Page 26 of Under the Mistletoe

“Still sleeping on the sofa.”

“I’m not surprised. You two had a long night.”

“Yes, we did.” He poured the coffee as he asked, “Sugar and cream?”

“Yes, please.” I motioned my head towards the fridge. “The creamer is in the side door.”

“Got it.”

He added the sugar and creamer, then brought the cup over to me. I took it from his hand and immediately took a sip. “Perfect.”

“You up for eating a bite?”

"No. Not just yet.” I placed my palm on my stomach. “I’m still a little queasy.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” he chuckled. “You’re still a little green around the edges.”

“Gee, thanks. I’ll remember that the next time you catch the flu.”

Before he could fire back, the front door creaked open, and my mom’s voice rang out. “Beck? “

“In the kitchen.”

Seconds later, I heard my mother gasp, and then silence. She must’ve spotted Ava sleeping on the sofa and didn’t want to wakeher. After a few moments, she appeared in the kitchen with wide eyes and a confused expression. “How in the world?”

“Torch.” I glanced at Torch, who just shrugged like it was no big deal. “He and Ava spent most of the night putting everything up.”

“Is that right?” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Torch, then back at me. “Well, it looks beautiful.”

“Yes, it does,” I said, cutting her off before she could launch into a critique of everything they’d done. “So, what are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you, of course.” She waved a hand dismissively. “You sounded awful last night, and you still look like you don’t feel well.”

“That’s because I don’t.”

“Then, get back in bed.”

“I will in a...,” I started, but she gave mea look—the one that could wither you into submission with a single raised eyebrow.

“Bed,” she said firmly. Then she turned to Torch. “And you—thank you for everything you’ve done. It was really sweet of you to take care of my girls.”

“No problem.” Torch stood, and his lips twitched with amusement as he glanced over at me. “Looks like you're finally getting rid of me.”

“You don’t have to go.”

“I do, but I’ll be back later to see how you’re doing.” He gave me a wink, then said, “See you ladies later.”

With that, he was out the door, leaving me alone with Mom’s no-nonsense glare. “What was that all about?”

“I have no idea.”

“I’ve always known that boy had a thing for you.”

“What?”

“It’s true.” She walked over and poured herself some coffee. “He was crazy about you, and it was rough on him when you left.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

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