“This takes me back,” Dad said as the last customer left and the store was empty for the first time since they opened that morning. “I remember when we were this busy most of the time.”
Hayden smiled, glad to see his father happy. Even though Dad usually rolled with the punches, Hayden suspected he was concerned about the downslide in business for the past several years. Or maybe he wasn’t as concerned as Hayden thought he should be.
When the phone rang, Hayden said, “I’ll get it. You go grab lunch.”
Dad nodded and went to the back of the store as Hayden picked up the portable phone off the counter. “Price’s Hardware, where we have the best price in town. This is Hayden, how may I help you?”
“Hi, Hayden. It’s Riley.”
He gripped the phone, instinctively turning around and putting his back to the door. “Hi, Riley,” he said, making sure to keep his tone businesslike, as if she were just another customer. The drumming in his heart wasn’t exactly cooperating. “How may I help you?”
“I said I would call you today.” She paused. “About helping me with Mimi’s house.”
“Oh, right.” He sounded like he had forgotten, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It had taken everything he had to keep a cool distance and not approach her at church yesterday. He wasn’t used to struggling this much. Calming his emotions had always come easy to him. As a pitcher, he couldn’t allow himself to feel excitement or pressure or anxiety, and especially not during a big game or when the score was on the line. Being on autopilot and leaning on his training was key.
But how did he go on autopilot when it came to Riley? Somehow he would have to figure it out because Erma needed help, and fixing up her property was something he wanted to do for her.
“Could you stop by tonight?” Riley asked. “I can show you what needs work, and we can draw up the contract.”
“Is your lawyer going to be there?” He meant for it to come out sounding like a joke, but his tone was too sharp. Great. So much for keeping cool.
A pause. “I’m capable of writing a simple agreement.”
She sounded a little touchy, and he couldn’t blame her after his lawyer dig. He tempered his tone. “I’ll be there after six.”
“Thank you.” She hung up.
He stared at the phone, cleared his screen, and put it in his pocket. Whatever. He’d finish Erma’s projects, and then he and Riley wouldn’t have to cross paths again. He was even questioning what he saw in her in the first place. Good. He needed to hang on to that attitude if he was going to work with her.
Hayden went back to the office, expecting his father to be at his desk eating the lunch Mom packed for him this morning, since Jasper hadn’t shown up today. But his father wasn’t there, and Hayden saw the note he’d left.
Gone to the diner for lunch. Call if you want me to bring you anything back.
He sat on the swivel chair and thought about what he wanted to eat. It was better than thinking about Riley. As he tried to decide between a chef salad and chicken tenders, he straightened a stack of tool catalogs on his father’s desk, then saw a piece of paper with familiar letterhead at the top. Henry Price, Esq. His brother’s law practice. Why was his brother sending a formal letter to their father?
Hayden picked up the letter and read it, his stomach churning by the time he finished. Despite the fancy header, the contents weren’t about legal business. Instead, it was about his father selling the store.
Reeling from what he’d just read, he set the letter back on the desk and covered it with a catalog. His father had found a buyer and asked Henry to look over the contract since Dad wasn’t using a real estate broker and was selling the property on his own. Henry had scrutinized everything and said it was a fair offer. But his brother’s last words had driven the sharp point home. “Don’t hesitate to accept.”
Hayden stood and yanked his cell out of the pocket of his cargo shorts and tapped his brother’s number. The phone rang a few times before Henry answered.
“Hey, Hayden,” he said. “How’s it goin’?”
“Dad is selling the store?”
Silence.
“Yes. How did you find out?”
Hayden explained. He didn’t care if Henry chastised him for reading information not meant for him. Right now he had to get down to the bottom of why their father was giving up on the family business.
But Henry didn’t say anything about Hayden reading the private correspondence. “So, I take it he hasn’t said anything to you yet.”
“Not a word. Does Mom know?”
“Yes.”
Hayden thrust his hand through his hair and started to pace. “Why didn’t they tell me?”
“I’m sure they have their reasons.”
“I bet Harrison knows.”
Henry sighed. “Yes, he does. Hayden, this has been in the works for a while.”
“How long?”
“At least two years.”
“Two years?”
“Hayden, don’t get upset.” Henry’s voice carried its usual calm tone. His brother, like Dad, rarely got upset about anything. That made him a great lawyer but irritating to talk to sometimes. “Mom and Dad didn’t want to bother you with it. You had just gotten drafted by the Tigers when they started talking about selling, and then your accident happened—”
“I’ve been living with them for six months. I’ve worked here every minute the store has been open since I got back. It’s not like I don’t see them every day.”
“You’ll have to discuss it with them. I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I can’t get involved in something that’s between you and them. Look, I’ve got a client coming in a few minutes, so I have to let you go. I’ll give you a call back later.”
“But—” The phone went dead on the other end.
Hayden shoved the phone back into his pocket and scowled. Henry was a busy attorney, and deep down he knew his brother was right. But that didn’t stop the betrayal from winding through him right now. His whole family had been planning on selling the family business, and no one thought to mention it to him, using his now nonexistent career and then his injury as an excuse. Didn’t they think he had an opinion? Did they bother to consider that he would?
