Hooked on You

by Kathleen Fuller

  Riley straightened. “Why?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It might be the romantic in me, but I think they make a cute couple.”

  At that moment Jasper frowned at Mimi.

  “Ms. McAllister always makes sure to stop by to say hello to Mr. Mathis if he’s sitting alone.”

  “He doesn’t seem all that happy to see her,” Riley said.

  “I think he’s hiding his true feelings.” Anita sighed. “Wouldn’t it be adorable if they got together?”

  “No,” Riley blurted. “My grandmother hasn’t been interested in anyone since Poppy died thirty years ago.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “She would tell me.” Riley was positive her grandmother wouldn’t keep a secret like this from her. Or would she?

  Anita nodded. “Like I said, I’m just overly romantic.” She glanced over her shoulder again as Tanner walked out from the kitchen to the counter where the cash register was, a white kitchen towel slung over his shoulder, his long hair pulled back and secured in a hair net. He crouched and disappeared behind the counter for a second, then stood back up, having retrieved a large silver baking tray, and went back into the kitchen.

  Riley would have sworn she heard Anita sigh again.

  Mimi was heading back to the table, and Anita stepped aside to let her in her spot across from Riley. “What a delightful man,” Mimi said, her words dripping with sarcasm. “All I did was tell him hello, and you would have thought I’d asked him to solve world peace while standing on his head and juggling beach balls.”

  Mimi took a sip of tea. “Perfect as always, Anita.”

  “I do my best.”

  Riley and Mimi gave her their orders—a grilled cheese for Riley and a patty melt for Mimi. As soon as Anita left, Riley whispered, “What’s going on between you and Jasper?”

  Mimi’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? I just went over there to say hello.”

  “He was frowning at you.”

  “I know. He finds me irritating, although I have no idea why.” She moved the tea glass over an inch. “Me and Jasper . . . Hoo boy. Oh well, never mind.” She looked at Riley, her expression sobering. “There was only one man for me, Riley. No one can replace your Poppy.”

  Riley nodded. She never knew her grandfather, since he passed away from cancer before Riley was born. But Mimi had made sure Riley knew about him. When she was little, they would pore over photo albums, and Riley would listen to endless stories about Maple Falls back in the fifties and sixties and how Mimi and Poppy had been friends since they were children. The night of their senior prom, Poppy asked her to marry him. Although Riley wasn’t big on romance, she had to admit her grandparents’ relationship was a romantic one.

  While waiting for their food, Riley and Mimi continued discussing the renovations of the house, and Riley mentioned she’d given a budget to Hayden already. “He reminded me that he would give us a discount on supplies if we bought them from Price’s,” Riley said.

  “How nice. And unsurprising. The Prices are good people.”

  Especially Hayden. The unbidden thought popped into her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about him for more than five minutes, apparently.

  Anita soon returned with their lunch, then hurried back to the kitchen. Mimi took a bite of the patty melt and her eyes lit up with delight.

  “That Tanner is a good cook,” she said around a mouthful. After swallowing, she asked, “When do you want to start work on the house?”

  “As soon as possible. You’ll have to pick out paint colors—”

  “You can do that.”

  “Okay. Hayden said last night that you need to choose what kind of roof shingles you’d like too.”

  “Last night?” Mimi’s eyebrows shot up faster than a lightning bolt.

  Uh-oh. “We, um, kind of had dinner last night. So we could talk about the renovation. Just as friends. I mean, business friends. Business acquaintances.” The longer she talked the less convincing she sounded, and she steeled herself for Mimi’s inevitable onslaught of questions.

  But all she said was, “I’ll go with whatever you two recommend.”

  Riley was surprised, but she wasn’t about to ask why she wasn’t being nosy. Just be grateful.

  They finished their lunch and Mimi ordered a slice of coconut cream pie for dessert, declaring, “Mabel makes a mean coconut cream pie.” Riley wasn’t sure who Mabel was, but she had to be one of the cooks. She ended up splitting the pie with Mimi. After last night’s dinner and today’s lunch, she definitely needed to go for a run tonight.

