“I want to go into some of the stores to see if I can find some Christmas presents.”
“Speaking of Christmas, you know you’re more than welcome to spend it with my family at the inn. I know your parents are out of town.”
Just the thought of not being with my family on the holidays made my chest ache. With everything going on in my life, it would’ve been nice to have my parents around, but they’d had their vacation planned before the fiasco with my fashion line, so I couldn’t blame them for still being gone. Actually, I could, but I didn’t want to spend Christmas being bitter.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I turned to Colin. “Sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. You already know my mother and sister love you.” He winked. “My mom is a good judge of character, so if she likes you, it’s a good sign.” That was great to hear, but what I really wanted to know was what he thought about me.
When we arrived in downtown Friendship, there was a handful of people walking up and down the streets, and looking in the shop windows. But one man caught my attention, sitting on the same bench I’d seen him on a couple days ago. I nodded toward him. “That’s the man who told me where to find you.”
Colin followed my line of sight as we pulled into the parking lot behind the general store. “His name’s Gabe. I tried to get him to stay at the inn, but he wouldn’t agree to it.”
We got out of the truck and walked up the street. “I gave him some money. Hopefully, he has somewhere to go. I can’t imagine being on the street in this kind of weather.”
Colin’s gaze saddened, and I could tell he was genuinely concerned for the man. It was obvious a place like Friendship wasn’t accustomed to homelessness. Gabe seemed to have faith in the people, especially when he told me to give the town a chance after my run-in with the crabby general store owner.
Gabe sat on the bench, still wearing the same dirty clothes and reading a newspaper when we approached him. There was a half-eaten sandwich sitting beside him on a napkin. He lowered the paper and smiled. “Good afternoon. I see you two found each other.” He folded up the newspaper and set it down on the bench.
“Yes,” I replied thankfully. “Colin was able to fix my heater this morning.”
Colin held out his hand, and Gabe shook it. “I knew he was the right man for the job.”
“How are you?” Colin asked him.
Gabe shrugged. “Can’t complain.” He nodded down at his sandwich. “Just finishing up an early dinner.”
I glanced over at Colin, and he sighed as he took a seat next to Gabe. “Please forgive me if I’m overstepping, but are you sure you don’t need somewhere to stay?”
Gabe shook his head. “I’m fine, son. Really, I am.”
Colin patted his shoulder and stood. “Okay. You know where to find me if you need anything.”
“And me,” I added. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be frozen to death.”
Chuckling, Gabe reached for his newspaper, eyes twinkling. “True. Keep a watch on those heaters. They’re finicky this time of year. It wouldn’t surprise me if it froze over again.”
I grabbed my chest. “I hope not.”
“If it does, I know how to fix it,” Colin said.
Gabe’s grin widened. “That’s what I like to hear. Hope you two have a lovely evening.”
“You too, Gabe. Take care.”
Colin and I left him to stroll down the sidewalk. I glanced back at Gabe, and there was a look on his face like he knew something we didn’t. “Why do you think he turns down your help?” I asked, turning back to Colin.
He shrugged. “Pride, maybe. If I ever found myself in a situation where I had nowhere to go, I’d probably deny help too.” Sighing, he glanced back at Gabe. “I’d want to do it on my own. At least he seems to be content.”
“He does,” I agreed. “Kind of gives you a new perspective on life, if you think about it. As long as you’re happy, anything’s possible. I thought my career would end after what happened with my last line. I lost all hope until last night. Even if I don’t do anything with my designs, I know that I still have what it takes.”
He stopped and turned to me. “You have to take a chance.”
I’d never experienced the fear of rejection before. It was one of the worst feelings in the world, and I didn’t want to experience it again. “Maybe I will one day. For now, I’m keeping my new designs under wraps.”
He nodded in understanding, and we continued our way down the sidewalk to the shops. There was a bookstore, a bank, a clothing store, and a diner that smelled heavenly as we walked past.
Colin heard my stomach growl and laughed. “Want to get something to eat?”
I was about to take him up on the offer, when a woman called his name as she stepped out of what appeared to be a small art gallery. She looked to be in her mid-fifties with graying auburn hair, dressed in a white apron with paint splattered on it.
Colin waved. “Mrs. Denton.”
She stopped in front of us. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but when I saw you walking up this way, I wanted to catch you.” She took in a breath and blew it out. “My nephew and his wife are coming in after Christmas for their anniversary, and they’re staying at the inn. I wanted to see if you’d let me surprise them by putting their present in their room before they arrive.”
“Of course,” Colin agreed.
Mrs. Denton smiled at me. “I took one of their wedding photos and painted it on canvas.”
Colin gently bumped me, grabbing my attention. “Mrs. Denton is one of our famous artists. Her work is in art museums all over the country.”
I gazed past her into the gallery where her work was on the walls. Art was something I’d always been fascinated by. I held out my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Denton. I’m Layla.”
She shook my hand. “I know. You have a lot of talent, young lady.”
“So do you.” I pointed to her work. “How long does it take you to make a painting?”
