Island Christmas

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  “This is really short notice.” Rachel couldn’t imagine the girl would agree to a job with only a moment’s notice.

  “Don’t worry. I happen to know for a fact she’s free tonight. She’s coming here to bake cookies with me, but I’m sure she’d much rather watch your son.”

  The knot in her stomach eased. “Okay. Thanks.” She set Jason down. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be a disaster after all. “How about you go sit at the table and eat a celery stick.” She handed him his backpack.

  “Okay.” He skipped over to the table.

  Satisfied her son would stay out of trouble for a moment she called the sitter. “Is this Alyssa?”

  “Yes. Who’s this?” the way-too-young sounding voice asked. Maybe this was a mistake. Surely Zoe would understand.

  “Hello?”

  “Sorry. I’m Rachel Narrelli. Your Aunt Jill gave me your card. I’m looking for a sitter.”

  “Oh!” Her voice took on an animated tone. “When do you need me?”

  She looked toward the dining room table where Jason ate happily. “Right now. I’m staying at the B&B, and I’m in a huge hurry to get to work. My sitter is sick and cancelled at the last minute.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “I can come get you.”

  She giggled. “I’m in the car with my dad. We were on our way over when you called.”

  Just then the front door opened, and a petite blonde girl and a man stepped inside. “Hi. I’m Alyssa, and this is my dad.” She pocketed her cell phone.

  The man held out his hand. “I’m Derrick.”

  Rachel quickly stuffed her cell phone into her purse. She took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “It’s nice to meet both of you. Alyssa, my son, Jason, is at the table eating. He has plenty of food in his backpack. We’re staying in the Poppy room. I’m really sorry to spring this on you. Are you sure you can handle him?”

  “Of course. Plus Aunt Jill is here if I have any problems.”

  Rachel glanced at Jill who forced a smile. What was up with the woman? One minute she was happy and helpful and the next she appeared to be put out. “Okay then. Jason, come here for a minute please.”

  Her son scooted off the chair and trotted to them.

  “This is Alyssa. She will be watching you tonight.”

  He studied the girl for a moment then shrugged. “I like blocks.”

  “You do?” Alyssa asked with a lilt in her voice. “Blocks are my favorite. We could play after you finish eating.”

  “I done.” He turned and headed for the stairs.

  Alyssa giggled and followed him.

  Derrick chuckled. “Don’t worry about your son, Mrs… .?”

  “You may call me Rachel.”

  He grinned, perfect white teeth flashing at her. “Rachel. My daughter is beyond her years. Since her mom died she’s taken over running our household. Were it not for my sister Jill stepping in and making sure Alyssa had a childhood, I think she would be a fifty-year-old in a teen’s body.” He looked to his sister. “Alyssa still needs to bake those cookies tonight. She’s supposed to bring three dozen chocolate chip for the bake sale at school tomorrow.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they get baked, and I’ll bring her home when she’s finished.” Jill grinned. “I’m looking forward to tonight with my favorite niece.”

  “She’s your only niece. You don’t want anyone to think you play favorites.” Derrick planted a kiss on Jill’s cheek. “You’re the best, sis.” He nodded toward Rachel.

  “I agree you are the best, Jill. Thanks for saving me tonight.” Rachel followed after Derrick. “I’ll walk out with you. I’m on my way to work.” Why had she said that? It must be her nerves, and losing her sitter at the last minute didn’t help with her nerves. She had to calm down, or she was liable to cut off a digit tonight.

  She strolled beside him. “I’m sorry about your wife. How long ago did she die?”

  He glanced in her direction. “Thanks. She was in a car accident two years ago.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “It’s been rough.”

  “I understand.”

  “Thanks, but unless you’ve been there, there is no way you could.”

