Closing her eyes, she let her creativity take over, as she often did when she felt blocked or off her game. She allowed the pencil in her hand to take the lead, giving control to the art instead of forcing it. After a few minutes of sketching, she opened her eyes, eager to see what was on the page.
She groaned. An outline of Hayden’s face stared back at her.
Riley started to turn the page again, then paused. She studied the light pencil strokes, thinking of how she could flesh out the image. Maybe she could get him out of her mind by getting him on the page. At this point she was willing to try anything.
She continued drawing, sketching out his facial structure, which of course was perfect. Then she started on his hair, making sure to add the way the ends touched the collar of his shirt at church this morning, and the one cowlick at the crown that she’d noticed the first time she saw him in high school. Soon she was engrossed, focusing on her craft as much as she was the subject of it.
The sound of a car door slamming brought her out of her zone. She folded over the sketchbook and set it on the rusty white wrought iron table next to her chair, then went inside, put on her shoes, and opened the door to help Peg with Mimi.
When she stepped on the front porch, she was stunned to see Olivia, Anita, and Harper coming up the steps, holding bags of takeout.
“You left before we could invite you to lunch,” Anita said, smiling as she stopped in front of Riley.
“So we decided to bring a late lunch to you.” Harper held up a plastic bag from a restaurant Riley had never heard of. “We planned to get here earlier, but Mother asked me to run an errand.” She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes she refuses to take no for an answer.”
“I hope you like Mediterranean food,” Olivia said. “The spanakopita is amazing.”
“So is the hummus.” Anita chuckled. “I hope you aren’t planning to kiss anyone this afternoon, though. They put tons of garlic in it.”
Hayden’s face appeared in her mind, and Riley’s cheeks flushed. Then again, she had been drawing him for twenty minutes, so thinking of him didn’t necessarily mean she was thinking about kissing him. Liar.
She scratched at her forearm. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said as Harper opened the front door.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m starving.” Harper walked inside like she owned the place.
“We better eat before it gets cold.” Olivia smiled at Riley. “It’s nice that you came back to be with Erma. She’s a firecracker, but everyone needs help sometimes.” She followed Harper inside.
“Is it okay that we did this?” Anita asked, her eyes darting to the table and back to Riley. “We saw Erma leaving with Peg and Bea, and then you left by yourself . . . Well, we didn’t want you to eat lunch alone.”
A lump formed in Riley’s throat. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had been this hospitable to her. Melody, of course, but she and Melody were roommates and good friends. She barely knew these women.
“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding thick. “It’s okay.”
“Good, because Harper ordered enough to feed six people.”
Riley motioned for Anita to go inside, and then followed. Harper and Olivia were in the kitchen, talking as they unpacked the bags. The spicy scent of the Mediterranean food wafted through the house. Riley’s stomach growled.
“Did we interrupt your lunch?” Olivia gestured to the sandwich on the kitchen table.
She paused, then shook her head. The food they brought was way better than ham and cheese any day. “Sorry the house is such a mess.”
Harper raised her flawless eyebrows. “I thought it was a little neater than it was the last time we were here.”
“It is,” Anita added.
Riley was surprised to hear that they had been here before. “When was that?”
“Three months ago, I think.” Olivia opened a plastic container of hummus and set it in the middle of the table. “Erma and Harper’s mom, along with their other friends, were playing bunco, and they invited us to join in.”
“That was a fun night,” Anita said wistfully. “I wish my mother had a group of friends like that.”
“She has the Junior League,” Harper said, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t remind me.”
Feeling at loose ends, Riley went to the cupboard and pulled out plates and glasses, then opened one of the drawers and gathered silverware. It wasn’t long before all four of them were seated at the table, filling their plates with pita triangles, hummus, tabbouleh, rolled grape leaves, spanakopita, and chicken skewers.
The three other women continued chatting, but Riley felt a bit uneasy. She added two grape leaves and a spoonful of tabbouleh to her plate. Ten minutes ago she was lonely and completely alone. Now she wasn’t sure what to do about having company. I’m such a mess.
* * *
“Girls, I don’t know what to do.” Erma picked at the stack of blueberry buckwheat pancakes in front of her. She loved these pancakes, and The Orange Bluebird’s brunch in general, but her appetite had disappeared. A shame because the restaurant didn’t allow doggie bags.
“About what?” Bea had no problem polishing off her stack and was working on a second, along with three strips of crispy bacon and a tall glass of milk.
“Hayden and Riley.”
Peg’s and Bea’s forks clattered onto their plates.
“What?” Peg said, her hand going to the tacky red bead choker around her neck. Erma loved Peg dearly, but the woman had horrendous taste in jewelry. “There’s something going on between Hayden and Riley?”
“I had no idea.” Bea grinned. “But how wonderful. He’s such a nice young man, and if anyone deserves a nice young man, it’s your Riley.”
