Entangled

by Melissa Brayden

  Powell shook his head. “No can do, Joey. I can maybe go as low as fifty-five. It’d be a steal for fifty-five and only because I loved your dad and like you a whole lot.”

  This was getting better. Joey was hoping to stay under fifty, but five thousand more wasn’t awful. She prepared to take the deal when Gabriella turned to him with her most winsome smile.

  “I have an idea. Hear me out. We give you fifty, a case of wine, and lunch from the truck anytime you want until the restaurant opens. You stop by the truck during business hours and I’ll make you up a plate myself. You’ve never tasted gnocchi like mine.”

  He blinked.

  “The sauce alone will get you going, you know?”

  He nodded silently, and Joey covered her smile with her hand.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Powell said, scratching the back of his neck, which had turned red. The blush began to creep up to his stubbled face until he resembled a smitten tomato. Joey grinned at this new development. Well, well. Powell had a thing for Gabriella, which made total sense.

  Gabriella punched his arm. “You’re gonna love the meatballs, Powell. Extra parmesan for you.” She tossed a glance to Joey, who nodded along.

  “Two cases of wine,” Joey said.

  He swallowed. “Fine. You have yourself a food truck. But I want that wine, and it better be the pinot.”

  Joey laughed, amazed at what had just transpired. Gabriella just got more and more wonderful the more time she spent with her. “You got it.”

  As they headed into town for lunch, Joey shook her head and looked over at her new friend. “You smiled at the guy and saved us five thousand dollars. You smiled.”

  Gabriella, who chair-grooved to the radio in the passenger’s seat, nodded. “Sometimes a little kindness goes a long way.”

  “No. This was different. What’s that like? To walk in a room and immediately have everyone fall for you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said and continued to groove. And what was great about it was that she actually didn’t. Gabriella was a looker but didn’t seem to know it, at least not fully. “I just think kindness goes a long way and we were nice to him.”

  “Not five thousand dollars nice. I owe you lunch to celebrate.”

  Gabriella paused her lip-syncing but continued to dance. “Yes, take me somewhere that uses the local ingredients. I want to familiarize myself with the flavors, bathe in their fresh variety.” She gestured as if clutching a handful of vegetables.

  “You got it.” Joey flipped her turn signal as they approached the town center of Whisper Wall, flanked with gift shops and restaurants and plenty of wine bars. Because she was having such an awesome day, she fell into the groove with Gabriella, shaking her head in unison with the music. Why not? It was a beautiful sunny day in October, they’d just made a killer deal, and Gabriella brought out her playful side.

  Minutes later, she pulled Dusty into the parking lot of the Cabernet Club. “You’re going to love their broccolini. It’s from a farm a mile up the road. In fact, everything here is fresh, and they only carry local wines.”

  “Including Tangle Valley?” Gabriella asked.

  “All four varietals and even our blends.”

  “Even better.”

  “I’ll be happy to introduce you to their chef, Theodore Quevedo, but I call him Teddy Q. He’s amazing. In fact—” But the words died as they stepped inside the restaurant, because there she was, walking toward Joey like a model on a runaway. “Becca,” Joey said quietly.

  “That’s her?” Gabriella whispered.

  Joey nodded as subtly as possible. She swallowed and instructed herself to play it cool.

  Becca’s eyes met Joey’s and she broke into a grin. “Hi, Joey. It’s good to see you again.” She wore a navy dress with a thin beige belt and heels. Very corporate and businessy. Joey loved it on her, even if she did worry she’d be cold. To Becca’s right stood a woman dressed in an emerald pantsuit. Colleagues maybe? She secretly hoped that’s all they were. Probably at a fancy new law firm. She tried to imagine where those offices might have gone in without her noticing.

  Becca gestured to her friend-maybe-colleague. “Carla Cortez, meet Joey, my new friend from Tangle Valley.” She turned back to Joey. “I already told her about the amazing wine at your place.”

  “Hi there,” Carla said, shaking Joey’s hand. “Trust me. I’ll be back again with my husband soon. We’re big wine people.”