  She paused and looked him in the eye. “My husband died of a cancerous brain tumor two weeks after we were married. We had no idea he had something wrong with him until it was too late.” She shook her head. “But you’re right. I shouldn’t claim to understand the kind of love you and your wife shared.” She left without looking back, but the surprised look in his eyes made her wish she’d stayed silent. He had no way of knowing she had never loved her husband.

  She slid into her navy Subaru Forester. Time was not on her side today. She should have come to the island yesterday. Should have, could have, but instead she chose to spend one more day at her parents’.

  Chris walked into Wildflower Fresh and strolled toward the hostess. “I have a reservation for one. Chris Campbell.” As the hostess checked off his name and gathered a menu, he looked around. The place felt warm and inviting. The rich tones of the cherry wood paneling appealed to him. A large stone fireplace along the far wall gave a cozy and inviting feel. The light clinking of silverware on dishes interplayed with a low rumble of voices and dinner music.

  “If you will follow me, Mr. Campbell, I will show you to your seat.” The hostess wove her way to the far side of the room and seated him along a bank of windows that faced a small lake with white lights strung through the trees, outlining the lake. “How is this?”

  He could hear noise from the nearby kitchen, but the view made up for it. “It’s fine. Thank you.” He sat with his back to the kitchen so he had a good view of the entire restaurant. With the holidays fast approaching, he wondered how busy this place would get. It wasn’t exactly a destination vacation spot, but at the same time, who wouldn’t want to be pampered in such an idyllic setting?

  A dark haired woman wearing a black pantsuit strode in his direction. She smiled. “Good evening, sir.”

  He nodded as she walked past and on into the kitchen. He’d noticed her picture on a wall as he made his way into the restaurant. If memory served she was the owner—Piper Grayson. She must be a hands-on kind of boss. He wondered how Rachel would deal with that considering how stressed she appeared earlier this evening. But then maybe she was frazzled because of her sitter situation. Either way, he hoped she didn’t mind having the owner hovering over her.

  A crash in the kitchen made him jump. That couldn’t be good. He peered over his shoulder as Rachel rushed into the dining room, her face pale. She hesitated. He stood and blocked her path. “You look like you might appreciate a friendly face. Join me?” He drew her to the seat opposite his.

  She shook her head but sat down. “I’m sure I’m not allowed.”

  “Relax. If your boss says something, I’ll tell her I demanded to know what all the commotion was about.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you? Demanding?”

  “Requesting nicely. What happened? Are you okay?”

  She sighed and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak his waiter approached, curiosity lighting his young eyes.

  “Are you ready to order?”

  “Yes. I’d like the prime rib with baked potato and a dinner salad with ranch dressing. I’ll have water to drink.”

  The waiter turned to Rachel, brow raised.

  “Nothing for me. Thanks.”

  Chris handed the young man his menu, then focused his attention on the wounded woman across from him. “Are you on break?”

  “Zoe told me to take the rest of the night off.”

  “Ouch. What did you do?”

  Her eyes watered. “You don’t want to know. The worst part is, Mrs. Grayson, the owner, walked in, and I was trying to show off and impress her. The only thing I managed to do was make myself and Zoe look bad.” She buried her face in her hands.

  His heart melted for Rachel. She clearly didn’t need one more thing to go wrong tonight. “
Have you eaten?”

  “Technically no, but we sample enough food to make sure it’s seasoned correctly that I feel as though I have.” She moved to stand.

  “Please stay. I know it’s selfish of me, but I’d like the company.”

  She looked around. “Maybe I could visit for a few minutes.”

  “Good. I know your stay on the island got off to a bad start, but I’m sure it will only improve from here.”

  She chuckled. “I hope so. If every day turned out like this one…” She shook her head.

  He grinned. “You mentioned coming to the island once before. If you don’t mind me asking, what brought you here?”

  She sat back and a sparkle lit her eyes. “I can laugh about it now, but at the time that was a pretty difficult time in my life. When my husband was on his deathbed he asked me to go to his parents’ house and find a ring he’d stolen and hidden as a child, and return it to his grandmother. The problem was, he couldn’t remember where he’d hidden it. My in-laws were devastated with the loss of their son and sold the B&B to Nick.”

