Hooked on You

by Kathleen Fuller

  But she remained in place. Every cell in her brain was telling her to flee, but with each pounding heartbeat, she grew further from leaving. She couldn’t pull her gaze from his questioning one. Couldn’t stop wishing things were different and wanting to launch herself into his steady arms. She couldn’t reveal her heart either. She dropped her chin, the metal spiral coil binding the notebook digging into her arm.

  They stood there at an impasse. Finally Hayden spoke. “Remember I told you I would earn your trust? I can’t do that if you won’t even let me try.”

  Riley lifted her chin, feeling it quiver. “You could have any woman you want, Hayden. Why are you bothering with me? I’m no one special.”

  He shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  “Fine. Mimi thinks I’m special.” She felt the bile rise in her throat. “She has to, being my grandmother and all.”

  “Ah, Riley.” He moved closer to her, and before she could stop him, he brushed back the hair from her face and slipped it behind her ear. “First of all, you’re putting me on way too high a pedestal. How many people do you think stuck around when my career was over? Sure, they were there for me at first, when there was still hope that I might come back. But eventually we all had to accept that wasn’t happening and move on. The first one to go was the woman I was dating at the time.”

  Envy suddenly wound through Riley. “I’m not interested in a play-by-play of your romances, Hayden.”

  “Good, because you’re not getting one. Besides, there weren’t that many. I don’t even know what happened to that woman, actually. I’m sure she found another baseball player to latch on to. Hopefully things worked out for her.”

  “You’re not bitter she left you?”

  He shook his head. “No. I think we had gone on a total of three dates. She wasn’t interested in nursing a broken player back to health, and that was fine by me. I didn’t need to be distracted.” He took another step closer. “But know this, Riley. I’m distracted right now. Very distracted, in the best way.”

  As his words sank in, a pleasant shiver ran down her spine. He even says all the right things. How could she not put him on a pedestal?

  “I can’t claim to understand everything you’ve gone through or the pain you’ve felt. We’ve both been broken, in different ways. But I can tell you this—you can put the pieces back together. I want to help you do that.”

  “Why—”

  Hayden pressed his finger over her mouth. “Just listen, please. I like you, Riley. You might have thought you were invisible back in high school, or at least you did everything you could to make yourself be. But I remember you. I noticed you, and I was interested in you back then.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “You were?” Her words were muffled against his finger.

  He chuckled and dropped his hand. “Yep. But my focus was on other things. Still is. I haven’t talked to my father yet about selling the store, but I’m going to. And I’ve been thinking a lot about making some changes in this town. Good ones, of course. I’m hoping people will see them that way. That’s going to take some time, I know, but I can at least try. I also have my new house to fix up, Erma’s repairs, the softball team—”

  “And I’m getting in the way of all that.”

  “No.” He paused, his gaze intensifying. “Even with all this going on, the number one thing I’m thinking about is you.”

  Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. This was too much all at once, and the strength of the emotions running through her were almost more than she could bear. She didn’t know what to do.

  Then she latched on to the conviction she’d seen in his eyes as he talked about improving Maple Falls. She thought about the drawing she had worked on earlier in the day of Mimi’s shop. “Speaking of improvements,” she said, keeping her tone light, as if he hadn’t just made her heart sing. She opened the sketchbook and showed him what she had been working on all day.

  He scanned the drawing. “Is this Knots and Tangles?”

  “I’m hoping it will be. I’ve figured out a way to redesign the whole store.”

  “Wow. You sure have.”

  She found herself on solid ground now that they were talking about something practical. “I think instead of having the Bosom Buddies hold their group in the back of the shop, they should sit here.” She pointed to a large seating area she had created in the middle of the store. “I want to paint all the wooden shelves pure white, which will be a great contrast to the colorful yarn.”

  “I know all about white paint,” he mumbled with a half smile. “Just let me know when you need it.”

