Cari Lynn - In Love By Christmas

Despair drummed through Josie. Not from his words, but from the snide laughter of her inner critic chanting told you so .

Theo had passed judgment. His nose had already turned down, to better look over her. He tapped his finger against the first drawing. His tone was careful and even. “This gown is quite nice.”

Nice . The word tumbled through Josie. He might as well have used bland or boring . Nice created no impression. Offered no viewpoint. There was nothing unique or special about nice .

Josie had also been dubbed nice on her foster paperwork. Nice hadn’t gotten her adopted or helped her find a family who wanted her. As for her clothing designs, her ex had often reminded her that it was nice to have a quaint hobby, but her designs should be tucked away, not worn. Or, even better, donated to charity.

Pull yourself together, Josie. Crumpling the designs and hiding under the table wasn’t an option. She had to compete on Theo’s level. She had to fight. “Can you be more specific?”

He studied her. “There is nothing wrong with nice.”

“There is nothing exceptional about nice, either.” She stayed there, beside Theo, as if this was about more than Theo liking her designs. As if this was about Theo liking her . “You’re just being kind using the word nice .”

“I’m not kind—not in business.” Theo rocked back in his chair. “What do you want me to do? Be blunt.”

“Yes. Tell me the truth.” Tell me why you don’t like me. Tell me why I’m not good enough . No one could ever answer that question.

He reached over and slid the ombré-inspired design toward him. “It is a nice gown.”

Josie groaned. How many times had she heard? It was nice to meet you, Josie . But it was never nice enough for those prospective families to return for her. To take a chance on her.

“Hear me out.” Theo leaned toward her, his gaze pinning her in place. “There’s nothing unexpected in this gown. Nothing in the details that captures the attention and holds onto it.”

Josie glanced at her monochrome sweater and scarf. She’d never wanted to stand out. She’d wanted to be normal, like all the other kids. To blend in. “The details come from the bride.”

“But you’re the designer. This gown is yours to create as you envision it.” Theo tapped his finger on the paper, his tone firm. “It’s your name on the design. It’s your brand.”

“But it’s the bride’s wedding. The brides themselves inspire those unique details.” Josie unwrapped her infinity scarf. The thick blue seemed to be absorbing the negative, not repelling it. But the color blue was supposed to ward off negative energies. At least that was what Mimi had always told her. “Who inspires all the Coast to Coast Living items?”

“Me.”

Josie concentrated on closing her mouth. Surely she’d misheard. Surely the company created for the customer they wished to attract. The image of Theo wrapped in one of their signature fleece blankets, wearing their popular fluffy reindeer socks and drinking their signature hot chocolate from the current season’s Santa mug, was impossible to envision. The tension in his jaw spread to his quiet gaze, locking in his serious expression. Now wasn’t the time to question him. Now was not the time to notice the whisper of pain in his eyes as his gaze slid away from hers.

Now was definitely not the time to become aware of the man beneath the smart dress shirt, slacks and polished business veneer. As for wanting to take Theo’s hand and comfort him—that was surely only a bizarre reaction to the stress of this lunch. Still, Josie held her hands together in her lap. “I need to meet your sister.”

She needed a distraction. A distraction from Theo. She didn’t want to get to know the real Theo Taylor. She only wanted to design a wedding gown for his sister.

He nodded toward the far side of the cafe. “Now’s your opportunity.”

Josie tucked the designs back into her book and smiled at a tall woman, carrying several large shopping bags and a wide grin. Theo completed the introductions and pulled out a chair for his sister.

“Sorry. I was early so I went to the store. Then I got caught up redesigning several of the holiday tables with the staff and now I’m late.” Adriana’s sigh didn’t deflate her enthusiasm. Shopping bags settled on the empty chair beside her, she pulled out her cell phone, tapped the screen and handed the phone to Josie. “I think the displays turned out quite beautiful.”

Josie enlarged a photograph of a rectangular dining-room table, exquisitely set for eight. The natural table runner was stamped with metallic snowflakes and pinecones paired with the royal blue cloth napkins folded inside silver holly-leaf napkin holders. Polished silverware rested on round burlap place mats. Satin chair covers turned ordinary seats into invitations to linger through a five-course meal. Mimi would’ve adored the dancing holiday images scrolled on the plates. The dinnerware would have blended perfectly with Mimi’s collection of whimsical holiday pillows.

Mimi’s house hadn’t been large enough for a formal dining room. The dinner table had been converted to a sewing station long before Josie had moved in. Yet Josie had never lived in a house more welcoming than Mimi’s unconventional, pillbox-size cottage.

Adriana smiled at Josie. “I’d be happy to help design your holiday table, too.”

“No, thank you. The display is lovely though.” But not for people who lived in tiny studio apartments, surrounded by more fabric and thread than collectibles. That table belonged in her ex’s house. Or the Taylors’. Josie handed Adriana’s phone to her. “I’m more of a paper-plate-on-a-TV-tray person.”

“Everything we sell is dishwasher-and microwave-safe.” Adriana picked up the café menu. “Pretty and functional.”

Adriana would require a wedding gown much the same. A beautiful, detailed dress that also allowed her to move among what was certain to be a rather extensive guest list. Strapless or sleeves? Illusion or cap? Strapless allowed for easier movement on the dance floor. Although formal dancing—as in ballroom—expected conservative cuts. The gown had to be effortless, like Adriana.

“Perhaps we should focus on your upcoming marriage.” Theo clenched his hands together on top of his menu. “And your wedding dress, not holiday tables.”

“You’re sounding quite dramatic,” Adriana cautioned.

Theo stilled beside Josie.

Theo and drama were not two words Josie would put together. The Coast to Coast Living brand was accessible to everyone—it was stylish, affordable and obtainable. But there was something remote and stand-offish about Theo now. Something that made him about as inaccessible as if he’d climbed up a tower on the Golden Gate Bridge.

“Weddings cause too much drama.” Disinterest and boredom diluted Theo’s voice.

Or perhaps that was stress he wanted to disguise.

There’d been nothing dramatic or stressful about Josie’s wedding. She’d been married at the courthouse: no veil and a white utilitarian dress. There’d been nothing messy about her divorce, either. The prenup she’d signed to prove she’d loved her ex more than his bank account had turned the end of her four-year marriage into a cold business transaction. She’d walked away, determined to prove she was good enough despite her ex’s claims and the constant echo of the sharp childhood taunts about the poor foster kid she’d once been.

Adriana greeted the waitress. Josie ordered the spinach salad with chicken, despite the knots in her stomach.