Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,103
plunge into something that—She didn’t have a chance to complete the thought because in an instant Madison took her by the hand, pulled her in, and kissed her. Stunned, Gabriella stood there and accepted the kiss, receiving it only. It was a foreign feeling, but it wasn’t. She’d kissed Madison hundreds of times in their past. Yet she hadn’t expected to on this particular occasion. And then, wham. Why was she sorting through all of this now, mid kiss? Keeping that open mind, she ordered herself to relax into it and allowed the kiss to play out, even participating. Yes, that’s how people kissed. Two-way. She stood taller and took Madison’s face in her hands and kissed her back some more. And then it was over.
They stared at each other in the pale moonlight, Madison’s eyes searching hers. “I didn’t know I was going to do that, and I’m honestly a little rattled. Not like me not to think things through first.”
“Yeah. Same. The rattled.” A pause, and then, “Was it—?”
“You don’t have to—”
“If you think that was—”
“No, I’m not upset or anything, just—”
They laughed. “You first,” Gabriella said, rocking back on her heels.
Madison held up her hands as if clearing the slate and starting over. “While I didn’t expect to do that, I’m glad I did. That’s the thesis statement.”
“It was nice,” Gabriella said, terrified to analyze it any further. Madison made her feel safe with two feet on the ground, and that counted for so very much when everything in her world resembled a never-ending roller coaster of highs and lows. “I don’t know what I’m doing right now, though. Does that make sense?”
“Complete sense. I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“I can’t make promises I don’t know if I can keep.”
“I don’t need you to,” Madison said. “Tonight was nice. Maybe tomorrow we’ll feel differently. The complete opposite. I’m prepared for go-with-the-flow if you are. No requirements attached. No promises needed.” She touched the back of her head. “Honestly, I’m making this up as I go.”
Gabriella took her hand because she cared so much about Madison she could hardly stand it. She was kind, and hard-working, and yes, very beautiful. She heard Angie’s voice in her head, telling her what a catch Madison was and how she was the kind of girl you settled down with. Maybe they had been hasty when they ended things. She’d led with her heart recently, and that hadn’t ended up so great. Maybe it was time she led with her head. “Fair enough. Let’s see about tomorrow when tomorrow gets here.”
Madison grinned conservatively, took a step back, extending their arms until she finally let go of Gabriella’s hand. “Good night, Gabriella. Sweet dreams to you.”
She watched as Madison took the three steps up to her porch and disappeared into her cottage. Alone now in the silence of the night, her thoughts immediately shifted to where they always did. Nope. She shut down the images of Ryan’s cheeky grin, the feel of her amazing foot rubs on the couch, and acute memories of their passionate nights together. Ryan Jacks had to remain in her rearview mirror. She’d come too far in life to let roller coasters and butterflies confuse the big picture. Steady and boring and dependable was the way to go.
Chapter Twenty-one
Gabriella never imagined that she’d look forward to Mondays, but after the week she’d had, she’d twirl in a circle in the middle of the damn vineyard just to have some time off, and Mondays, when the restaurant was closed, gave her just that. The kids had the food truck running to perfection for the daytime visitors, and with the scaled down menu she’d provided them, they were fully within their abilities to produce simple quality food for the guests with a little oversight from her.
She’d slept in and spent the afternoon transforming her cottage for summer, using the cute decor she’d found at the Nickel. Plants, flowers for her window baskets, and even new tie-back curtains with a few more splashes of color for the season. As late afternoon shifted to early evening, she found her way to the tasting room for a relaxing glass of chardonnay and maybe a little friend time if anyone happened to be around.
“Put it on my tab,” she told Joey, who graciously poured her a nice glass. The golden color of the wine always impressed her with its unique beauty.
“You have no tab here, and you know it. You have to stop requesting one.”