Mistletoe and Ivy by Jacqueline Ramsden

Author:Jacqueline Ramsden [Ramsden, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2021-12-13T00:00:00+00:00

Ten

Kit wasn’t nervous, she wasn’t nervous at all. She was drinking chamomile tea because she liked the flavor and not because she needed something soothing.

Except she wasn’t sure she liked the flavor at all.

She was staring at her cup, wishing she’d gone for her usual peppermint tea, when her mom wandered in and paused, sniffing.

“Chamomile? Interesting choice.” There was a hint of a smirk on her face that Kit did not enjoy.

“No, Mother. Sausage casserole would be an interesting choice of tea, chamomile is very regular,” she replied, shooting her mom a quick look.

Caroline laughed and moved towards the kettle, filling it up and boiling it again. “That would be an odd choice for sure, but this one is no less interesting.”

Kit sighed. She knew there was no way she was getting out of it, especially not after the grilling she’d gotten from the rest of the Gunderson household after the party. Isabelle had decided the first topic of conversation while they cleaned up needed to be her leaving Kit and Ivy under the mistletoe. Ever her mother’s daughter, Story had jumped in to announce she’d told Ivy to take Kit skiing, and Kit was forced to tell them all that yes, she had gotten Ivy’s number, and yes, they were going skiing, but no, that did not mean they were anything other than friends.

But now, she was sitting in the kitchen, ready over an hour early and nursing a chamomile tea to calm her nerves. She knew that looked incriminating.

“Any chance this is to help you calm your nerves before your date with Ivy Stringer?” her mom said with a very over-the-top and uncomfortable wink. Kit hoped she never did that again.

“It’s not a date.”

“Just because you’re refusing to call it that, doesn’t mean it’s not one.”

“You went out for coffee with Mrs. Chen last weekend. Was that a date?”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Yes, dear. I have decided to take up with Mrs. Chen from next door. Her husband is thrilled for us, my sexuality changed, and all it took was a cup of coffee at Jupiter’s.”

“Hilarious, Mother.”

Kit watched her mom take a mug and a teabag from the cupboard, pour the water, and fill the room with the fresh, crisp, wintery scent of peppermint tea. It was such a sweet, pleasant aroma. Kit wished again she’d gone for that instead of her ridiculous attempt at a relaxing chamomile.

“Here,” Caroline said, reaching across the kitchen island to place the freshly brewed tea in front of Kit. “You look like you might enjoy this more.”

Kit smiled affectionately as Caroline took the remaining three-quarters of chamomile tea for herself. It was very hard to be annoyed when her mom was being so lovely.

She took a tiny sip of the peppermint tea, knowing it was too hot and had not finished brewing but desperate for the sparkling taste. Even that minuscule amount soothed her more than the quarter cup of chamomile had.

“It’s really not a date,” Kit said when she opened her eyes from savoring the tea to find Caroline watching her.

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