* * *
“Something on your mind, Hayden?”
Hayden looked up from his lunch of taco salad with extra sour cream. He’d barely touched it since Anita brought it over to him. He met his father’s inquisitive gaze. Did he have anything on his mind? His mind was filled to the brim, mostly with confusing thoughts making him feel off-kilter, the norm lately rather than the exception. How could he explain the way he was seesawing between savoring the memory of Riley in his arms and the painful betrayal of Dad selling the store? Even if he wanted to talk about either, he wouldn’t bring them up in a public place like the crowded diner. He might as well advertise them in the local paper instead.
He had to tell his father something, so he shrugged and dove into the taco salad with a brief, “Not really.”
“Hmm.”
Hayden glanced at him, knowing what that utterance meant. Unsurprisingly, his father wasn’t buying what Hayden was selling, since his ability to hide his emotions was quickly eroding. He decided to change the topic.
“What do you think about sprucing up the front of the store?”
His father lifted one eyebrow, now more gray than blond. “What made you think about that?”
“I was just taking a look at the businesses on this street and realized it might be a good idea to fix things up before the Too Dang Hot Parade.”
“Didn’t I tell you? The event is canceled this year.”
Hayden gripped his fork. “No. You didn’t.”
“Yeah, we had a chamber of commerce meeting two weeks ago and decided there wasn’t enough interest to continue the parade.”
“What about the money it brings to Main Street?”
“The parade hasn’t been the moneymaker it used to be for a few years now. Last year we didn’t come close to breaking even. We realized the event has run its course. How’s the taco salad?” Dad took a bite of his all-American burger.
Forget the taco salad. How could his father be so blasé about Maple Falls’ only tradition? “I can’t believe there won’t be a parade,” he mumbled.
“Nothing lasts forever, son. Things change, whether we want them to or not.”
Hayden knew that better than anyone. He’d never imagined his hometown would slowly die while everyone watched from the stands, doing nothing about it.
“Not everything has to change, Dad. Some things are worth saving.”
At that moment Jasper walked into the diner, and Dad motioned for him to come over and join them. Soon the old man and Hayden’s father were engrossed in conversation, as usual, while Hayden picked at the lukewarm taco meat. This couldn’t be happening. First, Dad was selling the hardware store, and now the town had ended a decades-long parade and town event. True, the parade had first started as a joke, but eventually it became a beloved tradition that everyone anticipated. Hayden hated that he’d missed so many of them since the parade happened during baseball season, and he’d been excited about being at his first Too Dang Hot Parade, minus the parade, in over a decade. Now he didn’t even have that.
He pushed his salad away. “I’ve got to get back to the store,” he said, sliding out of the blue vinyl booth. He couldn’t sit here and pretend to enjoy his food while his life was being turned upside down. He pulled out his wallet and put several bills on the table. “Lunch is on me.”
“But you didn’t finish your salad,” Dad said.
“I’m not hungry.” Before his father could say anything else, he rushed out of the diner and headed back to the hardware store. An empty, helpless feeling washed over him. His baseball career was over, but he had been ready for a fresh start in Maple Falls, fixing up his house, working at the hardware store, and laying down some roots, God willing.
Frustration overtook him, and he clenched his jaw. His college coach once said Hayden must have ice in his veins because he was so cool under pressure. What a joke. He felt anything but cool right now. As it was, he was itching to punch out a window in one of the abandoned buildings. No one would care about the damage anyway.
Everything was changing too fast, and that made his head spin. When the doctors told him he’d never pitch again, he tried to prove them wrong and ended up setting back his recovery in the process and ensuring that he’d never play competitive ball again. That had been hard to accept, but knowing he had a place to come home to and a job waiting for him had given him hope. Now even those weren’t what he thought they would be.
As he reached the store, he spotted Riley at the end of the street, coming out of Petals and Posies. Instantly he slowed, watching as she held a bouquet of flowers, then brought them to her nose. He’d sold so many packets of flower seeds over the years that even from this distance he could name the flowers in the bouquet—red roses, pink and orange gerbera daisies, and at least two purple carnations. Riley was so beautiful in the sunlight, and when he saw her smile, it was as if an electric shock ran through him.
He watched her for a few seconds, mesmerized by her amazing smile. Instantly he relived the bliss he’d felt holding her last night when she had accepted a little bit of comfort. Unable to stop himself, he walked toward her.
“Riley,” he called out, unnerved by the cracking sound in his voice. Great, he sounded like a preteen whose voice hadn’t completely changed. Or an upset man who needed to be around the one person he inexplicably knew could calm him down.
When she turned toward him, he half expected her to run off like she usually did, but instead she waited. As he neared, he could see the concern on her face. That made everything worse. The Ice Man was losing his cool, and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“What’s wrong, Hayden?” she asked, moving the flowers away from her face.
He wanted to tell her that things were fine. That nothing bothered him, that what was happening around him wasn’t rocking him to his core. But they would both know he was lying.
“Everything, Riley,” he said. “Everything’s wrong.”