She shrugged. “Not long. When I’m in the spirit, I can get one done in a couple of days. And on rare occasions, I can pull a Bob Ross and get one finished in a day.” I used to watch Bob Ross episodes on television every Saturday morning as a child.
An idea popped in my head and I smiled. “Think you can paint something for me before Christmas? I’ll pay whatever amount you want.”
Her grin widened. “Come inside, and we’ll work something out.”
I started to follow her, and Colin chuckled. “What are you up to?”
I winked up at him. “It’s a surprise.”
After I finished with Mrs. Denton at the art gallery, Colin and I ate dinner at the Wallflower Diner. I’d consumed a huge bowl of banana pudding for dessert. It was some of the best down-home country food I’d ever had. “I’m going to have to run ten miles to burn off everything I ate,” I said as we drove down the road toward Colin’s cottage so that I could retrieve my car.
Colin burst out laughing. “So am I. We could always skate around the pond. That’ll work some of it off.”
I didn’t want the night to end, so I nodded. “But I don’t have any skates.”
He waved me off. “We have several sizes for our guests. I’m sure we’ll find ones that fit.”
We arrived at the inn, and the twinkling lights around the gazebo lit up the pond. Colin glanced down at my feet. “What size are you?”
I lifted my foot slightly off the ground. “I’m an eleven. I have big feet.”
“Yes, you do,” he teased. He took off inside the inn and came back out with two pairs of skates. He handed me a pair. “Try these. They should work.”
He sat beside me on the bench, underneath the snow-covered tree, as we put on our skates. They felt heavy on my ankles. I tried to stand and wobbled on my feet. Colin took my hand to steady me. My breath hitched as electricity sparked between us. Judging by the look in his eyes, he felt it too.
“I won’t let you fall,” he murmured. I smiled up at
him, and he winked. “You might sue me.”
I smacked his arm. “Seriously? You know I’m not like that.”
Grinning wide, he dragged me out onto the ice. I squeezed his hand so hard I could barely feel my fingers. I’d forgotten how hard it was to ice-skate.
“I know, Layla. I’m just giving you a hard time.”
Slowly but surely, I glided across the ice beside him, enjoying the serenity of it all. Everything in Friendship moved a lot slower than I was used to, but I loved it. It was time the hectic part of my life took a break. I needed to concentrate on myself. So far, the outcome looked rather promising.
My grip on Colin’s hand loosened, but he didn’t let go. “I had a good time with you today,” he said. “I want to do it again.”
Heart racing, I tried to hide my smile and failed. “I’m good with that.”
He started to slow down, but my feet didn’t know how. Instead, I tripped over myself, and he caught me, pulling me against his body. I held on to him for dear life. A deep chuckle escaped his lips. “I like being around you, Layla. I’m hoping you feel the same way. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this about anyone.”
Looking into his emerald eyes, I couldn’t help but melt against him. “Same,” I confessed. “I guess the question is … what are we going to do about it?”
He leaned in closer. “I have some ideas.”
Closing my eyes, I waited for the kiss to come, but a car door slammed and broke me out of the trance. Colin and I glanced over at the inn, where some of his guests were headed inside. Cheeks burning, I reluctantly let him go.
“It’s getting late. I should probably get home.”
His grin made my heart jump. “Okay, but you owe me a kiss.” That was something I definitely looked forward to.
Chapter Eight
Layla
I went to bed all cozy warm until first thing that morning, but when the heat clicked off, I knew something was wrong. Wrapped up in Colin’s quilt, I hurried outside to the back of the house, only to see the frozen heater.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Hurrying inside, I grabbed my phone and called Colin.
“Good morning,” he answered.
“I wish I could say it was, but it’s freezing over here. The heater’s frozen solid.”
“What?” He sighed. “I don’t understand.”
“I know. That’s what’s crazy. Think you can come over and take a look?”
I could already hear him starting his truck. “Be there in a sec.”
When he arrived at the house, he appeared to be more baffled than I was as he studied the frozen heater. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stared at it. “I don’t understand. I’ve never seen this happen before.”
“Neither have I. We never really needed a heater much in Charleston.”
Sighing, he stopped beside me, still looking at the heater. “Until I figure this out, you might want to come back to the inn. You can have my cottage again.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. I hated not being at my house, but I loved being at his cottage. “I’ll grab some of my things and my sketchpad and head right over.”
He turned away from the heater, still baffled as we walked around to the front of the house. “I’ll contact one of my buddies and see if he knows what to do. It might take a while to figure it out.”
“No worries,” I replied, trying to hide my glee. “I just feel bad for kicking you out of your cottage.” Which I did, but his home gave me so much inspiration.
We walked to the front door, and he got ready to leave. “It’s fine. Brianna’s there now. Maybe you could show her your new designs?”
I nodded. “I think I will.”
Once I had a few things packed, I made my way to the inn. Brianna was sitting on the front porch swing, talking to Colin while he fixed one of the window wreaths. Brianna jumped up and raced down the stairs. I opened my car door, and she was right there. “Is it true?”
Colin grinned at me from the porch and continued messing with the wreath. “Is what true?” I countered.
