Page 41 of Tangled with the Tight End

We want different things and continuing to pretend spending a few days together won’t have an impact on me is something I can no longer lie to myself about.

My cell phone rings. Is it him? My shoulders tighten while my heart thuds in my chest. How can I dread something andbe thrilled at the same time? Gabriel was disappointed when I called for an Uber soon after they returned and yesterday, I’d pled a headache to put some distance between us.

I drag my phone out of my back pocket and frown. Eden. I groan and shake my head. When have I ever been disappointed that my best friend was calling? Never.

“Hello?”

“Hey, girl.” Her voice is upbeat as I walk through the kitchen, pointing to a tray of muffins that need to be placed into the oven.

“One second.” I cover the receiver. “I’ll be in my office for a few minutes. Do you mind putting the muffins into the oven?”

“No worries, Boss.” Brooklyn nods as she retrieves the tray and opens the large oven.

It’s hard to believe that all the staff my parents employed stayed on when I took over. And they’re still here. And thanks to the modifications I made to the menu and the expansion at the lodge, I’ve hired an additional five staff to the payroll with Brooklyn being the newest recruit.

Brooklyn graduated from high school last year and is taking a break before figuring her life out. Hell, I don’t have my life figured out either.

“Thank you.” I squeeze her shoulder and maneuver to the office door. My office holds a large wooden desk with a computer on top, a couple of bookcases, and a four-drawer filing cabinet with a plant and a chef figurine nestled beside it. I’ve not had time to decorate the space and make it my own. Maybe I should. It could use some more flare, and I love the little figurine. “Thanks for waiting. I was out in the kitchen.”

“No worries. So, tell me about you and Gabriel.”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Heat floods my face. “Okay, that’s not true. When he came over Thanksgiving night to apologize, things got a little heated. A lot heated,” I sigh. “It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Then, he picked me upFriday and took me to the lodge. We had dinner. A private dinner that was nice. But not long after that, Gino got sick, and I came home.” I fall into the chair in a complete non-boss-like motion and sag into the cushions. Life was so much easier when we were kids talking about the boy who sat next to us in class.

“When are you seeing him again?” Angelo jabbers in the background, and my heart pangs again. I’ve never had this strong of a reaction to children before, but once I met Gabriel, my libido and biological clock kicked into overdrive. It’s like my body is chanting–‘marriage and children’, ‘marriage and children’.

Stop. Your body is not in charge. You can make sound decisions and.… I pinch the bridge of my nose. I must make sound decisions before I fall for a man who’s leaving me behind in a few days. Just the thought has a veil of depression lurking around the edges.

“I’m not.” I straighten in the chair, causing it to squeak, and inhale in the faint scent of leather and frosting. Someone should bottle that combination. They’d make a killing.

“What do you mean, you aren’t?”

“I’m not. I told him that I’d see him in a few days, but I’ve decided not to see him again. It’s not a good idea.” This is the right decision, isn’t it? “Being around him makes me want things that are impossible and….” I clear my throat after swallowing over the lump in it. “And that’s not a good idea.”

“You’re right,” she sighs.

My stomach cramps. She agreed? Shit. A large part of me had hoped she’d beg me to see him again because he’s in love with me, and we’d be perfect together. But no, she only confirmed what I already knew. He’s a football player and one-night stands happen for them all the time. Sex with no strings. And apparently, I’m a strings kind of girl.

“It was too good to be true for Marco and me to wish you’d see each other and fall in love. Life doesn’t work that way.” She chuckles halfheartedly. “Despite what we want.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that.”

“Before I get off here, Marco wanted to know if it was okay if he stopped by tomorrow and grilled you about running a business. Gabriel may think he’s joking, but my husband is serious about opening a restaurant. He may not have the business background that Gabriel has, but he’s a quick learner and determined.”

“Absolutely.” I smile and rise from the chair. Wallowing time is over. “Tell him to come by anytime. I’ll be here all day.”

“What time do you go up to the lodge? Hey, shouldn’t you be on the way by now?”

I trudge to the door. “Yes, but I’m putting distance between us. I know it’s ridiculous to avoid him because he’s not obsessed with me. I probably wouldn’t even see him, but being that close, I would’ve been thinking about him.” Like you aren’t thinking about him now, and every second since you left his suite Friday night.

“Maybe he’ll surprise you.”

I twist the knob. “Do you honestly think that’s likely to happen?”

“No.” Her voice is devoid of positivity and fills me with dread. “I guess not.”

For the next hour, I ignore my thoughts and focus on baking. Baking has always filled a void inside of me. The void that was seeking validation from other people. Being an only child sucked. There was no one to go with to school events. There was no one to argue with about who got favored treatment from Mom and Dad. There was no one else to blame when I ate the last of the chocolate chip cookies or returned the empty carton of milk to the refrigerator.

I’ve always yearned to fit in and never felt like I belonged. Thank God for Eden. She sought me out on the first day of kindergarten, and we’ve been inseparable since. Well, until she met Marco, and he became her person.

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