Hooked on You, Kathleen Fuller [book club suggestions TXT] 📗

be careful with what he said while she was in such a fragilestate. “Was that your mother?”

Her eyes filled with confused vulnerability. “That was Tracey. Calling her mother is a big stretch.” She shook her head and slumped onto one of the three chairs in the storeroom. “I can’t believe she cameback. After all this time . . .”

He sat next to her, staying silent. What could he say? She hadn’t mentioned her past since the last time they were right herein the back room of Knots and Tangles, when she had talked a little bit about her mother. Since then, their conversationshad stayed firmly planted in the present, although he was itching to talk to her about the future—their future—at some point.Definitely not now.

“She looks awful, doesn’t she?” Riley shook her head. “Hard to believe she’s only forty-three.”

That shocked him. “Really?”

Riley nodded. “She had me when she was fifteen. She had already dropped out of high school by then, and Mimi sent her to livewith Mimi’s older sister when she was pregnant. I always assumed it was because she was impossible to deal with.” She huggedher arms and leaned forward. “I never knew who my dad was. I’m not sure Tracey even knows.”

Hayden nodded, rubbing his palms back and forth over the hem of his cargo shorts. But for Riley not to know who her fatherwas . . . He couldn’t imagine how she felt about that.

“Why did she come back?” Riley shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I cut her out of my life when she cut meout of hers.”

She seemed to be speaking to an invisible person in front of her instead of Hayden. When she shot out a string of curse words,he reached for her hand. He’d never heard her curse before.

“I’ll take you home,” he said.

“I’ve got Mimi’s car.” She yanked her hand out of his grip.

Dread filled him. Her walls were flying back up. “I’m still taking you home.”

Riley shook her head and sat up straight. “I’m fine. I can drive.”

Hayden knelt in front of her. “I know you can. I also know that you aren’t fine right now, and that’s why I’m taking you home.”

“I guess arguing with you would be pointless?”

“Totally. I’ve learned from the best.” He hoped to get at least a partial smile, but all he got was a hard glare.

She stood, her legs unsteady as she got her purse and turned out the back-room lights. They walked to the small parking lotbehind the building, and he held out his hand for her keys. Soon they were on the road back to Erma’s.

After pulling in the driveway, he cut off the engine. “I can stay if you want.”

Riley shook her head, hands clenched in her lap. “Mimi and I have to talk. I’m sure Tracey will show up on her doorstep soon.Probably with both hands out.” She turned to Hayden. “How will you get home?”

“I’ll take your car and pick you up in the morning before the store opens.”

“Right. That makes sense. Sorry, I’m not thinking clearly.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He started to get out and open the door for her, like she’d always let him since their supper at thesteakhouse. But she had the door open before he could move.

Then she leaned over and kissed him. Soft, yearning. He could taste her pain. After she pulled away, she scrambled out ofthe car and ran into the house.

Hayden touched his mouth, stunned and devastated by her kiss. They had kissed a few times since their run on the trail threeweeks ago. With that time being the exception, he was always the initiator. Her kiss tonight held a sense of finality, andthat scared him.

He stayed until she went inside. Then he leaned back against the driver’s seat. This evening hadn’t turned out like he’d hoped.He’d envisioned them breaking open the champagne and enjoying some time together. But it wasn’t toasting his success thathe’d anticipated. It was the place where they would’ve had the toast that would have made the moment special.

He blew out a long breath. That would have to wait, and for once he was fine with waiting. He was more concerned about Rileyright now. He was glad she intended to talk to Erma about Tracey showing up out of nowhere. That was a step in the right direction,instead of her usual tendency to clam up.

He’d seen changes in Riley over the last couple weeks, changes that made her even more desirable to him than before—and she’dbeen very desirable then. It was as if he’d been witnessing the blossoming of Riley McAllister. He prayed her mother’s appearancewouldn’t shut her down permanently.

*  *  *

Riley halted in the small alcove after walking through Mimi’s front door and tried to catch her breath. She’d never been knockedsideways so hard before. Seeing her mother after fifteen years . . . She still couldn’t comprehend it fully. One questionkept hammering her brain: Why now?

“Riley?” Mimi called from the living room. “Is that you? Because if it isn’t, I’ve got two baseball bats in my hands, andI’ll beat the living daylights out of whoever you are.”

“It’s me.” Riley stepped into the living room.

“Oh, thank the Lord. Not that anyone’s ever broke into this house in sixty years, but there’s always that one chance.” Sheglanced at the baseball bat leaning against the wall by her recliner. Riley had never seen it moved out of that position.“I’d hate to have to back up my threat.”

Riley nodded, knowing her grandmother was half joking. She should probably have a talk with her about installing a home securitysystem at some point. Wow, she just saw Tracey and she was thinking about security systems? How messed up was that?

“Riley, sugar.” Mimi pulled the lever on the side of her recliner and the footrest snapped shut. “You look like you’ve seena ghost.”

She sat on the couch and hugged her arms again. How was she supposed to tell Mimi that her wayward daughter had returned?Then again, Mimi had always appreciated straightforwardness. “Tracey’s in town.”

Mimi’s eyes grew wide, and she sucked in