His store. He still couldn’t believe it. He was so thrilled to be the owner. He was more excited about the future than he’d ever been while playing ball. Then again, his future had always been uncertain when he was a ballplayer, despite how hard he worked and how dedicated he was. He still had the work ethic and dedication, and now he could transfer it to something stable. Stability had become important to him, and he was starting to see it was also something Riley needed, even if she didn’t know it.
Maybe one day she’d allow him to give that to her.
***
Riley turned the sign on the yarn shop door to Open, then went back to the counter. She had decided when she woke up that morning, exhausted from a rough night’s sleep, that she had to put Tracey out of her mind. Surely her mother had gotten the message that Riley didn’t want her around. Even if Tracey had decided to come back to Maple Falls permanently, it wouldn’t last. How many times had Riley heard the same thing from her mother, that this would be their forever home? Forever only lasted two weeks, or maybe a month. One special time it meant half a year, but nothing more than that. Tracey never stuck to her promises. Now wouldn’t be any different.
Business was slow this morning and, desperate for a distraction, she thought about the back storeroom, then remembered Lorri, the customer who came in a few weeks ago who owned a yarn store in Malvern. She’d talked about her yarn-dyeing business, and Riley had considered it off and on while she was redoing the shop. She had also been pondering the art pieces she promised her grandmother. Dyeing her own fiber would not only be fun but would also make her art more unique. She decided to call Lorri that afternoon and arrange a time to visit her and learn about the process.
Later that morning, two women Riley wasn’t familiar with walked into the store. Their reactions bolstered her mood.
“I haven’t been here in years,” one told Riley as she paid for several hundred dollars of yarn for various projects. “I just happened to mention to Susan that it was time to check out this place again. We live in Hot Springs Village, so it’s not that far to travel.” She looked around the shop again. “It’s so different from what I remembered.”
“We just remodeled.”
“Oh. Are you the new owner?”
Riley paused, a tiny bit of disappointment tugging at her heart. “No. I’m her granddaughter, but I’m helping run the shop for a little while.”
“Well, you’re doing a wonderful job.” The woman smiled, revealing shiny white teeth that were either dentures or veneers. From her advanced age, Riley thought they were the former. “Have you thought about advertising in our Village paper? We have two groups of knitters and crocheters that meet periodically. I know they would love to check out the changes here.” Her friend nodded, pushing her fluffy gray hair back with her tortoiseshell reading glasses.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll check into it.”
After they left, Riley wrote herself a note to talk to Mimi about advertising. That led her to the idea of having a grand reopening, maybe later this summer. Then in the fall they could—
She wouldn’t be here in the fall. The shop might not be either if Mimi had been serious about her desire to sell the place. The renovations on her house were nearly done. The roofer had finished up last week, and all she and Hayden had left were some cosmetic touches. The job that had seemed overwhelming at first had gone smoothly and quickly, thanks to Hayden, who not only knew a lot about rehabbing a house but was also organized and precise.
A wave of sadness consumed her, nearly taking her breath away. The reality of leaving slammed into her. She had talked to Melody a few times over the past three weeks, and her friend was expecting her to come back. Charlie had found a new apartment and would be moving sometime this month. Riley wouldn’t leave her roommate high and dry.
But the thought of leaving Mimi tore at her heart. They had gotten so close, even closer than they’d been before. Their relationship was different now that Riley was an adult, and while she still saw Mimi as her grandmother, she also saw her as her best friend. She’d also grown closer to Harper and Anita and Olivia and the Bosom Buddies and even had friendly interactions with the softball players. While she still wasn’t the assistant coach, she was the chief water girl, making sure everyone had enough to drink during and after the games.
Then there was Hayden. Her chest squeezed even harder. She would have to leave him too. He had just bought his father’s store, and he had grand plans for revitalizing Maple Falls. She wouldn’t even think of asking him to go with her. He wouldn’t agree to it anyway. They were friends, with a few romantic benefits. Not boyfriend and girlfriend. Not lovers, although she often dreamed that they were. They hadn’t even gone public with their relationship.
She would leave Hayden behind, like she would leave the others. Her home, her life, was in New York. More importantly, New York was safe. She had no connections, no ties other than Melody.No chances of getting hurt.
Another customer arrived, and Riley turned her attention to work, spending the rest of the day helping the few customers who visited the shop and discovering she was a halfway decent salesperson when she wasn’t trying to sell her own work.
But when she was alone, she was a wreck.
“I’m right across the street.”Hayden’s words echoed in her mind, and more than once she nearly went to him, knowing he would give her the comfort she denied herself. But she forced herself to stay put. Riley McAllister had always handled her own personal business. This time wasn’t any different.
As soon as five o’clock arrived, she closed up and hurried to Mimi’s car. When she got behind the wheel, she turned on the engine and waited for the air conditioner to kick in as her shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t realized how tense she was all day. How every time the bell rang over the door, she expected Tracey to walk in again. But she hadn’t, and Riley took that as a sign that her mother had left Maple Falls again. Soon it would be her turn.
Her cell phone started to ring as she pulled out of the parking lot. She glanced at the screen. Hayden. She knew she should answer it, but she couldn’t talk to him right now. Just seeing his name made her reconsider leaving, and she couldn’t afford to do that. She tossed the phone on the passenger seat and headed home.
***
That Sunday Hayden sat in his usual seat at church—fifth pew from the front, right side, at the end of the row near the middle aisle. He tried to focus on the upcoming service, but all he’d been able to think about was Riley. She’d been distant, first ignoring his calls on Friday, then barely saying anything Saturday when they worked on the flower beds together. When he offered to take her out to dinner that evening, she declined, saying she had to work on one of the art pieces she’d promised Erma. He left Erma’s deeply disappointed.
The disappointment hadn’t abated much, but he tried tempering it with logic. She was still reeling about her mother, and he needed to remember that. He’d already suspected she might close in on herself anyway, so he shouldn’t be surprised that she had. His receding well of patience would have to suffice until she worked through this. One thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to give up. Hayden Price never threw in the towel on anything unless forced to, like his baseball career, and that had turned into a positive.
The only way Riley was going to get rid of him was if she pushed him too far away—and he was worried she might do just that.
He glanced behind him, relieved to see her sitting there with the Three Musketeers, as he called Olivia, Harper, and Anita. At least she had come to church, which was a good thing. Erma was with her BBs, which was also good. He was glad they had people in their lives to support them.
Tanner slid next to him on the pew. Hayden glanced at him and noticed his ponytail tied up in a bun and white gauges gleaming in his ears. That edgy style contrasted with the red-and-white gingham shirt and khaki pants he wore.
“Anyone sitting here?” he asked.
