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Janae dropped her face into her hands and let out a slightly hysterical giggle. “Did we ‘do it’? What are we, kids?”

“I’m trying to use school-appropriate language,” Grace countered, sounding offended.

“This entire conversation isn’t school appropriate; you realize that right?”

Grace rolled her eyes before smiling again. “Regardless, you’re stalling. Answer the question. I need to hear more.”

Janae shook her head before fiddling with her fork. “He kissed me first, but I kissed him back. And we were in the bathroom looking at paint swatches when it just . . . happened.” She glanced up. “I don’t know why. We were kind of close, and I thought he was maybe looking at my lips earlier, but he’s never shown any interest beyond that so . . .”

Grace sat back and sighed dreamily as if she were the one affected by the kiss. “I was wondering if there could be something there between the two of you. Vini’s been telling us for weeks that she was hoping Aiden would stop pining over you from afar and make a move.”

Janae’s head shot up, and she pinned Grace with a look. “Wait, what? Pining over me? What makes you say that?”

“Yes, you,” Grace said with a grin. “Apparently, he was mooning about you days after you two first met, or he first saw you or something. Said you were so totally out of his league, but the prettiest damn woman he ever saw.”

“He thinks I’m out of his league?” Janae found that laughable from someone who set the standard for a strong jawline and a winning smile. Still, the thought that he had immediately liked what he saw had her stomach in somersaults. “He really said that?”

“That’s what Vini said,” Grace confirmed. “She didn’t mention anything before because he’d asked her not to meddle, but I know it was hard for her not to.”

“Oh,” she breathed out, thinking about it all. Janae wasn’t sure how she would have responded if she’d known Aiden liked her. Then again, maybe he didn’t. Thinking someone was attractive wasn’t the same as liking them.

“So, what now?” Grace asked her before crossing her arms. She smirked. “Are you going to kiss him again so you both can really see colors?”

The thought of kissing him again sounded too damn good, but Janae shook her head quickly. “I can’t do that. He’s staying with me and doing work on my house. I don’t want it to seem like I’m taking advantage.”

“Taking advantage?” Grace asked with a small frown. “How the hell would you be taking advantage? He kissed you first.”

“I know, but—”

“No buts,” Grace said, cutting her off. “Does anything about Aiden read as helpless to you? Like, I know women can also be creeps, but when you kissed him back, did he seem to be trying to get away, or was he actively seeking out more in the back of your throat?”

“Grace!” Janae exclaimed, laughter tripping over her tongue. Grace gave her an unrepentant grin before shrugging.

“I’m just saying. Did the man seem regretful or like he’d like nothing more than to dive in face-first?”

Janae opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again silently. Grace was right. Nothing about Aiden seemed helpless. The man was more capable than just about anyone else she knew, and he was grounded in a way that gave her the same feeling the town did when she’d first moved to it. He was like a mountain, there and solid in a way that made her breathe a little easier when he was around. He was kind without being overbearing, and quiet in an unassuming way. Even when he was covered in sawdust, smelling like motor oil and something wild she couldn’t quite put her finger on, there was something about him that made her feel safe. It was strange in a way that was addicting. She thought she had felt safety before, and she had. But safety with her family felt very different than this. This was a safety that also made her pulse down deep in places that had been sleeping for months, if not years.

“Listen,” Grace said, pulling her attention again. “Aiden is a great guy, and you’re great too. You two are helping each other in ways that clearly cancel each other out. And if something more comes of it, then maybe that’s the universe bringing together two people who were clearly always supposed to meet.”

“I guess,” Janae said softly as she thought about Grace’s words.

“Life is hard enough, and both of you have been through some mess the past few weeks with the fire and everything,” Grace said. “I don’t see the harm in letting yourself find a little joy where you can. Don’t punish yourself for wanting to hold on to something good.”

The bell rang, cutting through the quiet to announce the end of the lunch period. Janae had only finished half her food, but she wasn’t really hungry anymore. She was too busy turning over all the words in her mind, trying to figure out what to do next. She stood when Grace did and followed her to the doorway.

“Just think about it,” Grace said before tossing her a final smile and exiting the classroom.

Janae stood there for a moment as the noise of students slowly filled the hallway. Even by the time she was back at her desk, she still hadn’t figured out what to do with all her thoughts. Her mind was still adrift when students began to file into her classroom calling out soft hellos as they went to their usual seats. She tried to get her head in the game, and she somewhat succeeded when the students all cheered about the ‘Painted Pumpkins’ unit she did with them every year. Their excitement helped energize her, and after she sent off an email to the local pumpkin patch about stopping by to pick out supplies, she sat back with the faintest smile tugging at her lips.

Maybe Grace was right. Maybe kissing Aiden wasn’t the worst thing. They were adults after all. They could talk about this and not let it ruin the fragile peace they had already found.

She carried that thought with her through the rest of the day and was still turning it over in her mind even after she got home. The house was quiet when she let herself in. Aiden’s truck was parked, but his motorcycle was gone, so she figured he was still at work. When she walked into the living room, she looked around, as if confused that she was the only one around. She had been living alone for years, and yet somehow after only living with Aiden for a couple weeks, she had grown so used to him that it felt strange when he wasn’t there.

“What the hell am I going to do with myself when he moves out?” She wasn’t expecting anyone to answer, but now that the question was out there, Janae found she wanted to take it back. It was a selfish desire, but thinking about the day she came home to him not being around wasn’t helping her mood.

She shook off her thoughts and decided to grab a quick shower. Thirty minutes and her softest pair of sweats later and Janae felt much better. She was just walking into her sunroom for a painting session when there was a knock at the front door. It was a soft, hesitant sound like the person on the other side didn’t want to be a bother but needed to interrupt anyway. When Janae opened it, she was surprised to see Brenda, the receptionist at the school, standing on her front porch. She still had on the same brown cardigan she had been wearing that afternoon when Janae waved goodbye to her as she left the school.

“Brenda? What’s wrong?”