Riley shook her head, hands clenched in her lap. “Mimi and I have to talk. I’m sure Tracey will show up on her doorstep soon. Probably with both hands out.” She turned to Hayden. “How will you get home?”
“I’ll take your car and pick you up in the morning before the store opens.”
“Right. That makes sense. Sorry, I’m not thinking clearly.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He started to get out and open the door for her, like she’d always let him since their supper at the steakhouse. But she had the door open before he could move.
Then she leaned over and kissed him. Soft, yearning. He could taste her pain. After she pulled away, she scrambled out of the car and ran into the house.
Hayden touched his mouth, stunned and devastated by her kiss. They had kissed a few times since their run on the trail three weeks ago. With that time being the exception, he was always the initiator. Her kiss tonight held a sense of finality, and that scared him.
He stayed until she went inside. Then he leaned back against the driver’s seat. This evening hadn’t turned out like he’d hoped. He’d envisioned them breaking open the champagne and enjoying some time together. But it wasn’t toasting his success that he’d anticipated. It was the place where they would’ve had the toast that would have made the moment special.
He blew out a long breath. That would have to wait, and for once he was fine with waiting. He was more concerned about Riley right now. He was glad she intended to talk to Erma about Tracey showing up out of nowhere. That was a step in the right direction, instead of her usual tendency to clam up.
He’d seen changes in Riley over the last couple weeks, changes that made her even more desirable to him than before—and she’d been very desirable then. It was as if he’d been witnessing the blossoming of Riley McAllister. He prayed her mother’s appearance wouldn’t shut her down permanently.
***
Riley halted in the small alcove after walking through Mimi’s front door and tried to catch her breath. She’d never been knocked sideways so hard before. Seeing her mother after fifteen years... She still couldn’t comprehend it fully. One question kept hammering her brain:Why now?
“Riley?” Mimi called from the living room. “Is that you? Because if it isn’t, I’ve got two baseball bats in my hands, and I’ll beat the living daylights out of whoever you are.”
“It’s me.” Riley stepped into the living room.
“Oh, thank the Lord. Not that anyone’s ever broke into this house in sixty years, but there’s always that one chance.” She glanced at the baseball bat leaning against the wall by her recliner. Riley had never seen it moved out of that position. “I’d hate to have to back up my threat.”
Riley nodded, knowing her grandmother was half joking. She should probably have a talk with her about installing a home security system at some point. Wow, she just saw Tracey and she was thinking about security systems? How messed up was that?
“Riley, sugar.” Mimi pulled the lever on the side of her recliner and the footrest snapped shut. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She sat on the couch and hugged her arms again. How was she supposed to tell Mimi that her wayward daughter had returned? Then again, Mimi had always appreciated straightforwardness. “Tracey’s in town.”
Mimi’s eyes grew wide, and she sucked in a breath. “When? How?”
“She stopped by Knots after you left.” Riley explained what had happened, including Hayden’s presence. “I couldn’t believe it, Mimi.”
Her grandmother’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I can’t either. Did she say where she was staying? How long she would be here?”
“No, and I didn’t ask her.” She squeezed her arms tightly. “I don’t care either.”
They sat in silence for the next few moments. “There’s nothing we can do about it tonight,” Mimi said, her expression still hard.
“Do you think she’ll stop by here?”
“I don’t know. When it comes to her, I never know.” She stood and grabbed her cane. “Thanks for giving me the heads-up. I’m going to bed.”
Riley nodded as she looked at Mimi again. She hadn’t seen her grandmother this upset since the last time Tracey was around.
She wished she had the strength to comfort her, but right now she couldn’t do anything but sit here and try to balance her own emotions, and she was failing at that too. Every bit of anxiety and anger and depression she’d experienced when she lived with her mother bubbled to the surface. After only a few seconds around Tracey, she was that scared, helpless little girl again, the one she had tried so hard to keep tucked inside.
Now she threatened to break through the surface—and Riley had no idea how to stop her.
***
Erma sat at the edge of the bed, frozen. She didn’t want to believe what Riley had told her, but she knew her granddaughter was speaking the truth. The only thing that would upset Riley this much was seeing her mother again.
She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe Tracey had gone back on her word. Then again, why should she be surprised? Her daughter had been a source of heartache almost since the day she came into Erma’s life. She and Gus thought they knew what they were in for when they’d adopted her at nine months old after discovering they couldn’t have children of their own. They were warned that she had attachment issues due to her neglectful birth mother, but they’d thought they could overcome all that with enough love, care, attention, and prayer. As it turned out, they couldn’t.
