The memories came flooding back to me. “Yep. It’s crazy, really. I was living in New York at the time, working as a hostess at this high-end restaurant while in college. One day, I was sitting on a bench in Central Park, sketching some designs, not realizing she was right behind me.”
Brianna grabbed her chest. “I bet you freaked out.”
I laughed. “You have no idea. It was so embarrassing. She scheduled a meeting with me the next day, and then everything took off.” At least, until she looked at my last line and refused to recommend them.
“Does she know that your original designs were stolen?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “As much as I wanted to tell her, it would’ve been a PR nightmare.”
Brianna tapped my sketchpad. “You’re going to send these to Miriam, right?”
Holding the sketchpad to my chest did nothing to stop my racing heart. “I might. I think I’ll wait until after Christmas.”
By the look on her face, she didn’t like my answer, but I didn’t want to tell her how afraid I was. I hadn’t spoken to Miriam in months.
The back door of the inn opened, and Colin stepped out, waving when he noticed us.
Brianna snickered and shook her head. “In a million years, I never would’ve thought my brother would be dating a famous designer.”
“We’re not dating,” I replied regretfully. “We haven’t had that talk yet. I don’t know what we are.”
She glanced over at Colin, who had started toward us. “He’s into you, Layla. Anybody can see that. All you have to do is ask him.”
“Hey, you two,” Colin called out.
We both stood, and I smiled at him. “Hey.”
Brianna patted him on the shoulder. “I’m going inside to help Mom with breakfast. You two have fun today.” She winked at me and hurried off to the inn.
Gaze narrowed, Colin watched her walk away. “Something going on I should know about?”
“Nope,” I said quickly. “It’s just Brianna being Brianna.”
“I understand that. You about ready to pick out a tree?”
Excitement bubbled in my veins. “More than ready.” We hopped in his truck, and I set my sketchpad in the backseat. “Are you sure you don’t mind if I buy a tree for your cottage?”
“I’m sure,” he said, grinning over at me. “It gives me a reason to break out the ornaments. They haven’t been used in a long time.” The way he said it made me curious. There was a sadness in his tone.
“Why not?”
Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the road. “Guess I never really had a reason to have a tree for myself. The last time I got one was when I was still with my ex.”
“I see,” I murmured. “Mine never wanted a real tree because he thought they’d make a mess.”
His gaze met mine. “Looks like we’re better off without them.”
“Can’t argue with you there.”
We pulled up across the street from the Christmas tree lot. This close to Christmas, I knew there wouldn’t be many trees left. Colin and I got out of the truck, and he pointed over at a white-haired man, wearing overalls underneath his heavy-duty jacket. “That’s Tom. He cuts down each one of these trees from his tree farm and brings them here to sell.”
“Wow. That has to be a lot of work.”
Colin agreed with a nod. “It is. He always saves his biggest and best ones for the inn.” He leaned in close. “I think it’s to impress my mother.”
“Has she dated at all since your father passed?”
A sad expression crossed his face, and he shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t mind if she did. All she does now is focus on the inn.”
I linked my arm with his. “Maybe one day she’ll be able to love again,” I murmured. “You never know.”
Smiling at me, he pulled me closer. “How about we find a tree?”
We crossed the street, and I still kept hold of his arm. It felt good to be close to him.
There were only a few trees left, some short, some tall, ranging from full to slim. There was even a Charlie Brown tree for good measure. A red ball hung from the top, making it slump over.
We walked up and down the rows, and it wasn’t until we got to the last one, where the perfect tree stuck out at me. However, there was a man I knew standing right in front of it, still dressed in the same dirty clothes from before. He stared at the tree with utter delight on his face.
“Hi, Gabe,” I called out.
He turned to us and took off his black cap. “Good morning, you two. Out Christmas tree shopping?”
Chuckling, Colin nodded down at me. “She couldn’t live without one. With her heater still on the fritz, we’re setting it up at my place.”
Letting him go, I smacked him on the arm. “Hey, I just thought your cottage could use a little Christmas spirit. Besides, I need a tree to put presents under.”
Gabe’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I’m happy to see things working out for you two.” His gaze landed on mine. “Aren’t you glad you gave this place a chance? You might’ve missed out on where you were meant to be.”
Cheeks burning, I took a quick side glance at Colin. “I am. Turns out I found my inspiration again.”
He nodded. “Hopefully, that means more fashion designs?”
That caught me off guard. “How did you know that?”
His grin widened. “I know a lot of things, Ms. Aberdeen. With your newfound inspiration, don’t be afraid to take a chance.” Slipping on his black cap, he took a couple steps back. “That goes for both of you.”
Colin and I looked at each other skeptically, and when we turned back to Gabe, he was gone. It was the strangest thing. “He hurried off rather quickly,” I pointed out.
Agreeing with a nod, Colin searched around, but Gabe was nowhere to be seen. “That he did.”
He was, but I had no explanation. “What does he mean by you taking a chance?” I asked.
Colin shrugged, and I could see the uncertainty on his face. “Not sure.”
