Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,96

but there was a small circle of people obscuring her view. She craned her neck as hope flared, everything in her relaxing now that she’d found Ryan. When the woman stepped into the open, she saw it was Becca instead. She saw Gabriella, smiled, and moved toward her. “So, are you excited?” She kissed Gabriella’s cheek and gave her a warm one-armed squeeze as she held her glass of chardonnay.

“Are you kidding? I’m ready like a soldier about to head into battle,” Gabriella said. “Only the battle is with food, and we can’t lose because we’re all friends anyway.” She shrugged happily.

“Well, when you put it that way, bring on the war.” Becca laughed. “I’m really looking forward to the meal. Did you find Ryan?”

Everything in Gabriella perked up. “No, but I’ve been searching for her. She’s here?”

“She is.” Becca frowned and looked around. “I ran into her in the parking lot, but that was quite a while ago. I thought surely she’d have found you by now.”

“No.” Another scan. Nothing. “Was everything okay? It’s not like her to just not show up and not send a message.”

Becca nodded, but there was something else there, too. Her eyes carried concern, and she shifted her weight. “I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she forgot something and had to run home.” She glanced away, nervous. It wasn’t like Becca to be.

“Becca, what aren’t you telling me? Just say it. It’s written all over your face.”

She exhaled. “All right, fine. She was having a hard time with all of this.”

Gabriella squinted. “All of this? One of the biggest days of my life? I don’t understand.”

“I think it might be larger than just today.”

Gabriella rolled her lips in as understanding settled. “This is about me.” God, that felt even worse. A wave of nausea hit, and her hands went numb. She flexed her fingers.

“This is about her,” Becca said carefully. “Vulnerability is new for Ryan, and she’s learning that it can be frightening and—”

“You know what? That’s totally okay. I don’t need to hear any more. I have an important meal to prepare.” She gave Becca’s forearm a squeeze. “Thank you for letting me know. Now I can concentrate on what I need to.”

She walked away without waiting for a response, holding back the emotion until she was a safe distance away from the gathering. Once she was alone on the path, she let the tears escape for the short duration of the walk to the kitchen, her kitchen. She reminded herself of her leadership status, wiped her eyes, took a commanding breath, and joined her team, already hard at work.

An hour later, her dining room was full for the first time. Servers in white starched shirts filled glasses and took entrée orders. Gabriella had never heard the room carry such activity. For the first time, it felt alive, bursting with energy and anticipation. Tonight, they’d serve the entire room at once, bringing out one course at a time along with the wine pairings. But first, Gabriella wanted to welcome her guests and kick off service with an address to the room. When the diners saw her stand before them in her hopefully still starched chef’s coat, the room went quiet before erupting into applause. She felt the warm blush hit her cheeks and smiled back at them. As her gaze moved over their faces, she paused on the empty chair, the one she’d personally selected. Her heart hurt badly, but she had no ability to indulge it right now, and held that smile firmly in place. When the applause faded, Gabriella began to speak.

“First of all, hi.” That pulled a laugh. Some people waved. “I’d like to officially welcome you to Tangled and tell you how pleased I am that you’re here. You’re the first guests to grace our tables in what I hope will be a long stay at Tangle Valley. If you like the food, tell your friends.” Another laugh. She placed a hand over her heart. “What I’d like to share with you is how special today is for me.” The emotion welled and her throat ached. “I’m realizing a dream in this very moment and each one of you is a part of it. Every chef imagines opening a restaurant and the Wilder’s have given me the chance to do just that in a town I couldn’t be more in love with. Please know that your meal tonight was prepared with love. Now onto business.” Smiles abounded as the first