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 justhappened to mention to Susan that it was time to check out this place again. We live in Hot Springs Village, so it’s not thatfar 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 shopfor 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 havetwo groups of knitters and crocheters that meet periodically. I know they would love to check out the changes here.” Her friendnodded, 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 grandreopening, 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 weresome cosmetic touches. The job that had seemed overwhelming at first had gone smoothly and quickly, thanks to Hayden, whonot 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 toMelody a few times over the past three weeks, and her friend was expecting her to come back. Charlie had found a new apartmentand 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 relationshipwas 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 softballplayers. While she still wasn’t the assistant coach, she was the chief water girl, making sure everyone had enough to drinkduring 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 agreeto it anyway. They were friends, with a few romantic benefits. Not boyfriend and girlfriend. Not lovers, although she oftendreamed 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, NewYork 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 whovisited 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 deniedherself. But she forced herself to stay put. Riley McAllister had always handled her own personal business. This time wasn’tany 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 theengine 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 asign 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 shouldanswer it, but she couldn’t talk to him right now. Just seeing his name made her reconsider leaving, and she couldn’t affordto 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 middleaisle. He tried to focus on the upcoming service, but all he’d been able to think about was Riley. She’d been distant, firstignoring his calls on Friday, then barely saying anything Saturday when they worked on the flower beds together. When he offeredto 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 heneeded to remember that. He’d already suspected she might close in on herself anyway,
