“This is spectacular,” Rachel whispered and pointed. “A deer.”
He grinned when he spotted the four-point buck that the doe followed. The sleigh slowed, presumably so they could take in the view. A hush fell over the forest, the only sound the jingle bells attached to the sleigh. The deer moved on, and they continued forward. At some point they must have woven their way back toward the resort because it came into view as they exited the canopy of trees.
“It’s snowing!” Rachel raised her face to the sky. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
He reluctantly agreed even though he wasn’t a fan of the white stuff, but had to admit in this setting it was pretty special. The sleigh stopped exactly where they’d begun their ride.
Chris got out and offered a hand to Rachel as she stepped down. “What time do you start work?”
“In about thirty minutes. Would you like to grab a hot chocolate?”
“Sure.” They strolled to the coffee cart they’d visited the night of the movie, and he ordered them each a hot chocolate then guided her to the same secluded bench. He still awaited her answer about whether his medical condition changed anything, and he was worried she wouldn’t answer.
“I have a story to tell you,” Rachel said.
“Okay. I like stories.” He sipped the warm, chocolaty treat.
“You probably won’t like this one, but I think it’s one I should share.” The unease on her face put him on alert.
“I haven’t always been like the person I am today. I was a rebellious teen and didn’t get my act together until I found out I was pregnant.”
He knew all of this but wouldn’t let on he’d overheard her conversation with Zoe.
“When I told Jason, Jasie’s dad, that I was pregnant, he said we should get married. It sounded like a good idea to me. Plus it wasn’t like anyone else had asked. I didn’t love him, and I doubt he loved me, but we were good friends, and I cared about him as a person. What happened between us was stupid and never should have happened, but we were both drunk and…” She shot him a nervous look. “This isn’t easy.”
He clasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“I want to, so you will understand. Jason and I eloped and then discovered he had a cancerous brain tumor. He died two weeks later.”
“I’m really sorry, Rachel.”
“Thanks. But I want you to understand why your medical condition concerns me. I don’t want to fall in love with you and have you die a few weeks or months later.”
“There are no guarantees in life, Rachel. You could die tomorrow. I could die ten or twenty years from now. We simply can’t predict that kind of thing, and I for one have decided to stop stressing about it. Sure I was upset at first, but I decided to live my life the way I want to, and if I die, then I’m going to a great party in heaven. Besides, DNA doesn’t determine my future, God does.”
Her eyes widened, but he saw a hint of a smile behind the shock.
“Does what my life used to be like bother you? I was a party girl who didn’t think twice about what I did. I’m not like that anymore.”
“That’s obvious. To answer your question, yes it bothers me that you were like that, but not for the reason you may think. I hurt for the young woman that you were. I’m sorry you saw and lived that side of life.”
She wiped at her watery eyes.
He grasped her free hand. “You are new in Christ now. Washed clean. All that is past, gone, and you don’t have to hang onto the guilt you’ve been carrying around. This is your new beginning. Some call it a re-birth.”
She grinned. “I know. I suppose that’s what Christmas is all about. Thank you for not holding my past against me and for not judging me. That means a lot. And as for your heart condition, I like your attitude. You’re right that there are no guarantees. Thanks for helping me to see that, but it still makes me nervous.”
“Me too, and you’re welcome.” He grinned.
“I’m so glad I came to this island. Ironically, Jason’s the one who sent me here.”
“I think I knew that, but remind me how that happened?”
She chuckled. “His parents used to own Wildflower Bed-and-Breakfast. He was raised in that house and lived in the same apartment where Zoe and Nick now live.”
“That’s right.” He nodded. “So you’ve come full circle.”
“I suppose so.”
As much as he appreciated her openness about her past, what he really wanted to know was if there was a future for them. Maybe she needed time to process what he’d told her.
“In a way it’s because of Jason that we met and that I found my faith in Jesus. It worked out great in the end, but the road here was rocky.”
“That’s how life is, Rachel. We all have a past, and that past is not always pleasant, but it’s what makes us who we are today. I like who you are today very much.”
Her face tinged pink. “I like who you are too, Chris—angina or not. But don’t die anytime soon.”
He chuckled. “That’s the plan.”
“Good, because I like having you around.” She drew close and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I need to get to the kitchen. Enjoy your stay in the lap of luxury.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
On Christmas Eve, Rachel and her son sat at the B&B dining room table surrounded by her friends. The room was scented by roasting turkey and all the trimmings, exactly like on Thanksgiving, only this meal was more special because it was served in the B&B rather than the little downstairs apartment and there were a lot more people.
Two tall red candles at each end of the long table flickered, and a display of holly and greenery ran down the center. Instrumental Christmas music played softly in the background, and to top off the perfect evening, snow cascaded from the sky. She’d heard someone at work say this year had a record snowfall.
Chris sat beside her. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he whispered.
“Very much. How about you?” How could she not enjoy herself with such exceptional food and good company? Zoe and Nick had outdone themselves.
“Same.”
