A Perfect Christmas Gift: A Clean and Wholesome Christmas Romance (Kringle, Texas Book 1) by Lori Wilde

Author:Lori Wilde [Wilde, Lori]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Epiphany Orchards Press LLC
Published: 2019-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

“Peter wants to go look at Christmas trees,” Ruby said in the kitchen the next morning.

“What?” Was her mother getting involved with Peter Thomas again? An uneasy feeling rippled over her.

Ruby continued reading the news on her tablet computer and never looked up at her daughter. “I said yes. You’re expected to come as well.”

“Expected?” Chloe sank her hands on her hips.

“Peter would appreciate it if you’d join us,” her mother amended. “And so would I.”

“Okay.” Chloe went to the breadbox, took out two slices of whole wheat bread, and dropped them into the toaster. Truthfully, she’d like to have a nice quiet day without Peter Thomas in it. The man annoyed her. He didn’t seem a bit interested in the people of Kringle, no matter what he claimed.

Well, most of them anyway.

He definitely was interested in Ruby; that much was clear. Flirting with her mother was the only time Peter seemed to get off his phone.

Thankfully, though, Mom didn’t seem to have the slightest interest in him. She was polite, but that was it. She didn’t fawn or fuss over him like she’d once done, which Chloe felt was a splendid thing. He wasn’t a nice man. She felt bad that he’d had a heart attack, but that didn’t mean she was willing to overlook his glaring flaws.

Peter Thomas was an insincere phony. The only thing that perplexed her was what her mother had seen in him all those years ago, and why was she hanging out with him now.

Whatever qualities had attracted her mother to him back then were no longer visible. At least not to Chloe.

Her toast popped up, and Chloe topped it with smashed avocado. Then she joined her mother at the small bistro table near the window.

Growing up, breakfast had been a lively occasion. Her father loved breakfast, so he’d cook bacon, eggs, and hash browns most mornings. He wore a white, frayed apron that said, “Kiss the Cook,” and made a big production about stealing a kiss from her mother.

Her dad passed away ten years ago, but Chloe still missed him deeply. He’d been a kind-hearted man with a big laugh and unending love for his family. Exactly the sort of man she wanted to marry one day and raise a family with.

This time of the year, it was especially difficult. Her father, like her mother, had loved Christmas. He’d decorate the house from the top of the roof to the shrubs in the front yard and had their house glowing with lights and dancing Christmas figurines. Her mother teased that he was just a big kid at heart, but her father hadn’t minded.

Instead, he’d grab her around the waist, dip her for a long kiss, and say, “Don’t you forget it.”

He’d been such a big softy too. He was the reason Chloe had become a vet. He’d brought home every stray that had ever crossed his path. He felt all creatures deserved a loving home, and his compassion didn’t stop with animals.

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