Page 42 of The Fall Fix Up

Janae kissed him back before he could draw away. The touch was deeper this time, and her hand fisted his T-shirt before she stepped back with a grin.

“Don’t be.”

Aiden blinked slowly, mind still gone quiet. “Don’t be what?”

“Sorry,” Janae replied. She stepped back again and gestured behind her. “I have some errands to run, but I’ll see you later?”

Aiden nodded as a slow smile spread across his face. “Yeah.”

He didn’t know what had just happened, but it felt like the world had gotten a little brighter.

Chapter 17

Janae loved having nothing urgent to do. It was a rare, precious thing for her to have a day that was wide open. She leaned into it, taking her time as she made her way downtown.

She chose to walk this time, enjoying the warmer breeze that cut through the lingering chill of the morning. People were out, some putting out fall decorations and others strolling and enjoying the day. She stopped at the small coffee shop on the corner of Main Street before making her way to Blank Pages Bookshop.

The bell above the door chimed when she pushed it open and stepped inside. The scent of paper and wood polish greeted her, bringing a smile to Janae’s face. She had always enjoyed walking through the aisles of bookstores, especially smaller independent ones. They had so much character and charm. It was one thing she and Braeden had in common. At one point, she’d thought about opening a bookstore, but she knew she much more enjoyed the atmosphere of a small bookstore than the business aspect. So, she just made sure to visit them as much as possible.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite ‘special order out of towner,’” Ellie called out from behind the counter, her hand covering the bottom of her phone. Janae smiled and shook her head as she walked over.

“Can I really be called an ‘out of towner’ still when I bought a place here?”

Ellie giggled. “I suppose not, but I just can’t help myself. You here to pick up your books?”

Janae nodded. “Sure am, but take your time. You know how much I like to browse, and I’m more than likely going to find something else I want to take home with me too.”

“I should grab it for you immediately, but since you mentioned spending more money, I’m going to finish the phone call with my girlfriend and then ring you up. Just pretend I’m not even here and go wild.”

With a laugh, Janae nodded and walked away. She wandered the aisles, trailing her fingertips along some of the familiar spines. She pulled out a couple of books, flipping through pages just to hear the sound they made. She even found a book that she had been eyeing online. She grabbed it and kept perusing. The windows let in the perfect amount of sunlight as soft music played over the speakers.

Predictably, her thoughts drifted to Aiden and the kiss they’d shared just that morning. She hadn’t expected that something as small as looking up different types of wrenches would elicit such a surprising response. Truthfully, she had done it to not seem so clueless, but the way it had felt so much bigger to him stuck with her. It made her want to do more so she could see his smile widen in that carefree way of his.

She also couldn’t help but hope it would mean more kisses. She was growing greedy for them, and they had only shared two. Maybe they should be talking about it, but she didn’t want to force it. She wanted things to continue the way they were. It was freeing to just go with the flow, especially when it carried her to such glorious destinations. It made her want to do something else that showed Aiden she was paying attention to him the same way he seemed to pay attention to her.

Her gaze drifted over the books, though she wasn’t looking at any of them—not really. She was remembering the empty pot that Aiden had mentioned when they looked through their final boxes from the apartment. The ring of burnt soil at the bottom, and the way he seemed so sad about the plant not surviving the fire.

“Okay, I can’t put it off any longer,” Ellie called out. “Your books are ready, so come on up here so I can ring you up and save you from yourself.”

Janae giggled but did as she was told, bringing the other two books she had settled on and plopping them on the counter as well. She reached into her purse and pulled out her card. Ellie took it, but before ringing her up, she paused and gave her a look.

“So, how is living with Aiden going?”

Janae blinked. “How is what? How did you—” When Ellie’s expression deepened, Janae stopped herself. “Right. Small town.”

“Small town,” Ellie agreed with a smile. “Everybody is everybody else’s business.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I should’ve known we’d be the talk of the town.”

“You really should’ve. But regardless, answer the question. How are things?”

“They’re good. Really good, actually.”

Ellie hummed, smile fixed to her face. “That’s not surprising.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, if things were going poorly, we’d all probably know it by now. Aiden is a good guy, so none of us were worried.”