  “We’d love that,” Joey said. She had a husband. Her stomach tightened and her skin tingled. Her stomach was not the type to do that at all. The excitement of some new stomach action had her off-kilter but still enjoying the ride, and the shade of navy Becca wore really made her hazel eyes especially dreamy. “In fact, you’re both invited this weekend. We’re debuting our brand-new food truck. Gabriella here is our chef. She has some bites lined up that will knock your socks off.”

  Gabriella curtsied. “Socks knocking is my specialty. Nice to meet you both.”

  Becca laughed the most perfect sounding melodious laugh. “The feeling is mutual. I’d love to stop by this weekend and lose my socks.” It didn’t even seem like she was feigning politeness. She was either a fantastic actress or just as excited as Joey. “Will you be there, too?” Becca asked, adjusting her focus entirely on Joey. It felt like the world shifted beneath her.

  Carla smothered a smile. Gabriella beamed like bright lights on a highway.

  “Oh,” Joey said. “I will, yes. You’ll, uh, find me in the tasting room. I’ll be happy to get you set up with a fantastic glass or bottle. Whichever you prefer.” Joey was feeling bold. “Maybe even join you for a glass.”

  Becca didn’t hesitate. “I insist.”

  They stared at each other as the air between them crackled. This was the part where she and Gabriella should head off for a table, and Becca and Carla should take their leave. But no. They stood there, clinging to the moment.

  The restaurant door behind Joey opened and she broke contact, turning to see Brenda Anne from the Nifty Nickel step inside. “Getting nippy out there,” she said with wide eyes to Joey. “Hey there, Joey. How are you getting on?” She didn’t pause. Brenda Anne didn’t seem to believe in them. “We got a shipment of those Molly Dolly truffles you love, and I set a box aside for you.” Joey grinned, not sure whether she wanted the box for Tangle Valley guests or maybe just for her damn self.

  “I’ll stop by this afternoon and snatch those ridiculous things from you. My mouth is already watering, just thinking about it.”

  “I ate six this morning. I just lied. Seven. I ate seven.” Brenda Anne then looked past Joey to Becca and grinned even brighter. “I see you’ve met our newest resident. Well, hey there,” she said to Becca.

  “Hi, Brenda Anne,” Becca said back. “I just love my autumn wreath. Makes my door so much more friendly.”

  “Well, come back. We have more fall decor. Just got a shipment of scarecrows you’ll love. It’s so nice to see you again. I see more and more progress on that hotel every day.”

  Joey grimaced as a dark cloud fell over everything at the mention of The Jade. She shook her head adamantly. “A little piece of my heart is stolen with each brick that goes up on that overly fancy money suck.” She shook her head again and turned to Becca. “You haven’t been here long, but we’re known for our charm around here. That means local everything, right down to the ingredients at this restaurant. But there’s this huge hotel chain that’s about to crush this town’s culture and all we have going for it. We don’t even have a McDonald’s for eight miles, and they’re building an Elite hotel just down the road from Tangle Valley.”

  Becca blinked. Carla stared at the ground.

  Gabriella squeezed her wrist, but Joey didn’t care. The newcomers needed to be updated on all that was about to be lost to big business in the name of a few extra dollars. Joey sighed with ire. “It’s really sickening.”

  That’s when Gabriella inclined her head in the dir
ection of the leather attaché on Becca’s shoulder, the one engraved with the words Elite Resorts. Joey stared hard, just sure she’d misread the lettering, but no, she hadn’t. Good God. Really? She raised her gaze to Becca’s as shock strangled the words in her throat.

  “Becca Crawford, manager of The Jade, aka the overly fancy, town-crushing resort.” She pointed at Carla. “Carla Cortez, assistant manager of town crushing.”

  Carla waved almost apologetically.

  Joey didn’t know whether to laugh at the awful joke or cry at the reality that the first woman she’d been excited about in ages was actually an agent of corporate evil. “I don’t know what to say.” Joey shook her head. “This is embarrassing and awful. I’m not sure which is winning.” She held up a finger. “No, awful is. That I’m now sure of.”