  As they made their way back to Knots and Tangles, Riley pushing Mimi’s wheelchair, clouds filling the sky and giving everyone a slight respite from the heat, she saw Hayden putting a sandwich board in front of Price’s. When he finished, he waved in their direction, then walked over.

  “Good morning,” he said to Mimi first, then looked at Riley. “Or afternoon, I guess.”

  “Close enough,” Mimi said. Then she grabbed her wheels and started to roll away.

  “Mimi—”

  “I’ll meet you at the shop.” She raised one hand and waved it at Riley and Hayden. “I need the exercise.” She continued rolling herself down the sidewalk.

  “I better go after her,” Riley said.

  “She’ll be okay for a few minutes.”

  Riley turned to him, and when their gazes met, her toes tingled. Which was so corny but true.

  “Are you free tonight?” he asked.

  She hesitated. They just had supper together last night, and now he wanted to see her again tonight. He’d insisted that they were just friends, but did friends spend this much time together? She realized she didn’t have any idea, and that saddened her. She had missed out on more than she’d thought.

  “I was going to go for a run tonight. Mimi and I had some of Mabel’s coconut cream pie. The calories were worth it, but I don’t need my waistline getting any bigger than it is.”

  His gaze traveled down to her toes, then back up. “Everything about you is perfect to me.”

  She shivered, despite the balmy temperature. She’d never had a man gaze at her with so much appreciation before. Then she remembered that he had the exact same expression last night when he picked her up at Knots and Tangles. Oh my . . .

  He took a step back. “Mind if I run with you?”

  That brought her back to reality. “I’m really slow.”

  “I don’t mind. I just need to talk to you about something important, and it can’t wait. I’d tell you now, but it will take some explaining.”

  She was intrigued. “All right.”

  “How about the old trail near the high school?”

  “The one by the woods? I haven’t been on that trail in forever.”

  “It’s not in great shape, but then again . . .” He shrugged. “We both know that’s par for the course in Maple Falls. I’ll meet you there around six, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  He grinned. “Thanks, Riley.” He turned and jogged across Main Street to the hardware store, then went inside.

  Riley walked back to the shop, and it didn’t take her long to catch up with Mimi. Her grandmother was a few feet from the door and Riley opened it for her.

  “Whew,” Mimi said, pushing herself inside. “That was a workout. But I’m glad I did it. Being in this wheelchair has made me lazy.”

  Riley nodded, still thinking about Hayden. Despite trying to keep her emotions in check around him, she was looking forward to seeing him, and not only because she was curious about what he wanted to discuss. Had he talked to his parents already?

  “How’s Hayden doing?” Mimi asked, picking up a skein of yarn and examining it as if she’d never seen it before, which was a good possibility.

  “He’s fine.” A pause. “We’re going for a run tonight.”

  “That’s nice, dear.” Mimi put the yarn back, then moved to a bin beside the counter. “I think I’ll go through the yarn in this one first.”<
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  Riley moved over to her, bewildered by her apathy. “You don’t sound surprised. Or even interested.”

  Mimi set a skein of neon-pink-and-purple yarn on the counter and wrinkled her nose. “What was I thinking buying this stuff?” Then she turned to Riley. “I am interested, sugar. But I also want to respect your privacy. You have no idea how much I want to pepper you with questions about you and Hayden, but I won’t.”

  “Even if I want to talk about it?”

  The skein of horrendous yarn fell out of her hand. “You do?”

  “Maybe. A little.” She picked up the yarn off the floor and handed it to Mimi, then leaned against the counter. “I’m so confused.”

  “About Hayden?” When Riley nodded, Mimi said, “Men can be confusing creatures, that’s for sure.”

  “You didn’t seem confused about Poppy.”

