didn’t seem to have heard Gabriella enter, and that was ideal because now Gabriella could linger unnoticed and watch her work.
Ryan’s focus was laser sharp, and she bit the side of her lip, likely part of her concentration process. She’d pulled her hair into a ponytail since leaving the kitchen, which exposed the delicious column of her neck. Some sort of indie band played on the beat-up radio resting on the nearby workbench. Gabriella set the plates down next to it and approached slowly. It only took a moment for Ryan to notice her presence, pause her work, lift her glasses, and smile.
“Sorry. You been there long?”
She raised a happy shoulder. “A minute or two. I like watching you work. A lot.” Not a lie. It did things to her. She gestured to the wood. “That looks like it’s going to be a fantastic bench.”
“You think?” Ryan stood. “It’s going in my mom’s backyard this time. She wants to watch the birds out there.”
Behind Ryan stood a rocking chair, a duo of small matching tables, and a four-shelf bookcase. “Wow. You’ve been busy.”
She nodded and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “Working out here on my own stuff helps me clear my mind. Process problems one nail or screw at a time. If you didn’t know, I tend to get in my own way.”
“I didn’t. Seems to me that you often get what you want.”
Ryan watched her. Tension pulsed between them. “Do I? Maybe I just chase the wrong things.” Ryan caught sight of the plates. “That smells amazing. I might fall to my knees and cry.”
Gabriella reached for the plates and brought one over to Ryan, complete with silverware stacked on top. “For you. Should still be hot, though I did get distracted on my delivery route.”
“We’re eating out here?”
“Did you have somewhere better in mind? Convention always has us eating at a table and chairs, but food should be consumed in any and all environments is what I think.”
“Well, then. Field trip dining it is.” Ryan looked around, snagged a sheet of plywood, and set it on top of the pair of sawhorses. She grabbed a couple of concrete blocks from the corner and set them on either side. “There. Table for two. You inspired me.”
“And now we get to enjoy this awesome space.” She took a seat on her respective block and set the plates on the wood. “What do we call it? Ryan’s Fun Furniture Farm?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I call it.” She took a bite of the chicken and chewed slowly, finally pointing at her plate as Gabriella waited for the verdict. “How did you cook this amazingness so quickly in my kitchen with my food? My food doesn’t turn into this.”
“Your stuff did. It was quite agreeable to the transformation, really. A little bit of this, a dash of that, and we have dinner. The magic of food preparation is real. You should hop the train.”
“I’ll hop your train.” Ryan slid a bite of chicken in her mouth playfully.
“That sounds like an offer, but I’m eating right now,” she said sweetly.
“It was meant to be a chicken compliment, but I like the way you took it better.” Ryan winked, and Gabriella took note of how much she enjoyed this. Them. Their dynamic. The easy teasing. Eating sautéed chicken and potatoes in a converted garage on a couple of blocks of concrete while they flirted. She could resist this all she wanted, but it felt right. It felt good. What was the point in continuing to come up with reasons it could all fall apart down the line? Right now, who the hell cared? She vowed then and there to lean in to every positive thing Ryan brought to her life, and she was going to start with those kind, thoughtful, and gorgeous blue eyes. She grinned up at them.
“Train hopping doesn’t sound at all bad. In fact, I like the philosophy.”
The smile dimmed slightly on Ryan’s lips, and her eyes seemed intrigued. She held Gabriella’s gaze, and it felt like the temperature rose eight degrees in ten seconds.
“Try some more of the potatoes,” Gabriella said quietly.
Ryan’s eyes lingered on hers for another long moment before she did as she was asked and slid the fork into her mouth. Gabriella waited, knowing that nobody did the center of a pan-fried potato quite like she did. The perfect amount of char on the outside, a slight crisp, and a soft, heavenly center. Ryan