Her gaze landed on the sketchpad, sitting on the passenger’s seat. “Uh … your designs. I need to see them, like, yesterday.”
Giggling, I reached in and fetched them for her. She carefully held the sketchpad as if afraid it’d break apart. Eyes wide, she slowly looked through the designs. By now, Colin had joined us and peered at them over her shoulder.
“These are absolutely perfect,” she gasped, handing the sketchpad back to me. “When you get them on the runway, I’ll be one of your models.” She said it flippantly, but she couldn’t have been more right. Her body and height were perfect, and her walk was great for the runway.
I stared at her, and her eyes widened. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
I held the pad against my chest. “Because I think you just found yourself a job.”
Grabbing her heart, she swayed on her feet. “You can’t be serious? Me … a model?”
I waved a hand up and down her body. “You have all the qualifications. Now all I have to do is put together a full fashion line and find the courage to share it.”
She bounced up and down and hugged Colin. “This is like a dream come true. I can’t wait to tell Mom.” Letting him go, she hurried inside the inn.
Colin shook his head and laughed. “You do realize what you’ve done, right? She’s going to have a big head now.”
I shrugged. “She’s beautiful. I’d love to have her model my designs.” Smile fading, I sighed. “That’s if I ever do anything with them. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Colin placed his hands on my shoulders, the warmth of them seeping into my skin. He looked into my eyes, all serious and determined. “I know we’re just getting to know each other, but I have faith in you. You can do this.”
“Thanks,” I murmured. My gaze focused on the gazebo, and I nodded toward it. “Guess I better head to my office and get busy.”
Colin chuckled. “Go. Have fun.”
Turning on my heel, my feet crunched through the snow as I headed for the gazebo.
“Layla,” Colin called. I glanced at him over my shoulder, and he smiled. “How about dinner tonight? There’s a couple of steaks in my refrigerator that I need to grill.”
My heart did that crazy flutter thing it always did when he was around. Grinning wide, I continued on my way. “Guess it’s a date then.”
Chapter Nine
Colin
“I’m so stuffed right now.”
Layla handed me the last pot, and I dried it off. “I take it you enjoyed dinner?”
She patted her stomach. “Definitely. I didn’t know you could cook.”
I handed her a glass of wine and grabbed my beer. “My grandmother taught me lots of things.”
She followed me to the couch and sat beside me, curling her legs underneath her. “Hopefully, I’ll get to experience more of your cooking since I’ll be here for a while?”
I nodded. “Until we figure out what’s going on at your house, you’re more than welcome to stay right here. With businesses being closed around Christmas, it’ll probably be after the holidays before I can get anything done.” She didn’t seem to mind, and neither did I. “Besides,” I added, “didn’t you mention earlier that you can make a killer chicken pot pie?”
She beamed. “I did.” But then her expression saddened, and she glanced down into her wine. “It’s my great-grandmother’s recipe passed down. My dad’s parents died when I was young, so I don’t remember them, but my mom’s mother made up for it all.” She looked up at me and smiled, her eyes glistening. “I learned how to draw from her. Then it turned into a love for fashion. At least, she got to see my first fashion line take off before passing away.” A tear fell down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. I knew what it felt like to lose someone so close to me.
“When your next line does the same, do you think you’ll move back to the city?” I asked, really not ready to hea
r the answer. I knew she had her house rented for the next year, but that didn’t mean she’d stay. I didn’t want her to leave. Before I even knew her, I didn’t think she’d fit in with our small-town lifestyle, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Blowing out a sigh, she took a sip of her wine. “Not sure. I might. Saying it’ll take off is being really optimistic.” She snorted and laughed it off, clearly underestimating herself.
Finishing off her wine, she set her glass down on the coffee table, grinning mischievously. “Okay, enough about fashion. You, Mr. Jennings, have some explaining to do.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, laughing. “What about?”
She waved a hand about the room. “Your living room. Why is there no Christmas tree? It’s almost Christmas, and you have nothing.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she stuck her head up, chin jutting out defiantly. “If you don’t get one, I will. I’ll be here until after Christmas, and I can’t spend the holidays without one.” It was the first time I’d seen the holiday spirit twinkle in her eyes.
“All right,” I said. “We’ll pick one out tomorrow.”
Chapter Ten
Layla
It was strange how certain events in life could lead you down different paths. As I stared down at my sketchpad, I looked at what I hoped to be a huge milestone in my career. I never would’ve gotten the inspiration to finish a complete fashion line if I hadn’t been in this magical spot.
Brianna slammed her car door, and I waved to catch her attention. She waved back. “Hey, Layla!” She zipped up her coat and joined me in the gazebo. “It’s early. What are you doing out here?”
I smiled as I handed her my sketchpad. “I finished my designs.”
Excited, she sat beside me and flipped through all the pages. “I am so happy for you. What do you do now?”
I shrugged. “Usually, I’d show them to Miriam Parrish. She was the one who discovered me to begin with.”
Her eyes widened. “The fashion editor for Runway? She’s amazing. I didn’t realize that was how you got started.”
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