  “I have to see if Mimi is on board first. She hasn’t been taking advantage of those huge picture windows in the front of the store. Seeing people inside, even if it’s just Mimi’s friends knitting and crocheting and having a great time, will draw customers in.”

  “That’s a great idea.” He checked the drawing again, then looked at her. “We’re on the same wavelength with improving things around here, I see.”

  “Yes, but also keeping within the character of Maple Falls. This place has Southern charm.” She had to give credit where it was due. “I don’t think it should lose that.”

  “I agree.” Hayden took the sketchbook from her and studied it. The sun was almost gone from the sky, but there was still enough light to see.

  The tension in Riley’s back started to ease. She could handle talking about buildings and home improvements. What she couldn’t handle were the feelings he was bringing out in her a few moments ago. She also couldn’t admit the truth—that she had been thinking about him all the time too.

  Suddenly he started turning the pages of the sketchbook. Before she could grab it away from him, he came to her drawing of him. “And what about this?”

  Her cheeks started to burn again. “Give me that back.” She tried to take the sketchbook from him, but he held it above her head out of her reach. “I was just fooling around!”

  “Just fooling around, huh? You just happened to be drawing a picture of me, even though you could have drawn anyone else? Erma, or one of the Bosom Buddies?”

  “Stop being a jerk.” She couldn’t keep from giggling as she reached for it. He was only a few inches taller than her, but his arms were much longer, and the book was well out of her grasp.

  He held it above his head. “I will, on one condition.”

  Her guard came up again. She didn’t like conditions. But the teasing glint in Hayden’s eyes tempered her automatic reaction. “What?”

  “Have dinner with me tomorrow night. Not a date—I’ll make that clear. Just two friends getting together to discuss their ideas for Maple Falls. How does that sound?”

  She paused. That actually appealed to her. As they were looking at the sketchbook earlier, she’d gotten excited again, like she had in the shop when the idea first struck her. Besides, agreeing to dinner seemed like the only way she was going to get her sketchbook back. Unless she tackled him to the ground and took it, which wasn’t going to happen. He was too big, too strong—and she was too weak to resist the thoughts that instantly traveled to an intimate place she couldn’t risk dwelling on, not with him standing a few inches from her and her resolve wilting.

  “Fine,” she said, trying to sound casual. “What time?”

  “I’ll pick you up at five thirty tomorrow night. There’s a steak joint a block down from the ice cream shop. They have decent sirloins and a gigantic food bar.” He frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian.”

  “Definitely not.”

  “That’s a relief.” He handed her the sketchbook. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” He grinned at her, then turned and jogged back to the dugout to collect the softball equipment.

  She clutched the sketchbook and walked to Mimi’s car, got inside, and drove home in a daze. As usual, Mimi was sitting in the recliner watching TV and working on a crochet project when Riley walked inside. Riley paused, ready for Mimi to ask what took her so long to get home.<
br />
  “You’re blocking the TV.” Mimi raised her crochet hook and waved Riley away, then slipped a loop of yarn over the hook. “I’m just about to find out who the killer is.”

  “Sorry.” Riley nodded, relieved that her grandmother hadn’t asked any questions. She went upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed, finally allowing herself to think about what Hayden had said. That he had noticed her in high school blew her mind. That he thought she was special blew it even further. Remembering his words and the honesty in his eyes warmed her to her toes. She grabbed a pillow and squealed into it, feeling like a teenager again. Except she had never felt like this in her teens—or ever.

  Her clothes were still in her suitcase. She’d refused to unpack, not wanting anything about her time here to feel permanent. Did she have anything suitable to wear to a steakhouse? She would have to make do since there wasn’t any time to shop.

  Riley ground her thoughts to a halt. This wasn’t a date, so it didn’t matter what she wore. And that’s how it should be. Like Hayden said, they were two friends discussing ideas. Nothing more.

  But for the first time in her life, she wished she owned a skirt.

