Page 12 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

“I had a big job cancel,” he said, trying not to wince at the thought of it. “I thought we’d come out here for a couple of weeks since we had the time.”

“Well, if you’re looking for work out this way, I have a friend who needs a contractor to redo a room for her,” Mallory said, glancing up at him with interest.

Aidan frowned. He had planned to spend time with family, but he could already sense that he was getting on his aunt’s nerves being underfoot all the time. And he was pretty sure he could easily find a sitter for Walt with all his connections in his hometown.

Besides, how was he supposed to say no to this perfectly nice woman who he’d taken on the worst date ever?

“Sure,” he said. “Give me the address. I’ll stop by on my way home.”

“Wow,” she said, brightening up again. “Great. I’ll jot it down for you. Go around to the back door when you get there.”

He watched her scrawl down an address over on Vassar on his receipt, wondering why he was supposed to go to the back door. Maybe it was an older person and they had a hard time hearing the doorbell.

Either way, his willingness to help them out seemed to have softened Mallory’s attitude toward him. She was actually smiling as she handed him the receipt.

If he ended up taking the job, then maybe it would feel like they were even, and he wouldn’t have to worry about picking up bread next time.

Aidan liked that idea.

4

KENZIE

Kenzie stood in the family room in her pajamas, with a fruit roll-up hanging out of her mouth like a cigar, trying to make sure she had everything she needed before she lowered herself to the sofa at last.

The groceries were somehow loaded in and put away. She had a Christmas movie going on the television. The TV remote, her phone, and her water bottle were at the ready on the little table by the sofa.

She was carrying her movie snack in her mouth since she’d had the water bottle and both crutches coming back in here and her pajamas didn’t have pockets.

Her phone buzzed on the table. She could see from here that she had a text from Mal. Just as she was getting ready to put down the crutches and sit to check it, there was a knock at the back door. Probably just Mal. It made sense that she was texting to say she was stopping by.

“Coming,” she called out as she hauled herself in the direction of the door.

But when she swung it open, it wasn’t Mal waiting there at all.

Instead, Aidan Webb stood on the other side, looking every bit as tall, dark, and handsome as before. Only this time instead of looking angry, he looked almost… surprised, like he wasn’t the one knocking on her door unexpectedly.

“Oh no,” she sighed, fearing the worst. “Did your bumper fall off or something? I will pay for it. I promise.”

“What?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

She realized belatedly that she had a mouthful of fruit roll-up garbling her words.

“Sorry,” she said, juggling the crutches to remove the snack and trying not to think about the fact that she was also in her pajamas. “I was asking if your truck was okay?”

He blinked at her for a second.

“No,” he said at last. “I mean, yes, it’s fine. I’m not here about that.”

“Oh,” she said, wondering what in the world he would be doing at her door if it wasn’t about the truck.

For another second he just stared down at her, looking like he was trying to solve a puzzle or something.

Probably the riddle of why I’m in my pajamas, eating a giant fruit roll-up at ten o’clock in the morning.

“I heard someone in this house needed some work done,” he said. “I’m the carpenter. Mallory from the bakery sent me over.”

“Oh,” she said, realizing that must have been the reason Mal was texting. “Yes, that’s me. I wanted to put a barre in here, and some mirrors.”

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