Chapter Eight
Ali took a deep breath before knocking on her mom’s front door. She didn’t wait for a response before opening it, but despite her mom telling her she didn’t need to knock, Ali felt strongly that it was inappropriate to barge into anyone’s house without knocking.
Her mom, a slight woman with dyed-blond hair cut in a neat bob, hovered over the island in the small kitchen. “Glad you’re here. I need your help.”
“Hi, Mom.” Ali placed the grocery bag on the counter and reached for an apron.
“No, I don’t need you in here. Your brother is helping me already.”
Ali looked around for any sign of Tommy.
“I need you to set the table. Use the red napkins.”
Ali closed her eyes. She hated those stupid napkins. They were scratchy and made of some synthetic material that did not absorb anything. But her mom insisted.
“Anne said she saw you and Kyle talking at the store. How is he doing?”
This town and the busybodies with nothing better to do were going to be the death of her. Most of what she owned was still in boxes; maybe she could load it all on a truck and just drive as far from here as possible.
“Mom, are you serious? I ran into Kyle at the store getting the things you asked me to pick up. How is that newsworthy in any way?” She folded the napkins the way her mom liked as she moved around the table setting one at each place. “Anne needs to get some hobbies,” she said under her breath.
Her mom pulled a casserole dish out of the oven. “You two were so good together. I’m sure he’d give you another chance if you just talked to him.”
“Mom.” Ali forced herself to take a deep breath. Where the fuck was Tommy? “I have zero interest in being married to Kyle. Which is why we got divorced.”
Her mom tutted.
“Mom, leave her alone. Kyle’s a douche.”
“Thomas! Language.”
Tommy smiled at Ali. “You taught me the power of using descriptive language. It’s not my fault that the best adjectives to describe Kyle are douche and canoe.”
Ali snorted. She caught Tommy’s eye and mouthed Thank you.
“I do not understand what went wrong between you two. You have so much history.”
Ali walked to the china cabinet to get the plates they only used at Christmas. She gave herself a moment to take several deep breaths before returning. “Mom, you don’t have to understand why Kyle and I aren’t married anymore, but you do have to stop meddling.”
Her mom held up her hands as if surrendering. “I’m sure he’d enter the holiday contest with him if you asked.”
Ali laughed. “He’s entering with his new girlfriend and, actually, JT and I are going to compete together.”
“Tommy’s JT?” Their mom’s face looked like she was trying to do complex math in her head.
“You are?” Tommy asked. “That’s great! She’s always wanted to beat her siblings. You guys are going to have fun.” His grin spread. “I can’t wait to see Kyle’s face when you two mop the floor with him.”
Ali was grateful for a baby brother who was always on her side, especially when her mom was up to her usual matchmaking shenanigans.
She felt a pang knowing that Tommy had no idea that JT didn’t simply drive her home the night before, but she quickly pushed it out of her head.
They were competing as friends. Nothing more.
If she’d spent too much time this morning lingering over their series of heated kisses, Tommy didn’t need to know that.
Neither did her mom. But it also didn’t mean she wouldn’t spend some more time later thinking about JT’s lips and her tongue in Ali’s mouth and the way her hands ached to touch JT.
She flexed her hands, willing them not to tingle at the mere thought of JT’s hair wrapped around her fingers and the soft skin of her neck when Ali pulled their lips together.
No. She’d let her daydreams flood back in later.
Ali’s mom startled her out of her thoughts with a hand on Ali’s shoulder. “I did hear Kyle’s dating again. But I’m sure if you called him—”
“Mom. I am not getting back together with Kyle. He’s moved on, and I have no interest in a repeat of the last decade.”
Her mom opened her mouth, but Ali shook her head to silence her. “No, Mom. I am not ever going to be Mrs. Kyle Canterbury ever again.”
Her mom walked back to the stove, but Ali heard her mutter, “Never say never.”
Ali deserved a medal for not throwing one of the very special Christmas plates at the wall. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket.
It’s JT. I know you’re with your family but text me when you’re ready for me to come help you. Any time. I’m going to need an escape from these people.
Ali turned toward the china cupboard to hide her smile.
She scanned the room. Her mom had asked her to come over that morning to help set up for Christmas Eve dinner, but there was no way she was going to hang around all day.
She had a house to put together, and spending that many hours listening to her mom harp on her failed marriage wasn’t going to be good for anyone.
She typed out a reply and smiled when the reply came almost instantly.
Ali finished setting the table feeling much lighter knowing that she was going to see JT in a couple hours.
That was normal friend stuff, right?