.
He leans forward and props his elbows on his knees. “My family is in Italy with the rest of the Hawthornes,” he says. “My uncle—my dad’s brother—is the one who owns Stonebrook. The two families usually celebrate Christmas together. This year, they’re celebrating in Italy.”
“You didn’t want to go?”
“Nope,” Noah says simply.
There is an emptiness to his response that makes my heart squeeze in my chest. Normally, I would ask why, but something about his tone—I can tell he doesn’t want me to ask. And he definitely doesn’t want to tell me.
“Look,” Noah says after another long pause, “I shouldn’t have been unkind to you, and I’m sorry I was. When Flint called to tell me you were stranded, I was still frustrated about Olivia’s meddling, and I half-wondered if you were in on it. But you clearly had no idea what you were getting into, so let’s just leave things be and agree to stay out of each other’s way. My family is well-intentioned, but I don’t need them to force-feed me human companionship. I’m fine being on my own.”
I bite my lip and try not to process Noah’s words like they’re a rejection. He isn’t rejectingmeso much as he’s rejecting his family’s meddling.Impressivemeddling, really. Though I’m wondering if it wasn’t quite so blatant as Noah is making it seem. The rundown of all the reasons Olivia’s employees need extra time off through the holidays sounded real and reasonable. Anew grandbaby, an ankle surgery, in-laws visiting from overseas. I doubt she’d outright lie to me.
“I just feel like Olivia would have mentioned…” I say, but I’m not sure how to finish the sentence. What would she have mentioned?
If sheistrying to set me up with her cousin, do I really think she would have admitted it?
“What she should have mentioned is that I was going to be here,” Noah says. “You’re a woman, and you’re alone, staying in this big house—you deserved a warning there would beanyonestaying in with you.”
“A warning? Are you dangerous, Noah?” I tease before I can think better of it. It’s the kind of flirty thing I would usually say, but I don’t know Noah well enough to guess how he’ll take it.
His eyes narrow, flashing with something that makes my heart pick up speed.