“True.” Bea’s words made Erma feel a little better, and she ate a couple bites of her pancakes, then took a sip of her French roast coffee. “Unfortunately I don’t think she believes that, and that’s why I don’t know what to do.” She filled Bea and Peg in on her spur-of-the-moment plan to get Riley and Hayden together. It had formulated the day she asked Hayden to pick Riley up at the airport, and then grew when she came up with the idea for Riley to take her place as assistant coach. What better way for them to be in each other’s company at least two days a week? That backfired when Riley resisted going to practice and then came home so unsettled and told Erma in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want anything to do with coaching or softball. Now Erma was wondering if she’d made a mistake.
“Maybe you should mind your own business,” Bea said before biting into a strip of bacon.
“Riley is my business, Bea.” Erma didn’t try to hide the edge in her tone.
“Of course she is.” Bea’s expression turned contrite. “I just meant that if Hayden and Riley are meant to be, let them come together on their own.”
“From what I can tell, that’s not going to happen.” Erma set down her fork. “I have to admit I’m surprised there wasn’t a spark.”
“Why? Did you expect there to be one?” Peg asked.
Erma scoffed. “He’s smart, comes from a good family, has impeccable Southern manners, and you’d have to be blind or dead not to notice how handsome he is.”
“Why, Erma Jean, I think you have a crush on the young’un.” Bea giggled and winked at Peg.
“Very funny.” Erma leaned back in her wheelchair, now wondering if she should have brought this topic up at all. She knew she couldn’t reveal the real reason she hoped for Riley and Hayden to click romantically. She was ashamed even to think about it because she was being singularly selfish. But I want Riley home.
Falling in love with Hayden would ensure that. His dad had mentioned a few days before Erma’s accident that Hayden bought a fixer-upper on the edge of town, which meant he was staying in Maple Falls. She remembered being a little jealous. At least Harry had one son home. Besides, what man wouldn’t think Riley was a catch? And who wouldn’t want Hayden Price as a grandson-in-law?
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t snatched up Hayden since he got back.” Peg cut into her eggs with the side of her fork. A huge cobalt-blue and emerald-green ring adorned her finger. It would have been pretty except it was in the shape of a beetle. “There are several single young women in our town.”
“Maybe he’s not interested in dating anyone,” Bea added. “Did you ask him about it, Erma?”
“Of course not. I’m not that nosy.”
Bea and Peg smirked. “Right,” they said in unison.
“Not about romance, and not when it comes to my granddaughter.” She sighed, realizing she was contradicting herself. “You two are no help. You know that?”
“I’m going to get some fruit,” Peg said, pushing back from the table. “Do you two need anything?”
Erma shook her head, but Bea said, “Another piece or two of that bacon, please. Wait, make it three.”
When Peg left, Bea turned to Erma, her expression serious. “All right, Erma, what are you really up to?”
Surprised, Erma frowned. “I just told you. I want Riley and Hayden to get together.”
“I’ve never known you to be a matchmaker.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Erma lifted her chin. “Besides, we all agree that Hayden’s a keeper.”
“He is, but I suspect that’s not the only reason you want him and Riley together.” Bea leaned forward. “You can’t force her to stay, hon.”
Drat. Leave it to Bea to figure it out. If Myrtle had been here, she would have known Erma’s real motives too. The perils of having best friends.
“I know that,” Erma snapped. Then she reached for Bea’s hand. “I’m sorry.” Tears welled in her eyes. Bother, she didn’t want to break down here in a crowded restaurant. As it was, half of Maple Falls seemed to have the same idea she and her friends did, and the last thing she wanted to get around town was that she’d been seen crying at the brunch buffet. “I miss her so much. I don’t know if I can bear it if she leaves again.”
“Oh, honey.” Bea squeezed her hand. “I know you’re worried. But we’re here for you. Just like we have been all these years. We BBs don’t let each other go through hard times alone.”
Erma nodded, swallowing her tears. She released Bea’s hand. “Thank you. I just wish it didn’t have to be this way. I always prayed things would be different.”
“Keep up that faith, Erma. Just don’t try to force anything, especially something as important as a romantic relationship. If the good Lord wants Riley and Hayden to be together, he’ll make it happen. He doesn’t need your help.”
That was for sure. Erma adjusted the napkin in her lap as Peg rejoined them, then handed a small plate of bacon to Bea. The woman did enjoy her pork products. Erma sat back and watched her friends discuss Jared’s sermon. A feeling of calm came over her. She would enjoy Riley’s company as long as her granddaughter was here, and she wouldn’t ruin their time together by trying to press her into doing something she didn’t want to do—and that included taking over Knots and Tangles and coaching the church softball team. She’d already given silent agreement to Riley last night, and when she returned home she would call Hayden and let him off the hook too.
A pain creased her heart. She’d lived on hope for too long. Her dream of handing over Knots and Tangles to Riley needed to die. Just because her granddaughter, who had always possessed gumption, had been working in the store to get it organized and cleaned up, didn’t mean she was interested in running the business. In fact, she’d made it clear she didn’t want to. Earlier in the week, Riley had even mentioned that maybe Erma and Myrtle could move in together. Erma pretended to chew on the idea, but it was preposterous. She adored Myrtle, but being roommates would certainly fray their relationship. They were too independent to share a residence.
