“Ah yes, my comment about Jason not being used to men is coming back to bite me. I’d be very comfortable with you watching him. He likes you. And so do I.”
Rachel’s face glowed, igniting something in him he thought long dead. He wanted to see her smile like that all the time.
“Good. Because I like the both of you too, and I’d be happy to spend the day with Jason.”
“Thank you.” She pulled him into a bear hug. “You are like my guardian angel or something. Every time I turn around you’re getting me out of a tough situation.”
This time he didn’t freeze up at her gregarious behavior. He wrapped his arms around her, breathed in her citrus scent, and held her there for a moment before releasing her. “I’ll take that as yes. What time should I be here?”
“Is ten too early?”
“No. But I wasn’t expecting you to need me that early in the day. Do you mind if I bring my computer and work while I’m here?”
“Not at all, so long as you keep an eye on Jason.”
His heart thudded as he looked into her trusting brown eyes. He cleared his throat and stepped back. He was treading on dangerous ground. Rachel didn’t share his faith and that made her off limits. “I should go. I’ll let you know what happens with the house.”
“Good luck. I hope it works out for you,” she said at the door as he walked down the steps to the driveway. He turned and waved to the raven-haired beauty. He headed to the B&B. Rachel was young and sweet, but sadness and an air of vulnerability surrounded her. He would enjoy figuring out the cause. He always enjoyed a good mystery. And Rachel was definitely worth investigating.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Thanksgiving morning Chris knocked on Rachel’s front door. He hadn’t seen much of her since he’d been busy working and dealing with house stuff. He would close on the two-story in two weeks.
“You’re here!” Rachel moved aside. “Thanks for coming a little early. I have turkey in the fridge along with all the trimmings. All you do is reheat and eat.”
“Whoa. Slow down, Rachel.”
She stopped and turned, her brows bunched in obvious confusion. “What?”
“I’m fine. And Happy Thanksgiving.”
A slow grin raised her mouth. “Sorry. I’m in sonic speed mode trying to get everything done before I have to leave.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Watch the parade with Jason.”
Her son lay on his belly on top of an oversized red and brown ottoman, resting his chin on his hands. He rolled over. “Hi, Chris!”
Chris sat on the couch facing the television. “Hey there, buddy. How’re you doing?”
“Grrr-ate! Mommy made Thanksgiving for us. I can’t wait! We had it at Zoe and Nick’s too.” He patted his stomach. “Mommy says I’m going to turn into stuffing.” He giggled.
Chris glanced toward the hall where Rachel had disappeared. “It sounds like your mom has been very busy. Have you been a good helper?”
“Yep. I tore bread for dressing, and I helped make pumpkin pie.”
“My favorite.”
Rachel rushed into the room. “Chris, will you come into the kitchen for a minute? I have things to go over with you.”
“Sure. Be right back, buddy.”
Jason nodded and resumed his position watching the parade.
“What’s up?”
She handed him a piece of paper. “If you have an emergency, here’s my cell number and the restaurant’s number in case you can’t reach me. Like I said, all the food is in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever you want. Jason should be in bed by eight and no later. He will try to talk you into letting him stay up, but don’t.” She relayed the instructions to him then paused, tapping her list with a pen. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
“Relax, Rachel. I’ve got this. Jason and I are going to have a great day.”
“Oh, I know what it is.” She lowered her voice and leaned close. “He’s regressed with potty training. You’ll have to remind him every hour to go to the bathroom.”
“Every hour?”
“Yes. Unless you want to risk an accident.”
He raised his hand. “No, ma’am. Every hour it is.”
“Good. I can’t thank you enough for today.”
He placed a hand on each of her shoulders. “Look at me, Rachel.”
Her gaze darted to his and locked. She was wound up as tight as a toy soldier.
“Breathe. Everything will be okay. Jason and I get along very well, and I’ve been looking forward to this day all week.”
She visibly relaxed and chuckled. “You’ve probably been dreaming about watching football.”
He grinned and released her arms. “As a matter of fact, I have.”
She took a breath and let it out in a short puff. “Okay. I trust you. And I know Jason is excited to have you here. But promise me you’ll call if there is a problem.”
“Promise.”
She hugged him then launched into the family room. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to her hugs, but clearly she didn’t mean anything romantic by them. In a funny way, she reminded him of the character who played Abby on NCIS when it came to hugging.
Rachel planted a kiss on her son’s head, mouthed thank you to Chris, then darted out the door. Hopefully she’d calm down, or he might be making another trip to the hospital to pick her up.
He sat back on the couch and looked around. She’d done a nice job creating a homey environment for herself and her son. The two-tone couch and love seat had a leather base with red cushions. The area rug was a neutral shade with pops of red, and the TV, though on the small side, fit the space nicely. He leaned back with his fingers laced behind his head and propped his feet on the ottoman.
