Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,51

Madison turned to him and his eyes went wide. He held up his palms. “None of them were mine.”

“How do they do that?” Gabriella asked. “Nary a Biddy was there last night.”

“A network of spies. Recruits,” Madison said, in just as much awe as Gabriella. “I wonder if they’re paying for photos like real-life tabloids. They’re more sophisticated than we thought.”

“Are they here now?” Gabriella whispered, looking around the barrel room slowly.

Madison glared at their surroundings. “One has to assume they’re everywhere. My thoughts? Kick Ryan to the curb, and focus on all the good stuff you have going on. Tangled is shaping up, and once it opens, you’re going to be too slammed to worry about what Ryan Jacks is running around doing.”

“Good point.”

“So it’s a plan?”

“Most definitely.”

“Go team.”

She high-fived Maddie. “Nailed it.” Gabriella straightened, renewed. “Better get out of here and toss some pizza dough. Service starts in an hour, and Saturdays are usually hopping. The Jade has been practically bussing all their guests here.”

“I’m gonna stick around and audit acidity levels. A little less people centric.”

“Which is why you love it. Thanks for the pep talk, Maddie,” she said over her shoulder. “Be nice to the wine.”

“Anytime, Gabs. And remember the plan.”

She tapped her temple. Turned out, she didn’t have to. Ryan kept to herself that day. No coffee delivery, lunch invitations, or requests for consults. Her truck sat in front of Tangled, and Gabriella spotted Dale taking his normal midday snooze.

The next day was the same, and so was the day after. She received a few questions via email addressed to both herself and Joey, which she answered promptly after visiting Tangled after-hours. The renovation had continued to make great strides and looked less like a jobsite and more like a restaurant. She stood in the center of the soon-to-be dining room late that Wednesday, marveling at the rapid change.

“Well. What do you think?”

Gabriella turned, surprised to see Ryan standing in the doorway, arms folded and a conservative smile on her face. Everything in Gabriella leaped to attention. She was instantly energized and realized just how much she’d missed Ryan. Dammit. “The paint colors really complement the floors. Especially the complexity of the texture on the back wall.”

“I thought the same thing.” Ryan came farther into the room, and Gabriella’s spirit hummed as if she’d just come alive after days of meandering through life, something she wasn’t even aware she was doing. Double damn. “I also think keeping the original windows and enhancing with the custom sills was the right call. The light in here is insane and will make for a gorgeous lunch service on the weekends, with the guests overlooking the vineyard.”

Gabriella closed her eyes and imagined it, doing her best not to sway to the imaginary music in her head. The first restaurant with her vision, her design, and her menu. She felt a little like Cinderella looking forward to the ball. When she opened her eyes again, she felt Ryan’s gaze on her. She attempted a smile but couldn’t deny that everything warmed.

“I want to apologize for the other night.”

Gabriella raised a shoulder. “You don’t have to. We’re good. I told you that.”

“It doesn’t matter that you forgive me for acting like an ass. It matters that I acted like one, so you might have to put up with my apologizing a lot.”

She nodded, and it seemed like the tension in the room evaporated some. “I can handle that.”

“Good. I’m sorry, by the way. Again.” Ryan smiled. “And with that, I will leave you to bond with your new baby. Back in the morning.”

“See you then,” Gabriella said. She watched Ryan leave and then exhaled. Ryan hadn’t attempted to put them back on the track they’d been on. She hadn’t flirted or flashed her playful grin that made Gabriella’s stomach feel like she was on a wonderful roller coaster. For the best.

But the coffee was back the next day. Hmm. The still hot cup sat on the ledge of her closed-up truck when she arrived for lunch prep. She didn’t make a big deal about it but accepted the gesture as a waving white flag.

Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC tomorrow, a text message from Ryan read the following day. Also, I’m sorry. Did I mention that? Dale said hey before he went back to sleep.

She smiled. The space Ryan had given her along with the small gestures and hard work began to soften Gabriella’s heart. She caught herself watching for Ryan’s truck each