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

anger in his brainso he could sort out his thoughts. He pulled out his phone again and texted Doug. He used his personal number only in emergencysituations.

Having a bad time. Can we set up an appointment this week? Hayden

He stared at his cell phone, not expecting an answer right away. Just reaching out to his counselor calmed him enough thathe was able to see how much Riley was hurting. And what had he done? Piled on the hurt. He’d seen the pain in her eyes beforeshe left, which was why he turned his back to her. He didn’t want to cave in. Not this time. It was time for him to face reality.He’d wanted to earn her trust, but how could he do that when she refused to give him a chance? She wasn’t the only one whowas in pain.

His phone pinged and a text popped up.

Sure. I’m free tomorrow morning at 8.

Hayden responded, then set a reminder of the appointment in his phone and another to tell his father he would be going towork late. He probably didn’t need the reminders. How could he forget any of this happened? But he was used to doing it forhis counseling appointments, and old habits died hard with him. He put his phone back in his pocket and waited for Tanner,who showed up a short while later in his Jeep. Fortunately his friend didn’t say anything as he drove him back to the churchand parked next to his Subaru.

“Hey, dude, if you need me, give me a call,” Tanner said.

Hayden turned to him and nodded. “Thanks.” Then he got out of the vehicle and opened his own car door. Instead of leavingright away, he turned on the air and sat there, letting it cool his skin.

He knew Riley would follow through on her promise to leave. She probably had one foot out the door the moment Tracey showedup. He believed love could overcome a lot of things, but not if the other person wasn’t at least willing to meet partway.Riley obviously couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. Either way it didn’t matter.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” he muttered as he shifted into gear and left the church. Cutting the cord now would save a lotof heartache.

He couldn’t imagine his heart hurting more than it did right now.

Chapter 16

Erma faced her daughter for the first time in fifteen years. She sat on one side of the kitchen table, Tracey on the other.Riley was right: her daughter looked awful.

If she was sober, it was a recent sobriety. Erma could see the drug scars on her arms that she tried to hide with a too thinburgundy sweater that was obviously secondhand, if not third. Her heart started to break, but then she shored it back up again.Tracey had made her own decisions, and she had to face the consequences.

Still, a mother’s heart could never be completely hardened toward a child, and that was why Erma had agreed to talk to herafter the service today, despite the doubtful looks of the BBs, who had surrounded her the moment the service ended.

“How is Riley doing?” Tracey asked, pressing her fingers against the vinyl tablecloth.

Erma noticed her short, dirty nails and wondered when her daughter last had a real bath or shower. It was hard to tell fromthe scent of smoke wafting from her clothing.

“Riley is well. At least she was until you showed up.”

“You didn’t tell me she was here the last time I called. I thought she was still in New York,” Tracey said.

“How did you know she was there?”

Tracey put her hands in her lap. “I have ways of keeping tabs on my daughter. Not everyone in this town has turned their back on me.”

Guilt and manipulation. Erma was used to it, but it never failed to rile her. She calmed her emotions, briefly wondering whoin Maple Falls was still in touch with Tracey. Then she realized she didn’t want to know.

“I’m glad to hear that you have some support,” she said, meaning it.

Tracey averted her gaze, her thin shoulders slumping. “That’s more than you ever gave me.” She wandered around the kitchen.The walls were bright and fresh, thanks to Riley, who had spent Friday night after work applying the light, bright-yellowpaint to the walls. “House looks nice. So does the shop. Obviously you’re putting a lot of money into both places.”

Erma steeled herself for what was coming. Tracey couldn’t get through to her on the phone, so now she was here to manipulateher in person.

“What do you want, Tracey?” Erma knew the answer to the question already. Her daughter wanted money. Money that she wouldprobably blow on drink, drugs, and men. She’d done it enough while raising Riley, leaving the child to her own devices. Erma’sheart pinched. I should have acted sooner. “I’ve already given you plenty of money.”

“You mean my inheritance?” Tracey met her gaze, some of the steel returning to her eyes. “It wasn’t that much.”

“It was a large sum of money.” Erma clenched her jaw.

“And it’s been fifteen years. How did you expect me to live off a few thousand dollars?”

“It was more than a few, and I expected you to get a job so you could support yourself.” She fought for composure. “You stillhaven’t told me what you want.”

“Believe it or not, Mother, I don’t want anything from you. I came here to tell you that I’m living in a halfway house inHot Springs.”

Erma nodded. She’d heard this before, too, more than once. “I see.”

“I promise I’m going to get clean this time. I swear.” When Erma didn’t respond, she scoffed. “You don’t believe me. You neverdo.”

“How can I? You’ve lied to me too many times to count. Not to mention how your choices and behavior affected your father.”

Tracey pulled on her fingers, not looking at Erma. “I should have known you’d bring him up again.”

“He was your father—”

“I never knew my real father. Or my real mother. But I’ll admit, Dad was the better parent.”

An arrow straight to