the winding road marked with a Tangle Valley Vineyard sign, Dale put his paws on the dash as they ascended to the top of the hill that overlooked it all. Ryan stole a moment to look down on the beautiful green farmland below, rows of vines, buildings for winemaking, and of course, a nice spot for visitors to take in a glass or embark on a whole tasting experience. With spring in session, the vines had clearly woken up from their winter snooze. Having grown up in wine country, Ryan still never got used to the beauty around her on a daily basis. “Now that’s a view,” she told her dog and gave his head a good ruffling. “You be nice to these people. We like the owner, and she has wine.”
She drove down the hill onto the property and straight to the vacant building that would become the new on-site restaurant. It was a medium-sized job, and Ryan had been able to offer a fairly good bid for the majority of the work, with things like finishes and flooring to be decided as they moved forward. Joey told her that the executive chef, Gabriella somebody, would be her point person for those kinds of decisions and to be on the lookout for her. They’d met briefly when Ryan had first come out to the property, but Gabriella wasn’t from around here, which made her interesting.
The building itself was quite beautiful with original oversized windows she hoped they’d be able to keep with a little restoration work. What was more, the space was flooded with natural light, which would make the lunch service pop. She stood in the doorway with Dale at her side and surveyed what was essentially one very large room that they’d be separating into a kitchen, a bar, an expediting area, and a dining room complete with workstations for servers and front-of-house staff. She imagined light fixtures, paint colors, art on the wall, and tables and chairs dotting the floor once they were finished, a practice that always got her excited and eager to get to work. Transforming an otherwise nonfunctional space into something beautiful was what made her get into the business in the first place. “Monday, this is ours,” she told Dale.
“I can’t wait.”
She turned at the sound of a female voice, only to find Gabriella, the chef. Wow. She remembered her being pretty, but now she was reminded of the reality up close. She blinked and took in the thick dark hair, big brown eyes with some of the longest lashes she’d seen, and subtle curves that accentuated her petite frame. Ryan determined she had her by a good four inches and, now that she got a better look, saw that those eyes were hazel. “Oh, hey.” She smiled. “I hear you’ll be my contact on the ground? Ryan Jacks. We met a few months back.”
“I remember. Who is this gentleman?” Gabriella knelt to look Dale in the eyes. He, of course, practically melted, sinking to the floor and offering his belly. Such a player. Ryan resisted an eye roll.
“That’s Dale. He’s inhaling attention right now.”
Gabriella sank farther and gave his tummy a good feisty rub, which earned her points. None of that gentle, dainty petting some women went in for. “Well, of course he is. He’s a good boy and knows it. Good boys need affection. Good boys need rubs.”
With that, her dog leaped up and licked the hell out of Gabriella’s face and chin because, clearly, she understood his plight. Impressively, Gabriella didn’t seem to mind and even laughed. She seemed to have no trouble with a dog slobbering all over her gorgeous face and ruining her makeup. More points. “Sorry about that. He gets a little excited when people love on him. Knock it off, D. Give her a break.”
Gabriella straightened. “Nah, he’s good. Just saying hello.” She placed her hands on her hips and exhaled. “Ryan Jacks.”
Something about the way Gabriella stated her name had Ryan’s full attention. She blinked and remembered her purpose. “Yeah, and you’re Gabriella. Good to see you again. I’m just here to take some more measurements,” she said, indicating her laptop and tape measure. “Already covered the big stuff. This will be for some of the minor nooks and crannies in the space. That okay? I don’t want to get in your way.”
“More than okay,” Gabriella said, beaming. Her smile was infectious in all its vibrancy. Genuine, too. “I’m ready to turn this building