Page 24

“But when I started at the school, everyone was so welcoming. I knew almost immediately that I wanted to put some roots down here, but I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” Janae continued. She handed Aiden a soapy plate. “When this house came up on the market, I jumped at the chance to make it mine, but I also asked around to see what people thought. Grace was nice enough to put me in contact with Terry’s cousin, Regina, since she’s like the local historian for the town. She gave me some great suggestions about updates that could be done without stripping the house of its history.”

Aiden nodded. He’d chatted with Regina here and there. Her family had lived in Peach Blossom for generations and she’d continued their tradition of being the official yet unofficial historians for the entire town. The fact that she taught history at the community college made it even more unsurprising that Janae had met with her.

“I don’t want to strip the house of what made me love it in the first place,” she finished. When she saw him staring, she coughed lightly. “Sorry. That was probably more than you wanted to hear.”

Aiden rinsed the plate off and rushed to reassure her. “No, that’s a perfect answer.” She didn’t look completely convinced. “Actually, if I didn’t work at the auto shop, I probably would have gone into something like restoration. I like the idea of preserving things instead of stripping them away completely.”

Her lips curled up. “I sometimes think about art restoration. It’s not a calling or anything and I don’t really want to go back to school . . . like ever, but I do find it fascinating how people are able to preserve the past.”

“Same,” Aiden agreed. His breath hitched when he saw the small smile light up Janae’s face. He was enamored with that soft look that he almost missed the glass she was handing him. His fingers flailed slightly until they brushed over hers and he froze.

Janae’s expression was still warm as it slowly morphed into a look he couldn’t read. Her eyes were so bright and inviting, he swore he could almost feel them like a caress on his skin. His gaze drifted down to her plush lips, pillow-soft, like they would mold perfectly to his own. He wondered how they would feel. Would they be dry or slightly damp with moisture? Would Janae gasp and let him lead, or would she take control and push forward without hesitation? Would she fit perfectly in his arms?

Would she want to?

It was that last thought that shook him from his stupor and Aiden realized that somehow, they had moved even closer, their shoulders pressing together. That point of contact was enough to have him straining with want.

He’d never been attracted to someone so quickly before. Then again, it had taken months of catching glimpses of Janae in the hallway before he’d been able to work up the courage to call out an easy hello. But somehow, it had all led up to them being here, standing together in a kitchen that felt like home.

But this wasn’t his home. Not really. He was here because Janae was a good person and because he had friends who wanted to help him out. He didn’t have a pot to piss in on his own right now, and that was enough to have him stepping away.

“Aiden?” He blinked quickly when he heard Janae call his name. She stood still, gaze trained on him, her head cocked to the side in confusion. “Are you alright?”

He swallowed hard before planting the widest smile on his face that he could muster. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Got lost in my thoughts for a minute.”

“Anything you want to share with the class?” she asked.

“Not unless you want to hear about my misbegotten youth.”

Her laughter was warm as was her grin. “I’m always down to hear that. Sometimes I think I was too boring when I was a kid. I mostly just wanted to read and color.”

“That’s not boring at all,” he insisted. “My dad probably would have preferred me sitting and doing that quietly instead of being a bit of a wild child. I was kind of all over the place.”

She shook her head, amusement clear in her gaze. “I can’t imagine you being a troublemaker. You seem like too nice of a guy.”

Aiden shrugged. “I wasn’t really. At least not on purpose anyway. I liked school and stuff, but I got bored a lot, which led to me getting in trouble with my teachers. My grades weren’t great either, but I eventually figured out I liked doing things with my hands, so it all worked out.” She nodded before looking at him. Her lips parted but she closed them again before she said anything and Aiden frowned. “Are you okay?”

She nodded quickly. “I am. I want to ask you a question, but I don’t want to offend you.”

He grinned. “Let me guess, you want to ask if I’ve been evaluated for ADHD?” When her grin turned sheepish, he chuckled. “I’m not offended at all, and yeah. I do have it. It wasn’t until I started staying with my uncle each summer and working on his farm that the evaluation happened, though. He pushed for it my senior year of high school and my dad finally relented. When I eventually got the diagnosis, it all made a lot more sense, you know?”

Janae agreed. “I can imagine. Sometimes just knowing why you do certain things is half the battle.”

“Yeah,” Aiden breathed out, feeling the relief all over again, even though it had been years. “For a while, I just thought I wasn’t smart or something, or that I just didn’t understand. It took a huge weight off when we figured out what worked for me, even if it took a while.”

He had never really told anyone that before. Vini knew, because he met her in college and they’d occasionally worked together back then. He hadn’t wanted her to wonder why he did certain things his own way. Even now, at work, a lot of processes she put in place were geared toward helping him, even if it did nothing for her.

“It’s also why I don’t mind helping out here,” he added. “With everything that happened, I’d start spiraling if I didn’t have somewhere else to focus my energy. Plus, I’m getting a lot more out of this deal, so I want to make sure things are done right for you.”

Janae’s eyes widened. “What? No way, Aiden,” she replied, shaking her head. “You don’t get it. You’re doing me more than just a favor.”

“What do you mean?”

She bit her lip before looking back down at the dishes. “Every piece you put back together here helps me breathe just a little bit easier. It’s like . . .” She trailed off as if looking for the right words and Aiden held his breath, gluttonous for more. When her expression darkened a little, something in his chest tightened. “For a long while, everything seemed so out of control. But this house is my chance to get some of that back, and you’re helping me do that. That’s invaluable to me.”

He stared, instinctively knowing there was more about this than Janae was saying. But he didn’t feel like he had a right to ask. They were just now breeching the line of friendship, and that felt momentous enough, given that only a couple weeks ago they hadn’t exchanged more than hurried hellos.

When he saw her bite her lip again, Aiden swallowed hard. He wanted to lean in again, aching for the feeling of her skin against his, even if it was just their shoulders touching. Time seemed to stand still, the air between them growing heavy with a type of tension he couldn’t quite name. He licked his lips, eyes widening when Janae’s gaze followed that small motion.