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“You have a little filling, right here,” Miriam said, instead of answering Noelle’s question. She leaned over, brushing her thumb over the corner of Noelle’s mouth before licking the filling off the pad of her finger, never taking her eyes from Noelle’s.

“That was evil,” Noelle said, desire sparking all along her body, little dancing flames along her skin. She was trying so hard to behave, but Miriam was making it so difficult. “I didn’t know you had an evil streak.”

“I had a fiancée,” Miriam said. “I hadn’t started flirting yet.”

“I thought we agreed—”

Miriam’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “We agreed we weren’t dating. We didn’t agree I couldn’t flirt with you. Although I’ll stop, if you want me to.”

Noelle did not want her to stop.

“I’m going to bed before I get into trouble.” She stepped deliberately away, shaking her head and smiling a little, her hands flexing in a battle to take control from her brain and touch Miriam, everywhere. “Save me some rugelach for the morning.”

Chapter 12

Miriam

Miriam did not sleep that night, just listened to Soul Asylum and watched pastry cool until the sun rose. Her skin felt hungry, and the butterflies in her stomach were starting to reproduce at an alarming rate. Noelle disturbed her life, made her think about her choices, made her be present in her body. A month ago, Miriam would have said that was the last thing she wanted, but now she couldn’t stop wanting it.

She missed Cole. If he were here, he would distract her.

She’d made him go home, to Charleston, to his boat and his job (whatever that was). Cole had tried to convince her he could stay through Christmas, that he could set up an office here. She loved, so much, that he would offer to make his life wherever she was, but she couldn’t let him. “I’m FaceTiming you EVERY DAY,” he’d said. “If you need me, I will break the sound barrier to get here to you.”

“I know,” she’d told him, and shehadknown. Her heart had understood that he would always have her back, no matter what, and that allowed her to let him out of her sight. Tara and Charleston might have been temporary, but Cole was her person forever.

She called him once the sun was up, his huge face appearing on her screen.

“Miriam Blum, are you eating rugelach for breakfast?” he asked, instead of saying hello.

“I mean, it’s a breakfast food,” she said, defensively.

“I haven’t seen you eat a vegetable since you got to Carrigan’s, except for three candied carrots at Thanksgiving.”

“There were potatoes with dinner yesterday!” Miriam protested. “I take a multivitamin!”

“Potatoes are a carb,” he recited, a little primly.

“Nicholas Jedediah Fraser,” she said, “you sound like your mother. It is not a good look.” Telling Cole he was behaving like his mother was the fastest way to get him to stop doing whatever awful, WASP-y thing he didn’t realize he was doing. Like food policing.

“Oh, jeez, babe, I’m sorry,” he said immediately, his eyes widening with horror. “Can I start over? Are you okay? Are you hiding? Why are you still in bed? Wait, let me put my phone down.” The angle changed steeply and then he was back, his chin propped on his fist.

“I haven’t slept yet,” she admitted. “If I tell you something, will you promise to try so, so hard not to make fun of me?”

Cole rubbed his hands together in mock villainous glee. “I will solemnly promise to try.”

“I have”—Miriam grimaced—“a crush. On Noelle.” She hid her face in her hands before peeking through her fingers at Cole.

He was trying to school his face into something that resembled shock. He failed.

“Miriam, I’m sorry, did you think this was a secret?” he asked. “Your pupils dilate, your cheeks flush, and your hairline sweats. Like, the moment she walks into a room. You’re basically a walking pheromone.”

“She’s so hot,” Miriam sighed. “But you didn’t say anything. You’ve never not said anything. Ever. About anything.”

Cole shrugged. “I was waiting for you to be ready to talk about it.”

“I can’t really, right? Have feelings for her? It’s just that I’m grieving Cass and searching for some kind of lifeboat, and I snagged on Noelle because she loved Cass, too.” Miriam asked. “Please tell me I’m imagining this. I’ve known her for like four minutes.”

“Or you’ve been in close proximity for a month and a half,” Cole said, “and sometimes it only takes a minute to meet the right one. It’s true she’s not your usual type. She’s not blondeorintense and disconcerting. I guess you might be rebounding. But I did say we were going to find love up in the mountains!”