Hooked on You Kathleen Fuller (fiction books to read txt) 📖

she hasn’t passed them down to Riley. But Tracey’sinconsistent parenting has influenced her. It was unavoidable.” She pushed away her mug. “I also made a lot of mistakes. Mistakesthat have turned into regrets.”

While he couldn’t relate to what Erma was saying, since he’d never been a parent, he did remember what Doug, his counselor,had said when Hayden was down on himself.

“‘We can only do our best with what we have to work with at the time,’” Hayden said.

Erma’s head jerked up and she smirked. “That’s quite profound. Did you read that on the internets?”

“Nope. A wise person told me. Over and over and over.” He lifted his mug and tilted it a bit toward her. “It’s pretty setin my noggin.”

“I need to set it in mine.”

Riley came shuffling into the kitchen, her hair wild around her face, as if she’d spent the night tossing and turning. Thetank top and shorts she was wearing left little to the imagination—which got his imagination shifting gears and humming. Heaverted his gaze.

“Ahem,” Erma said. “Hayden’s here.”

Riley’s eyes widened. She glanced down at herself, then at Hayden, her cheeks heating. “Be right back.” She dashed out ofthe kitchen, and he could hear her running up the stairs.

“Anyway, you were saying?” Erma lifted the mug to her lips.

“I, uh.” What had he been saying?

Erma chuckled, sounding a little more like her usual self. “At least you had the good grace to look away. What a polite youngman you are, Hayden Price.”

“I try to be.” Now if he could just get the image of Riley in a thin tank top out of his mind, his thoughts would be politetoo.

A few minutes later, Riley entered the kitchen again, this time fully dressed in a red T-shirt and shorts. She was pullingher hair into a ponytail as she joined them at the table.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, dark circles under her eyes.

“I’ll start breakfast,” Erma said.

“I’ll do it.” Riley started to stand.

“You stay right there, sugar. It’s my turn to cook this morning, remember?”

Riley nodded, then asked Hayden, “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough for coffee.” He paused. “How did you sleep last night?”

“Horribly, no surprise.” She leaned her forearms against the table.

“I filled the car with gas on my way over here,” Hayden said.

“Thank you.” Erma pulled out a cast-iron frying pan from the lower cabinet next to the stove. “Do you like bacon and eggs,Hayden?”

“Of course.”

“I’d whip up some homemade biscuits, but I don’t want you to be late for work.” The pan clanged as she placed it on the stovetop.

“I’ll take a biscuit rain check, then.”

While Erma started cooking, Riley got up and fixed herself a cup of coffee and set it on the table. Without asking, she pickedup Hayden’s and refilled it, too, then set it down in front of him.

“Thanks,” he said, reaching for the sugar bowl on the table.

She nodded, but he could see she was deep in her own thoughts. She refilled Erma’s cup, too, then sat back down, the farawayexpression still in her eyes.

The bacon and eggs didn’t take long for Erma to prepare, and soon Hayden was presented with a delicious breakfast. They atein silence, both women in their own worlds. For some reason Hayden wasn’t uncomfortable with the silence. He wished he knewhow to help them, as he had grown to care deeply about Erma too. But this was something he couldn’t fix, or even attempt to.All he could do was be there for them when they needed him.

“Go on to work, Riley,” Erma said when they finished eating. “I’ll clean up.”

She nodded. “Let me brush my teeth and I’ll be right back down.”

After Riley left, Erma turned to Hayden. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that she has you,” she said, tears shiningin her eyes. “Especially now.”

He nodded. “I’m not going anywhere, Erma. Whatever she needs, I’m here.”

Erma smiled and patted his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Riley returned, and a short while later they pulled into the parking lot behind the yarn store. Much like last night, Haydencut the engine and turned to her.

“If you need me, just holler,” he said. “I’m right across the street.”

She turned to him and nodded. “Thank you, Hayden.”

He gave her the keys, and then they both got out of the car and he waited until she unlocked the shop and walked inside. Hedidn’t want to leave her, but he had to admit she seemed much better today than she’d been last night, which gave him a bitof freedom to focus on his job. His father was ready to transition the store to him, and Hayden wanted to start today.

His store. He still couldn’t believe it. He was so thrilled to be the owner. He was more excited about the future than he’dever been while playing ball. Then again, his future had always been uncertain when he was a ballplayer, despite how hardhe worked and how dedicated he was. He still had the work ethic and dedication, and now he could transfer it to somethingstable. Stability had become important to him, and he was starting to see it was also something Riley needed, even if shedidn’t know it.

Maybe one day she’d allow him to give that to her.

*  *  *

Riley turned the sign on the yarn shop door to Open, then went back to the counter. She had decided when she woke up thatmorning, exhausted from a rough night’s sleep, that she had to put Tracey out of her mind. Surely her mother had gotten themessage that Riley didn’t want her around. Even if Tracey had decided to come back to Maple Falls permanently, it wouldn’tlast. How many times had Riley heard the same thing from her mother, that this would be their forever home? Forever only lastedtwo weeks, or maybe a month. One special time it meant half a year, but nothing more than that. Tracey never stuck to herpromises. Now wouldn’t be any different.

Business was slow this morning and, desperate for a distraction, she thought about the back storeroom, then