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Danni shifted her weight, looking more serious than Eleanor had ever seen her. “We’re married,” she said. “If we put both properties in both of our names, then it would make things morecomplicated. He’d need both of our signatures in order to sell. It might make him reconsider, or just complicate things so much that he walks away.”

For a second, Eleanor could say nothing. When she finally did, her voice was about an octave too high. “Are you insane?”

Danni blinked. “I mean, probably, sometimes, maybe, I’m trying to run a farm single-handed, after all. But that seems unrelated to the subject at hand.”

“That house has been in my family for generations. It’s my home.”

“And this farm is my home,” said Danni. “Which is why I’m trying to keep both of them safe.”

Eleanor’s stomach twisted and felt sour. She knew that Danni was only trying to help. But the idea of tying her entire legacy to someone else, even someone as dependable as Danni, made her insides churn.

“You don’t want my name on the house,” Danni said, voice low.

“It’s not that,” Eleanor began. “It’s…”

Danni held up both hands in surrender. “It’s alright, it’s fine. It was just an idea. No need to get defensive, Princess. I was only thinking aloud.”

Eleanor winced. “I know, I just…” She broke off, pressing her fingers to her temples. “This whole situation is spiraling. I’m not used to relying on other people.”

“I was good enough to save your house once,” Danni pointed out. “I mean, you did marry me to get it. I just thought…” She stopped, took a breath, and nodded. “It’s fine, I forget sometimes that you’re Little Miss Independent.”

Eleanor shot her a look, but Danni’s expression was warm, understanding, a little hurt perhaps, but not angry. At least not as far as Eleanor could tell. “Is this our first fight?” she asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“God no,” said Danni with a grin. “I’m pretty sure we had that when you ran your sports car into my tractor.”

“You mean when you drove your tractor into my MG,” Eleanorsaid. She sipped her drink again. “I, um, I know that you were just trying to be helpful before.”

Danni nudged her foot under the table. “That’s what I do. I’m a very helpful person. Full of help, I am, absolutely brimming with it.”

Eleanor finally let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’re infuriating.”

“And yet, here you are, still talking to me.”

Eleanor glanced at her, feeling something shift in her chest. Danni was still sitting there, apple core abandoned on the table, tilting her head to one side and smiling and listening, and Eleanor realized, for what felt like the first time in a very long time, that perhaps she wasn’t alone in all of this.

For the first time in her life, someone was standing beside her. Even if currently that person happened to be sitting opposite her.

Her heart pounded in her chest. “I, um…”

Danni cocked an eyebrow. “You… what?”

Eleanor swallowed. “I appreciate it. This. You.”

“I know that,” Danni said, grinning.

Something in the air changed. The tension that had begun to simmer when Danni had made her suggestion coalesced into something else, a different kind of tension, one Eleanor was becoming more familiar with. Perhaps she should step back before she did something reckless, something that might change the situation. But Eleanor didn’t think she could. Didn’t want to.

She stood up, walking around the table, going to stand next to Danni, to pick up her hand. She stroked Danni’s wrist with her thumb. “I don’t want to fight.”

She saw Danni’s breath hitch. “Then don’t.”

Which was all the encouragement that Eleanor needed. She bent down, hair falling over her space, closing the distance between them, pressing her lips to Danni’s in a kiss that was far too soft, far too tender, for the chaotic feelings that were running through her head.

Danni’s hands found her waist, she scooted her chair back,pulling Eleanor in and down until Eleanor was sitting astride her. Eleanor melted against her, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that this could be another mistake, that she was getting in so deep and so fast.

But just at the moment, she really didn’t care a jot.