Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden
Acknowledgments
Food is a big part of my life and I’m thrilled about it. In fact, I’ve always considered myself a proud foodie. When at a restaurant, I long to try everything on the menu. Potlucks are my favorite because of the extensive sampling opportunities. While I’m not a bad cook, I don’t get to flex my culinary muscle as much as I would like, making this story a satisfying one to pen. I got to live in the food world for a little while and loved it. And oh, the research! I shall not complain. Oh, no. Never.
It’s an interesting time to write a book, when the world is quarantined and shut away. It turned me inward, and I think that influenced my characters’ paths as well. The internal, personal journey became the crux of the tale, and I found myself writing what I hope is a more grown-up, reality-based struggle. I hope you’ll enjoy exploring the themes in the book, and perhaps you’ll drink a glass of white with some homemade carbonara as you read.
I had my hands full this go-round, and I want to say thank you to Bold Strokes, Rad, Sandy, and Cindy for having my back and extending grace and flexibility. What a top-notch group of professionals I work with. I got a lot of pep talks from my pals in the writing world. Special shout-outs to Nikki, Georgia, and Rachel for checking in on me and keeping me afloat, to Paula and Carsen for the glass raising, and Fiona and Kris for the laughs. Ruth Sternglantz, my editor, did a fantastic job of shepherding me through the process of making this a stronger book and Jeanine Henning’s cover offered great inspiration. The proofreaders continue to amaze me with their diligence, and Stacia Seaman is a fantastic quarterback, putting it all together. Readers, thank you for your messages and kind words as we traverse these difficult months together. Books really do have a way of bonding people and I’m so grateful to be a part of such a tight knit community. To many more. Double cheers!
For anyone who’s ever felt like a secondary character in their own story
Prologue
Gabriella Russo believed fully that the smell of fresh coffee and baking bread was enough to steal a person’s heart and never give it back. Each morning that she walked into the Bacon and Biscuit Café for her twice-a-week fix, she was reminded of the sentiment. After a deep and satisfying inhale, she approached the counter. She scanned the menu even though she practically knew it by heart after living in town for eight months now. Finally, she beamed at blond-haired, blue-eyed Clementine Monroe, who stood patiently at the register, poised to take her order. Her eyes looked a little more slate colored today. Pretty.
“Is it a honey bacon and butter biscuit kind of a day?” Clementine asked, rattling off Gabriella’s standard order. “They’re fresh out of the oven, and that bacon is perfect. Frankie has outdone himself on the grill.”
Gabriella quirked her lips to the side in indecision. “It’s tough today. I was leaning toward maybe the jalapeño bacon, but no. I think I have to stick with my go-to.” She pointed at the menu posted above the counter. “Question for you. Is the apricot jam purchased or made in-house?” As a chef, these were the questions that overwhelmed her brain when she came in contact with any kind of food or its preparation. These were the details she craved, that got her excited and ready to head to work and create her own food and flavors.
Clementine sighed. “No. Mr. Rothstein purchases the jam commercially.” The look on Clem’s face said that she didn’t much agree with the owner’s decision. From their conversations since Gabriella had moved to town, she surmised that Burt Rothstein was a business owner going through the motions, in contrast to Clementine, who had a real passion for the place. She and Clem had become acquaintances, given that they were about the same age and both carried a passion for food. She’d shared with Gabriella that she imagined running a café of her own one day. “I wish he sourced locally or let us make it in-house. Frankie and I have been working on recipes, but he shoots down the idea every time.”
“Huh. Well, that’s a shame about the jam. I’ll stick with my order. Not a branching out kind of day.”
“Coming up,” Clementine said and disappeared to assemble the to-go bag.