Page 11 of The Fall Fix Up

“Janae? What are you doing here?”

Her heart jumped at the sound of her name on his lips, but she pushed her body’s reaction to the back of her mind and gestured to the house. “Well . . . I live here.”

“Really? What are the chances?” he asked with a smile and a chuckle. “Vini didn’t tell me it was you who needed the help. You could have texted me yourself, you know. I wouldn’t have minded.”

Janae shook her head. “I didn’t even know you could do this type of work . . . or if you had the time.”

Aiden shrugged as he stepped up onto the porch. “I would’ve made time for you.”

Warmth blossomed in Janae’s chest. If not for a gust of cool air, she might have combusted under the megawatt smile that split his lips. It should be illegal for a smile to be that enticing. How was Aiden attractive and a nice guy? Is that how they made them in small towns? When she realized they were still standing on the porch, smiling at one another, she shook herself and waved him in.

“Sorry, where are my manners. Come on in.”

Aiden nodded, a smile still stamped on his face as he walked in. She closed the door behind him and leaned against it as she watched him take in the space. The silence wasn’t awkward, but she still scrambled for something to say.

“So, how have things been? Vini mentioned you sleeping at the shop and almost having to take you over her knee or something.”

Aiden’s eyes widened and he chuckled and shook his head. “She was being dramatic. I only slept there for a couple days.”

That had Janae blinking quickly. “Wait, that wasn’t a joke? You were really sleep—”

“It’s only temporary,” he cut in. “I told her that. Plus, Thomas has been cutting me a deal on meals, and I can shower at the gym, so really, it’s no big deal.”

“Still. I can understand why she was worried,” she said honestly, smiling to lessen the strength of her words. When his smile dipped, she felt the need to say something. “Did you need a place to stay? I know the bed-and-breakfast filled up quick, and as you can see, this place is . . . a bit of a mess really, but it’s livable. I think.”

Aiden blinked slowly as if he weren’t sure what she’d just said. “What?”

“It can be temporary,” she rushed to add. “I’ve got an extra bedroom, and the bathroom is all set. The kitchen isn’t great, but Vini mentioned her friend being great at fixing things up. Well, you are the friend so . . . I could really use the help.”

Aiden’s brows drew together, his expression unreadable. “Wait. Are you . . . What are you asking me here? I don’t need a free place. I can totally pay rent somewhere once I—”

“I’m not asking for rent,” she said. “I’m asking for your help in exchange for the room. You fix the broken stuff and keep me from falling through the floorboards, and it’s yours. We’ll have to share a bathroom, but I’m sure that would be fine.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. The silence stretched between them save for the soft sounds of the house settling and Janae’s internal panic. What was she doing, offering him a room that just so happened to be only two walls away from her own? This was not what she’d had in mind when she woke up this morning. But something about Aiden and his insistence on staying in the auto shop night after night tugged at her. He had been nothing but kind and she didn’t know if she could sleep well knowing he was out there without an actual bed to sleep in.

Finally, Aiden smiled softly. “You don’t even know if I’m good company. I could be a horrible roommate.”

She nodded. “You could be, but I somehow doubt it. Vini vouched for your fixer-upper prowess last night, which, as you can see from the state of things, is exactly what I need. I don’t know the first thing about renovating a house. I can mix colors with the best of them, but if you asked me to hand you a wrench, I’d tell you to stop insulting me.” Aiden’s laughter was soothing, and Janae could feel something inside her unclench at the sound of it. “Please. You really would be helping me out here and it would keep Vini off your back.”

Aiden snorted and rubbed the back of his neck. “When you put it that way, it does seem like I’m getting the better end of the deal.” He looked at her a moment before getting serious. “Are you sure? You hardly know me.”

Janae shrugged before nodding. “I know you’re a good guy. The fact that you’re even asking means a lot.”

That earned her a real smile—the type that reached his eyes, his dimples winking at her.

Aiden stuck out a hand. “Alright then. You have yourself a deal.”

Janae looked at his hand, then took it. His palm was warm, calloused, and steady. The moment stretched longer than it should have, and when she pulled back, she could feel her pulse in her throat.

“I guess I should make sure I look closely at everything that needs work and see where I should start first,” he said with a grin.

“Just make sure to watch your step,” she said, matching his tone. “There’s a hole in the floor near the back door.”

He laughed, the sound low and warm. “Noted. That will be the first thing on my list.”

“Great,” Janae replied. She looked around. “Well, I should get out of your way.”

Aiden nodded. “I’ll come find you once I’m done taking a tour and then we can maybe talk about . . . next steps?”