Page 63 of The Fall Fix Up

Aiden stood up from the bed and walked over to his door. When he opened it, he could hear the faint sound of jazz music coming from down the hall. He followed it, letting the rhythm carry him to his destination. With each step forward, he felt a little more of the past fall away, his steps lighter as he picked up speed. When he finally stopped in front of the sunroom, he saw Janae, standing in front of her canvas like she did so many days and nights. When she noticed him, she turned.

“Aiden? Is everything alright?”

He hurried to her, not caring if the paint in her hands got on him. He cupped her cheeks and pressed a firm kiss to her mouth. As much as his heart hurt from the conversation with his dad, something in him had cracked open, ready to welcome a change. He felt that change in the way Janae kissed him back and her free hand gripped his shirt. When he finally pulled back to look at her, she was looking up at him with such tenderness, it nearly drove him to his knees.

“I’m okay,” he replied as he dipped back in for another kiss.

It was time to move forward.

Chapter 26

The air in Peach Blossom always smelled different once fall truly set in. It was colder with a hint of smoke from fireplaces being used if not for the heat, then at least for the aesthetic as well as the mouth-watering scents of cinnamon and occasionally kettle corn. Right now, Aiden was enjoying the bite of leaves being crushed underfoot along with the soft murmurs of people excitedly chattering about the Fall Festival. It wasn’t true cold, not like it got in December or January, but there was a crispness to the air that had just enough bite to warrant a good sweater.

Aiden inhaled deeply as he walked down the gravel path toward the grounds. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets to keep from reaching out to touch everything as he walked by. It was hard not to with all the vendors sporting delicious- looking foods or interesting craft items that were probably all handmade. Kids were already darting around, some holding caramel apples bigger than their faces while their parents walked after them sporting steaming cups of hot apple cider or maybe something stronger. It all made Aiden smile at the thought that this was the town he’d chosen.

When he turned down the path, he felt her before he saw her. There was an energy that Janae exuded that Aiden was highly attuned to now. It was like feeling the sun’s warmth before it even peeked out from behind the clouds.

Janae was standing in front of her folding table, eyebrows furrowed and tongue peeking out from between her lips as she tried to get the striped awning over her face-painting booth to stay upright. Plastic bins filled with small paintbrushes were set up on the table along with paints and a sign that she had no doubt created on her own as well. She was wearing the cream sweater he had grown fond of and her green pants that were already splattered with paint that never would come off. Her curls were tossed up in a messy bun on top of her head that always looked so effortless.

She was beautiful in a way that always had him pausing to watch. Somehow, she was his, or at least . . . that was where they were heading. He still had to pinch himself most days just to make sure it all wasn’t a dream. When he realized she’d noticed him, he waved and couldn’t help the grin that stretched his lips when she waved back.

“Hey,” she said, straightening. “Perfect timing. I was about two seconds away from pitching this entire booth into the pond and pretending it was an accident.”

Aiden laughed and shook his head. “Well, good thing I’m here now, even if just to save the booth from premature destruction. Just call me Mr. Fix It.”

Janae raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a mouthful, but I’ll think about it.”

He nearly choked on air at her teasing words but fixed a smile on his face when he saw other kids running by. She winked before stepping aside so he could get to work. Aiden crouched down, adjusting the metal legs and tightening the bolts that were loose. When he glanced up, he felt his cheeks heat at Janae’s clear admiration. It wasn’t that he was never complimented, but it felt different seeing the way she looked at him sometimes.

He cleared his throat and stood up again. “Okay. It should be stable now.”

Janae tugged on the awning and nodded. “You still have the magic touch.”

Aiden wanted to kiss her. No, he wanted to kiss her and drag her away to do all that and more. The desire was so strong it physically hurt to stop himself, but there were little eyes all around them and he didn’t want to scandalize the town. Plus, he needed to tell her something important first—something he’d been carrying with himself for the past few days.

He wiped his hands on his jeans and stepped toward Janae. “Hey,” he started, heart pounding furiously in his chest. “Is it okay if we talk about something?”

Janae blinked, her playful expression shifting quickly to concern. “Of course we can. You can talk to me about anything, Aiden.”

The words eased some of the tightness in his chest, but even so, Aiden couldn’t help but fidget a little, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “So . . . I made a decision.”

Janae didn’t push. She just waited, eyes on him with an expression so calm it forced his heart to slow as well. She was always like this—warm and so patient—that it made Aiden want to bare his soul to her for safekeeping.

“I went to the police . . . about my dad.”

Her lips parted slightly, surprise flitting over her face. “Aiden. Wow. That’s big.”

“I know, right?” He huffed out a laugh, though it sounded thin even to his ears. “I told them about my dad and the credit stuff so I could file a report and start . . . reversing it, I guess.”

Janae nodded before taking a step toward him. She reached out a hand, placing it on his arm. “And how do you feel about it all now?”

He shrugged, though that wasn’t really an answer, nor was it true. He wasn’t confused about how he felt. “I hate it. I hate that I even needed to do it at all, but something you said really resonated with me and it was similar to what Rowan said too.”

Janae tilted her head. “What did I say?”

“That I’m allowed to want better for myself.” The fall breeze caught a loose curl at her temple and Aiden couldn’t help but reach out and brush it back. “And I do want better. I want a better relationship with my sister and a better relationship with you as well. I can’t do that if I let the shadow of the past sap all my energy until there’s nothing left.”

“Aiden . . .” Her voice was so soft and fond that it nearly had him curling into her.