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 to 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 100percent 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.
