Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,86
feelings, was beyond terrifying. But she likely needed to find a way at some point soon and decided to be on the lookout for the right moment.
“You free for this week’s walk-through later today?” she said.
“Yes.” Gabriella’s arms were folded. She seemed closed off to Ryan now, and that hurt. “Just give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll walk over.”
“Will do.”
She grabbed her bag and her dog and headed out with a last sad look back at Gabriella, who she’d clearly upset. Ryan drove through town central to her estimate full of regret and feeling nauseous. It didn’t matter how scary it was—she owed Gabriella her honesty. Maybe she was the only one in love, but you know what? Who cared? Later that night, maybe they’d sit on the dock and have a candid conversation. Her heart thudded heavily at the mere idea, but she could do this. She would. Too much was on the line, and she didn’t want to regret another moment.
* * *
“Jolene, I don’t want you to feel left out when I start spending more time at the restaurant than I do here. You’re still just as important, and just as cute.” She shrugged as she bagged up her remaining fresh spices and placed them in the small refrigerator. “We’ll need you for lunch service still, and the interns will get valuable experience once they take over more.”
Gabriella had finished lunch service and sent Chelsea home for the day before she got the call from Ryan to head over for their walk-through. She gave her workspace a final wipe down, ditched her apron, and headed to Tangled. The outside of the restaurant was nearly finished. She paused and grinned up at the newly painted sage and dark brown building, the scripted sign placed at the roofline, elegant and simple. The small adjacent parking lot was also nearly complete, and she imagined it filled with cars. She followed the newly installed sidewalk up to the door, imagining herself a patron of the restaurant and enjoying the elevated rustic feel, which reminded her so much of Italy her heart squeezed. Inside was just as beautiful and warm. She liked that the dining room was small but with enough space for each of the tables to feel set apart. Well, at least they would when the tables went in. They were holding them for delivery until the floor went in, which should be anytime now. Soon aromas would flood this room, and servers with trays would whisk hot plates to diners.
“There you are,” Ryan said with a smile. It was good to see her. After their difficult conversation that morning, she’d done her best to push the larger message out of her head: Ryan wasn’t ready for any of this. Because maybe it was easier to ignore that little voice in her head for now. And the voice of her sister. And half the town, who likely believed Gabriella was set up for heartbreak in this scenario. “Let me show you what’s new this week.” They walked the perimeter of the room, and Ryan showed her the new light fixtures along the wall, which looked even better in person, the texture they’d added to the paintwork, some of the automation that gave them lots of options for different music and lighting schemes. The security system had also been installed, along with the refrigeration systems for the uprights and the walk-in. She glanced down at the dusty floors, marked with paint and drywall. Most of the tile had already been ripped out to make way for a speedy installation. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of the room.
“Shouldn’t the floor go in soon?”
“Yes, that’s our last big hurdle.” Ryan looked down and touched the top of her head. “I was actually expecting delivery yesterday. Sometimes they’re a little loosey-goosey, so I’ll check in with them, make sure we’re on the schedule for today or tomorrow.” She offered Gabriella a reassuring smile. “We’ll sneak in just under the wire. Keeps things exciting, right?”
Gabriella’s eyes went wide. “Exciting is one way to put it. You really think we’ll make it if the tile doesn’t arrive until tomorrow?”
“I do. In fact, I’ll call right now.”
Ryan stepped outside to make the call, while Gabriella strolled the restaurant’s interior, pausing at the shelves behind the bar that came with a subtle backlight for presentation. A nice touch. She was already starting to organize how she’d set up the spirits.