Page 13 of The Fall Fix Up

Something flickered across Janae’s face then, a quick glimpse of understanding that warmed the air between them just a little. Aiden set his duffel bag on the bed and turned back to her. Janae watched him with a soft gaze, but when she realized he was looking back at her, she straightened slightly and whatever thoughts she was having slipped back behind a polite mask.

“Let me show you the rest again,” she said quietly. “I know we didn’t get to talk much before you left this morning, so I want you to be totally honest with me about it all.”

They walked back down the hallway and into the kitchen. Aiden didn’t want to make Janae nervous about getting things fixed up, but looking around, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The tile backsplash was half done, and sheets of contact paper still hung loose on one wall. A row of barebones cabinets stood open and empty with no doors to be seen. The sink was in, but water steadily dripped with the type of consistency that Aiden knew would drive him insane. He’d need to get it repaired sooner rather than later.

“This is the heart of the chaos and probably the place I want to start fixing up the most, but if you think we should start somewhere else, I’m open to it.”

“We can start wherever you think is needed the most,” Aiden replied, running his hand along the dusty countertop. “Do you already have all the materials? I didn’t see the cabinet doors anywhere.”

“I think so,” Janae replied with a frown. “I mean, the cabinet doors are out on the back porch and there was wood and stuff in the back garage. I had asked the contractors to start here so I could actually make a meal ahead of Thanksgiving, but that was before everything happened.”

Aiden crouched down to inspect the inside of the cabinets and check for water. He pursed his lips when he saw the warped cabinet closest to the sink. “Yeah, this one is for sure water-damaged and needs to have the base panel repaired before it gets any colder. I definitely think starting in the kitchen is best.”

“You don’t have to start tonight or anything,” Janae said. Aiden straightened and smiled.

“Not planning to. But checking these things gives me an idea on how to triage everything so we start with the most pressing things first to make this place fully livable for you.”

“For us,” Janae said, startling him. When he blinked at her, she turned to gesture at the stove. “Well, thankfully the stove has already been connected correctly, and the fridge was delivered this morning and hooked up earlier than planned. You must be a lucky charm, because they called right after you left and asked if it was okay to bring it in early.”

He decided to go with it and nodded. “That’s good. That takes a few things off my plate.”

Janae leaned against the counter and watched him with an expression that hovered somewhere between curiosity and budding trust. “You really do know what you’re doing, huh?”

Aiden chuckled. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t. Hell, Vini wouldn’t have thrown my name out there if I couldn’t do what she volunteered me for.” He grinned before leaning on the counter as well. “My dad was a mechanic, but he took a lot of odd jobs to supplement things. Plumbing, patching drywall, you name it. When I was in high school, I started spending time at my uncle’s farm and he was the same way. Between the two of them, I figured out how to do a lot of that stuff too, and it kept my attention a lot better than sitting in a classroom for eight hours a day.”

“You said your dad was?”

“Still is,” Aiden replied. “We don’t talk much these days.” It always felt weird to explain that to people who might not understand. It wasn’t that all the families in Peach Blossom were perfectly intact, but it still felt weird to mention how little time Aiden spent with his own family. Hell, the past three Christmas holidays he’d spent at the Williams house.

“I have an older sister, but she’s a couple states away. We keep in touch here and there, but she’s married with a kid and has her own life. I couldn’t exactly show up with a duffel bag and some burnt-up clothes. Plus, I like my life here in Peach Blossom. I didn’t really want to leave.” He didn’t mention his mom. That would bring questions that were still painful to answer, considering he never really got a chance to know her. Her death had left a hole in their family that only grew bigger once his sister dipped out when she turned eighteen.

Janae nodded. “I get that.”

“Are you close with your family?”

She smiled softly. “Sort of. I have a twin sister actually. Braeden. She’s a lawyer in Dallas and pretty much my polar opposite.”

“Oh, really? Are you identical or . . .”

“Yeah. Though, she likes to say she got the brains and critical thinking skills, and I got the creativity and penchant for drama.” Janae smiled when Aiden chuckled.

“What about your parents?” he asked. “Do they agree with that sentiment?”

“Probably. They’re . . . a lot.” The way she said that had Aiden’s eyebrows raising. There was clearly a story or two there, but he wasn’t sure if it would be welcome for him to ask. When Janae noticed his reaction, she quickly continued, “I mean, they love us, but they have a tendency to be a little overbearing and overinvolved sometimes. I haven’t even told them about the fire yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because then they’ll worry and make a big production about trying to ride in and save me from myself,” she said, her voice quieter now. “They weren’t happy when I moved here. I don’t need the ‘we told you so’ talk anytime soon.”

Aiden nodded. He understood that more than he cared to admit to anyone. He’d felt that same need to prove he could make it without someone else hovering over his shoulder or calling the shots for him. Hell, he still felt the need to do it all himself even when the universe seemed determined to prove the contrary.

They stood there for a moment; the silence only being broken up by the sound of water steadily dripping into the sink. Outside, the wind seemed to pick up and he saw Janae shiver. That simple motion spurred him on, and he nodded sharply as he decided.

“Kitchen comes first.”

She nodded in agreement. “That would be perfect. Not that I don’t love Thomas’s food, but I would like to be able to finally make a proper meal.”

“I’ll start tomorrow morning,” he said, creating a list of what would be needed in his mind. “Thankfully, I kept most of my tools in a storage unit at the auto shop instead of at the apartment. I’ll go grab them tomorrow and bring them over here.”