Chapter 9
Riley tucked the flowers into the vase sitting on the counter.
After she’d taken a break from sketching earlier, she went back to organizing and cleaning out the bins and paperwork under the counter. When she saw the vase at the very back of a shelf next to a tin of rusty buttons, she rinsed it out in the sink in the bathroom, then decided to give Petals and Posies a little business. A small bouquet of flowers wouldn’t have a huge impact on the shop, but it would be something. Sophie, the woman who owned Petals and Posies, had been happy about the sale.
She hadn’t expected to encounter Hayden, and from the anxious way he’d called out her name, she knew something was wrong. The pained expression on his face confirmed it, and she didn’t think twice about inviting him into the store.
Now he was sitting on the old but still comfy lime-green velour sofa in the back room. She’d had to clear a spot for them to sit. As soon as he parked himself on the cushions, he raked his hand through his thick hair, then stared at the coffee table covered in boxes of knitting needles that hadn’t been unpacked yet.
For once, Riley hoped they didn’t have any customers. She sat next to him but didn’t say anything. Not because she wasn’t curious or concerned, but because she sensed he wasn’t ready to talk yet. When he was, she would be here to listen.
After a few minutes, he lifted his head and blew out a breath. “I’m supposed to be at work right now. We were so slow this morning that Dad decided to close shop for lunch. He’s probably still at the diner jawing with Jasper, not worried about a thing.”
“Should he be worried about something?”
“Yes, he should.” Hayden held his hands in front of him. “He should be as mad as I am that things have gotten so bad around here.” He dropped his hands to his knees. “But he’s not. He’s moved on.”
Riley was confused, but she listened as Hayden continued to talk, expressing his anger over the cancellation of the Too Dang Hot Parade. That news surprised her too. She never imagined the town would cancel such a lon
g-standing tradition.
He continued lamenting the fact that no one seemed to care what happened to Maple Falls. “Dad’s selling the store,” he explained, surprising Riley even more. “My whole family knew about it except for me. I guess I was supposed to find out when the sold sign was slapped on the front door.”
“Hayden, I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. She agreed it wasn’t right for his family to keep him in the dark like that, but it wasn’t her place to say so.
He leaned back against the lime-green upholstery and continued staring straight ahead. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve had my whole life planned. From the time I picked up a baseball bat in T-ball until the end of my career, I knew what I wanted—to be a pro ball player. And I would do anything to reach that goal.”
“And you did.” Which was more than she could say about her own career. He had actually achieved his goal, while hers was still out of reach.
“For one game. One friggin’ game. But there was always another constant in my life. This town. I traveled so much and lived in so many places, but I could always come back home. Sure, I would notice changes here and there when I visited. But I didn’t realize how different things were until I moved back here. My career was over . . . The thing I loved more than anything was gone.” His voice broke. “But at least I had my hometown. Now I’m not sure of anything anymore.” Then he shook his head. “Wow. I never told anyone that before. Not even my parents. I didn’t want anyone to know I didn’t always have everything together. Even after my shoulder injury, I kept up the ruse. I had a reputation to protect.”
Without thinking, Riley angled her body toward him so she could look at him directly. She knew what he was talking about. Hadn’t she done the same thing? Not only when she lived here, but also right now? Pretending that she wasn’t bothered about being a loner or not having a normal childhood? Afraid of repeating the past?
“I get that,” she said softly, then drew in a breath. This was what she’d wanted to avoid—revealing anything personal to him. But he was so distraught and so honest with her that she couldn’t stop herself.
“I never felt that way about Maple Falls, or any place, for that matter. My mom and I moved around a lot before I came to live with Mimi. Motels, trailer parks, a cheap apartment or two. I can’t remember them all. I missed a whole year of school when I was eight because we didn’t have a permanent home. Mom dropped me off at Mimi’s when I was thirteen, and I haven’t seen her since.”
“Riley, I’m so sorry.” Pain entered his eyes. “I had no idea you had it so rough. I knew you lived with Erma back then, but I didn’t know anything else about your family.”
She averted her gaze. “No one did at school. At least I kept hoping they wouldn’t find out.”
“As far as I know, they didn’t. I never heard anyone talk about your mom . . . or you.”
That sounded so pathetic, even though it had been necessary. “That was the goal. If I kept my distance, no one could ask too many questions I didn’t want to answer.”
“Which was why you kept to yourself.” He paused, shifting on the couch to face her. “Is that the reason you’re so distant now?”
Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. But there was something inside her that wanted to continue talking. Just admitting that she’d been afraid of the school kids finding out about Tracey gave her some relief.
“Yes. It’s hard to keep secrets in a small town, and I’m sure there are people here who know about my mother. The Bosom Buddies all know, of course, and they did a good job of knocking the gossips down a peg whenever they could. But there were people who did talk about us behind my back. I didn’t want to dig up the past again.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I shouldn’t have said anything. You’re the one upset, and here I am talking about myself.”
