Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,62
near my place. In the spring, the colors send your heart into your throat. I’ll show you sometime. Just after four, you can get the most gorgeous photos.”
Gabriella blinked as if discovering a new planet in her backyard. “You’re a photographer, too?”
“No, a dabbler. I like black-and-whites. Something about the rawness of shadow.” Ryan grinned, not minding the assembly of all the things she loved. “I guess I like the diversity, and it’s fun to share it with you. How was your day?” She gestured to the spot next to her and Gabriella hopped up as the sun fell slowly over the fields to the right.
“I had a very somber Stefan working in the truck with me. He’s seventeen and has decided the world will never understand him.”
Ryan exhaled. “Oh, Stefan. It really does get better.”
“We talked about outlets. He agrees that cooking is a great one, so he’s going to help out beyond just the internship hours he owes the high school. He’ll be back Saturday morning for service, and I’ll be teaching him how to make potato gnocchi.” She shrugged. “He has the chops to be good.”
“You don’t know what a difference a mentor like you makes in that kid’s life. I speak from experience.”
Gabriella nodded. “I’m starting to see that. I could probably use him here and there at Tangled, too. Would get him some good experience backing up some career chefs. I’ve got three hired, you know. Keith, Nadine, and Joy. The dream team.”
“I did not.”
“Keith’s a transplant from back east. From my culinary school days. And the other two are both young female chefs who have promising résumés from Portland’s food scene. I’m lucky. My food army is looking sharp, and they’ve embraced my menu enthusiastically. It means I can take time off here and there and know the place is in crackerjack hands.”
“I’ve never worked in a restaurant, so please let it slide that I don’t know this, but you’ll be the head chef?”
“Executive Chef, but yes. I’ll expedite some nights, jump on the line and cook others. But with only twelve tables, we’re not a big operation. I’ll be a jack-of-all-trades, visiting tables, updating specials, and managing the restaurant on a daily basis, not just the food.”
“Damn.” Ryan faced Gabriella and pulled a bent leg up onto the truck bed. “You must be a skilled multitasker.”
“You have to be when you grow up in a household like mine. Four girls, my parents, and two aunts in a thousand square foot walk-up. Imagine my father, bless him, and all those women with different trajectories in that tiny space.”
“Now that sounds like a party.”
“That’s a polite characterization.” She blew a loose strand of hair off her forehead. “I learned early how to roll out my pasta, listen to my sister go on about her boyfriend, feed the dog, and watch General Hospital all while bumping into eighteen people.” She laughed. “Anyway, those were excellent skills for a chef to develop, and they’re hopefully just as good for running that place.” Her gaze fell on Tangled in the distance and lifted to the eaves of its beautiful roof. Soon there’d be a sign in front and, not long after, people arriving for a rustic Italian meal prepared by Gabriella and her new team. Ryan couldn’t wait.
As if reading her thoughts, Gabriella squeezed her shoulders together in excitement. “Will you come to the soft opening?”
She blinked. “Oh. Um, I thought Joey said it was for the winery’s invited VIPs.”
“And our own. You’re mine, by the way, and you’re formally invited.”
Ryan absorbed the declaration that made her heart clench and her palms sweat. She wasn’t accustomed to feeling this way. She loved it on one hand, but it also felt like a lot to lose. Terrifying. How was she supposed to get used to this? “Then I’m there,” she said simply and finally, at long last, kissed the lips she’d missed. It had been days. Gabriella tasted like strawberries, which she decided must be her lip gloss. Ryan prayed she’d never stop using it. They pulled back slightly.
“Hi,” Gabriella said, searching her eyes as if memorizing them.
“Hi, back.”
“You should have led with that move.”
Ryan laughed quietly. “Filing away for next time, because I always seem to want to kiss you.”
“Then do.” Gabriella leaned back on her hands, her ponytail swaying from the motion. “Now tell me about your day.”
“Boring. Lots of sweeping. Some demo work on a job across town. I worked with the outdoor guys on your