“Wonderful. I’m off to browse!”
Riley walked to the checkout counter to organize the paperwork her grandmother had shoved on the shelves, while Lorri took her time going through the store. Over the past few days of working here, Riley had found some interesting yarn and set it aside for herself. Not to knit or crochet with, but to take back to New York to incorporate into future art pieces.
Her thoughts went back to Mimi selling the store. Her grandmother had told her not to feel guilty, and Riley tried not to. Mimi not having the energy or interest to keep running it was more than enough reason for her to sell. But as Riley glanced at Lorri a time or two while she shopped, taking the time to touch the yarn, look at the labels, and compare colors, she missed the days when she used to do the same thing while she worked here, searching for just the right color and texture to experiment with. That had been the fun part of being in Knots and Tangles, the part that spoke to her creative soul, and she was just now realizing it.
When Lorri was finished shopping, she brought several hanks of beautiful vintage yarn to the counter, yarn Riley didn’t know they had. The woman must have dug through a lot of piles to find those. What other treasures were hiding in this store?
As Riley rang up her purchases, Lorri said, “Let me give you my card. If you’re ever near Malvern, come see me at my shop.” The card she placed on the counter was white with a pink state of Arkansas and the shop’s logo printed over it. “I also dye my own yarn,” she continued. “If you’re interested in seeing some of it, you can visit the shop’s website too. The URL is on the back.”
“I’ll definitely do that.” Riley placed the yarn in a plain paper bag with handles. “Is dyeing yarn difficult?”
“Not at all. I love it. I’m a knitter at heart, but when I started dyeing the yarn, it brought out another part of my creative side.” She handed Riley a credit card. “I’ll be happy to show you my setup sometime if you’d like.”
Riley almost accepted the offer, excited to see another yarn store and for the briefest moment thinking it might give her ideas for Mimi’s shop.But the shop won’t be here much longer.
“I’m just here visiting,” she said, her heart sinking a bit. “But thank you for the offer.” She returned Lorri’s credit card, put the receipt in the bag, and handed it to her. “And thanks for stopping by.”
“You’re welcome. I’m sure I’ll be back.” She grinned. “Have a great day!”
Despite her mixed emotions, Riley couldn’t help but smile as Lorri swept out of the store. The woman was like a breath of fresh air, and her enthusiasm was almost contagious.
She looked around, seeing empty white walls above the shelving units. Her imagination suddenly took flight. She didn’t want Knots and Tangles to close or become another business. To keep that from happening, she would have to showcase the store’s potential. It wouldn’t be too hard to decorate the place in addition to organizing it. If she had time, she could also make a custom piece using yarns from the shop—and she knew exactly where she could hang it.
For now, there was nothing she could do about the outside of the building. She didn’t have the time or money to fix it up. But she could renovate the inside and make it a beautiful, creative space. Inspired, she grabbed one of the papers from the stack of discarded paperwork she had just sorted. She flipped it over to the blank side and started to sketch.
***
“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.