She looked at the faces of the guests at the table—Piper and her husband Chase shared a smile, and Jill and her niece and brother laughed at some joke Nick had told. Rachel missed the punch line and only grinned.
Jason tugged at her arm. “Mommy, I’m finished.”
“Okay. Can you sit quietly and wait for the adults to finish?”
“No.” He looked at her with big eyes and shook his head. “I need to wiggle.”
She held back a laugh, but it didn’t stop the rest of the table from erupting into laughter. Her face heated, but Jason soaked up the attention. He sat taller and grinned.
“I think we’re all finished,” Nick said. “How about we move into the sitting room? I had a piano brought in. It was supposed to be temporary, but I think we’re going to keep it.” He pushed back from the table and stood.
Relief washed through Rachel. She didn’t want a power struggle with her son, and this was the perfect diversion.
Zoe stood. “Leave your plates. We’ll clean later.”
“Works for me.” Chase patted his stomach. “Who’s playing the piano, Nick?”
“Me,” Jill said. “I’ve been practicing on the piano at church for weeks, but I’m no virtuoso. So sing loud, everyone.”
Rachel chuckled along with the rest of the small group at Jill’s explanation. She hadn’t gotten to know the B&B manager well, but in what little time they’d spent together, she’d come to like the woman. Rachel especially appreciated how she’d helped out taking care of Jason. Jill was definitely a good addition to Wildflower Bed-and-Breakfast.
Chris rested a hand on her back. “I’m stuffed. I’m not sure I can sing,” he said softly for her ears only. “Maybe you and I could go for a stroll down to the water instead.”
“What about Jason?”
“He can come, or we can ask Zoe to keep an eye on him.”
“Let’s do one song first, then we’ll sneak out.”
He nodded.
She slipped over to Zoe and explained her plan.
A twinkle lit her friend’s eyes. “Why not go now? You don’t have to sing carols.”
“Because I want to sing at least one carol.”
Jill sat at the lovely baby grand squeezed into a corner of the room and began a rousing rendition of Jingle Bells. All their voices blended—well sort of blended, but it was festive nonetheless. Without stopping, Jill transitioned into Joy to the World.
Chris laced his fingers with hers and drew her away from the group. “You ready?”
She nodded and looked for Jason. He sat in Nick’s arms with a huge smile on his face—he would be fine while they took a walk. She motioned to Zoe that she was leaving and turned from the group.
As much as she was enjoying herself, she treasured any time she could be alone with Chris. She slipped into her coat, gloves, and hat and followed him out the door. A brisk breeze whipped through her hair.
Chris clicked on a strong flashlight and lit the way around to the back of the house to the trail that led down to the pebbled beach. “That was fun.”
“Yes. I can’t believe Nick got a piano for the sing-along. Especially a baby grand.”
“I’ve discovered that he doesn’t do things halfway.” Chris moved the flashlight over the snow-covered trail.
“I can’t believe tomorrow is Christmas. This holiday season has gone by faster than any I can remember.”
“Same here, but I suspect it had to do with your move, new job, passing out your first day on the job, Jason spraining his arm when your incompetent sitter left him alone for two minutes, and then his surgery.”
“When you put it like that, this has been a crazy holiday season! They say things come in threes, so I think it’s safe to say there’ll be no more visits to the hospital for Jason and me.”
“Good! I’m really getting sick of that place.”
Having Chris by her side through it all had helped her face those rough days. Having him with her made her heart kick into double time. She enjoyed his company more than she dreamed possible.
They exited the pathway and stepped onto the beach. A hush came over them as water lapped at the pebbles.
“Look, a shooting star.” Chris pointed.
Her gaze darted to the star-filled sky. She caught her breath. “Cool.” She closed her eyes and wished for many more times like this with Chris.
“Thanks for coming down here with me.” He rested an arm across her shoulders as they faced the water. “It’s been such a crazy week with my move that I feel like it’s been forever since we had any time together. I’ve missed you. How have you been?”
“Not too bad. Jason has bounced back from his surgery. He’s still sore, but it’s kept him calm and made it easier for me to get baking and shopping done. I hadn’t gone Christmas shopping at all. Thankfully my new sitter didn’t mind a few extra hours the week of Christmas. I went to the mainland and picked up some gifts. Remind me to never wait until the week of Christmas to do my shopping again. It was a madhouse at the toy store.”
“Makes you appreciate the slower pace of this island all the more.”
“That’s for sure.” As much as she enjoyed their small talk, she couldn’t help and wonder why he’d asked her out here. She turned to face him. “What’s going on with you? Are you still planning to come over tomorrow?” She held her breath, anxious for his reply. She’d planned the day with him in mind. If it’d been only her son, she’d have scaled back, but she wanted to make Christmas a special day for the three of them.
“I am.”
She let out the breath she’d been holding in a soft whoosh. “Good.” A smile stretched across her face.
“Speaking of Christmas, I have a little something for you.”
