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

sat on the swivel chair and thought about what he wanted to eat. It was better than thinking about Riley. As he tried todecide between a chef salad and chicken tenders, he straightened a stack of tool catalogs on his father’s desk, then saw apiece of paper with familiar letterhead at the top. Henry Price, Esq. His brother’s law practice. Why was his brother sending a formal letter to their father?

Hayden picked up the letter and read it, his stomach churning by the time he finished. Despite the fancy header, the contentsweren’t about legal business. Instead, it was about his father selling the store.

Reeling from what he’d just read, he set the letter back on the desk and covered it with a catalog. His father had found abuyer and asked Henry to look over the contract since Dad wasn’t using a real estate broker and was selling the property onhis own. Henry had scrutinized everything and said it was a fair offer. But his brother’s last words had driven the sharppoint home. “Don’t hesitate to accept.”

Hayden stood and yanked his cell out of the pocket of his cargo shorts and tapped his brother’s number. The phone rang a fewtimes before Henry answered.

“Hey, Hayden,” he said. “How’s it goin’?”

“Dad is selling the store?”

Silence.

“Yes. How did you find out?”

Hayden explained. He didn’t care if Henry chastised him for reading information not meant for him. Right now he had to getdown to the bottom of why their father was giving up on the family business.

But Henry didn’t say anything about Hayden reading the private correspondence. “So, I take it he hasn’t said anything to youyet.”

“Not a word. Does Mom know?”

“Yes.”

Hayden thrust his hand through his hair and started to pace. “Why didn’t they tell me?”

“I’m sure they have their reasons.”

“I bet Harrison knows.”

Henry sighed. “Yes, he does. Hayden, this has been in the works for a while.”

“How long?”

“At least two years.”

“Two years?”

“Hayden, don’t get upset.” Henry’s voice carried its usual calm tone. His brother, like Dad, rarely got upset about anything.That made him a great lawyer but irritating to talk to sometimes. “Mom and Dad didn’t want to bother you with it. You hadjust gotten drafted by the Tigers when they started talking about selling, and then your accident happened—”

“I’ve been living with them for six months. I’ve worked here every minute the store has been open since I got back. It’s notlike I don’t see them every day.”

“You’ll have to discuss it with them. I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I can’t get involved in something that’sbetween you and them. Look, I’ve got a client coming in a few minutes, so I have to let you go. I’ll give you a call backlater.”

“But—” The phone went dead on the other end.

Hayden shoved the phone back into his pocket and scowled. Henry was a busy attorney, and deep down he knew his brother wasright. But that didn’t stop the betrayal from winding through him right now. His whole family had been planning on sellingthe family business, and no one thought to mention it to him, using his now nonexistent career and then his injury as an excuse.Didn’t they think he had an opinion? Did they bother to consider that he would?

When he heard the bell above the front door jingle, he gathered himself, shoving his feelings inside like he’d always donewhen he was in pain or hurt. The years of keeping his emotions wrapped tight were failing him. He took a few deep breathsto calm his mind. Finally he was collected enough to greet the three customers who had walked in, and to do so with a friendlysmile—just as his father taught him the first day he started working in the store.

When Dad came back from lunch, they were still busy with customers. Hayden skipped lunch, which was fine since he didn’t havean appetite. He also didn’t have a chance to talk to his father, and by the time they closed for the day—an hour later thannormal—he needed to head over to Erma’s.

“Today was a good day.” Dad pulled out the cash drawer and started for the back. “I’ll lock up, son, so you won’t be late.Lord knows Erma is a fussbudget when it comes to punctuality.”

Before Hayden could say anything, his father was halfway to the back of the store. Probably a good thing, since this wasn’tgoing to be a quick conversation.

“See you later,” he managed to say.

“Bye, son.”

Usually after closing, Hayden left the store through the back, where he parked his car in the small lot behind the store.Today he walked out the front door, needing the longer walk to gather himself again. The sun was low, and they hadn’t gottena break from the hot, swampy air. He passed Petals and Posies and saw it was already closed. Then he noticed the peeling painton the front facade, a contrast to the bright and cheerful floral display in the picture window.

He paused, noticing a bit of dry rot on the bottom left corner of the doorframe on the building. Turning, he took a good lookat Main Street. The yarn store, the bakery, the diner at the end . . . Each of their facades were worn and in various statesof disrepair. Then there were the empty buildings in between the decades-old businesses. For Sale and For Rent signs wereposted on the glass. One, only half attached to the inside window, had been there so long the bright yellow paper with blacklettering had faded to white and gray.

Why would anyone choose to shop in Maple Falls when there were bigger stores in surrounding cities? For the first time hesaw hometown businesses with a critical eye and realized that the town’s mainstays were literally dying away. Could he blamehis father for wanting to sell?

An unexpected wave of sadness hit him. What would happen to these historic buildings once they were sold? Would any of thelegacy businesses survive? He didn’t know if the prospective buyer of Price’s Hardware would even keep the business the