Tom came around the corner, catching our attention. He waved toward the tree. “It’s a beauty.”
Before Colin could pull out his wallet, I already had my money in hand. “Yes, it is,” I said. “We’ll take it.” Tom took my cash, and I grinned wide at Colin. “Too slow.”
He burst out laughing and stood back. “You’re too much. I have to say, you surprise me every day I’m with you. I bet you have the paparazzi following you around everywhere, don’t you?”
For the longest time in New York, I did. That was why I moved back to Charleston, to hopefully enjoy a somewhat normal life. I thought being back in my hometown would help, but it didn’t. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” I confessed truthfully. “I never knew who genuinely liked me or if they wanted to be around me because of who I was.”
With a heavy sigh, he closed the distance between us, brushing his fingers against my cheek as he pushed a strand of hair away from my face. “Hopefully, you don’t feel that way here.”
I shook my head. “I don’t.”
The corner of his lips lifted slightly. “What if …”
Heart racing, I waited for him to finish his sentence, but Tom cleared his throat. “Your tree is all ready for you.”
I looked back at him and smiled. “Thank you.” When I turned back to Colin, I raised my brows. “What were you going to say?”
Colin brushed it off. “Nothing.” He picked up one end of the tree, and Tom took the other end. “It’s time to decorate.”
Chapter Eleven
Colin
“You seriously haven’t made a move on her?” Brianna asked incredulously. “You’ve been around her all week.”
I brushed off the snow that’d accumulated on the new house heater. Everything looked good with it, but it still wasn’t working. I had no clue what to do to fix it. “I don’t know, Bri. She’s not like any other woman I’ve been around. She …”
Brianna giggled. “Makes you n
ervous? Intimidates you? I get it. She’s famous, and you’re not.”
I got to my feet. “That’s not it.” Then it hit me, maybe the latter part was it. What would Layla want with a guy like me? I wasn’t an A-list celebrity who had a mansion and a ton of money.
Brianna’s smile faded when she saw my face. “You’re worried you’re not good enough for her, aren’t you?”
She followed me around to the front of the house. “I don’t know. What’s going to happen when her new line takes off? There’s no way she’ll stay if it does.” We walked inside, and it was still an icebox. “She’s definitely not going to stay if I can’t get her heater fixed.”
“Or she could just stay where she’s at,” Brianna said, grinning wide.
“Yeah, right.”
“You’d be surprised. I know she likes you, Colin. Anybody can see it. I don’t know how you haven’t.”
Sighing, I locked the door behind us. “I’m not the kind of guy she’s going to want on the red carpet with her. I mean, come on,” he said, turning to me, “can you see me in a suit and smiling at all the cameras?”
Brianna stared up at me, her expression serious. “Actually, I can. You’re amazingly handsome, more so than ninety-nine percent of the actors on TV. You have a cuter smile than anyone I know, and you’re a great guy. The complete package. People will be seeking you out once they see you.”
I scoffed. “Whatever, Bri,” I said, not believing her for a second. “Come on. Let’s get back. We have to get ready for the Christmas party.”
She hopped in my truck, and we started on our way. “Is Layla going with you?”
I shrugged. “We haven’t discussed that part, but I know she wants to go. I’ll ask her when we get home.”
Brianna patted my arm. “Awesome. Just so you know, it might be a good time to tell her how you feel. That way, when things do look up for her, she’ll stay.”
The way she said it gave me pause. I, especially, didn’t like the sheepish look on her face. “What did you do?”
Clasping her hands together, she popped her knuckles like she always did when she was nervous. “Well … I can’t really explain too much right now. All I can say is that things are about to change.”
Groaning, I ran a hand over my face. “A good change or bad?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out soon.”
That was not what I wanted to hear.
Chapter Twelve
Layla
I’d wondered if Colin and I were going to the community Christmas party together, and luckily, he asked if I’d go with him. We’d spent tons of time together this past week, but I still had no clue what was happening between us. It was maddening.
On a brighter note, I had talked to my parents. They promised to never leave again over the holidays.
I was all ready to go when a knock sounded on the front door. I looked at myself one more time in the mirror. It was crazy how so many things had changed. Usually, I’d be dressed in a fancy gown and going to lavish parties. Now I was wearing sweaters, jeans, and boots and going to community Christmas parties. It excited me more than anything.
I hurried downstairs and opened the door. Colin greeted me with that handsomely devilish smile of his and handed me a cup of hot chocolate. “Ready to go?”
The cocoa scent made my mouth water. “I am.”
His grin widened. “Great. Because I have a surprise for you. You’ll need your thick coat.”
I grabbed my other coat and slipped it on. “Is this party outside?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t. Small flakes of snow had already begun to fall, and the temperatures had dropped now that the sun had gone down.
Colin chuckled as we walked to the front of the inn. “No, it’s not outside. You’ll see why in a second.”
When we turned the corner, I gasped in surprise. There was a huge sleigh, decorated in white sparkly lights and garland, sitting behind two midnight-colored horses. Tom, the owner of the Christmas tree farm, waved from the driver’s seat. “Wow. Are we going to the party in that?”