  “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me your husband’s family owned Wildflower B&B?”

  She nodded. “Small world. Right?”

  “For sure.” He leaned in. “Tell me more.”

  “I secured a place at the B&B for the summer hoping to figure out a few things while I looked for the ring.”

  “Nick and Zoe didn’t mind you snooping around?”

  She chuckled. “That’s another story, but let’s say in the end they helped and Nick’s nephew ended up finding it.” Rachel’s face appeared more relaxed than it had since he’d met her.

  “I’d love to hear the rest of the story sometime.”

  “Maybe you will.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I should go.”

  “Please stay.”

  Tension immediately filled her face. “I’d better not. If Mrs. Grayson comes out here and sees me like this, I may not have a job to come back to tomorrow. I trust Zoe will smooth over what happened in the kitchen, but I don’t want to push my luck. Right now I’m going to visit the gift shop. I promised Jason a postcard of the place where I work.”

  Disappointment shot through him. “Understood. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. Will you still be staying at the B&B?”

  “Our reservation is through the end of the week. I hope to find a place for myself and Jason by then.” She stood and pushed in the chair. “The prime rib was a good choice. To use a much overused word, it’s a-ma-zing.”

  “Good.” He didn’t want her to leave yet. It was nice having someone to talk with. “May I walk you to your car?”

  “No, thanks. I’m detouring to the shop.”

  Right. She’d already told him that. Too bad he couldn’t come up with a good reason to visit the gift shop right now. She seemed like she could use a friend.

  “Your order will be ready in a few minutes. See you, Chris.” She hustled through the dining room and out of his sight.

  He shook his head. He’d met Zoe and had no doubt Rachel’s words were correct. Zoe would indeed smooth things over with Piper, but it was too bad she needed to. Poor Rachel. Trouble seemed to follow her.

  He gazed onto the lake and noted the dock. A Christmas tree at the end lit in a riot of colors grabbed his attention. Why hadn’t he noticed that sooner? It seemed odd to have a Christmas tree on a dock, much less have one up before Thanksgiving, but he knew some people couldn’t wait.

  Piper entered the dining room, wearing a serious expression.

  “Excuse me,” he said.

  She plastered on a smile. “Yes, sir?”

  “I was curious about the tree on the dock. Why is it there for starters and up so soon?”

  She peered out the window, and her face softened. “My husband must have put that up today. I know it’s early, but there’s a lot of decorating to do, so some things like that tree are up prematurely. We go all out for Christmas, including decorating the dock. It may seem odd to some people, but we enjoy it being there.”

  “I look forward to seeing the decorations. Did he string all those lights too?”

  “His landscaping company did. Those stay up year round.” She returned her focus to him. “I’m Piper Grayson, the owner of the resort. Are you a guest at the resort?”

  “No. I’m staying at the Wildflower B&B.”

  Her smile widened. “That’s a wonderful place. It was where I first stayed when I arrived on the island. I hope you enjoy your visit, Mister…”

  “Campbell. But please call me Chris.” He pulled his business card from his pocket out of habit and handed it to her. “I specialize in software and web design.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” She slid his card into her pocket. “Enjoy your meal, Chris.”

  He almost groaned but caught himself. He was here to relax, not drum up more business. He was busy enough. Like they say, old habits die hard.

  The hostess rushed to Piper and spoke softly. He couldn’t hear her words but whatever she’d said caused Piper to hustle toward the exit.

  His meal arrived and he wasn’t disappointed. Never one to linger over food, he wolfed it down in a matter of minutes. The only thing missing was someone to share the experience with. Rachel was right. It was a-ma-zing. He grinned at her exaggerated enunciation of the word. He finished off his water, paid and left a tip, then stood to leave.

