province worked there, and they found just the right line between being their superior and being their friend. Once a week, Huxley ordered desserts from the Bakery to treat their seventy-five workers. And Kemper? Kemper fixed everything.
Today, Kemper set aside the entire day to fix the Bakery's oven so that it was level, and that had me bouncing with eager energy. I was so excited to spend the whole day with him that I burned a whole batch of chocolate chip muffins, as well as Lois’ patience. Like all of them, he was overworked. His small team of builders were working overtime to get each Walker immigrant a cabin of their own.
When he wasn't building, he spent his evenings fixing things around the community. Last week, he built a ramp for one of the elderly community members that used a wheelchair. He coordinated so much but rarely took credit for it. Kemper simply saw a need and fulfilled it.
When he arrived, he looked tired but just as happy to see me as I was to see him. He wore tight denim that clung to his tall, slender, frame.
“Hey, Ashleigh,” he said in a cheerful voice. He carried a forest-green toolbox that clanged with each step he took.
“Hey, Kemp, I’ve missed you.” I walked into his open embrace. He nearly dropped his toolbox at the force of my hug.
“I should move my office closer to the town center, so I can see you more. These team builds and province repairs are brutal,” he replied while letting me go and rubbing his forehead.
Brutal indeed. Aside from my mornings with Maverick, it felt nearly impossible to steal time away with any of them. If I wanted to see them, I had to roll up my sleeves and help.
“I cleared my day, though. I was hoping that maybe after we get your oven situated, you could maybe teach me how to bake a cake? You know—since the one I made for your birthday was such a disaster.” He gave me a deprecating grin that made me chuckle. “Of course, if you’re busy or—or something, I could, uh, leave.”
“Spending the day with you sounds lovely, Kemp. And . . . it wasn’t that bad. I’m just amazed that you managed to both undercook and overcook it. That takes true skill.” Somehow Kemper had burned the exterior of the cake, but uncooked batter had still oozed from inside.
Kemper laughed, and we maintained a playful conversation between us while he worked on the oven. I watched him with giddy greedy eyes as he worked. He was methodical in the way he approached a problem. Examined it from every angle while biting his lip in concentration. His attentiveness made me wonder if he approached everything with that much care.
Once he was done leveling the oven and cleaning it, he tinkered with a few other things that needed fixing in the Bakery; adjusting a sliding door, greasing a drawer. He inspected every inch of the Bakery until there was nothing left that needed improving.
“Are you done prolonging the inevitable?” I asked with a smile while pulling out the recipe for chocolate cake. Despite knowing it by heart, I wanted Kemper to reference it since it was his first time making it.
“I guess it’s time to face my fears,” he joked back.
I explained each step in painstaking detail and even told him why each of the various ingredients were important to the flavor of the dish, why following each step was vital to its success. Kemp studied me like I was a manual and even took notes while I spoke, never once asking me to hurry up or get on with it.
He mixed the batter with ease, and I watched the way his slender frame moved. His forearm flexed with each twist of his wrist and mix of the batter. I had to pry my eyes away from his graceful movements. Watching Kemper was addicting.
Once the cake was in the oven, we sat down and painted some of the toys left out by Lois. She was determined to get them completed this week, and once again, Kemper was eager to help.
“Are you regretting coming here on your day off?” I asked with a smirk while putting the finishing touches on a carved bear. “Don’t let Lois know what all you fixed. She’ll keep finding more work for you.” I chuckled. That woman was ruthless and loved having the Dormas Leadership Council around.
“It's worth it,” he replied while painting a smile