Arm in arm, we strolled over to a vacant area by one of the wrought iron streetlamps. People stared at us in passing, but it was obvious they were trying to be discreet. I blew the steam off my cocoa and took a sip; it was heaven.
“What do you think?” Colin asked. When I looked up at him, he scanned the crowd. “About our town. Think you’ll be happy here?”
I took another sip of my cocoa. “Possibly. It does have its charms.” He was one of them. “I do love it here.” His gaze met mine, and I smiled. “Things seem to move a lot slower here. When I was traveling from place to place, it was hard to catch a breath.”
He looked at me as if he understood. “Are you going to continue designing, or are you giving it up for good?”
My heart ached just thinking about giving up. “I’m definitely not quitting. I just need to find some inspiration.”
“Or try something new,” he replied, finishing off his cocoa.
I did the same. “New … like what?”
With a shrug of his shoulders, he threw our cups away and gestured a hand at everything going on around us. “Breathe in the air and take a look around at everything going on. Listen to the sounds of laughter and watch the way th
e snow falls down from the sky. How does it make you feel?”
I glared at him like he’d lost his mind. “It’s cold. It makes me feel cold.”
He burst out laughing. “Think deeper than that. Do you know how many artists have found their passion for painting here?” I shook my head. “Lots,” he added. “I know you don’t paint, but it’s basically the same thing. You don’t need to see the inspiration. You just need to feel it. Find somewhere that inspires you. When you do, I have no doubt you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
Mouth gaping, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He smiled down at me again. “Why are you looking at me like you’re shocked?”
“I guess because I am. I wasn’t expecting you to say something like that.”
He smiled and shrugged it off. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Just like there’s a lot I don’t know about you, well, other than what the tabloids say.” I groaned, and he held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I don’t believe any of that mess they publish.”
“Good,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief. “Recently, it’s been hard to deal with. My failure has been published for the world to see.” Colin nodded in understanding, but I knew he had no clue what it was really like, how suffocating being part of the media’s attention could actually be. Granted, I loved the spotlight and seeing my designs on celebrities, but there was a darker side of fame I could live without.
“What happened anyway?” he asked. “You were on top of the world, and then one day you weren’t.”
I stared into his emerald eyes and could feel myself getting lost in them. Why was it so easy to talk to him? With Colin, I could see and feel his sincerity.
“Greed can make people do despicable things.” Gaze narrowed, Colin waited for me to continue. I hadn’t spoken of what happened to anyone. “There’s another designer who I thought was my friend. We shared our ideas with each other. That was how much I trusted her. At least, I did until she stole my ideas.”
Colin growled low. “Seriously? What happened after that?”
I shrugged. “Her career took off, and I was left crushed with nowhere to turn. It was her word against mine, but she had made sure to get her collection on sale before I could. I had no way to prove that my designs were created first.”
“I’m sorry, Layla.”
Breathing in the cool, crisp air, I let it out slowly, watching the fog of my breath move in the wind. My eyes burned, so I turned away from him and focused on the crowd of people. They all seemed so happy with their carefree, genuine smiles. I wanted to be like that. “After that, I was heartbroken, and I tried coming up with a new line, but as you know, it didn’t do well. When I realized how vindictive the world really is, I had to take a step away for my own sanity.”
Colin stepped closer, and I could feel his warmth behind me. “That part of your world might be harsh and cruel, but it’s not like that here.” I wanted to believe that more than anything.
“Layla!” Brianna shouted.
Quickly, I wiped my eyes and turned toward the sound of her voice. She waved and rushed through the crowd with a woman behind her. I knew who she was just by looking at her face. Plus, I recognized her from the pictures in Colin’s cottage. Colin resembled his father while Brianna shared a lot of the same features with their mother: same build, curly brown hair, and smile.
She grabbed her mother’s arm and pulled her closer. “Mom, this is Layla. Layla this is our mother, Theresa.”
I held out my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. Colin and Brianna have been a tremendous help to me since I arrived in town.”
Theresa smiled radiantly at me. “It’s an honor to meet you too. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone famous before.” She winked over at Colin and Brianna. “My daughter’s done nothing but say good things about you.”
Brianna clutched my arm. “That’s because she’s awesome.”
Mrs. Mable called out Theresa’s name, grabbing her attention. Theresa let my hand go and sighed. “Sorry to cut this short. Make sure to come into the inn in the morning for breakfast. I can’t wait to learn more about you.”