  “No, but then again I knew him all my life. We had the same goals and dreams. He didn’t mind that I ran the yarn shop, and I was fine with him working at the soft drink factory. All we wanted was to raise a family . . .”

  Riley heard the catch in her grandmother’s throat. “We don’t have to talk about this.”

  “No, I’m fine.” Mimi smiled, but there was a sheen of tears in her eyes. “Things didn’t work out the way we hoped, and that happens. It happens to everyone. But the years I had with your Poppy were the best ones of my life.”

  “When did you know you were in love with him?”

  Mimi touched the yarn in her lap. “Oh, probably fifth grade.”

  “Fifth grade?” Riley was incredulous. “How can you be in love with someone when you’re that young? I mean, really in love.”

  “I was always precocious for my age.”

  Riley laughed. “I’m serious, though.”

  “I know. Back then it was puppy love, obviously. But even when he was a boy, he had a kind soul. He tried to hide it, of course, especially when he became a man. Showing tenderness wasn’t a manly thing back then. Yet when we were together, he dropped the tough guy act. He’d pick wildflowers for me from his parents’ backyard because he knew I liked them. If he had a candy bar, he always gave me half without me even asking. One day he started carrying my books at school, and then he was doing it every day. Gestures like that showed me he cared, and as we grew older, he continued to do things that made me smile. How could I not love him?”

  The bell above the shop door rang, but it was the postman. Mimi talked to him for a few minutes while Riley absorbed what her grandmother had said. It was a good story, but it didn’t clear up her feelings for Hayden. She shouldn’t have expected it to, but she did like seeing the love in Mimi’s eyes when she talked about Poppy.

  As soon as the mailman left, Mimi turned to Riley. “Now, tell me why you’re confused about Hayden. And don’t even think about putting me off, or I’ll never give you peace about this again.” Her tone was teasing, but the expression in her eyes was serious.

  Riley sat on the stool behind the counter and touched one of the keys on the cash register. “I’ve never had a boyfriend, Mimi.”

  “That’s okay—”

  “At eighteen, maybe. Not at twenty-eight.” She sighed. “I don’t understand relationships or my feelings or how I’m supposed to act around other people.”

  “Oh, Riley.” Mimi rolled her chair around to the back of the counter and held her hand. “I’m so sorry. I should have taught you all those things.”

  “Tracey should have taught them to me.” She pulled her hand from her grandmother’s, her heart growing hard as it did when she thought about her mother.

  “You’re right. She should have.” Mimi paused. “What are you feeling about Hayden?”

  “I like him. A lot.”

  Mimi smiled. “There’s a lot to like in that young man. He reminds me some of your Poppy. Not in the looks department, although your grandfather was handsome. And sexy—”

  “Mimi,” Riley warned. “I don’t need that level of detail.”

  “Right. Ahem. Anyway, Hayden is a terrific kid. I don’t blame you for liking him. But one of the important things to know about relationships is that it takes time to get to know someone. Focus on getting to know Hayden better, if that’s what you want to do. Which I imagine is the case, since you two are going running tonight, you insane people.”

  Riley chuckled, feeling less pressure. Much like revealing a bit of her past to Hayden helped make her feel better, admitting that she had feelings for him to Mimi was a relief. She was so used to keeping everything inside, she hadn’t known how good it felt to share parts of herself with other people she trusted.

  “Remember what I said before. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself while you’re here. That includes the time you spend with other people, like Hayden and Harper and the other girls. Don’t worry beyond that. Okay, sugar?”

  “All right.” She smiled and took her grandmother’s hand. “Thank you, Mimi.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through yarn, and Mimi found more to donate. Most of the skeins and yarn hanks were pretty, and whoever was the recipient would be pleased. Riley also noticed that Mimi had kept the purple-and-pink yarn.

