Page 17 of The Fall Fix Up

Janae nodded. “Was working on some painting and realized I had worked through lunch. Have you eaten?”

He shook his head before holding up a bag. “No, but I stopped by Thomas’s and grabbed something for us both.”

Janae’s eyes widened as she looked from the bag to Aiden’s smiling face. “Oh? You didn’t know I’d be home.”

He shrugged. “True. But I figured if you weren’t, I could leave it in the fridge for you for later. I wanted to pick your brain about some things for the kitchen, but talking about renovations on an empty stomach is unacceptable.”

That startled a soft chuckle out of her. “I will take your word for that since I’ve never really talked about any sort of renovations.”

Aiden walked over to the plastic-covered couch and sat down, not batting an eye at the cracking sound it made as the plastic rubbed together. Janae winced but followed him down. At least she had a coffee table, a recent addition that meant she had finally stopped eating her meals in bed.

“What about with the previous contractors?” Aiden asked as he set the bag down and opened it. “Didn’t you talk with them about what you wanted?”

Janae nodded but kept her eyes on the bag. It smelled heavenly. Her stomach grumbled again, the sound loud enough to make her cheeks heat. “We did, sort of. I had the plans for the old house, so all I did was really tell them to widen the sunroom and modernize things a little. I didn’t really want to change everything. I like the house the way it is.”

Aiden’s silence made her look up. His dark gaze was on her, sending a shot of electricity up her spine.

“I love that you didn’t want to tear the place down and put up some modern monstrosity like a lot of people might have,” he said. He handed her a take-out container before reaching back into the bag to grab another. “A lot of times, developers come in and rip down anything that made a house charming in the first place. I hate that.”

Janae nodded. She knew exactly what he was talking about. “Gentrification. It sucks when a neighborhood gets stripped of everything that made it a home to begin with. I didn’t want to do that here. I fell in love with Peach Blossom for a reason.”

When she opened the box, she was surprised to see her favorite sandwich. “How did you know this was what I liked?”

Aiden’s grin was wide and full of pride. “I asked Thomas what you normally got for lunch. He was more than forthcoming after I told him he owed me for ratting me out to Vini.” He opened his own container and breathed deep, the sound rumbling through the air and seeping into Janae’s skin. “I know you said you’re excited to be able to cook again, but damn does Thomas make a mean Philly cheesesteak.”

Janae was too charmed with his enthusiasm over the sandwich to even be offended. Besides, he wasn’t wrong. Thomas’s food was top-notch.

They ate in relative silence, both looking out the window as the occasional person walked by. The neighborhood was relatively quiet, with most people probably out downtown or enjoying the fall festivities hosted by local farms. If not for trying to paint this morning, that was probably where Janae would have gone too. She was quite fond of walking to Main Street and wandering through the town to see who or what might be happening. There had been talks of a fall festival this year before the fire had suspended things in limbo. Last year’s had been darling, with hayrides and a pie-eating contest that was more hilarious than serious.

“Do you know if they’re planning on bringing back the fall festival this year?” she asked, breaking the silence.

Aiden swallowed before tilting his head. “Maybe? I heard they were planning to hold something to help raise money for the . . . I mean, for us. The people affected by the fire.” He bit his lip before continuing. “It feels weird to include myself in that. Like . . . I know I’m in it, but . . .”

Janae understood what he meant. “Yeah. I get it.”

Aiden looked at her. “You really do, don’t you?” His expression was soft. “Anyway, I know Thomas was organizing another food drive and sponsoring meals for people who moved into the motel out near the interstate. He might know more. I’ll see what I can find out.”

When he stood up, he offered her a hand. Janae looked at it for a moment before taking it, letting him pull her up from the couch.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing big. I just thought I might show you what I plan to do next in the kitchen.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t even understand what was happening anyway. And I would probably just get in the way.”

Aiden chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not trying to convince you to change jobs or anything, but I thought maybe you’d like to do a little more choosing than you did before. Do you really not have any thoughts about what you want your new space to look like?”

It’s not that she didn’t have any thoughts about what she wanted. It’s just that she wasn’t exactly sure what was and wasn’t possible. She had never moved into a home that was unfinished. Unfurnished, sure. But even her last home had been completed to someone else’s, namely her soon-to-be ex-husband’s, specifications. The few times she’d thrown out suggestions, they were treated like the ramblings of a child, so she just assumed she hadn’t made good selections.

“I mean . . . what if I suggest something that isn’t possible?” she asked, letting herself be herded into the kitchen.

Aiden didn’t relent. “Then I’ll explain why it might not be doable before I try to get you something as close to it as I can.”

That sounded reasonable in theory, but Janae knew herself. If her creativity was given free reign, it would bloom in unpredictable ways. “But what if I ask too many questions. I don’t want to annoy you.”

“Oh, no. A cute woman is asking me questions. How ever will I get away from this situation,” Aiden teased. Janae’s cheeks warmed, and she swatted lightly at him to cover up how flustered the unexpected compliment made her. Aiden dodged out of the way with a laugh. “But seriously, this is your home. I want you to get what you want, and if I can give it to you, I will. Plus, I’m curious about what your artist brain will come up with.”

Janae crossed her arms as she looked around the kitchen. She could see the progress Aiden had made even in just one morning, even if she didn’t fully understand how he’d gotten there. The wood looked smoother and less like it would give her a splinter if she looked too hard at them.