Riley’s smile was tight as she nodded. “Thank you.”
“How long has it been?” Peg Ryan set a bowl of ambrosia salad on the table. “Six years since you’ve been back home?”
“A little over nine.” Riley nibbled on her fingernail, then quickly shoved her hands behind her back.
Erma watched as Riley interacted with the other two Bosom Buddies—Viola Porter and Gwen Brown. Everyone peppered her granddaughter with polite questions, never once hinting that they knew the deeper reasons for Riley’s departure from Maple Falls, beyond her wanting to be a famous artist. Erma wasn’t sure Riley knew those reasons herself. Her granddaughter not only didn’t want anything to do with her mother, but she also didn’t want to be anything like her. The BBs were also aware of Tracey’s past and the friction between her and Riley. These women were Erma’s confidantes, and although they didn’t know everything, they knew a lot. They also knew when to keep their mouths shut about BB secrets.
Guilt stabbed at Erma, but she shoved it away. She hadn’t exactly been forthright with Riley today. The shop hadn’t always looked this messy. The BBs helped her tidy it up often enough. Over the past year or so, even before the accident, Erma realized she was losing interest in running the store, which was why she hadn’t been open as often as she should. Before she broke her leg, she’d finally started to organize her inventory with the intent to liquidate. She had finally accepted that her granddaughter wouldn’t continue the Knots and Tangles tradition, a fact that deeply saddened her.
With Riley here now and working at the shop again, Erma prayed she would change her mind and see the value of keeping tradition alive. She knew it would take a miracle for that to occur. Good thing God is in the miracle business. He’d already provided one miracle—Riley was back. Hopefully soon she would realize that despite the past, Maple Falls could truly be her home.
After all the women filled up their plates with snacks and visited for a while, Erma clapped and wheeled herself as close to the sitting area as she dared, almost knocking her leg into one of the chairs.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this thing,” she muttered, rolling to a stop next to Gwen.
“You’ll be on crutches soon enough.” Gwen gave her a brilliant smile that was always perfect because her husband was a dentist. His practice was in nearby Malvern, the closest large city to Maple Falls, although calling it large was a stretch.
“Crutches might be worse.” Bea chuckled and took a big bite of Peg’s salad, then set her plate down and picked up her bag. “Who’s ready to knit some knockers?”
Erma glanced at Riley, who was sitting on the opposite side of the room between Bea and Viola. She held a pair of knitting needles and a ball of soft, white pima cotton yarn in her lap. Erma had always preferred crochet, so Bea had taught Riley how to knit.
Erma tried not to frown at the lost look on her granddaughter’s face—a look she was all too familiar with. How many times had she seen it during Riley’s teenage years? Her heart had ached back then as she wished she could help Riley feel more at ease and make friends. That familiar pain filled her heart now. At least she’s here. That’s something.
“Here, sweet pea, let me give you a refresher.” Bea angled her large body toward Riley and began to show her how to use the needles again. As Erma had suspected, Riley picked the knitting back up right away, and soon she was concentrating on the copy of the pattern in front of her on the coffee table.
“How long do you think she’ll stay?” Madge whispered, leaning close to Erma as the rest of the women buzzed with conversation and laughter.
Erma shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Hopefully she doesn’t have her mother’s wandering genes.” Madge, who enjoyed knitting and crocheting, sat back and primly slipped a knot of light-pink yarn on her crochet hook.
Erma held her tongue, a task that always involved a great deal of difficulty. Not only was Madge the youngest in the group, but she was also the newest member, even though she’d been attending Bosom Buddy nights for over two years, at the insistence of Erma herself. More than once Erma had questioned the wisdom of her decision. Overall, Madge Wilson was a good woman, but there were times when her words held a sharp edge, and Erma sometimes thought she was being hurtful on purpose.
