Page 43 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

He honestly wasn’t sure what he would do if he couldn’t stay on the move for work. It was understandable now why she had walked into town the other night to see the lights.

He focused on work again, managing to knock out the second barre and check everything carefully in what felt like no time.

“Hey,” he said, sticking his head in the kitchen door.

The two of them were curled up in the window seat now. Walt was leaning on Kenzie’s shoulder as they looked at the black and white photos in a massive book that was the oldest of the selections Miss Caroline at the library had made for them. She’d thought Walt might not be ready for it for a while, but he was gazing down at the images with real interest.

Kenzie looked up and smiled gently at Aidan, making his heart throb like she was squeezing it in her hand.

“I think we’re all set,” he said gruffly, tearing his eyes from hers. “Want to come out and make sure you like the way it looks?”

“Wow, Walt,” Kenzie said. “I have barres and mirrors in my house now, just like the ones Stephanie is using in the book. Should we go check it out?”

Walt scrambled out of the window seat so fast Aidan was afraid he was going to knock something over.

“Careful, buddy,” he told his son. “We should let Kenzie go out first, since this is for her.”

Walt’s little lower lip stuck out and quivered.

“How about if Walt comes with me at the same time?” Kenzie offered before he could melt down. “We can do a countdown and then both walk in at once.”

“Yeah,” Walt piped up.

“Okay,” Aidan said, joining in the fun in spite of himself. “Three…”

“Two…” Walt squeaked.

“One,” Kenzie said. “Let’s go.”

The doorway was really too narrow for both of them, but Walt slipped through and then waited for his new friend and they both walked fully into the family room together.

“It’s beautiful,” Kenzie said excitedly.

“Look,” Walt said, running to one of the barres and practically swinging from it.

“Gently,” Kenzie told him with a smile. “Can you do first position?”

Walt stood up straight and moved his feet around. Aidan had no idea if he was right or not, but it made Kenzie smile.

“Yes,” she told him. “You’re incredible, Walt.”

Walt’s chest puffed up and he looked so proud that Aidan had to smile too.

“Now you,” Walt yelled to Kenzie.

She leaned her crutches gently against the sofa and hopped lightly over to the other barre.

Aidan watched as she dropped her head, inhaled as she came back up, and suddenly seemed to be two inches taller, her rib cage practically floating above her waist and hips.

“I can’t move my feet very well,” she told Walt. “But I can do some of the arm exercises.”

Walt let go of the barre to watch her with great interest.

Kenzie lifted one arm above her head, soft and rounded as she fell forward and swept herself around until she was bending backward almost even with the barre itself, before swirling back to the front and straightening again, a big smile on her face the whole time.

“Oh, that feels so good,” she said happily, spinning around to do it again on the other side.

Aidan watched her with his jaw on the floor. He had thought this whole project was a little silly. After all, she would be on her feet again soon enough, and then she would be back in New York with her ballet company and everything she needed.

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