  When they got home later, Mimi settled in her recliner for the evening news with a bowl of SpaghettiOs, which had always been one of her favorite meals. Riley changed into her one pair of clean shorts and a fresh T-shirt. She ate a protein bar on the way to the trail Hayden had mentioned and remembered it was more of a hiking trail than a running one, although Riley had jogged on it when she was younger. When she pulled into the vacant lot by the woods, Hayden was already there, dressed in red shorts and a plain white T-shirt.

  Riley’s nerves kicked up as she got out of the car, but then she reminded herself of what Mimi had said. Enjoy yourself. Still, she wanted to give Hayden another warning.

  “Remember, I’m slow.”

  “You keep saying that, and I’m going to keep telling you that I don’t care.” He grinned and walked over to her. “Nice evening for a run. What do you think?”

  I think you’re sexy. Yikes, she almost said that out loud. It was bad enough she was trying not to be obvious about checking him out. She didn’t need to enjoy herself that much.

  “It’s very nice,” she managed to say, tucking her thoughts back in her brain.

  They started to jog at a slow pace, neither saying anything. The canopy of trees provided good shade as they jogged. She could feel herself getting breathless, but it felt good. She missed running in beautiful places like this.

  Soon Hayden spoke. “Aren’t you interested in what I wanted to talk to you about?”

  She nodded, ducking under a low tree branch. “I am, but I was waiting for you to start.”

  “You really aren’t pushy, are you?”

  “Nope.” She glanced at him. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  “Hardly. That’s one of the things I like about you. You give me space. Lately I think I’m the one who’s been kinda smothering.” Before she could ask him what he meant by that, he said, “This morning I told my parents I want to buy the store.”

  Riley halted, her chest heaving slightly. “You really went through with it. What did they say?”

  “At first they were surprised, of course. Then they told me about their other buyer, which I already knew about. Dad said he and Mom would talk it over.” He frowned. “It wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. How about we walk the rest of the way?”

  Riley smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re wimping out now. We’re only halfway through the trail.”

  He flashed a grin and dashed off. She laughed and headed after him. It didn’t take long to catch up to him, mostly because he wasn’t running that fast, and she was running at close to her top speed. Then they were even and started to match pace again.

  “I’m surprised your parents even have to think about it,” Riley said as they fell into a rhythm.

  “See it from their side. All three of their sons had established careers.
No one expected me to come back to Maple Falls, much less want to buy the store. They had been making plans for a couple of years now, working slowly toward retiring. Once my brothers and I had decided on our own paths, they knew the store would eventually have to be sold. I’m still not crazy about them not telling me, but I understand.”

  A thought occurred to her. “I know you said last night that you want to buy the store, but are you sure it’s not because you’re feeling pressured to?”

  “Because of the other buyer?” She nodded, and he said, “Not even a smidge. I’m fully committed to doing this.”

  The woods led to a small meadow, and the trail wound around the edge of it. When they hit the clearing, Riley looked at the horizon and halted. Some of the clouds that covered the sky earlier in the day were spread around the sunset, and the view was stunning, the warm rays lighting up the wild, green meadow grass. Tiny wildflowers carpeted the field, and the beauty of the scene reached into her soul.

  Hayden stood beside her and didn’t say anything for a moment. “What are you thinking about?”

  “My grandparents. Wildflowers. The sunset.” She sighed and whispered to herself, “Good things.”

  He took her hand, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. They both remained silent, taking in the sunset together.

  “We’d probably better head back,” he said after a few minutes. “I ran on this trail in the dark once and nearly broke an ankle when I tripped over a tree root.” He let go of her hand and moved away.

  That was a first. Usually she was the one leaving him. But she didn’t mind. She glanced at the meadow one more time before following him.

  They finished their run, and when they reached their cars, Hayden opened the back passenger-side door and pulled two water bottles out of a small insulated cooler. Riley had her own water bottle, but she accepted his. After they took a long drink, she said, “I’m not sure why you wanted to tell me about the hardware store tonight and not when I saw you this afternoon. It didn’t take you that long to explain what happened.”

  He tugged on his collar. “I, uh, wanted to see you again.”