Hooked on You by Kathleen Fuller (hot novels to read .txt) 📕

“Yeah. See ya.”

As Tanner headed to his cherry-red Jeep, Hayden stayed in the dugout, looking at the ball field, the weight of the equipmentbags nothing compared to the heaviness on his heart. Even though he was sure—at least he thought he was—that there was a connectionbetween him and Riley, she wasn’t open to pursuing it. One-sided interest was new to him, and he had to admit it pricked athis ego.

Shaking his head, he walked out of the dugout and stalked to his Subaru. Maybe he was imagining things. It wasn’t as if hedidn’t have plenty of other things to keep him occupied, and he just added fixing up Erma’s house to the list.

By the time he’d put the bags in the trunk of his Subaru and started the engine, he realized Riley was right. Contracts werealways a good idea, even though it bugged him a little since she and Erma were his friends. Correction—Erma was. He didn’tknow what he and Riley were.

What he did know was that he needed to focus on the reality of his own life—working his job, rehabbing his house, and coachingthe church softball team. He’d wasted enough emotional and mental energy on Riley McAllister.

Chapter 6

The bells of the Amazing Grace Church rang out clear on Sunday morning as Riley and her grandmother arrived for service. Rileymaneuvered the car into the handicapped spot in the parking lot, then pulled Mimi’s wheelchair out of the trunk. When sheunfolded the chair and pushed it to the passenger side of the car, Mimi frowned.

“Next Sunday I’m using crutches,” she said as Riley helped her slide into the chair. “I hate this thing.”

“We’ll see what the doctor says on Wednesday.”

“I don’t care what he says.” Mimi adjusted the strand of pearls at her neck. She always wore them to church and for any otherspecial occasion. “This chair can go in a dumpster fire when I’m done.”

“It’s a rental, Mimi.”

“Oh. Scratch that.”

Riley couldn’t help but smile as she pushed her grandmother into the foyer. Immediately the BBs rushed their wounded friend,and Riley was surrounded by flowered dresses, lilac and geranium perfume, and the squawk of ladies talking. Bea took overpushing Mimi, and the ladies made their way into the sanctuary, leaving Riley behind. Or rather, forgotten. Which was fine.I’m used to it.

She pushed away the bitter thought. Mimi had never forgotten about her, and it wasn’t fair to think that. She was surroundedby her friends, and Riley was grateful for them. She had taken the BBs for granted growing up, but she knew they all watchedout for one another. Riley had always watched out for herself, except when Mimi did, and for the most part she preferred itthat way. But since returning to Maple Falls, she wondered what it would be like to have a group of friends as devoted asthe BBs. Not that it would ever actually happen, but she still wondered.

She walked into the sanctuary, planning to sit with Mimi and the rest of her group when she heard someone say her name. Sheturned to see Anita Bedford motioning for Riley to sit next to her. Riley hesitated. She barely remembered Anita from school.Although she preferred to sit with Mimi or by herself, she didn’t want to turn Anita down and risk hurting her feelings, especiallywhen she had such a sweet, expectant expression.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you at practice yesterday,” Anita said, her smile growing bigger as Riley approached.“Welcome back.”

Riley nodded, unsure if Anita was talking about Maple Falls or church. Probably the former since Riley hadn’t been a regularchurch attender when she was a teenager. The first year she lived with Mimi she was forced to go to church, but instead offinding the peace and community interaction all the other churchgoers seemed to experience, she felt resentment. It was harderto pretend to be invisible among such close-knit people. Her opinion about church had never been favorable anyway, since Traceynever took her and had been quick to point out how judgmental church folks were. When Riley was there, all she’d ever feltwas judgment, even though people rarely spoke to her beyond small talk.

Finally Mimi stopped forcing her to go when Riley started arguing with her every Sunday morning—as long as she agreed to attendduring the holidays, which she had. Now she couldn’t remember the last time she’d stepped foot inside a church. Probably thelast Sunday she’d spent in Maple Falls. The only reason she’d agreed to go today was because her grandmother needed a ride.

Anita nodded toward Mimi. “She looks good today. A lot better than she did after the accident. It’s hard to keep her down,isn’t it?”

Riley nodded. Harper and Olivia entered the pew on the opposite side and sat next to Anita.

“I just hope I’m that spry when I’m her age,” Anita said.

Harper leaned over to greet Riley. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Now seeing the three of them, Riley felt underdressed in her black three-quarter-sleeved shirt and frayed jeanswith her usual sandals. It was one thing for her grandmother and her friends to wear dresses and pearls to church, but quiteanother to see women her own age almost equally dressed up. Harper was the most sophisticated of the three with her pale-peachsleeveless dress, orange high-heeled espadrilles, and dangling turquoise earrings. Olivia was more tailored, wearing a light,white cardigan over a red blouse and navy-blue pencil skirt, while Anita was the most casual in a flowing lavender maxi dress.

A man with a guitar stepped on the stage and started playing, and Riley realized it was Jesse Mathis, the oldest of the threeMathis cousins who were at softball practice yesterday. He began to sing, and the rest of the congregation stood and sangwith him. Riley had never heard the song before, and despite the words displayed on the screen, she didn’t try to sing along.

Instead, she observed her surroundings and soon saw Hayden standing in his pew, his parents beside him, all three singing.She tried to pull her gaze from him, but