inside, but her entire demeanor had changed. “Not today?” Gabriella asked, already sensing the worst. She was seriously worried about their timeline.
“Apparently the order went in wrong, and they had it down for delivery this same time next month.”
Gabriella took a moment. “Well, what does that mean? Can they just adjust the date and make it happen for us? We paid a lot of money for that specific tile.”
Ryan shook her head, her face stricken. “It’s coming from Idaho and they don’t have available trucks.”
Gabriella didn’t understand what was happening. “A refund, then, so we can pivot to something available in Portland.”
“The company is small, and because the error was on our end, they’re not willing to work with me on a refund.”
“Our end. What happened?”
“I toggled the date wrong. All on me.”
“Ryan. God, seriously?” Her hands went to her hips as indignation flared. “Incredibly professional. Thank you. And you didn’t check in with them until now?” Gabriella’s emotions were firing without any control, and dammit, she needed someone to blame. Ryan had definitely played a part. She was reckless, sloppy. How was she supposed to explain this to Joey, who had gone out of her way to market the upcoming event to their wine club clients? The invitations, which included dinner at Tangled, were already out, and the RSVPs were rolling in. They’d been so close to the finish line and now this.
“I know. I know. Fuck,” Ryan said quietly. She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned back. “I’m so sorry. But please know that we can find a way to fix this.” Ryan moved to her in a show of comfort, and Gabriella took a decided step back. A slap would have stunned Ryan less. The look on her face would have normally slashed at Gabriella, but not today. She was too far gone. Crushed. Angry.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Gabriella stared at the shredded floor as it existed now. “But we were barely going to make our inspection as things stood.”
Ryan rolled her lips in and seemed to be thinking a mile a minute. Finally, she sighed. “Yeah, I know.” She leaned against the bar in defeat. “Dammit.”
“Hey, you guys.” Madison stood in the doorway with an earnest expression on her face. Kind, responsible Madison. She walked straight to Gabriella, compassion in her eyes. “Hey, you okay? You don’t look it.”
She didn’t even think. Gabriella turned to her, helpless, and then Madison had her. Wrapped in a hug, she let the tears make an appearance. She couldn’t seem to stop them as her hopes for her opening vanished on the heels of what had already been an emotionally difficult morning.
“It turns out we won’t be open for the wine release after all. We have no floor and no way to get the materials here in time.”
Madison winced and whispered quiet words to Gabriella. “It’s okay. I’m so sorry this happened, but it’s going to be all right in the end. You know that, right? Ryan is on top of it.”
Gabriella turned back to Ryan only to see her white as a sheet. She didn’t say anything for a long moment, almost as if she’d seen a ghost. Gabriella remembered herself then. Madison’s arms were around her. They still were. What had started out as a friend’s hug was now Madison full-on holding and comforting her. She took a step back and cleared her throat. “I suppose I need to find a way to get it together.” She dried her tears. “No one died, right.”
“You’re allowed to be upset,” Madison said.
Ryan turned away, her forearms resting on the bar. “In the meantime, I’ll make some calls and see if there’s anything to be done.” Her eyes were sad, flat, and carried defeat.
“Ryan,” Gabriella said.
“Yep?” For the first time Ryan looked her square in the eye, and Gabriella had no clue what in the world to say. It felt like there was now an ocean between them. Their undercurrents had risen to the surface and now engulfed them. It wasn’t what she wanted, but at this point, she just felt along for the ride.
Gabriella started to speak, then gave her head a shake. “Nothing. Let me know what you find out.”
“Of course. I’ll make the calls in my truck. Give you guys space,” Ryan said without looking at them.
Once they were alone, Madison frowned at her. “I hate that this happened. I know how excited you were.”
“Thanks, Madison. After all this work, and now we’re not going to make