“You do?” She had a gift for him under her tree but hadn’t thought to bring it with her. The resort photographer, who she hadn’t even noticed, approached her later in the day with the photo he’d snapped of them in the sleigh. She’d had it framed. It wasn’t anything big, but to her it was special. She had one framed for herself too.
“I found this at the resort gift shop.” He pulled a purple scarf from his pocket and draped it around her neck. “I noticed you didn’t have one.”
She ran her cheek along the soft yarn. “I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He grasped the ends of the scarf and tugged her close. His warm breath tickled her face. “In spite of everything that’s gone wrong this Christmas season, it’s been the best ever because I met you.” He rested a gloved hand against her cheek. “I think I love you Rachel, and I hope we can spend a lot of time together in the future.”
“I’d like that very much.” Her heart raced. “And I think I might love you too.”
“Maybe we should explore this a bit further.” His lips found hers and warmed her from head to toe.
After a few minutes of enjoying his sweet kisses she pulled back. “I could kiss you all night, but we should probably head back. I’m sure Jason is wondering where I went.”
He drew her close and held her for several seconds. “If you insist, but I’m going to miss having you in my arms.”
She chuckled. “Stop being dramatic. You can hold me any time you’d like.” She slid from his arms and moved toward the trail. “Come on, I can’t feel my toes anymore.”
He clicked on the flashlight. “We can’t have that. Let’s get you inside.” They rushed up the trail and back into the B&B to the final strains of Silent Night. Rachel could think of no better way to spend her first Island Christmas than with these people who had all shown her the true meaning of friendship and love.
EPILOGUE
Two years later
On Christmas morning, Rachel sat on the couch with her newborn daughter tucked safely in her arms while Jason tipped his stocking onto the floor in front of the Christmas tree. She looked at her husband and grinned. “Merry Christmas.”
Chris answered her with a kiss. “Would you like me to hold Sophie?”
“Sure.” She handed their six-week-old baby to her daddy and marveled at her huge, blue eyes.
“Mommy, Daddy, look!” Jason held up a box set of little cars.
“Cool.” Rachel stood and walked behind the tree. “There’s something else back here for you, Jason.”
Her son hopped up and bolted around to the back of the eight-foot-tall Grand fir. “A bike! I always wanted one.”
“How about you take it for a spin after breakfast,” Chris said.
“Can we have breakfast now?” Jason wheeled the bike to the entryway of their home. Although she hadn’t known it at the time Chris bought the house, he later told her he’d purchased it with her in mind. That was why her opinion of the house had been so important to him.
“I’ll have breakfast ready in a jiffy. How do chocolate chip pancakes sound?”
“Yummy!” Jason patted his tummy and jumped up and down. “Can I help?”
“Sure. Go wash your hands.”
Chris stood. “I’ll put Sophie in her bassinet and be right back to join the fun.”
Rachel nodded and slipped an apron over her head. This was their third Christmas together and every year seemed better than the last. They were married in the gazebo at the park adjacent to the hospital the summer after they met. It had been a beautiful July afternoon that she would never forget.
Her parents had come as well as Zoe, Nick, and her friends from the restaurant. Jason’s mom and sister had come as well. Everyone had exclaimed over the setting and the beautiful flowers.
She’d worn a strapless, long, white dress she hoped to one day pass on to her daughter. Chris loved kids and wanted more, but she was happy with two for now.
Chris wrapped an arm around her waist startling her from her thoughts. “You looked a million miles away. Is everything okay?”
She rose on tiptoes and placed a sof
t kiss on his lips. “Better than. I was remembering our wedding.”
“Hmm.” He tugged her close. “A good day to remember.”
Jason squeezed between them. “I want a hug too.”
They laughed as Chris hoisted him into his arms. “Better, little dude?”
Jason frowned. “I’m not little anymore, Dad. I have a bike.”
“That’s right. You’re a big boy now. How about we make breakfast so you can show us what you can do?” He set Jason down, and they all got to work. Thirty minutes later, they stood on their driveway in the sunshine. The baby monitor sat on the front porch loud enough to hear Sophie’s soft breaths. It hadn’t snowed on the island since the Christmas they met, and it’d been a warmer than normal year this year, with no snow in the forecast. She held out hope for January snow, but not much.
Jason straddled his bike with training wheels and took off around the driveway. “I’m doing it,” he shouted.
“Way to go.” Chris slid his arm around her waist and together they watched Jason. “That’s one great kid we have, Mrs. Campbell.”
She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We have two great kids. And they have a great dad.”
Chris lowered his head and delivered a heart-stopping kiss, taking her breath away.
“Wow!”
He grinned. “There’s more where that came from,” he said before capturing her lips again.
Now—A sneak peek into book four coming spring of 2016—Island Hope
Island Hope
By Kimberly Rose Johnson
Derrick Trainor sat in Piper Grayson’s office. The window view wasn’t great considering she owned the place, but who could complain about sunshine and blue sky, even if she could only see the parking lot? His attention shifted to his boss who sat behind her sleek, glass-topped desk wearing a worried look. Unease settled on his shoulders.
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