Page 76 of Carpenter's Christmas Bride

“Okay, then,” Aidan said. “Let’s go.”

The three of them headed out together, walking half a block down the street to join a throng of bundled up neighbors who were filing into the theatre.

I can do this, he told himself.

He might be about to do the least practical and guarded thing he had ever even thought about doing.

But he had never been more certain about anything in his life.

23

KENZIE

Kenzie sat in the darkened theatre, grateful to have Dmitri beside her, blocking off her view of the empty seat beside his that should have been Aidan’s.

She had envisioned watching the ballet with Walt beside her. If he got antsy, she was ready to whisper to him what was happening in the story. He did have a library book that explained the story, and they had read it together. And he was such a bright little boy that he probably would have followed right along. It was more the idea of seeing it through his eyes that she was missing.

“Are you okay?” Dmitri asked her quietly.

“I’m fine,” she told him, putting on a happy face. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I’m not fine,” Dmitri muttered. “I’d like to give that big dope a piece of my mind for dumping you. What an idiot.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Kenzie said. “And besides, he’s only doing what he thinks he needs to do to protect Walt.”

Dmitri huffed in a way that made it sound like he disagreed but didn’t want to upset her.

“What?” she asked.

“Well, guys like that are usually just looking for a free babysitter,” Dmitri said, shrugging. “He’s not ready to commit, not when he was willing to walk away so easily.”

She wanted to disagree, but Dmitri had just voiced all the fears that were in her heart. She knew life wasn’t like a ballet, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to fall madly in love and be carried off into the sunset.

The lights flickered, indicating that the performance was about to begin. Everyone around them made excited noises. While the productions in the small theatre were always packed, The Nutcracker was a favorite. When the Trinity Falls Gazette did a question about special holiday traditions on their back page feature, Talk About Town, many people mentioned it as one of their favorite things.

A sudden commotion at the end of the row pulled Kenzie out of her reverie.

“Excuse us,” a familiar deep voice said softly as the people beside them got up and flattened themselves to make way.

“Aidan,” Kenzie murmured.

“I think you’re in my seat,” Aidan said to Dmitri.

“I can move,” Dmitri said right away, smirking at Kenzie as he wove his way past the people on the other side of her to stand in the back.

She watched after him helplessly, then turned back to Aidan.

“MacKenzie Forrest,” he said, his deep voice nice and loud. “I’m done walking away. I’m going to fight for what I want. And I’m ready to put my money where my mouth is.”

“Aidan,” she whispered, mortified that every single person in the crowded theatre was now watching with wide eyes.

“You make us both happy, and we can’t live without you,” he said, pulling something out of his pocket and kneeling as best he could between the seats.

Kenzie watched him with her heart in her mouth.

“I can’t promise you a lot of fancy dates,” he went on, his voice rough with emotion. “But I’ll do my best to keep you happy, and I’ll follow you wherever your career takes you. And if you’ll let me, I’ll give you a wedding worthy of one of your ballets.”

She swallowed hard. It was happening.

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