She ignored Madge and the urge to put the youngster in her place and focused on crocheting. She’d made so many knockers that by now she could crochet them without looking, which freed her up to visit with her friends, forget about both the pain in her leg and the pain in her behind sitting next to her, and most of all, keep a surreptitious eye on Riley. She hoped her granddaughter could relax enough to enjoy herself tonight. She deserved to have a good time. Erma had a gut feeling that didn’t happen much in New York.
* * *
Riley was surprised she was able to halfway complete one knocker—and stunned that it didn’t look horrible. Nevertheless, she would unravel it later and start again, this time focusing on her tension instead of remembering how to do the stitches, so the project would be as close to perfect as possible. She refused to donate something that wasn’t her best work.
She was also surprised at how knitting again helped her forget about her concern for Mimi. More than ever, Riley believed she would have to convince her stubborn grandmother to sell the shop. It had become more of a burden than a joy—anyone could see that. Except for tonight, perhaps. Riley had to admit it was nice to be around a group of people who were enjoying themselves, even if they were decades older than her.
Before she realized it, Bosom Buddy night was over, and Riley helped Mimi’s friends pack up their leftover food—because, of course, everyone had made too much. They wouldn’t be Southern cooks if they hadn’t. Erma bade each of her friends goodbye with a hug and a smile. When the last woman left, Riley turned to her grandmother. She was still smiling, but lines of weariness had appeared on her face. When she moved her wheelchair and winced, Riley hurried over to her.
“Time to go home,” she said.
“But we need to tidy things up here first.”
Riley scoffed. “Since when have you been eager to tidy up anything?”
Mimi nodded. “True, even though it makes me sound neglectful.”
Crouching in front of Mimi’s wheelchair and making sure she didn’t bump her leg, Riley looked her grandmother straight in the eye and smiled. “You’re never neglectful.” She patted Mimi’s hand, then stood. “But you are stubborn, and I can tell you’re hurting. When was the last time you took a pain pill?”
“I hate those things.” Mimi averted her gaze and drummed her fingers against her knee.
“Do they help you?”
After a pause, Mimi nodded, rubbing her thumb over her short fingernails.
“Then you need to take them.”
“I left them at home.” She looked up at Riley. “Did you have a good time tonight?”
Now it was Riley’s turn to pause, although she shouldn’t have been surprised at the question. Mimi always wanted to know how she was feeling, especially when Riley was a teenager. At the end of every school day, the first thing she would say when Riley walked into Knots and Tangles was, “Did you have a good day today?” Most of the time Riley had nodded, even though it wasn’t the truth.
This time when she nodded she was being honest. “I did. I forgot how relaxing knitting can be. Except for those first few stitches.”
“Everyone tenses up when they’re new.” Erma smiled, then winced again and sighed. “I have to admit, I am a little tired.
“That’s it. Home we go.”
An hour later, after driving Mimi home in her twenty-five-year-old Lincoln Town Car that still had less than 100,000 miles on it, then helping her grandmother get dressed for bed and extracting a promise that she would stay there and sleep, Riley stepped out onto the front porch. The air wasn’t as muggy as last night, and a faint, almost cool breeze ruffled her bangs. She leaned on the banister and looked at Mimi’s front yard. The light from the streetl
amp at the end of the driveway illuminated the disaster.
The grass needed mowing, weeds had taken over the flower beds, and the Burford holly bushes could use a good pruning. She’d seen the backyard this morning, and it was in even worse shape than the front. Riley had never been a fan of yard work, but after almost a decade of not having a yard, she found herself itching to pull the lawn mower from the shed and attack the overgrown grass.
She sat on the front porch step and propped her elbows on her knees. There was so much work to do—the shop, the house, the yard . . . Everything was unkempt and disorganized. Why hadn’t anyone helped take care of these things? Riley knew the answer before she finished the question—stubbornness. Even if someone had offered to help, her grandmother would have turned them down. It was clear that she did need assistance, even before the accident. Things wouldn’t be such a mess if I had stayed here.
