Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,31
Maybe they were meant to be friends, and Gabriella should embrace that tug a bit more. See what she could learn from Ryan and what she could impart in return. She was older and wiser, after all. She set her journal aside, switched off the lamp next to her bed, and slid beneath the cool sheets nestled snugly in the Spring Cottage.
She struggled to fall asleep, though, because she felt different somehow. Unsettled, as if she’d missed an important detail, or forgotten something huge on her weekly to-do list. She tossed and turned, attempting to settle in, but nothing she tried brought her much sleep. Something was tapping her incessantly on the shoulder, beckoning her. She just had no idea what.
Chapter Seven
Ryan estimated that she had a couple months left on the Tangle Valley job, and it was time for Joey and Gabriella to pick out the remaining fixtures and finishes. Ryan was not a professional designer, but she did come with thoughts of her own, built on experience, and did her best to guide her clients when it seemed like they were making inconsistent choices.
The three of them had arranged to meet at four o’clock that afternoon in the tasting room, knowing that guest traffic would be winding down and the food truck—correction, Jolene—would be closed for the day after late lunch service. Ryan arrived first and smiled at Loretta. She and Carly had been friends through high school and still talked here and there on social media.
“Well, look who the devil drug up and dropped at Tangle Valley.” Loretta leaned across the counter and kissed Ryan’s cheek. “Took you long enough to pop in here after working these weeks on the property. Not yards away, even. I’m offended—except I’m not.”
Ryan grinned sheepishly. “You’re a VIP around here, Loretta. Didn’t want to bother you.”
“Since when?” Loretta asked.
Ryan leaned on the bar. “Talked to Carly a couple weeks back. She said she might pop over for a visit later this year. That still happening?”
“Yep. And she’s flying me to the Caribbean for a trip with her and her girlfriend’s family.”
“Get the hell out. Really?”
Loretta nodded and her green eyes sparkled. “I’m a jetsetter now. I’ve already started my packing list and it’s months away.” She grinned and her cheeks got red and happy. It was clear how very much she loved her kid. Though her hair was more gray than not these days, there were still glimpses of the blond she shared with Carly. “How’s your mama? We need to get together for our twice a year coffee date soon. Is she giving herself time to be a human being?”
“She’s busy this time of year. School district has all those state tests she has to get her fifth graders ready for. I need to stop by and see her.”
“Yes, you do,” Loretta said, gesturing with a wineglass. Her mom was a sweet, funny, and opinionated woman, obsessed with crossword puzzles and the Food Network, but a consummate worrier when it came to Ryan, her only child. “And I’ll give you a bottle of the pinot noir to take with you. My treat. You two can kill it together and toast my good name.” Loretta laughed jovially, and Ryan was filled with warmth.
“We’d both like that.”
“I’d give anything to have Carly closer. So I’m more than jealous of you two in that sense. Really happy to see her settling down, though.” She sighed as if basking in it all. “Lauren, the girlfriend, has made all the difference in her life. You need a Lauren. That’s what I say.” More emphatic wineglass pointing.
Ryan grinned. She’d seen the change herself. Carly thought things through more these days, seemed more grounded now, happier. “They seem so great together. The two of them.” Ryan had seen photos of Carly and Lauren online just a few days back. Not only were they a gorgeous duo, but they looked at each other with such love. Ryan had to wonder what that must be like. And if it happened to her, would she change for the better the way Carly had? These were thoughts she’d never tried on…until recently.
“Please tell me I haven’t missed any good gossip,” Joey said, arriving behind the bar from the back room. She had her blond hair down today and parted on the side. Since taking up with Becca, she, too, seemed to sparkle more. Love, man.
“A ridiculous amount. And we’re not going over it again either.” Ryan folded her arms.