Riley and Melody stared at each other.
“What?” Riley finally said.
“You see, the young man playing third was blocking the base, so I had to slide. Myrtle hit a lousy outside pitch straightto the first baseman, who clearly should have been riding the bench instead of playing the infield. He flubbed the ball, andI thought I’d made it to third, until everyone started yelling at me to go back to second. I was already committed, so downI went. I was safe, by the way.”
“Is she serious?” Melody whispered.
Rolling her eyes, Riley nodded. Softball was one of her grandmother’s favorite sports, and she had dragged Riley to many acommunity game until Riley was seventeen. Then the community games had stopped.
“Mimi, you shouldn’t have been playing softball in the first place.”
“I don’t need a lecture from you, young lady,” Mimi grumbled. “I need you to come home and take over Knots and Tangles whileI convalesce.”
“Oh no,” Riley said, getting up from the couch. She shook her head. “I’m not falling for this again.”
“Falling for what?”
Her grandmother sounded so innocent Riley almost believed her. “Like I’ve said a million times before, I’m not moving backto Maple Falls, and I’m definitely not taking over the yarn shop for you.” She walked over to the painting and scowled atthe hole in the canvas. “I am impressed, though. You spun a good yarn, pun intended.”
“I’m not spinnin’ anything.” Mimi’s tone was sharp. “It’s the truth. Myrtle and I joined the new church softball team a fewweeks ago, and we just had our second game. Now I’m out for the season, so stop what you’re doing and get back here. Pronto.”
Riley spun around and met Melody’s stunned gaze. Her grandmother rarely used a commanding tone with her, and not once sinceRiley moved away had she been insistent about her returning to Maple Falls. Until now. While she had asked Riley to visitaround the holidays, she never pressured her and even visited New York a few times. She understood how important Riley’s careerwas to her and had always supported it 100 percent. Riley was banking that she still did.
“Mimi, I’m sorry you broke your leg—”
“Thank you. Now, about your return—”
“And I would love to come help you.” Which she would, if it didn’t mean going back to Arkansas. “But I can’t exactly dropeverything here at the last minute. I have a jo—” She hadn’t told Mimi she was working part-time for a food delivery service.She had to pay her bills somehow, since her art wasn’t making any money. “I, um, have a show coming up.” At least that partwas true. Mostly.
“Oh?” Excitement entered her voice. “I didn’t know that. Where is it so I can tell everyone about my famous granddaughter?”
She wouldn’t exactly be bragging about her one and only granddaughter, the supposed artistic rage of New York City, if sheknew her art show was at the local flea market. It wasn’t even a show, really. Just a place to sell some of her work so shecould make her part of the rent. Telling herself it was an art show made it easier to swallow.
“The details aren’t worked out yet.”
“So it’s something you can postpone? Sugar, you know I wouldn’t ask you to come if I wasn’t desperate. Myrtle’s going on athree-week cruise again, so I can’t count on her.”
Guilt hammered Riley, but she stood fast. “What about one of the other Bosom Buddies?” she asked, referring to the small groupof ladies that met weekly at the yarn shop for coffee, knitting or crocheting, and copious amounts of gossip.
“I suppose one or two of them could help,” Mimi muttered. “But they’re awfully busy.”
Riley pressed her fingertip against her temple, feeling her pulse throb. She had vowed not to return to Maple Falls untilshe made it big in New York—or at least could say she wasn’t living from hand to mouth, and she was barely doing that. Sheknew the Bosom Buddies wouldn’t hesitate to help her grandmother if Mimi asked. Most of the seven women had been friends sincegrade school, except for two who had been folded into the group over the years.
“I . . .”
She turned and looked at Melody, whose thin brown arms were crossed over her chest, her dark eyes peering over bright-greensquare glasses. Riley knew that reproving look, and she didn’t like being on the receiving end of it.
In truth she didn’t need Melody to prod her. Riley couldn’t refuse the woman who had practically raised her after her motherabandoned Riley for God knew where. If Mimi needed her, Riley would be there—just like Mimi had always been there for her.
“I’ll get the next flight out,” Riley said, holding back a sigh. The expense would almost max out her one credit card, butshe’d worry about that later.
“Oh, Riley, thank you! Thank you!” Mimi gushed. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. I know the shop will be in goodhands with you while I recuperate. I won’t keep you. Once you’ve made your reservation, text me your flight info, and I’llhave someone pick you up from the airport.”
“I’ll just get an Uber,” Riley said.
“Nonsense. The airport is over an hour away. That would cost way too much money. Don’t you worry, sugar. I’ll make all thearrangements to get you back home.”
Home? Maple Falls had never felt like home.
“Love you, sweetie,” Mimi added before Riley could say anything else. “Talk to you soon!”
She stared at the phone after Mimi hung up. A few seconds later, she glanced at Melody, who had sat back down on their lumpy,secondhand couch and was now grinning at her.
“I knew you wouldn’t let her down.”
Riley trudged over to the couch and sank onto it again, her phone still in her hand. She continued staring at the black screen.“I don’t know about this.”
“What’s the big deal? You’re taking care of Mimi, who means a lot to you.”
“But that also means going back to Maple Falls.”
“So? You’re