  * * *

  The next morning, Riley was working at Knots and Tangles, trying to focus on boxing up some old yarn Mimi had agreed to donate to an online knitting group. She was also trying to keep her thoughts off her upcoming supper with Hayden.

  Her grandmother’s doctor had called earlier and canceled Mimi’s appointment but rescheduled it for tomorrow. Mimi wasn’t happy with that, of course, but after pouting for a little while, she called Bea and they made plans to spend the day together.

  Riley glanced at the clock on the wall above the counter for the tenth time. Barely eleven thirty. She had been sure it was past lunchtime. The day was crawling, and she could hardly keep the mix of nervousness and excitement at bay.

  She heard the bell above the front door and turned around. Harper walked inside, dressed in a sharp royal-blue pencil skirt and white blouse, her thick blond hair tousled strategically over her shoulders.

  “Hello!” she said, grinning brightly. “I brought some goodies for you.”

  Riley froze in front of the box. “What?”

  Harper set a large white shopping bag with two handles on the counter. “When you said you weren’t free for dinner tonight when I called you earlier, I put two and two together.” She placed her hands on her slender hips. “You and Hayden are going out, aren’t you?”

  “Uh . . .” Riley felt the sting of embarrassment fill her cheeks. “Not out exactly—”

  “I knew it. When you two were hanging out after practice yesterday, I suspected something was up.”

  Knowing she had to nip this in the bud, Riley said, “It’s not a date. Seriously. I have some plans for Knots and Tangles, and I wanted to run them by him. He . . .” She wondered if she should say anything about him wanting to improve the town, then decided against it. “That’s it. We just agreed to have supper at the same time. We both have to eat, you know.”

  “Right.” Harper eyed Riley’s clothes, the usual plain T-shirt and jean shorts. “You’re not wearing that, are you?”

  “No,” she replied, feeling somewhat defensive. “I’m going to change into jeans.”

  Harper sighed. “I was afraid of that. Friendly dinner or not, it won’t hurt for you to dress up a little. I brought some things that might work for you.”

  Now Riley felt humiliated. Was her appearance that bad? Her clothes weren’t fancy, but they were comfortable—way better than what she’d had when she was with Tracey. More than once she had been pulled out of class by a kind teacher or the school nurse and given a new pair of jeans that didn’t have holes in them or a jacket that actually fit. The clothes themselves were old, but they were new to Riley, and they were clean, something her clothes rarely were.

  “Hey.” Harper’s tone grew serious. “I didn’t hurt your feelings, did I?”

  Riley picked up a full box of yarn. “Of course not.” But she couldn’t meet Harper’s eyes.

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure I did.” She hurried over to Riley and put her arm around her shoulders. “I can be so thoughtless sometimes,” she said, sincerity filling her tone. “Usually I try to catch myself, but . . . I just wanted to do something nice for you, that’s all. Mother said you had dropped everything to come help Erma, and I figured you wouldn’t have had time to pack much. But if I’ve offended you, I’m really sorry.”

  Riley could see Harper was being genuine. She could also see that she was upset. Riley set down the box. “It’s okay.” She paused. “You’re right, my wardrobe could use a little help. I didn’t pack very much when I left New York. I was in too much of a hurry.”

  “Well, if it’s okay, I brought a few things I thought might fit you.” Harper gave her a sheepish grin. “But you don’t have to look at them if you don’t want to.”

  Now Riley was curious, and she also didn’t want to make Harper feel any worse. “I’d like to.”

  Harper brightened. “Oh good!” Her heels clicked on the worn tile floor as she walked to the other side of the counter and started pulling clothing out of the bag. “You have such beautiful fair skin, I thought these would be pretty on you.” She handed Riley a pale-pink scoop-neck blouse with a thin band of lace edging on the hem, along with a flared skirt that was a shade darker.

  Once again, she was glad the store was empty. She examined the outfit. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn anything pink. “You didn’t buy these, did you?”

