Page 48 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

He’s going to scream at him, and this poor teenager is going to cry in front of his friends. He’ll be talking about it in therapy when he’s thirty…

It took her a moment to realize that the reason Aidan wasn’t yelling was that he was laughing so hard he wasn’t even making a sound.

“Oh,” the boy said.

“The pretzel,” Aidan gasped, bent over with mirth. “Right to the goat… You couldn’t do it again if you tried.”

Suddenly, the boy was laughing too, though more with relief than anything else.

Kenzie was fully stunned. She shook her head, her eye landing on Michael, who arched one brow and eyed her, as if to say he was impressed with her. Though what she had to do with it, she had no idea.

Aidan finally wiped his eyes and straightened up.

“That was funny, but you’ll be more careful on that thing in a crowd from now on, right?” he said in a gruff but gentle tone.

“Of course,” the boy said. “But, your shirt...”

“I’ll throw it in the wash when I get home,” Aidan said, shrugging. “Be safe.”

“Thank you,” the kid said, heading off to join his friends.

“Your pretzel, Daddy,” Walt said sadly as Aidan peeled off his flannel and rolled it up, mustard-side in.

The charcoal gray thermal shirt he wore underneath showed off his narrow waist and muscular arms and chest so well that Kenzie had to look away for a minute.

“I lost my pretzel,” Aidan said. “But just think, we got a funny story to tell everyone, and this is the best day in that goat’s whole life.”

Kenzie giggled, glancing over at the goat, who was watching them with what she chose to believe was a hopeful expression.

“You can have a bite of my pretzel, Daddy,” Walt said, holding it up.

“Come get another one on the house, kid,” the soft pretzel man called out in a friendly voice.

“We’re okay,” Aidan told him. “Thank you.”

“Nonsense,” the man replied. “It’s my new Buy-Three-Get-One-Free deal.”

Aidan jogged over and got his replacement, sticking a bill in the tip jar when the man turned away, and then squirting mustard on the new pretzel before coming back to join them at the table.

“Now what?” he asked as he sat on the bench on the other side of Walt.

“I want to see the animals,” the boy squeaked excitedly.

“Okay,” Aidan told him. “But keep your wits about you when we get to the goats. I hear one of them has a taste for pretzels.”

Walt laughed his adorable throaty laugh and Aidan winked at Kenzie over his head. He looked so relaxed and happy, and it made him more handsome than ever.

This is the Aidan Webb I remember from back in school, she thought to herself in awe.

They spent the day enjoying everything Cassidy Farm had to offer. Walt saw all the big farm animals and even fed the ducks from the little bridge over the pond.

He played on the playground, and the three of them went through the corn maze, laughing all the way. And they even explored the plant nursery on their way to admire the big Christmas display.

On the other side of the yard past the nursery, a forest of fresh cut Christmas trees cut off the view of the parking area. The scent was incredible, and Kenzie wondered if she was even going to get herself a tree. She’d been alone for Christmas before when she was in a production, but during those times, she’d been too busy to dwell on the idea. It would be strange to spend the holiday in the house without her parents.

It’s too much trouble to do a tree when I’m on crutches, she decided. Besides, remembering that it’s Christmas will make me sad if I’m alone and not even dancing.

“You okay?” Aidan asked, concern in his eyes.

---