Chapter One
Colin
“Looks like everything’s ready to go,” I said, walking through the house one last time. The place was spotless. But was it good enough for a diva like Layla Aberdeen? Let’s hope so because she has rented it for the next year.
My sister, Brianna, walked in with a basket full of goodies and set it on the table. She was thirteen years younger than me. Sometimes it felt like I was her father instead of her brother. For the past ten years, I guess you could say I was. Our father died of lung cancer, and I was the one who had to help take care of her.
Her dark brown hair was in curls down her back, and she was dressed up as if she was going to a dance club. I looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “What are you doing?”
Grinning sheepishly, she rearranged the chocolates and the bottle of wine. “It’s a basket for Layla.” Brianna was a twenty-three-year-old
college student who loved anything about fashion, even though she was going to school to be a nurse. Guess it didn’t really surprise me that she wanted to make an impression on Layla Aberdeen.
“Since when do we do that?” I asked.
She waved me off. “Since now. One of the top designers in the world is coming to stay here. I can’t wait to meet her. What time did she say she was coming into town?”
I hadn’t personally spoken to Layla, but my real estate agent had. “Jane told me two o’clock. She’s going to meet Ms. Aberdeen then. Is that why you’re all dressed like …” I waved my hand down her body. “Like that?” She had on a silver sparkly top that hung off her shoulders along with a pair of jeans and heels. Not exactly something you see a lot of people wearing in the winter.
Brianna looked down at her clothes and then glared at me. “Seriously? You’re so clueless. These are Layla’s designs.” She bounced on her feet. “I wish I could be here to welcome her. Think I can maybe hang around and casually stop by when she shows up?”
Grabbing the keys off the counter, I nodded toward the door. “That’s a bad idea. You’re bound to see her around town. Just don’t get your hopes up. She looks like she’d be a …”
“Colin,” she shrieked, “you don’t know her.”
I shrugged and followed her out the door, walking close so I could catch her if she slipped on the snow. The air was cold and crisp, a perfect December day with clear blue skies. It wouldn’t be that way for long. We had a snowstorm brewing that’d hit us by the end of the night. “She’s probably like every other Hollywood celebrity. Full of herself and obsessed with money.”
Brianna shook her head. “I don’t think Layla’s like that. She was devastated when her last line didn’t do well. Honestly, I think it’s a good idea she’s coming here. She has to be under a lot of pressure.”
We got in my truck and headed down the road. “Maybe so, but I don’t want you bothering her, Bri.”
She huffed and focused her attention at the window. “Fine. But you’re shattering my dreams, brother.”
I burst out laughing. “You’ll get over it. I’m going to go ahead and drop you off at the inn. Mom’s waiting for you. I have some things I need to pick up in town.”
“Okay.”
The Snowflake Lane Inn was one of the top-rated inns in all of Friendship. After my grandmother died, she left it to me in her will. It was supposed to go to my father, but since he died before she did, she passed it down to me. I intended to keep her legacy alive by keeping it the way she always wanted it. We turned onto Snowflake Lane, the gravel kicking up underneath my truck. The road was lined with magnolia trees, all decked out in soft white lights, and the white fence was draped in garland. It was exactly how it’d been decorated for decades at Christmastime.
Our mother was on the front porch with the town mayor, George Lingerfelt, when we pulled up. Brianna hopped out of the truck and said hello to George as he made his way down to me. I lowered my window and held out my hand. “Mayor Lingerfelt,” I said as he shook my hand, “what brings you by this morning?”
“I came to see you. Is everything ready for the tree lighting tomorrow?” George was in his late forties, short and a little plump in the middle, with salt and pepper hair.
I nodded. “I wired everything up first thing this morning. You should be good to go.”
His smile widened. “Excellent. Will I see you there?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it. But right now, I need to run into town. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I waved at my mother and headed back down the road. Everywhere you looked, everything was decorated for Christmas. We had tourists who came up here just to experience the lights. It was what kept Snowflake Inn one of the best places to stay during the holidays. We get booked a year in advance.
Once I reached Main Street, I parked behind the general store and walked around to the front. The best coffee shop in town was right beside it, and sitting on the bench out front was a man I’d never seen before. By the old, filthy clothes and skin, I’d almost say he was homeless, not exactly something that was common in our little town. We all knew each other, but I didn’t recognize him at all.
“Good morning,” I called out, approaching him slowly. The man looked up at me and smiled, his face slightly wrinkled and smudged with dirt. His dark brown hair was hidden underneath a black cap and he had crystal blue eyes. He stood, and I shook his hand. “It’s a little chilly this morning, don’t you think?”
He blew out a breath and rubbed his hands together. “It is. I smell snow too. I think we’re going to get some tonight.”
“The news this morning said we have a storm coming in, at least six inches of snow.” Which, obviously, wouldn’t do him any good if he had nowhere to go. “I’m Colin Jennings,” I said, keeping the conversation going. “Are you new in town? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
His lips pulled back into a kind smile. “Yes, I’m new to this quaint town. The name’s Gabe. I rode a bus in from Boston. I didn’t know where it was going to drop me off at, but I like this place.”
The thought of him being alone in the impending snow didn’t sit well with me. “Do you have a place to stay tonight?” I asked him. Gabe focused back on me, almost like he was studying me curiously. Clearing my throat quickly, I held up a hand. “Not that I’m assuming you have nowhere to go, but if you don’t, I know a place where you can stay.”
His lips pulled back into a smile. “That’s very kind of you. I haven’t run into too many people willing to help an old man like me.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” I said. “I have an extra room at the Snowflake Lane Inn that I always keep open.” It was a small room with a twin bed, but it’d give him a warm place to stay.
Gabe placed a hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for your generosity, but I’ll be fine. I appreciate the offer.”
“Are you sure? You could always help me around the inn. There’s always something needing fixing.”
He chuckled, and it sounded so carefree. His hand slipped off my shoulder, and he waved me off. “I’m sure. Thank you again. I know where to find you if things change.”
I held out my hand, and he shook it again. “Sounds good, Gabe. You take care of yourself.” I nodded at the door to the café. “Want anything to eat? They have awesome blueberry muffins in there.”
Gabe shook his head. “Don’t trouble yourself with that. You’ve already done enough for me as it is by offering me a place to stay.”
I patted his shoulder. “Just trying to help.”
He smiled again. “I appreciate that.”
A part of me wondered if he was just being polite in not accepting my hospitality. Pride was a huge thing for me, and I could see myself doing the same thing if the situation were reversed. Then again, maybe he did have somewhere to go, and I shouldn’t assume he was homeless by the way he looked. There were days I was covered in dirt after doing the landscaping at the inn.
The bell jingled on the door as I walked into the café. It was warm, a definite contrast from the chilly air outside. I was accustomed to the cold, especially since I’d been living in crazy winter weather my whole life.
Jill waved from behind the counter and placed a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin onto the counter. “You know me well,” I said, laughing.
She shrugged. “It’s what you’ve ordered for the past two years. When I saw you outside with that man, I figured I’d get it ready for you.”
I gave her the money and smiled. “Thanks. You’re the best.”
“Anytime.”
Peering out the window, I saw that Gabe was still there, watching people walk by with a smile on his face. Not many people acknowledged him, and others hurried to get away. It was obvious the people of Friendship weren’t accustomed to seeing a strange man dressed in shabby clothes and roaming the streets.