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“No, they don’t, even for my generation,” she added. “So I know what it was like to love someone and lose them, but not because they betrayed me. Honestly, I miss him so much. It hurts, even now. But I can always hold the good memory of what he gave me in my heart. So I don’t know what the bad breakup was about, but I’m sorry you went through that.”

“I know you are, Maggie. Thank you.”

“And maybe Lincoln’s not perfect.” She paused.

“Oh, I’m not perfect either,” I hurried to offer.

She chuckled a little at that. “You’re pretty close, Chloe.” I rolled my eyes. “But I know he would never betray you.”

“I know,” I said. I did know that.

Just then, voices reached us. Elsa and Kendall appeared seconds later in the doorway. “Well, there you are, Maggie,” Elsa said.

She spun around, smiling at them. “What do you need?”

“We’re planning Christmas. How many people do you think are going to come?”

“Well, all of the guests, us, Chloe and her dad.” I opened my mouth, and as if she could read my mind, Maggie glanced over and pinned me with a look. “Don’t even tell me we don’t have to include you and your dad. You live here, and we love your dad. He’s awesome.”

“Okay,” I said, because that was exactly what I’d been about to say. “What can I do to help?”

Kendall plunked down in a chair. “Can I sit?” she asked belatedly.

“Of course.”

Next thing I knew, we were all sitting at the small round table in my office, but then Maggie had to hurry off to do something in the kitchen. Kendall reached up and pulled a piece of hay out of her hair. “I knew something was itching.” Elsa snorted while Kendall rolled her eyes. “Hazards of my job. I do work in a barn with rescue goats, and a pig right now.”

“You still have the pig?”

“Yeah, we can’t find a home, and honestly, I thought about bringing her to my place with Jude, but it’s not big enough yet. I think she’s just going to be happier in the barn. She has space, and she’s friends with all the animals.” Kendall managed the large animal rescue for the local animal rescue program in Willow Brook. The barn that housed the larger animals was on the Heartfire Falls property. She loved it, and I loved stopping in to visit the animals, because there was always an interesting mix.

“How are you?” Kendall asked a moment later.

“Fine,” I replied.

“How are you with Lincoln?” Elsa said, her voice lilting up as she waggled her brows. My heart kicked up a little riot in my chest, and I forced myself to take a slow breath. They were just asking about Lincoln, and they were my friends.

My cheeks were hot as I glanced between them. “I think we’re good. I’m just—” I let out a quick sigh.

“Anxious?” Kendall prompted.

“I don’t know. What if it doesn’t work out? Maggie is so excited, and oh⁠—”

“We get it,” they both said in unison. “She gets excited. She wants all of her boys to be happy.”

“I do really, really like Lincoln. I guess I just didn’t expect this.”

Elsa’s gaze sobered. “It’ll be okay. Lincoln is such a good man.”

“I know he is.” My throat was tight with emotion. “I, um, had a really bad breakup.”

“Well, that sucks,” Kendall said flatly. “Whose ass do we need to kick?”

I glanced between them, realizing she was completely serious. “No one you know and no one who’s ever going to be here.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Just then the office phone rang, and I glanced back toward my desk.

“I really need to take this call.”