“That sounds promising. So, you’re coming back soon, then?”
She paused, her second foot halfway into its sandal. “Um, I might be here longer than I planned,” she said hesitantly. “Will that be a problem?”
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was going to tell you not to worry about the rent next month. Charlie is still here, and he said he would cover it.”
Riley sank on the bed with relief. “Thank God.”
“I thought you’d be happy to hear that.”
“I totally am. Tell him thanks for me.”
“I will. I’ve gotta go, but give me a call soon and tell me more about everything going on. I miss you.”
“I miss you too. And I promise, I’ll call you when we have more time to talk.” She ended the call and inhaled. Not having to worry about the rent while she was taking care of things here lessened the load on her shoulders. When she went back home, she was giving Charlie a huge hug.
Home.She glanced around her teenage bedroom, which had never looked like a typical teenager’s room. She hadn’t put posters on the walls or kept any kitschy or personal items scattered around. She’d learned long ago that personalizing a space was a waste of time and money, and she hadn’t decorated any of the four New York apartments she’d lived in. This bedroom had been hers longer than anything else.
Riley pressed her fingers against her forehead. What was she doing traveling down memory lane again? Hadn’t last night been enough torture? Her emotions had overwhelmed her, and look what happened.Hayden happened.That thought led to her remembering the best parts of the dream she just had. Those were some images she didn’t mind revisiting...
She jumped out of bed and batted at her cheeks.Focus on something else.Anything was preferable to being stuck on this confusing merry-go-round of emotions she was riding. She hated every minute of it.Well, not every minute...
She opened her mouth to utter a curse, but out of habit she checked herself. “Dagnabbit,” she muttered. The ridiculous word yanked her out of her mental rut. The best way to stop the ride was to be busy, and she had plenty to do. She headed downstairs to prepare her grandmother’s breakfast.
When she walked into the kitchen, Mimi was already at the table, sipping her coffee, a small plate with two pieces of toast sitting next to the newspaper she was reading. She glanced up, peering at Riley over her purple reading glasses. Mimi seemed to have different colored glasses for each day.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
“I’m sorry I overslept.” Riley hurried to the pantry. “I’ll have your oatmeal ready in a few minutes.”
Mimi scoffed. “I’m tired of that slop.”
“Really? I thought you loved oatmeal.”
“My cardiologist does. I’m not a fan.” She gestured to her toast, which Riley now noticed was slathered with butter. “This and my coffee are good enough. Why don’t you get your breakfast and join me?”
“I thought I’d pick up something on the way to the yarn shop.”
Her grandmother pointed to the seat across from her. “The shop can wait.”
Detecting the seriousness in Mimi’s tone, Riley nodded, and a few minutes later she was pouring milk over a bowl of cornflakes as her grandmother pushed her newspaper aside. “I want to talk about last night.”
Riley stared at her cereal. “I’m sorry I acted so childish.”
“Not that,” Mimi said. “Although, for the record, you weren’t being childish. You have the right to get upset sometimes, sugar. You don’t always have to be so strong.”
Riley met her compassionate gaze. “There’s getting upset, and then there’s acting like an idiot.”
“You didn’t act like an...” Mimi shook her head. “Let’s agree that’s water under the bridge. What I really wanted to talk about was your plans formyhouse.”
“Oh.” Riley dug into the cereal, glad for the change in topic. “What did you and Hayden decide?” she asked before taking a bite of the flakes.
“Nothing, really, other than taking care of the roof. Everything else around here is fine.”
“Did Hayden say that?”
“Well, no—”
“Because it’s not true.” Riley set down her spoon, not caring that her breakfast would be soggy in a few seconds. She couldn’t believe how deeply her grandmother was digging in her heels. “Let me do this for you, Mimi. I want to make your house as beautiful as it used to be when—” She almost said when she lived there, but she caught herself.
