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.”
Theresa took it all back. “Says who?” She winked, and Brianna hugged her.
The next present Brianna grabbed was labeled to me. She set it on my lap and bit her lip. “I honestly didn’t know what to get you, but I think I made a good choice.”
The box was heavy, and I could hear the sound of glass clanking together. When I opened it up, my eyes burned with unshed tears. Inside was a dozen jars of my three favorite pickled vegetables: beets, okra, and carrots. “I love it, Brianna. Did you pickle them yourself?”
Brianna nodded. “I didn’t know what to get you since you have everything, so I thought this would be more appropriate. You told me your grandmother used to make them for you when she was alive.”
A tear fell down my cheek. “She did. This means a lot to me. Thank you.” I hugged her hard and nodded at the presents. “Yours is the big one over there.”