  “I don’t think it has to be either,” Becca said. “In fact, I think we could find a way to work—”

  “I’m so sorry that’s your life.” Joey shook her head, feeling the indignation rising in her throat. She heard all the reasons The Jade would hurt them, her father’s voice chiming in. “There’s still time to change course. Save yourself. Brenda Anne, are you hiring?”

  “I’m not. No,” Brenda Anne said uncomfortably. She’d always been averse to conflict. Bless her heart.

  Joey deflated. “Well, that’s a shame.”

  “Joey,” Gabriella whispered, trying to rein her in, but Joey was not willing to compromise her convictions just because her sworn enemy turned out to be beautiful, smart, and friendly. There were deal breakers, and anyone advocating for The Jade and its presence in Whisper Wall was an adversary of Joey’s and the entire town. That simple. What’s more? Her father had been crestfallen when he heard The Jade was going in, and she didn’t plan to just roll over and let it happen without having her voice heard. She had to be that voice for him now.

  Becca tilted her head in what seemed like sympathy. “I fully understand that you’re protective of your town and your business. It makes total sense to me. I just hope you’ll keep an open mind about all the good things the resort might bring to the table. I think there are several.”

  Joey shook her head but remained calm and even keeled. “I think we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

  Becca shrugged. “Well. I hope to change your mind. Enjoy your lunch,” she said to Joey and Gabriella. “Brenda Anne, I’ll stop by the shop later this week.”

  “See you then,” Brenda Anne said. Joey passed her a look that said really? Once Becca and Carla were gone, Brenda Anne stepped forward. “Josephine Wilder, just because we don’t like the hotel or resort or whatever it is, that’s no cause to be inhospitable.”

  She wasn’t wrong, and Joey could use a good reminding apparently. She was a little surprised at the strength of her own reaction. “You’re right. I just get so wound up about it. That place is going to change everything when it opens next month.”

  “Maybe Becca is right, though,” Gabriella offered gently. “Maybe everyone will be surprised in the end. Let’s hope for that.”

  Joey turned to her. “You’re an optimistic person, and I love that about you, but no good can come from a giant chain hotel looming over our vines.” She shook her head, feeling crestfallen all over again. “Let’s eat something sinful like bacon. Maybe it will help me forget what’s coming.”

  Gabriella grinned. “That word is a love button. I just got a hit of dopamine from its mention. We’ll get a whole plate of it.”

  After Gabriella studied every inch of the menu, they ordered two of the best sandwiches ever made. Gabriella selected the toasted BLT with avocado, and Joey went for the Cuban, pickles and all. She only wished she’d been able to enjoy it more. Of course there was also that side of bacon, which helped.

  While they ate, Gabriella tossed a look at the kitchen window that faced the interior of the restaurant as if trying to catch a glimpse of the action. “This garlic mayo is made in-house. I can tell. Dying to know what the mystery spice is.”

  Joey only halfway absorbed the comment and instead moved the brown sugar rimmed potato chips around her plate as if using them to work a puzzle. Only the puzzle had already been solved and it spelled out disappointment.

  “You in there?” Gabriella asked. “I get the feeling that mayonnaise and its mysterious makeup aren’t exactly on your radar right now. I’m sorry it’s played out the way it has with Becca.”

  “She’s the enemy from the evil empire. She’s the general manager, which makes her evil empress.” Joey sank against the soft backing of the booth, disillusioned.

  “Slow down, slugger. I know you’re sad. But remember something for me. Becca is not her job.”

  Joey took comfort in Gabriella’s warm, reassuring smile, but that’s about as far as it went. She’d already downshifted after learning her new crush could no longer be that. “Doesn’t matter. It’s water under the chain hotel.”

  “Think you might be leaping to that conclusion a little early?”

  “Nah, but I’ll get past it. I just need to act like a disappointed four-year-old for a while.”

  “Okay. But know I’ll be here as cheerleader or pushy woman with a spatula. Whichever works best. I can pivot.”

  Joey tried to imagine how the spatula thing might play but didn’t possess the fortitude.

  On the drive home, the car dancing was relegated to a few head bops to the easy listening station. Their party had been busted up by that stupid hotel, too. It damn well ruined everything these days.