She brushed aside the guilt. It wasn’t her fault her Mimi was set in her ways. What was Riley supposed to do, stay in Maple Falls for the rest of her life? She was an artist—at least she was trying to be—and that couldn’t happen in a backwater Arkansas town. Even worse, I could end up like Tracey.
Scowling, she straightened, batted at the mosquito that landed on her arm, then stood. She’d do what she could to clean up the house and store before she went back to New York. But before she left, she would stand her ground with Mimi. Her grandmother couldn’t keep living like this, and she couldn’t expect Riley to give up her dreams because she didn’t want to change.
And what exactly would I be giving up? Fame, fortune, friends? She didn’t have any of that, except she did consider Melody her friend. But just because she hadn’t reached her goals yet didn’t mean she should hang up her dream, tuck her tail between her legs, and come back to Maple Falls. That was something she would never, ever do.
She went inside and readied for bed. When she laid down and pulled the soft sheet and light blanket over her, she fought to settle her mind. What should she tackle first? The front yard or the back? The store or inside the house? She expected to be up all night trying to come up with a plan, but instead she quickly fell asleep, not realizing she slept until pale sunlight filtered through the gauzy white chiffon curtains covering the bedroom window.
Riley rolled out of bed, ran her fingers through her hair, and threw it up in a messy ponytail. She quickly dressed in running shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers, then crept down the hallway and peeked into Mimi’s bedroom. Her grandmother was still asleep with her cast propped up on the hill of pillows Riley made for her last night. Soft snores drifted through the room. Riley stepped back, then quietly went outside. The sun was just above the horizon, the sky streaked with shades of blue, lavender, and peach. Birds greeted her with their cheerful chirping. Despite her troubled thoughts from last night, she felt optimistic this morning. A lot of work lay ahead of her, but she would get it done.
Breathing in the fresh, slightly humid air, she sighed. When was the last time she’d gone out for a run? Before leaving for New York, she had enjoyed running and tried to fit one in a few times a week. While art and working at Knots and Tangles were her escapes, she always felt better after a good run. She wasn’t a fast runner, and she would rather have a root canal than join a 10K or any kind of marathon, although she had trained herself to run those distances.
When she arrived in New York, she had quickly abandoned running. Art school and the work-study program she was enrolled in had taken up all of her time. After graduating, she was busy trying to make ends meet while working on producing and selling her mixed media creations. She had no time to run, much less ample green space to run through. She’d jogged a few times in Central Park, but it wasn’t the same as running in Maple Falls or hitting the trails in nearby Ouachita National Park.
Riley stretched her legs, hearing the snap and creak of her bones and tendons complaining about years of neglect. She jumped up and down a few times, then hit the road, settling on a slow, steady pace. Before long she found herself on the running trail in Maple Falls Park. It was small but had a decent-size pond with a sidewalk surrounding the water where people could run or walk. It was hardly a trail, but it would do.
She was halfway around the pond when she heard someone call her name. She muttered a curse, glad Melody wasn’t there to hear her. Naturally, of all the mornings people could run in Maple Falls Park, she had chosen the same time as him.
Embarrassment filled her. The last person she wanted to witness her lumbering gait, sweaty face and back, and overall lack of stamina and athleticism was Hayden Price. She didn’t want to be a complete witch and ignore him, either, so she peeked over her shoulder and gave him a quick nod of acknowledgment. When she realized he was gaining on her, she picked up her pace. Hopefully he would let her plod along in peace.
No such luck. Letting him know she saw him was a mistake. He didn’t slow down. Instead, he was closing the gap between them. She sped up, and within seconds her heart rate had spiked, she struggled to breathe, and the muscles in her leg burned with every stride. She knew she couldn’t keep running at that speed, and she certainly couldn’t outrun him. Against her will she slowed, then finally stopped, bending at the waist and placing her hands on her knees. Even her knees were sweaty.
“Hey.” Hayden stopped beside her, not sounding the least bit exerted. “Are you okay?”