There was also another thing Erma needed to face. Knots and Tangles wasn’t much of a business anymore, and not just because she hadn’t been giving it her full attention over the past few years. All the businesses on Main Street were in various states of decline, including Price’s Hardware and the Sunshine Diner. Why would she want to saddle Riley with a losing proposition? That wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t respectful of what Riley really wanted to do—be an artist. She was an excellent one with a true gift. Erma had to accept that her granddaughter’s home was in New York.
Somehow she would have to deal with the loneliness that had been encroaching over the past several years, although she hadn’t admitted it to anyone. If the Bosom Buddies thought for a minute that Erma was lonely, they’d never leave her alone. She wasn’t lonely for friends; she was blessed with the best. The empty hole in her heart could only be filled by family, and her only family was Riley. That was too much of a burden to put on her grandchild, who had already been burdened with so much in her life.
“Do you want some fresh pancakes?” Bea asked, breaking into Erma’s thoughts. “Those have grown cold by now.”
Erma nodded. She hated to waste food, but she couldn’t choke down cold buckwheat pancakes. “Just two,” she said. She would eat those at least. If she went home from the buffet hungry, Riley might think something was wrong.
At least she had settled a few things in her mind. She’d butt out of Riley’s life, both professional and romantic. That was the right thing to do. She’d failed so many times with Tracey and partly blamed herself for her daughter’s mess of a life. She couldn’t bear it if she messed up Riley’s.
* * *
“What’s it like being a famous artist?” Olivia asked, scooping a small bite of hummus with a pita triangle.
“Glamorous, I’m sure.” Anita sighed.
“Erma is really proud of you.” Harper smiled and looked at Riley. “She said one day she would like to display your artwork in the yarn shop.”
“She did?” Riley wondered why Mimi hadn’t mentioned it to her before. She also wondered why she hadn’t offered to send Mimi some pieces.
“I was always amazed that you could draw and paint so well,” Anita said before taking a sip of iced tea. “I can barely draw a stick figure.”
Olivia nodded. “Same here. What do you paint now?”
“I don’t paint anymore.” Riley explained about her mixed media projects, and she was pleased to see the girls were interested and had a lot of questions. As long as the topic stayed on art or New York life, Riley was fine. More than fine, actually. Not only was she enjoying the food, but she was also enjoying the conversation. Still, she kept up her guard in case the subject shifted to something more personal.
To her surprise, it never did. She saved a plate of food for Erma to heat up later and told the women she didn’t need help cleaning up the kitchen. Then she walked them to the door, Olivia and Anita saying goodbye and heading for Harper’s Mercedes.
Harper lingered on the front porch and turned to Riley. “I was serious about getting together for coffee,” she said. Before Riley could answer, she added, “I know what it’s like.”
“What do you mean?” Riley asked, confused.
Harper tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear, revealing a single twinkling diamond stud in her ear. “Coming back home and trying to find your place again. I left for college right after graduation, and then I worked in Dallas for four years. When I decided I wanted to have my own business, I came back here.” She frowned slightly. “I’ve always been kind of an outsider here since I didn’t go to school with everyone else. It took me a while to ease back into friendships.”
Riley wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t admit to Harper that there were no friendships to ease back into. Of course Harper wouldn’t know that.
“So be sure to call me. Or maybe I’ll call you.” She made her way down the steps. “I know where you live, after all.” She grinned and waved as she walked to her car.
Riley watched them leave, and the lump in her throat reappeared. It had never occurred to her that anyone in Maple Falls would understand what she was going through. Not back then and definit
ely not now. But Harper did, to a certain extent.
Would Hayden?
She shook her head and went back inside. It didn’t matter if Hayden understood her or not. While she was changing her mind about possibly taking Harper up on her coffee offer, she stood firm about not getting any closer to Hayden.
Chapter 7
To Hayden’s surprise, Monday morning was almost as busy as Saturday had been. Several customers had purchased paint, including one woman who had taken more than an hour trying to decide on the perfect shade of white for her kitchen. Hayden always thought white was a bad color for a kitchen, especially if the family had kids. He intended to paint his own kitchen a light golden yellow, once he got that far into the project. But white and gray and wood tones were in right now, and when she finally decided that Ice White was the perfect shade, he told her she had made an excellent choice, when in reality he was just glad she’d made a decision at all.
“I’ll be back to pick out hardware for the cabinets,” she said as he rang her up.
“Great. Is there any particular kind you’re looking for?”
“I haven’t decided. I’m considering bright silver or matte silver. I have to think about it a little longer.”
“We’ll be here when you’re ready. I’ll take this out to your car for you.”
“Thank you so much. I’m so glad I stopped in here.” She pushed her long black hair over her shoulder. “I had gone to the big building store in Malvern, but they didn’t have the right shade of white. You have no idea how many shades of white there are out there.”
He nodded and smiled. I sure do now.
After he put the paint in her car and went back inside the store, he helped another customer find grass seed for his lawn, then described the difference between a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver to a young man he thought should have known the distinction already. Hayden had learned all the types of screwdrivers and hammers they had in the store by the time he was eight, but he had to remember that not every kid was interested in hardware. By the time lunch rolled around, he realized he hadn’t taken a morning break.
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