Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,55

chillier evenings. Arms covered, a shoulder out. A nice combo. At least, she hoped. Comfy couch night seemed specific.

She knocked on Gabriella’s door and grinned when she answered. Gabriella wore calf-length stretchy workout pants, a pale pink hoodie, and nothing on her feet but blue toenail polish.

“Hi,” Ryan said quietly. She wasn’t sure why quiet was the way to go, but it seemed as if the theme warranted calm and tranquil, reminiscent of the way people spoke at day spas. She held up her offering. “I brought popcorn.”

Gabriella grinned and snatched the jar of kernels. “Gifts are not necessary but will never be turned away. Come in, new guest. Welcome to the Spring Cottage of Tangle Valley, where comfortable dreams come true.”

“That’s quite the promise.” Though she’d passed the cottages many times, Ryan had never actually been inside one. Gabriella’s house was so very her. An open floor plan with the kitchen and living room joined as one. A yellow and sage color scheme that felt warm and happy. On the walls hung large framed photos of vibrant flowers, interspersed with still lifes. Breads, wineglasses, and an empty outdoor café. Along the entryway, Ryan spotted smaller family photos. One of them featured Gabriella with three other women she had to be related to.

Gabriella followed her gaze, pointing at the frame. “My sisters. I’m third in the lineup. Teresa, Angela, me, and that right there is my younger sister, Mariana. She’s cheeky.”

“It’s like three variations of you, but not quite you,” Ryan marveled. “That’s crazy.”

“Genetics. You should hear us all in one room.” She frowned. “Correction, you should avoid it. We can get pretty loud when we all get to talking at once. You have to top the other three, you know?”

“I think this is something I need to experience.”

Gabriella winced. “At your own risk.”

Ryan stretched. “Okay, I’m ready for this. What do we do now? I want to get comfy night right. I can’t screw around and miss out on the full experience.”

Gabriella pointed to the sofa. “Take a seat and cue up the show. We have a few minutes, so I’ll pop this corn. How do you feel about clarified butter and maybe a little grated parmesan on top?”

Everything in Ryan sighed in massive appreciation of Gabriella’s suggestion. “How do I feel? I feel like you’re a genius, and this might turn out to be the best bowl of popcorn I’ve ever had.”

She hadn’t been wrong. After a million pop, pop, pop sounds from the pan, Gabriella whizzed around in the kitchen with a couple of fun sound effects like wham, kapow, boom, and voilà. She presented a big silver bowl and plopped it into Ryan’s lap before joining her on the comfy cream colored couch with the sage blanket lining the back. Ryan took a bite of a hot buttery kernel and slid right off the couch onto the floor. She wasn’t prone to emotional demonstrations, but the popcorn warranted the physical melting. It was hot, fluffy, and dressed with the perfect amount of warm butter and little flakes of parmesan cheese, which she’d never had before on popcorn.

“How is your popcorn this good?” Gabriella opened her mouth to answer, but Ryan held up a hand. “No. I get it. This is what you do for a living, but I was braced for fantastic already, and I still fell off the couch.”

“I don’t think I’ve sent anyone to the floor with popcorn before. I will need to put this in my diary later.”

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding. You keep a diary?” Ryan asked, returning to her chair, intrigued by the idea of Gabriella’s innermost thoughts poured onto the page. What she wouldn’t give to read them, to get inside her head for just a moment.

“Yep, and this is going in there. Popcorn fanfare and all.”

Ryan laughed, and the 20/20 anchor with the dark hair and handsome face appeared. Gabriella snapped her focus to the television like a soldier at attention, so she did, too. It wasn’t easy, however, with Gabriella’s feet tucked beneath her in such a sexy manner. When their hands brushed against each other in the popcorn bowl, Ryan got a tiny shiver like a middle schooler. She’d learned not to be surprised by the things Gabriella did to her, things no one else ever had, and just enjoy them, even when they had her feeling off-kilter.

20 / 20 didn’t mess around either. Apparently, a jealous college student had stalked and killed his own girlfriend on the