With effort she lifted her head, still gasping for air. She managed a nod. “F-fine.”
His brow furrowed. “You don’t look fine. Why don’t you sit down for a minute?” He gestured to one of the weathered benches a few paces ahead that seemed to be one weak breeze away from keeling over.
She started to shake her head, hoping he would just leave her alone to catch her breath so she could eventually resume her run. Her breathing wasn’t slowing as fast as she wanted it to, and then her legs started to feel like Jell-O in an earthquake, and she knew she had to relent. She made her way over to the bench and plopped down on it, hoping she wouldn’t end up with splinters in her butt. Don’t sit next to me, don’t sit next to me, don’t . . .
He sat next to her, leaning forward and peering at her sweat-covered face. “Did you bring any water with you?”
Of course she didn’t. She was so unused to exercising, she hadn’t even thought about it. “No. I was just going for a quick run.”
“Did you run here from Erma’s?” he asked. When she nodded, he said, “That’s not a quick run.”
She eyed him, annoyed. “Where’s your water?”
“Uh, at home,” he said with a sheepish expression. “I’m just doing five miles this morning, so I didn’t think I needed it. Now I wish I’d brought some so I could share it with you.”
Riley sat back against the bench, staring at him. Was he even real? The ends of his hair were damp with perspiration, so at least he was human. But how could he be so attractive, so athletic, and so nice? He must have a girlfriend stashed somewhere. Maybe even a fiancée. She glanced at his left hand. No ring, so she knew he wasn’t married. He was the type to wear a wedding ring.
She squeezed her eyes shut. The last thing her brain needed was to ponder about Hayden’s romantic life. Hadn’t she done enough of that in high school?
“Riley?”
Opening her eyes, she finally lifted her gaze. “Yes?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Her legs still felt weak, but if she sat here long enough, she could at least walk back to Mimi’s. Running was out of the question, although if she had the strength, she would book it out of here immediately. The next best thing was to encourage him to leave.
“Yes. I’m okay.” She tried to hide the fact that she was still slightly breathless. She wasn’t sure if it was from the exercise or because Hayden was sitting so close to her. “Don’t let me keep you from your run,” she said, waving him off.
“You’re not. I was almost done.” He leaned back against the bench, his shoulder almost touching Riley’s. If he noticed, he did
n’t act like it.
She thought about scooting away, but she was nearly at the edge of the bench and there wasn’t any room—unless she wanted to land on the concrete sidewalk. Why were these benches so small?
“Can I ask you something?” Hayden said.
This time when she cast him a quick look, he was staring at the pond in front of them. A group of brown-and-gold-spotted ducks was paddling around the water, and three of them dipped their heads beneath the surface in search of a fish or two for breakfast. She needed to answer his question.
“Um, sure.”
“Have I offended you somehow?”
Stunned, she turned to him. That was the last thing she expected him to ask. “No. Why would you think that?”
“You seem eager to get away from me right now. I got the same impression yesterday when you came into the store.” He tapped the rubber heel of his athletic shoe against the walkway. “I guess I just wondered if I’d done something to annoy you when I picked you up from the airport the other night.”
She gripped the edge of the bench. Might as well add splinters to her fingers too. “We haven’t seen each other in over a decade, Hayden,” she said, her tone turning soft. “What could you possibly have done to upset me?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking if I’ve done something wrong.”
Riley let out a bitter laugh. “As if that would ever happen.”
“Hey, I’m not perfect. Far from it.”
He sounded annoyed, so she turned to him. “From what I remember, you were pretty darn close.” Oh no, had she really said that out loud?
He smirked. “Interesting. I didn’t think you noticed me at all.”
“Oh, come on. Everyone knows the great Hayden Price.”
“I’m not so great now.” Instead of sounding upset, he seemed resigned. “Then again, not everyone can say they blew an entire career on one pitch.”
That put things into perspective. While her career had never gotten off the ground, his had launched to the highest peak, only to come crashing down.
Hooked on You Page 5
