Page 61 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

Mal handed out lists and put everyone to work, giving Kenzie the job of laying a tissue paper bed into each basket before the others set to work filling it.

“The only trouble with this is that our mouths will be watering the whole time,” Ana teased, as she put peppermint frosted mini-brownies into the first basket when Kenzie handed it off.

“Not to worry,” Mal said, pointing to a pastry box on the counter. “Those are the not-quite-perfect treats. We’ll feast on those when we take our first break.”

“Yes,” Kenzie said with a smile.

“It must be nice to get to eat whatever you want for a while,” Valerie said.

“It is,” Kenzie told her.

“I guess you have to live it up now,” Ana said sympathetically. “When you go back to New York, you’ll be down to nothing but yogurt, is that right? Is that what dancers eat?”

“Yes,” Kenzie said, laughing. “We do eat a lot of yogurt, and fruits and vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs, and whatever is high in protein and won’t slow us down. But I’m not sure I’m going back.”

“Really?” Valerie asked.

“Your leg is going to be fine,” Mal said firmly. “I’m sure of it.”

“My grandmother offered to let me run the ballet theatre with her if I stay,” Kenzie said before she could stop herself.

There was absolute silence for a moment.

“What?” Mal asked.

“She told me when I went over there the other day, after I left here with Natalie,” Kenzie said. “I wasn’t really ready to talk about it then, but I think I am now.”

“It’s an excellent backup plan if you can’t keep dancing,” Valerie said. “Your grandmother runs a tight ship.”

“I’m thinking of doing it either way,” Kenzie said. It felt good to say it out loud.

“Does this have anything to do with a certain Aidan Webb?” Mal asked with a furrow in her brow.

“Gosh no,” Kenzie said, shaking her head. “I have no idea what’s going on with him.”

To her absolute horror, tears threatened again, and she had to press her lips together and gaze down at the basket in her hands to stop herself from crying.

“Oh, Kenzie,” Mal said, moving to put an arm around her shoulder. “What happened?”

“We spent the day together yesterday,” Kenzie said. “It was just the two of us, for the first time. But just as things got super romantic, he… I don’t know. I guess he zoned out?”

“What were you guys doing?” Valerie asked.

“He took me to the mall,” Kenzie said. “And he got a few things for Walt, and I got everything for the family I’m sponsoring. Then he took me to the food court?—”

“The food court?” Valerie asked distastefully.

“I asked to go to the food court,” Kenzie said. “And then we went into the big snow globe. And while we were in there, I really thought he was going to kiss me.”

“Oh, wow,” Ana said.

“Isn’t that, like, a bouncy house for little kids?” Mal asked worriedly.

“It was the middle of the day, so there were no little kids,” Kenzie said. “And after that, he got my photo with Santa Claus, and we went to the arcade. And that’s when things got weird.”

“That’s when things got weird?” Valerie echoed, her voice flat and sarcastic.

“We won a ring pop and when he looked at it… his face…” Kenzie trailed off, uncertain how to describe the way he reacted.

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