Page 54 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

When he lifted her out, he swore she was holding her breath.

“Everything okay?” he asked, setting her gently on the ground and wishing immediately that she was in his arms again.

“Fine,” she said a little breathlessly.

He nodded and grabbed her crutches, handing them to her and watching as she gamely swung herself along beside him.

“I guess that hurts after a while,” he said, looking at the crutches.

“I’m sort of used to a certain amount of physical pain,” she said, shaking her head. “And I’m glad I can get around again. This is going to be so awesome.”

They headed in through the main entrance, Aidan feeling a lightness in his step that he hadn’t even noticed had been missing.

16

AIDAN

Aidan had to smile as he walked Kenzie out of the department store. He was carrying so many bags that he thought he might have to run them out to the truck before they grabbed lunch.

“What are you smiling at?” she teased.

“You shop like my Aunt Leticia,” he said, shaking his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

“You shop like you’re on a mission,” he said, thinking about it. “You headed straight for the sale racks and made your way right through before you hit the toy department with that coupon. I felt like I was twelve again.”

“I got a lot on my budget though, didn’t I?” she asked.

“You bought out half the store,” he said. “You even got them clothes the next size up.”

“You never know when a growth spurt will hit,” she said, shaking her head. “It would be awful to have no new clothes at Christmas just because you grew an extra inch since Thanksgiving.”

“Wow,” he said, impressed that she would think of that when she didn’t have kids of her own.

“It happens in the middle of The Nutcracker sometimes,” she explained. “The costume crew will have to suddenly let out the kids’ clothes for the party scene.”

“I never even thought about that,” he admitted.

“Anyway, I think we did well in there,” Kenzie said, eyeing the bags he was carrying. “And hopefully the mom will be happy with the gift card if there’s anything I missed.”

“You thought of everything,” Aidan told her, meaning it. “Are you ready for some lunch?”

“Sure,” she told him.

“There’s a nice sit-down restaurant on the other side of the mall,” he told her. “It’s authentic Italian food.”

“That sounds nice,” she said, nodding. But the sparkle was gone from her eyes.

He hadn’t thought she was a snob, but maybe in New York you didn’t eat at random restaurants. After all, she had said she hadn’t been to a mall since she was a kid.

“We don’t have to eat here,” he told her. “We can eat wherever you want.”

She bit her lip and he felt a pang of guilt. Maybe she had just wanted company for a shopping trip, and she didn’t want to have to eat with him.

“Or I can just take you home?” he offered.

“No, no,” she said, smiling up at him again. “It’s just…”

---