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.”
Riley moved over to her, bewildered by her apathy. “You don’t sound surprised. Or even interested.”
