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She looks at me. “Then fix it.”

“How? How do I fix that? I can’t undo what I already did.” I go back to the beans, but it’s not enough to keep my brain occupied, and a years-old image of a brokenhearted Hattie, sitting on a log in the sunken forest, legs pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, enters my mind. It’s an image I’ve tried to forget. A memory I’m not supposed to have, but do.

The side door to the kitchen opens and Boone and West walk in. They walk over to the same side of the counter as Rowe and stare at me.

I stop moving. “What’s up, guys?”

“You and Hattie,” Boone says with the quick flick of his chin. “What’s the deal?”

“We were ju-ust talking about that,” Rowena says, holding out the word “just” like it’s more important than the other words.

“No deal,” I say. “We’re friends, but you know, just barely.”

They all watch me.

“You don’t look at her like she’s your friend,” West says.

Boone shakes his head, slowly, eyeing me like he’s waiting for one wrong move.

My eyes dip to Rowe. She smirks, her face smug.

“People are talking,” West says.

“The only people we’ve been around is you guys,” I say.

“Yep,” West says. “We’re people. And we’re talking.”

I snap a bean and toss it in the big, silver bowl. “There’s nothing going on with me and Hattie.” My hands go up in front of me. “Totally innocent.”

“Well, that—” Boone grabs a bean and snaps it— “is a big, fat lie.”

“Look, guys, I’m not an idiot. I just chipped away enough of her cold shoulder to feel like we could be friends again. I’m not going to ruin that.” It’s as much I’m willing to say, and it’s probably still too much.

“Noble, you are an idiot,” Boone says.

“I can’t tell if you’re trying to convince us,” West says, “or if you’re trying to convince yourself.”

My eyes flick from West to Boone to Rowe. “What, y’all actually talked about this?”

“Didn’t I just say ‘we’re people and we’re talking?’” West holds up his hands in front of him.

“Of course we’ve talked about this,” Rowe says. “Hudson too. He’d be in here if Pop hadn’t sent him down to the stables with Jordy and Libby.”

“What about Quent?” I say.

“Quent told us all to stay out of your business,” Boone says.

“We don’t listen to Quent,” West says.

I half-laugh. “Look, I think you guys are seeing things that aren’t there.”

What a liar, my brain says, but I try to school my face so they believe me.

I stare at the beans. “Hattie and I are friends again. Finally. I’m lucky just to be able to say that.”

“Well, that’s smart of you, I guess,” West says.

“But just know if you decide to go for it—” Boone says, tone a little threatening— “you have our blessing.”