“We are.” Taking my hand, he led me over to the sleigh and helped me in, taking care not to spill my hot chocolate. “Tom just bought the sleigh a few weeks ago and wanted to test it out.”
Tom glanced back at me and smiled. “People have been telling me to do this for years.”
Colin sat beside me, and I moved closer to him. “I couldn’t agree more,” I said. “People who visit will love to take rides in it. Could be a huge moneymaker in the winter.”
Tom nodded and focused back on the horses. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
He clucked his tongue, and the horses took off at a gentle trot. “I swear, it feels like we’re in a Hallmark movie right now,” I said, fascinated by it all. There was nothing more magical than riding into the snow-covered town and looking at all the twinkling lights.
“Does it make you want to stay?” Colin asked, his voice serious.
I met his gaze. “It does, but I can’t stay hidden forever. I’m shocked I’ve been able to for this long. From what I can tell, the media doesn’t know where I am.”
He nodded. “And they won’t. Everyone here knows how important that is to you.”
“Why is it like that? No one really knows me around here.”
Tom pulled up at the community center, and Colin helped me out of the carriage. “But they want to, Layla. There are a lot of people here who want you to stay.”
Music and laughter buzzed from inside the center. We stopped at the door, and I figured it was now or never. “What about you? Do you want me to stay?”
He stared at me, those emerald eyes of his boring into mine. It took my breath away. I waited for his answer, but before he could open his mouth, a group of kids charged outside and into the snow. Colin’s mother saw us and waved for us to come inside. There were people dancing and eating tons of food.
Taking my hand, he nodded toward the crowd. “Come on. We should go in before she comes out to get us.”
For the whole week, he’d dodged every single question I asked regarding what we were to each other. Every single time, it hurt my heart further. Maybe he didn’t see me as anything more than a friend.
“Okay,” I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the sadness in my tone. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirteen
Layla
The Christmas party was fun, but once we were around everyone, I never had any more alone time with Colin. Brianna and his mother rode back with us in the sleigh when it was all over. I had a great time getting to know more of the townspeople. They really helped me feel at home.
Taking a deep breath, I gathered up the Christmas presents underneath the tree. Colin’s family was having a Christmas Eve dinner at the inn, and they had invited me. I didn’t want to go empty-handed. It just so happened the most important present for Colin was finished just this morning. I’d dropped off Brianna’s present earlier since it was a huge box. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she opened it. Most importantly, I couldn’t wait to see the look on Colin’s face when he opened his.
I walked over to the inn and snuck in through the back door, heading straight to the foyer to put my gifts under the tree. The smell of ham, potatoes, and homemade biscuits filled the air. The dining room was across the hall, and I gasped when I got a look at all the food. It looked like a Christmas magazine cover.
Theresa turned around and opened her arms. “There you are.”
I hugged her hard and smiled. “Thank you so much for inviting me. The food smells amazing.”
Across the hall in the library, Colin met my gaze. He smiled and joined us in the living room, including Brianna who had joined us from the kitchen with her mouth full. She hurried over to me and threw her arms around my shoulders. “Merry Christmas, Layla. You have no idea how honored I am for you to be here.”
I giggled. “I’m just glad you all invited me.”
She stepped back and smiled. “Hopefully, you’l
l like what I got you. It was hard trying to find something for someone who has everything.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have everything, Brianna. But thank you. I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is.”
“All right, you guys, let’s eat,” Theresa called out.
Brianna grabbed her plate and dug in while I stood back and let Theresa get her food first. Colin stepped up beside me, his arm brushing against mine. “I’m sorry your family’s not here to celebrate with you.”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m perfectly happy being here with you and your family.”
Again, I waited for him to reply with some kind of answer, but he didn’t. Instead, he motioned toward the food. “After you.”
I gathered up a plate full of food, including a huge helping of sweet potato casserole. We sat around the smaller kitchen table, enjoying our food while Colin’s mother told stories of their past Christmases. It was nice to hear about the good times they had and the traditions they still upheld. Their family had deep roots that my family couldn’t touch. I hadn’t seen my aunts, uncles, or cousins in years. We were all scattered across the country.
After dinner was done and we were all stuffed, we moved to the foyer and sat around the Christmas tree. Colin took his place beside me on the love seat, while Theresa stood by the tree and Brianna sat on the floor so she could grab the presents and hand them out.
She picked up the present that I’d gotten for Theresa and gave it to her. Theresa held a hand over her heart. “Layla, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
I shrugged. “It’s the least I could do. You all have pretty much taken me in the past couple of weeks.”
She opened the present gently as if she didn’t want to rip the paper. Brianna shook her head and smiled. Theresa pulled out the envelope and gasped when she looked inside. “Oh my goodness.” She looked at me in awe. “This is too much.”
Inside were two plane tickets and vouchers for an exclusive resort in the Virgin Islands. Brianna grabbed the contents and squealed. “I’m totally going with you.”
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