When he heard the bell above the front door jingle, he gathered himself, shoving his feelings inside like he’d always done when he was in pain or hurt. The years of keeping his emotions wrapped tight were failing him. He took a few deep breaths to calm his mind. Finally he was collected enough to greet the three customers who had walked in, and to do so with a friendly smile—just as his father taught him the first day he started working in the store.
When Dad came back from lunch, they were still busy with customers. Hayden skipped lunch, which was fine since he didn’t have an appetite. He also didn’t have a chance to talk to his father, and by the time they closed for the day—an hour later than normal—he needed to head over to Erma’s.
“Today was a good day.” Dad pulled out the cash drawer and started for the back. “I’ll lock up, son, so you won’t be late. Lord knows Erma is a fussbudget when it comes to punctuality.”
Before Hayden could say anything, his father was halfway to the back of the store. Probably a good thing, since this wasn’t going to be a quick conversation.
“See you later,” he managed to say.
“Bye, son.”
Usually after closing, Hayden left the store through the back, where he parked his car in the small lot behind the store. Today he walked out the front door, needing the longer walk to gather himself again. The sun was low, and they hadn’t gotten a break from the hot, swampy air. He passed Petals and Posies and saw it was already closed. Then he noticed the peeling paint on the front facade, a contrast to the bright and cheerful floral display in the picture window.
He paused, noticing a bit of dry rot on the bottom left corner of the doorframe on the building. Turning, he took a good look at Main Street. The yarn store, the bake
ry, the diner at the end . . . Each of their facades were worn and in various states of disrepair. Then there were the empty buildings in between the decades-old businesses. For Sale and For Rent signs were posted on the glass. One, only half attached to the inside window, had been there so long the bright yellow paper with black lettering had faded to white and gray.
Why would anyone choose to shop in Maple Falls when there were bigger stores in surrounding cities? For the first time he saw hometown businesses with a critical eye and realized that the town’s mainstays were literally dying away. Could he blame his father for wanting to sell?
An unexpected wave of sadness hit him. What would happen to these historic buildings once they were sold? Would any of the legacy businesses survive? He didn’t know if the prospective buyer of Price’s Hardware would even keep the business the same.
A more chilling thought entered his mind. What would happen to Maple Falls if there were no businesses? No parades? Nothing to draw people here to spend their money and enjoy what used to be a quaint, and yes, a little bit quirky, town. Would Maple Falls end up like so many other small Southern cities and become a ghost town?
Could he allow that to happen? Did he even have the right or the means to stop it?
* * *
Riley pulled back one of the pleated sheer panels that covered the front window in Mimi’s living room and peeked at the driveway. Hayden still hadn’t arrived. She frowned, kicking herself for being so snippy to him earlier. Then again, he had been a bit snippy himself by mentioning her having a lawyer. Was he making fun of her business sense? Or was he expressing frustration with her insisting on a contract for a few common repair jobs? She suspected it was the latter. Can’t blame him for that.
After calling she had worked the rest of the day at Knots and Tangles. She’d had to force herself to focus on organizing the back room so she didn’t think about seeing Hayden later or worry that she had driven him away.
She’d decided to move all the shelves, the table, and boxes of yarn away from the walls so she could clean behind them. Once everything was in the middle of the room, she saw that the space needed a paint job and added that to her ever-growing punch list. Between the shop and Mimi’s house, there was no way she could finish even half of what she wanted to do without help.
When she arrived in Maple Falls last week, her sole goal had been to take care of Mimi until she got back on her feet. Now that goal had changed, and she wanted her grandmother to have the house and business she deserved, instead of settling for what Riley considered subpar. The thought that it might not happen all because she’d gotten into a snit over a trivial comment bothered her. She didn’t like that she had become so touchy lately. It wasn’t Hayden’s fault she liked him. Well, it was a little, but he couldn’t help being himself. She was the one who had a problem, and she needed to get a grip on it.
She looked out the window again. There was nothing she could do except hope she hadn’t driven him away
“Don’t fret, sugar. He’ll be here soon.” Mimi tapped the end of her ballpoint pen against her temple, then said, “Aha! That’s it.” She filled out the final squares of the newspaper crossword. “Viola! Done. That was a toughie.”
Riley turned to her. “You must be the last person who gets a physical copy of the newspaper.”
Mimi took off her reading glasses and gave Riley a stern look. “I’m sure I’m not, or there wouldn’t be any newspapers available. Also, doing a crossword puzzle on a computer isn’t the same.” She set the paper on the table next to her recliner, then started to use her free leg to push the footrest down.
Riley hurried over to help before Mimi hurt herself. If she ever made any extra money, she was buying Mimi an electric recliner, one with a remote and massage capability. Her grandmother would fuss, but Riley knew in the end she would like it. Though that would be a long way off. The idea of extra money was a pipe dream.
“I’m fine, Riley. Look, I can even scoot into the wheelchair myself.” Mimi positioned herself in the chair, then grinned with satisfaction. “See? No problem.”