  A commotion at the door grabbed his attention. Curiosity drew him. Flashing lights in the parking lot shot alarm bells through his head. What had happened? He peered through the glass doors and spotted medics hovering over someone. The person next to him said a woman who worked here was unconscious.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Rachel’s head pounded. What were all these people doing around her, and why was she on the ground? A shiver ran through her. “Excuse me!” She felt like she was shouting, but her voice sounded barely above a whisper. She grabbed at an arm that seemed to float overhead.

  “She’s conscious.” A blurry-faced man held two fingers over her face—or at least she thought it was two. If only she could focus. She blinked rapidly trying to clear her vision. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “Two?”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Rachel. What’s all this about, and why am I lying down and who are you?” She knew that voice. “Nick?” She tilted her head to the side as his face came into focus. “It is you. What are you doing?”

  “Piper called and told me you’d passed out in the parking lot. I told her to call 911 but decided I should swing by and see if I could help.”

  She tried to sit up, but Nick quickly held her shoulder in place so she couldn’t.

  “Take it easy, Rachel. I don’t want you to move yet. Do you hurt anywhere other than your head?”

  She shook her head and winced—bad idea. “Nick, I don’t know what happened. I was heading to my car and the next thing I know…”

  “How did you feel before you passed out?”

  “I passed out?”

  “It appears so. No one actually saw you, so we aren’t sure how long you were unconscious.”

  “Oh boy. That sounds bad.”

  “Can you describe how you were feeling this evening?”

  “Stressed, anxious… I went to the gift shop and looked around for quite a while then began to feel light headed and figured I should go back to the Bed-and-Breakfast. It’s been a rough day and an even rougher evening.”

  “Do you have any underlying conditions I should know about?”

  “No. At least none that I know of.” Panic surged through her. What if there was something seriously wrong with her? Her son’s dad had died of a brain tumor—if she died Jason would be all alone. Well, there were her parents, but still…

  “Okay, then. I think it’s best you go to the hospital and have some tests run. I suspect you had a vasovagal attack, but I’d like to rule out a few other things. Were you injured when you fell?”

  “What is a vasovagal attack?”
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  “It’s nothing serious and very common in young people. It basically means you fainted due to a rapid heart rate drop. I’m more concerned about any injury you may have sustained in falling.”

  Rachel squeezed her eyes shut. This couldn’t be happening. Her head hurt as well as her back, but neither was excruciating. She described her pain to Nick, then allowed the paramedics to load her into the ambulance. As they lifted her onto the gurney, she had a view of the parking lot. At least there wasn’t a huge crowd gathered around watching. She spotted Chris and sighed. She could add embarrassment to her growing list of things that had gone wrong today.

  The rest of the evening flew by in a blur of doctors and tests. By midnight she was exhausted, and all she wanted was to snuggle beside her baby boy and sleep. Instead she lay on a hospital bed in the emergency department of a tiny hospital that had not been on the island the last time she had been there. Things had changed more than she’d realized.

  A nurse glided into the room wearing a smile. “Ms. Narrelli, the doctor signed the paperwork, and you are free to go.”

  Finally. Joy washed through her. “Thank you. Is there a cab service I can call to take me to my car?”

  “There’s a gentleman in the waiting room. He said he would be delivering you home.”

  Relief washed over her, and she quickly prepared to leave. That was nice of Nick to stick around and save her the expense of a cab. Once again he was coming to her rescue.

  “These are your after-care instructions along with your diagnosis.” The nurse handed her a few papers. “Would you like a wheel chair or are you up to walking?”

  “I’m fine. Thanks.” Although slightly surprised the nurse hadn’t insisted on a wheelchair. She remembered seeing people walk out of the ER back home too, so they must not require it unless admitted.

  She glanced at the diagnosis. Vasovagal attack. Which she already knew since the doctor had explained her diagnosis and all that entailed. This must be in case she forgot what he said. She walked into the emergency department’s waiting room and looked for Nick.