  “Not yet. I have a friend who owns a boutique. She let me bring the clothes here. If you don’t like any of them, I’ll take them back. You can purchase whatever you want to keep.” Harper pulled out three more outfits, each one just as nice as the pink one, and fancier than what Riley usually wore, but still more casual than Harper’s style. She had to admit Harper had done a good job picking out the clothes. She checked the sizes. Harper had nailed those too. Riley wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  Then she spied the price tags and stilled. She couldn’t afford a single one of these items, much less an entire outfit. When Harper started pulling out matching jewelry, Riley’s stomach churned.

  The front bell jingled, and Bea walked in, then held the door for Mimi as she rolled into the store.

  “Hello, Harper,” Mimi said. “How’s the house-selling business going?”

  “A little slow right now, but it will pick up.” She handed Riley a long, green beaded necklace meant to go with the second outfit.

  “What’s all this? Bea walked over to the counter where the clothes and jewelry were spread out. “Such pretty clothes. Are these yours, Harper?”

  Riley continued to study the outfits as Harper explained to Mimi and Bea what was going on, telling them she and Riley had plans tonight, instead of revealing that Riley was having supper with Hayden. Riley would have to thank her for that stroke of genius later. She didn’t like the idea of fibbing to Mimi, but she also didn’t want her grandmother to get the wrong idea.

  She touched the pink shirt again, loving the soft feel of the silky fabric. The other outfits were brighter and more playful, but she was drawn to the pink clothing for some reason.

  “Try them on, sugar.”

  “I don’t know . . . ,” she said to Mimi, who had rolled closer to the counter.

  “You can change in the bathroom, then model for us. We’ll help you decide which one you want.”

  Riley leaned over the counter. “I can’t afford these,” she whispered.

  Mimi smiled. “Don’t you worry about that, honey.”

  After a pause, Riley relented. She took the clothes to the back and hung them on the hook on the back of the door. She selected the red-and-white pantsuit first, ignoring the price before she put on the clothes so she wouldn’t feel any more guilty than she already did. Harper even brought shoes, and they fit too. The woman had a good eye—that was for sure.

  Riley stood back t
o see her whole body in the mirror above the sink. The clothes not only felt good but were flattering. Better yet, she felt . . . pretty. When was the last time she’d felt that way, or even cared enough to think about it? She scrutinized her face in the mirror and smiled.

  * * *

  Erma held back tears as she watched her granddaughter model the beautiful clothes Harper had brought. Bless that child. How she managed to figure out Riley’s sizes, Erma didn’t know, but every single ensemble was a perfect fit. At first Riley seemed uncomfortable showing off the clothing, but Harper’s and Bea’s enthusiasm helped her relax. Erma would have joined in, but she was content to be quiet and observe for once.

  Of course she didn’t believe Harper’s poppycock about a girls’ night. These weren’t outfits for dinner with a girlfriend. They were more suited for something special. Like supper with Hayden Price. Erma wasn’t 100 percent sure that was what was going on, and she wasn’t going to pry—she’d promised to stay out of Riley’s personal business. But she had seen the gleam in Hayden’s eyes when he asked Junior to take her home last night, and she’d also noticed Riley watching him while he was coaching. Erma didn’t miss much, especially when she was paying attention.

  Riley came out in the last outfit, a lovely pale-pink blouse and skirt that hugged her curves in all the right places. Erma had noticed that her granddaughter had finally put a little meat on her bones, and she was lovely. The color was perfect for her skin tone, and the delicate gold necklace added the perfect final touch.

  “That’s the outfit,” Bea said, clasping her hands together and smiling.

  “That’s the outfit,” Harper added, giving her a thumbs-up.

  “That’s the outfit.” Erma nodded and rolled closer to Riley. “You’ve never looked more stunning, sugar.” When Riley smiled, Erma’s heart melted.

  “I’m not used to wearing heels,” Riley said, shifting back and forth on her feet.

  “They’re wedges, and they’re barely an inch and a half.” Harper went over to her. “You’ll be surprised how comfortable they are to walk in.”