Page 62 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

“He shut down?” Mal offered quietly.

“Yeah,” Kenzie sighed. “I guess he did.”

“I told you,” Mal said. “He’s the worst. I’m sorry I got you involved with him. I promise I just thought he’d do the work in the house and scram.”

“If he’s not interested, why does he keep wanting to spend time with me?” Kenzie asked.

“It’s not that he doesn’t want to spend time with you,” Valerie said suddenly. “It’s just that he doesn’t want to date you. Think about it. Is it possible that everything you’ve done together is just stuff that he was going to do anyway?”

Kenzie opened her mouth and closed it again. Valerie was right, they’d gone to Cassidy Farm, but he would have taken Walt either way. And yesterday had been a glorified trip to run errands in the middle of the day.

“I guess so,” Kenzie said, nodding. “And I’m an idiot because I didn’t even think of that. It meant so much more than that to me.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Valerie sniffed. “He’s just a jerk.”

“He’s a single dad,” Ana pointed out. “He probably doesn’t have a lot of free time. Is it such a crime for him to mix dating with family stuff?”

“Or he just wants a friend,” Valerie said. “Someone that’s good company for running errands. There’s nothing wrong with that, if it’s what you both want. But that’s clearly not the case. The problem is that if neither of you put a label on it, then you don’t really know, and neither does he.”

“So, what would you do?” Kenzie found herself asking.

“Me?” Valerie asked with a wry smile. “I’d march right up to that big bozo and ask him if he thinks he’s dating me. And if he said yes, I’d give him a piece of my mind about how he’s been going about it.”

“I don’t know,” Kenzie said. That definitely didn’t feel right to her.

“I say wait and see,” Ana suggested. “If he got thrown by yesterday, then the next time you hear from him I’ll bet he’ll be more clear about what he wants. If he takes you out on errands again, then he’s telling you he wants to be friends. But if he asks to take you out just to enjoy your company, then it’s definitely more.”

That made sense to Kenzie. And it seemed a lot less confrontational.

“And in the meantime, you have to decide whether you really want it to be something more,” Mal said. “He has a child, so it’s not going to be easy. And what will happen when that thing comes off?”

They all looked down at the boot on Kenzie’s foot.

“You’d better be sure you’re staying if you start something with a family man,” Mal continued. “Even if he is a big jerk, that little boy deserves some stability.”

Kenzie nodded slowly, imagining what it would be like to share her life with Walt and Aidan.

“I see what you’re doing,” Mal said in a warning tone. “You’re getting all romantic and mushy about it in your head.”

“Is there anything wrong with that?” Kenzie asked.

“You’ve spent your whole life cut off from the real world in those theatre buildings, dancing out love stories,” Mal said gently. “But real life isn’t like that. There is no prince who comes to sweep you away. Real guys aren’t so strong. They don’t have all the answers, and they don’t fall in love at first sight. Real relationships are hard work, and there are no guarantees.”

Kenzie bit her lip and nodded. She knew her best friend was right. But she couldn’t help the soaring feeling she got when she imagined things working out with Aidan. Lately, whenever his eyes met hers, she felt like she was flying.

That wasn’t really just her imagination. Was it?

“Time for a break,” Valerie declared.

“We just got started,” Ana said.

“I think we need rum balls,” Valerie said. “Were any of them imperfect?”

“Not really, but a whole bunch of them still ended up in that box,” Mal said, laughing. “I know they’re your favorite.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason,” Valerie said, winking.

Ana laughed at the two of them and Valerie handed down the box of treats. The women passed them around, turning the conversation to their plans for the holidays.

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