Starlight in Her Eyes by Joann Durgin Page B

and then promptly switched back again. “I’ve never liked gingerbread, and that confirms it.” Serena shook her head as if shaking off the aftertaste.
    Protesting his choice of holiday beverage or not, Serena could have no idea how enticing he considered her. Colin hadn’t missed the interested glances from other men as they’d walked the short distance to the coffee shop, although she didn’t seem to notice. Serena was a beautiful woman. Graceful. Elegant. The epitome of femininity.
    When she’d removed her coat and draped it over the adjacent chair, he’d admired the way the thin belt of her red dress accentuated her small waist. Earlier that morning, he’d enjoyed the way her dress flirted around her knees and accented her fabulously long legs and red high heels. The woman did like the color red. She wore it well.
    Even if it was unconscious on her part, Serena understood it was more sensual for a woman to dress modestly instead of openly displaying her God-given attributes. Dressing like a lady lent an air of mystery while still serving as a stimulus for his male instincts.
    Becoming a Christian hadn’t rendered him blind, but he now made a conscious effort to rein in his thoughts. By the grace of God, he managed.
    “Colin? Should I ask?” Serena’s blue eyes were guileless.
    “I think perhaps not.” He shook his head. “Sorry, love. Forgive me.” Colin’s cheeks grew warm under her scrutiny. He’d been caught red-handed. Surely even the Lord understood his appreciation for her beauty. “You know,” he said, needing a quick change of topic, “gingerbread can be an acquired taste, although there are some who claim it should only be something you eat, not drink.” Inane, Colin. He needed to say something intelligent if he had a prayer Serena would go anywhere with him ever again. “I would probably hate it if it didn’t bring back wonderful memories of my grandmother.”
    Serena’s eyes lit with interest. “Tell me.”
    “She was my dad’s mother and lived in Surrey a few doors down from where I grew up. My grandfather passed away when I was an infant, but I spent more time with her than in my own home. I never really knew my mum’s parents, sad to say.” His shoulders heaved with his deep sigh. “Grandmother Nell was a fabulous baker. The house always smelled of divine spices and fresh breads. It’s a wonder I wasn’t a chubby child. I also credit Grandmother Nell with fostering my interest in pursuing a television career.”
    “Because she read to you or you watched television with her?”
    “She did those things, yes, but more because she had a fierce belief in me. She told me I could do anything I wanted in life, but I needed to trust in God more than myself to make it happen.”
    “Wise words,” Serena said. “Grandmother Nell sounds like a wonderful woman.”
    Colin brushed his thumb back and forth across the outside of his warm cup. “She was, and she always quoted the scripture, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ She died when I was ten, and unfortunately, I didn’t hear those words, or anything like them, for many years after. Not that I blame anyone but myself for my wayward behavior. Suffice it to say, I ended up believing the lie that I could do everything on my own.”
    “You’re a Christian now, aren’t you, Colin?” Serena’s eyes met his without wavering.
    He sensed his response was important to her. “A fairly new one, yes. I’m a blessed man, and His grace is far more than I deserve. You’re a believer as well?” He felt sure of her answer but wanted to hear it directly from Serena.
    “Yes, although I’ll admit I haven’t been as faithful as I should have been, especially in the last few years.”
    When Serena’s expression clouded, Colin understood it wasn’t the time to discuss such things. In time, they would, but not now. At a time when they could sit and talk