His mouth lifted in a half smile. “Hey, I’m glad you shared that with me. It can be hard to show people the real you, the one who struggles and hurts. I haven’t been able to. Until now.” He leaned closer to her. “I don’t have to pretend with you, Riley. I know I can trust you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I feel it here.” He took her hand and put it over his heart. “What do you feel?”
She felt his muscled chest beneath his Price’s Hardware work shirt. She also felt the hammering beat of his heart against her palm, spiking her own pulse. “I feel . . . you.”
He leaned forward, his eyes turning smoky gray. A smile played on his lips as he lightly kissed her. When she responded, he drew her close and extended the kiss.
More than once during her teen crush on Hayden she had imagined kissing him, and even more recently she’d thought about it a few times, knowing it would never happen. But fantasy and reality had collided, and she was in heaven.
When he drew away, lightly nipping her bottom lip one more time before they separated, she could barely breathe.
He was grinning at her. “I gotta say, I feel a whole lot better now.”
The distant sound of the bell ringing above the front door of the store brought her back to earth. Now she had a customer? How was she even supposed to stand up after experiencing a kiss like that?
“I should see who that is,” she said, breathless.
“I better get back to work too.” He moved his face closer to hers. “Thanks,” he whispered.
“For what?” she managed to say.
“Listening. Talking. And . . . the other stuff.” He winked and got up from the couch. “I’ll show myself out,” he said, then left through the back door.
She leaned back against the sofa, her fingers pressed to her lips as she tried to regain her senses. Customer. There is a customer up front. Right. I should go see what they want.
Finally her brain engaged, and when it did, she felt another shock. Against her better judgment, she had revealed too much to Hayden. On the other hand, that reveal led to a kiss that reached into her soul and left her wanting more. It also left her wondering where she and Hayden went from here.
* * *
Somehow Hayden had managed to make it through the rest of the workday without losing his mind. Quite a feat since all he wanted to do was go back to Knots and Tangles, grab Riley in his arms, and kiss her senseless. Not only had he felt like he’d unloaded a burden he’d been carrying with him for longer than he could remember, but her response to his kiss sent his senses skyrocketing.
Beyond the kiss, though, something important had happened. Riley had opened up to him, and more pieces were falling into place. He’d had no clue she lived such a difficult life before moving in with Erma, and he suspected she was still holding back a lot about how bad her childhood really was. Her confession also made him realize how ridiculous he’d been for thinking her distant attitude had anything to do with him. If he’d experienced the same kind of neglect and then felt the need to hide it from everyone, he wouldn’t have been in any hurry to come back to Maple Falls either.
With all that on his mind, how was he supposed to focus on hammers and nails?
Finally closing time came, and he drove over to the ball field for Tuesday’s practice, Riley still on his mind. At least his frustration over his family and the changes in his hometown had settled, or he’d be jumping out of his skin, not a good look for a softball coach, even for a church league team.
When he reached the field, he shifted his focus to softball and coaching the players. After what happened with Riley today, he was glad she hadn’t ended up being his assistant. It was hard enough not to think about her when she wasn’t here.
Then just as the team started warming up, he noticed Erma’s car pull into the lot. His heart rate jumped. Had Riley changed her mind? He was thrilled to see her exit the car, despite thinking a few minutes ago that she would be too much of a distraction. Then he saw her go to the passenger side of the vehicle and help Erma out of the car. He laughed. He should have known Erma wouldn’t stay away from the ball field for long.
He gave Riley and Erma a wave, then ran the practice as efficiently as possible, which wasn’t difficult with this team. Once he got the players started on batting and fielding practice, he turned to see Riley sitting in a lawn chair next to Erma, who was positioned as close to the fence as was safe.
“Lift that bat higher, Tanner!” Erma shouted. “You look like a girl out there.”
Hayden smirked as Tanner shot her an annoyed look. Riley ducked her face behind her hand, then removed it when Tanner slammed the next pitch over the fence. He turned and started jogging backward, giving Erma a sarcastic salute, then made his way around the bases.
“That’s how you motivate a young man, sugar.” Erma sat back in her seat, seemingly proud of herself. “Most men, really. Appeal to their egos.”
“Tanner doesn’t need much motivation, and he has plenty of ego.” Hayden crouched next to Erma’s chair, but not before he checked over his shoulder at Riley. She had gotten up and was organizing the dugout again, probably more to get away from Erma’s method of coaching than anything else. She was moving the nearly empty ball bag to the other end of the bench from where Hayden had dropped it when he arrived, and out of the way of the entrance, so no one would have to walk around it or trip over it. Then she sat on the bench, and he saw what seemed to be a sketchbook next to her. She picked it up, pulled a pencil out of her crossbody bag, flipped the book open, and started to draw.
“She’s okay, Hayden.”
He glanced up at Erma, who was smiling. “I know,” he said, believing it. The conversation they’d had this afternoon had shifted things between them. Not to mention the kiss. But he knew he still had to tread lightly with her.
“She came home from the shop in a good mood today.” Erma faced the field again. “I asked her if something had happened.”
Hooked on You Page 13