  Chapter Five

  Friday afternoon finally arrived, and Becca had a hostile meeting to attend and a dog to go meet. Not a ton of afternoons shaped up with such diversity of experience, but hers definitely had.

  She had roughly a month until The Jade opened its doors to throngs of guests, and once that happened, her ability to steal a little time for herself wouldn’t be so easily won. Today, however, it was important for her to wave a white flag to the citizens of Whisper Wall and attend the town meeting she’d read about on that flyer from The Nifty Nickel. If the town was discussing The Jade and its new presence, well, she wanted to be there to quell their concerns and speak to the other side of things. As nicely as possible. After that, she would shed her work persona and head just outside of town to a small rescue farm for sweet dogs looking for new homes. It just so happened that she was someone in the market for a new friend herself. She liked her new house and her job very much, but she hadn’t made the friends she’d hoped she’d make when she moved to Oregon and was feeling…well, lonely. She had an inclination there was a furry little guy or gal out there who might be lonely, too. They could maybe be each other’s friend. Wouldn’t that be nice? She smiled at the idea as she selected an outfit that would work for both the meeting and the farm: dark dressy jeans, brown boots, a white short-sleeved shirt that she could toss a brown plaid blazer on top of for the meeting and shed as she headed to the farm.

  As she drove to the town center, she replayed her last encounter with Joey Wilder over again in her head. She’d done that about eighty-five times now and never felt any better about it. Joey carried such passionate feelings when it came to The Jade that it was going to take time to make her see the benefits. Like it or not, Elite Resorts had gone through all the proper channels to establish a presence in Whisper Wall because it was growing as a tourist destination by the second. The resort was coming with or without Becca’s assistance. If only she could find a way to make the town see the perks that could come from a partnership. She rejected the memory of the abject disappointment in Joey’s eyes when she’d last looked at Becca. It had been a true blow, and the sting lingered.

  She gave her head a shake and focused on all that was ahead of her. She pulled up to the small building with the simple words Whisper Wall Events on the side and smiled at the to-the-point language. This should be fun. Becca took a moment before going in and watched a handful of people head to the meeting. That’s when it clicked that the overflowing parking lot indicated
there was a great deal of interest in the topic. Becca took a deep breath and headed inside. Alone. To what felt like the lion’s den. Once inside the room, which echoed with conversation, she slipped quietly into a cold metal chair toward the back. Shortly after, an older gentleman with a prominent belly stood at a small podium and addressed the room via microphone. Apparently, she’d arrived just in time, having missed out on the chance to grab a few of those snacks along the wall. She now remembered Brenda Anne’s double chocolate cupcakes with espresso and vowed to at least try one before fleeing the scene. Plus, that would give her a chance to meet some more of her new neighbors on behalf of The Jade, but also on behalf of herself. This was her home now, and she wanted to get to know everyone. If only they would let her.

  “Good afternoon, friends and neighbors. I’m Mitchell McHugh, but most of you know me as Big Mitch.” He chuckled at a joke Becca didn’t get. Others joined him. She smiled along. “I’m the owner and manager of Twin Grapes, a small vineyard on the eastern perimeter of town. Like you, I’m concerned about the new direction we see our town heading in. Part of our appeal has always been an invitation for folks to get away from their lives and spend some time in Whisper Wall, a gem in Willamette Valley where we have the best damn pinot on earth.” That brought on applause. Becca joined in happily. She, too, loved the pinot. “Today is our chance to talk about what the opening of a very commercial property on the hill might mean for us and for the future evolution of our city. If you have something to say, we want to hear it, even if it’s just to get it off your chest.” Many nodded. Becca did, too. “We’re all friends and neighbors here. Just put your name in to speak at the back of the room.” Big Mitch consulted his clipboard. “We’re going to start with Josephine Wilder from Tangle Valley. Joey?”

  Becca blinked in surprise, took a deep inhale, and watched as Joey, dressed in jeans, low-heeled booties, and a navy sweater, approached the microphone. Even from ten rows back Becca could see the shine from her lip gloss and the sparkle in her very blue eyes. They matched her sweater to perfection. She remembered how special she felt when those eyes were happy to see her. The tasting at Tangle Valley, just five days ago, seemed like ancient history.