Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,114

and realizing she wasn’t there. It wasn’t Madison that Gabriella had been looking for that day. “I honestly don’t deserve her, you guys. I should just move to an island somewhere and never speak to women again.”

Billy winced. “Likely expensive to execute.”

“Listen, you’re a mess,” Lana said. “And I wish we could do it for you, but until you find the courage to pour it all out to the one person that matters, you’re just spinning your wheels.”

Billy pointed at the phone. “This lady knows her stuff. Did I hear you were single?” Billy asked the phone.

“Sorry, buddy,” Lana said. “Got a wonderful woman.”

He shrugged. “Always too late.”

Ryan smiled. In spite of her own catastrophe of a life, the gratitude she felt for her friends overwhelmed her. She smiled. “You guys are great.”

“Duh,” Lana said.

“Born great,” Billy proclaimed with a proud grin. “What’s the verdict? You driving over there tonight?”

She scoffed. “No, um, I don’t have a plan. But I’m seeing her tomorrow at the game.”

“Ah, yes, the Beavers,” Lana said.

“Otters,” Ryan countered.

“Same thing.”

“If only.” Billy laughed like a sixth grader, in rare form tonight. “Gonna be one hell of a game now.”

Ryan nodded and rolled her shoulders, nervous, excited, and zeroing in on possible ways to explain herself, knowing this was going to be an uphill battle, too important to lose.

* * *

The stands at the ballpark were packed like pickles in a jar, with just about everyone in town in attendance. The line at the snack bar snaked around twice with the smell of nacho cheese and hot dogs settling pleasantly over everything. Kids ran around with snow cones. Gabriella grinned as she threw the ball to Clementine in the practice field, loosening up her shoulder and hoping she had the magic they’d need to win this championship game. She wanted it bad. Ever since joining the Muskrats, Gabriella relished feeling part of a team. With the restaurant in full swing and kicking her ass, days like today were a nice escape. She just hoped she’d do her team proud. Whisper Wall bragging rights were a hot commodity.

She tried to not think about the fact that Ryan was back on first base after a two-game absence. She also banished thoughts of how sexy she always looked in that red Otter uniform. She certainly didn’t steal a glance at the other practice field to remind herself or swallow when she did.

“You ready for this?” She turned to the chain-link fence to see Madison resting her forearms on the top.

“A Muskrat is always ready for battle.” She grinned, happy they were finding their equilibrium again. Madison seemed to get it, and of course she did. She was Maddie, all logic and understanding with a kind heart to boot. “You sticking around?”

“No chance I’m missing the rodent showdown of the century. Joey’s grabbing me a giant pretzel, and then I’m settling in to scream a lot. Practiced in the car. I now have the perfect combination of shrill and intense.”

“Holding you to it.”

“Okay, have fun. Don’t screw this up.”

“Hey!”

“Kidding.” A pause. “Not entirely.”

Madison dashed off, and minutes later, the umpire called for the start of the game. The first three batters had decent showings, with two on base with one out. Gabriella was their cleanup and approached the plate with her game face on. As kind as she always tried to be, she left it behind when at the plate. She’d drill that ball straight through the skulls of every person on the Otter roster if that’s what it took. Okay, she wouldn’t really do that, but the ferocity of the thought kept her focused and competitive.

Crack.

She connected with the second pitch and saw the line drive bypass everyone in the infield and land squarely in deep right. As she took off for first, Stephen the cowboy, who must have been a substitute, hurled the ball to Ryan. Gabriella overran first base a millisecond before the ball landed in Ryan’s glove.

“Safe,” Byron the umpire yelled. She grinned at him, having always enjoyed the French fries he put out as grill master at I Only Have Fries for You. She still used that garlic seasoning he recommended.

Her eyes connected briefly with Ryan’s. Ryan didn’t have her normal overly confident game face on. It surprised her. Instead, Gabriella was greeted with a softer stare that left her off-kilter. Clementine strolled to the plate.

“I’m really sorry about the other morning,” Ryan said as Gabriella led off, her gaze firmly attached to her destination, second