Page 36 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

“I haven’t read them yet,” she said carefully after a moment. “But yes, I like this kind of book, if that’s what you mean. I like books about found family and I like stories to have a happy ending.”

He only grunted noncommittally.

“What?” she said, ready for him to tell her that romance books were silly.

“It’s nice for stories to have a happy ending,” he said, shrugging.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

She nodded back, wondering what kind of maniac would disagree.

“But real life isn’t like that,” Aidan said, gesturing to the books that now rested on the table in front of her.

“Oh no?” she asked. “What would your aunt and uncle say to that? Seems to me you have a perfect example of a happy ending right in your own family.”

He blinked at her as if he hadn’t thought about that.

“And why should entertainment be realistic anyway?” she demanded. “It seems like nobody cares about realism when a man has a science fiction book in his hand, even though that’s nothing like real life.”

Aidan’s eyebrows shot up and he looked like someone had slapped him. He was getting her point, all right. She waited for him to pull himself together and double down on his backward ideas about what a person should read. But he surprised her instead.

“You’re right,” he said simply, making eye contact with her again. “Sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay,” she said, shrugging and looking back down at her books. “You’re not the only person to think that a man and woman falling in love and being happy is less realistic than Jurassic Park.”

He made a funny little sound, and she looked up, stunned to realize that Aidan Webb was chuckling.

“Are you laughing at me?” she demanded, smiling at him so he would know she was teasing.

He was looking at her with softness in his eyes and her heart fluttered helplessly in her chest.

“Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds,” Declan said suddenly from the doorway. “But I’m double-parked out front, so we should probably start unloading.”

“Right,” Aidan said, straightening up quickly, his usual frown back on his face. “Let’s go. Stay in here, Kenzie.”

“Happy to help,” she quipped, grabbing a book.

Aidan didn’t react, but Declan chuckled.

“Hey, my mom is reading that one,” he said, indicating the book in her hand.

Naturally, she had grabbed the one with the couple and the little boy on it.

“How is it?” she asked.

“Well, she was reading it last night and again at the breakfast table,” Declan said. “So I’m going to guess pretty good.”

“Perfect,” Kenzie said happily.

The men headed out to start the project, and she settled in with her book.

She got into it quickly, in spite of the sounds in the other room, and was happy for the distraction. As soon as Aidan pointed out that working with the big mirrors was dangerous she had been worrying about it in the back of her mind. But the book really was good, and she found herself getting lost in it until her eyelids started feeling heavy.

Kenzie snapped awake, and for a moment she was completely confused. The window seat was drenched in sunlight now, and the book lay on her chest. She must have dozed off for a minute.

No noises came from the family room anymore. The house was completely silent except for the gurgle of the radiator and the faint sound of chickadees chirping in the big tree out front.

She stretched and got up, grabbing her crutches, and heading back to the family room. It was much brighter than usual, and it took Kenzie a second to realize that it was because the mirrors were up, reflecting afternoon light all over the room.

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