“Where is she now?”
“In the back.” Erma walked to him. “She’s very tender right now. I don’t know what happened between you two, but whatever you say to her, be extra careful. She’s had a rough time.”
He nodded, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. “I understand.”
“I hope so.” Erma narrowed her gaze. “I won’t stand for her getting hurt.”
“Me either.”
She watched him go to the back room and prayed he meant those words.
Chapter18
Riley looked at the canvas in front of her, then at the selection of yarn she’d chosen from the Knots and Tangles inventory. The colors were a wild variety of cool aqua, deep purple, fiery red, and lemon yellow, along with a few lighter neutrals she would intertwine sparingly. She separated the fibers of the aqua yarn and placed a few of them on the canvas, the vision for this art piece slowly coming together. Hopefully not too slowly, since she wanted to finish it before she left on Friday.
When she heard footsteps coming into the room, she turned, then froze. Hayden. Despite everything, she still marveled at how sexy he looked in a hardware store uniform.Extremely sexy.
“Hey,” he said, stopping a few feet from her.
“Hi.” She set the fibers on the table and shifted on her stool.
His gaze went to the blank canvas. “Are you working on something?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
“Uh, a new art piece?”
“Yes.” Her heartbeat started to kick into gear.
Hayden moved closer to her. “Can I ask what it is?”
“No.”
“Okay.” He threaded his fingers through his thick hair. “Artist privilege?”
“Yes.” Wow, did he smell good. Fresh soap, the outdoors, and a scent that was pure Hayden.
He glanced away and shoved his hands in his pockets. Then he looked at her again. “Can we, uh, talk?”
“No.” She got up from the stool, unable to resist him anymore. She went to him and put her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to talk.”
“But—”
Riley kissed him, this time not holding back. She murmured against his mouth when he drew her against him, his hands wrapping around her waist, then grazing her back and finally cupping the back of her head. Perfection. This was where she belonged. In his arms. In his life.
Finally he pulled away. “Riley,” he breathed. “What’s going on? Erma said you’re leaving.”
“I am.” She rested her hands on his shoulders. “Friday.”
“And this kiss?”
“I thought it might be the start of the apology I owe you.”
He laughed but still looked dumbfounded. “It’s the best apology I’ve ever had.”
She led him over to the thrift store couch she’d purchased last week before her world came crashing down. Now she was building it back up, the bricks fresh and new, the foundation solid. She and Mimi had talked for hours, opening their hearts and their pain to each other, strengthening their already tight bond. Hayden, she hoped, would be next.
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said as soon as his backside hit the couch. When she started to speak, he added, “But if you do go, I’ll respect that.”
