Free Endre (Elsker Saga Book 2) by S.T. Bende Page A

bout of pre-honeymoon jitters, a freshly swept and mopped floor. Everything was spic and span.
    “What a lovely home, Kristia,” Olaug praised.
    “Thank you.” Heat crept across my cheeks as I made my way back to the foyer. “Let me take your coat.”
    With the coat tucked away in the closet, I followed Olaug toward the kitchen. “Can I get you anything? Tea, or a sandwich, or maybe some cookies?”
    “Actually my dear, I brought you something. Oh good, you do have a stand mixer. Makes it so much easier.” Olaug made herself at home in my kitchen, unpacking the grocery bag and rooting through drawers until she pulled out our mixing bowls. “This will do nicely.”
    “What are we making?” My smile was genuine. It had been so long since I’d cooked with Mormor. Continuing the tradition with Olaug was an unexpected perk of becoming a Myhr.
    “There’s no way I can allow you to marry my grandson without teaching you to make his favorite waffles.” Olaug rooted around my kitchen until she found the aprons. She handed one to me and tied the other around her waist. “Suit up, Kristia. We have much to cover.”
    “You’re teaching me to make your waffles? Your Norsk Waffles? The recipe Inga’s been trying to get out of you forever?”
    “The very one.”
    “Wow.” I exhaled. “This is huge.”
    “You are family now. I always knew I would share my recipe with Ull’s bride, I just didn’t know I’d have to wait this long to meet her.”
    When the apron was tied tightly around my back, I pulled out a fresh hand towel. “Is this a goddess lesson day, too? I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface, and there’s not a lot of time left.”
    “I feel the same way.” Olaug plugged in the mixer. “Do you have time to go over some things? If not, we can just make a quick batch of waffles and I will get out of your hair.”
    “No! Stay, please. My afternoon is free as a bee.”
    “Excellent. Then please hand me three eggs.”
    “Hold on. I won’t remember all of this.” I ran to my bedroom and returned with a notebook and a pen. “Okay. Go.”
    Olaug chuckled. “You do realize much about being of Asgard will be instinctual, don’t you? The relationships, the extrasensory enhancements, they are just going to come to you as you go along. They are not things that can be taught.”
    “Maybe. But I also know an extra half-teaspoon of vanilla can completely wreck a batch of chocolate chip cookies. And I’m not taking any chances with Ull’s waffles.”
    “Fair enough.” Olaug smiled. “Whip the eggs thoroughly.” My pen flew across the paper as I took verbatim dictation. “Make sure the butter is completely melted, and do not overuse the cardamom. You will want to, but the savory should never overpower the sweet.”
    “How much do I use?”
    “Some.”
    “I’m going to need something more specific than that.” Compulsion wasn’t a hat one could just take off.
    “I’ve never measured it. I just use some.”
    I dug through a drawer until I came up with measuring spoons. “How about this. I’ll hold these over the bowl so I can measure what ‘some’ means and write it down.”
    Olaug smiled. “If you wish.” She added the remaining ingredients and patted my hand. “The sugar comes next. Whip it into the eggs until the mixture is slightly stiff.”
    She continued, adding her personal touches to each ingredient as she cooked. Finally, the batter was ready.
    “Oops. Should have plugged my waffle iron in sooner. Sorry!” I moved to pull my iron from the cupboard, but Olaug put a hand to my arm.
    “Norsk waffles have their own kind of iron.” She pulled a heart shaped waffle maker from the bottom of the grocery bag. It heated quickly, and in no time we sat at the kitchen table with two fresh cups of Earl Grey and a batch of homemade waffles.
    “These are amazing.” Flavor danced around the corners of my mouth as I took another bite. “Even better than the ones at the church.”
    “I