“Until you fall off the recliner. Why won’t you ask for help?”
Mimi’s expression grew serious. “I’m not used to it,” she said in a low voice.
Riley almost nodded. She had difficulty asking for help, too, a trait she must have inherited from Erma. While it could be annoying to others, she was proud of being independent, and she was glad to have that in common with her grandmother. Funny how the characteristic had skipped a generation when it came to Tracey.
“There he is,” Mimi announced, perking up.
“How do you know?” Riley glanced at the front door.
“I heard the car door slam.”
Riley hadn’t heard it, but Mimi’s hearing was impeccable. Her pulse started to thrum, and she was relieved he hadn’t changed his mind about helping.
“Are you going to tell me why you and Hayden are meeting tonight?” Mimi asked, wheeling closer to her.
“Eventually.” Riley smoothed her hair, which was pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck.
Mimi touched her hand. “Don’t worry. You’re pretty as a posy.”
“I’m not thinking about how I look—” A knock sounded at the door.
“Be right there!” Mimi hollered, then shoved Riley toward the door.
Off balance from the unexpected shove, Riley steadied herself before opening the door.
“Hi, Hayden,” she said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.
“Hey.” He wasn’t paying attention to her. His gaze scanned the yard as he added, “Sorry I’m late.” Then he turned to her. “Ready to talk?”
“Yes.” She started to frown. Now he was examining the front of the house, his normally bright expression twisted in a studious grimace. Wow, she didn’t think the house was that bad.
“Come on inside, Hayden,” Mimi called out behind her. “I’ve got fresh sweet tea, extra sweet, of course, and lemon cookies in the kitchen.”
Hayden nodded, and before Riley could fully open the door, he walked inside, passing right by her as if she were Mimi’s butler. He leaned down and kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “How are you today, Erma?”
Riley watched as Hayden gave Mimi his undivided attention while she listed her complaints, the chief one concerning her wheelchair.
“I don’t need this contraption anymore,” she griped, sneering at the armrest.
“Is that what the doctor said?”
“Doctors don’t know everything.” Mimi sniffed, lifting her chin. “If he tells me when I see him Wednesday that I have to keep using this, he’s getting an earful.”
Hayden’s brow lifted. “Glad I’m not that doctor.”
While he was still listening to Mimi and nodding as she continued her tirade on the medical profession, Riley noticed he was tapping his foot, as if he were impatient. As if he wants to get this over with. For some reason that irritated her, and she could feel herself getting prickly again. If he didn’t want to help anymore, he should have canceled the meeting.
She marched to the kitchen and started pouring tea into two crystal-cut tumblers Mimi had insisted they use, along with a matching pitcher that her grandmother only brought out for special occasions. Riley also noticed when she got home from the shop that the living room and kitchen had been tidied up. Was she trying to impress him? Were the green glasses they normally used not good enough?
Riley leaned against the kitchen counter and let out a deep breath. She was starting to sound like Tracey again, and she hated it. Never had she gotten the impression from Hayden or the Prices that they were stuck up or thought they were any better than anyone else. Why had that crossed her mind now?
“Erma seems to be feeling better.”
Riley turned to see Hayden standing behind her, his expression impassive. She nodded, taking a moment to steady her nerves before handing him a glass of tea. “She’s in a hurry to get well. I don’t want her to rush her recovery.�
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“Good idea.” He glanced at the tumbler in his hand. “Nice glasses.” He walked over to the table and sat down, then started drumming his fingers against the vinyl flowered tablecloth Mimi must have dug out from the depths of her linen closet.
“Is this a bad time?” Riley crossed her arms over her chest. Be pleasant. “We can reschedule if you’re too busy.” Her tone had successfully tempered.
His fingers stilled, hovering over one of the large red poppies printed on the tablecloth. Then his shoulders slumped. “Sorry. Tonight’s fine. I just have a lot on my mind.” He picked up a lemon cookie and set it on a small white dessert plate but didn’t take a bite. Instead, he lifted his gaze and met hers, a determined look in his eyes. “Ready to get Erma’s house shipshape?”
His words steered her back to the topic at hand, and she sat across from him at the four-person table and picked up a small notepad she’d found in her bedroom. Correction—her former bedroom. This wasn’t her home anymore, and she needed to remember that.
Before she could say anything, he started talking. “I checked around the house before I knocked. You’re right, this place needs some work.” He started listing everything that needed to be done—making several front porch repairs; power washing the siding; and stripping, sanding, and staining the back deck, along with some smaller jobs.
Most of those she had already thought of. “That’s not too bad,” she said, trying to convince herself.
“Oh, there’s more. Let’s talk about the roof.” He sat back in his chair.
“What about the roof?”
“It needs replacing.”
“That sounds expensive.” She wrote it down on her list.
“It is. Very expensive.” He folded his hands and placed them on the table. “What’s your budget?”
Riley paused, her enthusiasm sinking. “Slim.”
Hayden frowned. “How slim?”
“Shoestring slim.” When she told him how much she had to spend, he shook his head.
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