Jason lifted his head and looked at him. “Can we get a tree today?”
“A Christmas tree?” It looked like the parade had put the boy in the holiday spirit.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think so, little dude. Your mom will want to do that with you.”
“We surprise her.” Jason looked at him with puppy dog eyes. He was good at this begging thing.
“Are you getting hungry?” Maybe distraction would work.
The boy hopped off the ottoman and ran to the kitchen. “Cookies!”
He chuckled and followed slowly. This day was going to be a lot longer than he’d imagined. A clunking sound from the back of the house drew his attention. “Hold on a second, Jason.” He left the boy alone and moved toward the back of the house.
The clunking got louder, then a scream inside the house rang out.
Rachel julienned a red pepper. So far things were going well. Her co-workers were in a good mood and the vibe in the kitchen was pleasant. After her rocky first night, she had wondered if she’d made a mistake taking this job, but now she knew it was where she belonged.
Piper walked into the kitchen holding a phone to her ear, an expression of concern on her face. She looked around the room and her gaze landed on Rachel.
Rachel’s stomach flipped, and her heart thudded. “What’s wrong?” She put down the knife she’d been using and rushed to Piper. “Is it Jason?”
She pulled it away and covered the receiver with her hand. “No, it’s Chris. He needs to talk with you. You may want to take this someplace more private.” Piper thrust the phone into her outstretched hand.
Alarm shot through her, and her feet felt like lead. “Chris, it’s Rachel. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing too serious, but I’m at the hospital with Jason.”
“What?”
The sounds of the kitchen faded. Everyone stared at her. She lowered her voice and moved into the walk-in pantry, shutting the door behind her. “What happened and who is hurt? You or Jason?”
“It’s Jason. He fell off the kitchen counter and hurt his arm.”
She closed her eyes telling herself not to overreact. Breathe in and out. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
> “Okay, but for now I need you to talk with someone here and tell them it’s okay to treat Jason. Since his injury is not life threatening, they need your permission.”
“Pass the phone over, then I want to talk with you, so don’t hang up.” She couldn’t believe this was happening. She should have known better than to leave her son with a man. She gave her permission for Jason to be treated, then Chris’s voice came back on the line. “What happened?”
A knock sounded on the pantry door. She poked her head out. Piper stood there. “I’m really sorry, but I need my phone back.”
“Oh.” Of course Piper would need her phone. It’s how everyone at the resort reached her, and she was tying up the line. “Chris, I’ll need to call you back.”
“Okay. I tried your cell phone first, so you have my number.”
“Thanks.” She pressed the end button and walked back into the kitchen. All eyes were trained on her. She returned the phone to Piper. “Sorry about that.”
“It wasn’t a problem. Will your son be okay?” Piper asked. Concern clouded her eyes.
“I think so. I still don’t know what happened. I had to give the hospital permission to treat him.” She walked over to Zoe. “Can I take a break and call Chris back, so I know what’s going on?”
“Of course. Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“I’d like to, but how will you manage here?”
“We will all work a little faster until you return.”
“Okay. I’ll hurry.” Rather than waste time calling Chris back, she grabbed her purse and fled out the back door that led to employee parking. Going to the hospital was becoming way too common an occurrence. She sped along the near empty road to the hospital, parked and ran inside. She looked around the room and spotted the receptionist. “Excuse me, my son is here. May I join him?”
“Of course. Who is your son?”
She told her, and a moment later the woman clicked something that allowed the door to the treatment area to open. “Thank you.” She rushed through the doorway and immediately heard her son. Following his voice she found him behind the first curtain. “Hey, buddy.”
He sat on the exam table holding an ice pack on his arm. His puffy red eyes spoke volumes. She went to him and rubbed his back. “What happened?”
“I wanted a cookie and fell.”
She looked at Chris for an explanation.
“We were in the kitchen and going to get a snack when I heard a clunking sound at the back of the house.”
Water pipes. Those things were awful. If she’d known the racket they made, she never would have signed the lease.
“I was only gone a minute, and the next thing I know, Jason screams. He’d climbed on to the counter and slipped, landing on his arm.”
Her heart rate finally began to slow, and she realized her legs shook. She turned to her son. “I’ve told you not to climb onto the counter because you could fall and get hurt.”
Jason’s eyes watered. “I sorry.” Silent tears streamed down his face, breaking her heart.
“Me too, buddy.” She wanted to hug him, but didn’t want to cause him pain. She continued to rub his back, swallowing her own tears. “I’m sorry about this Chris. You’ll never want to babysit again.”
He shrugged, clearly too polite to deny the truth.
The curtain slid open, and a man wearing scrubs walked in. “Ms. Narrelli?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“The business office asked me to make sure you filled out this paperwork. We already have you in our records but must have the part regarding your son filled out.”
“Of course. Thank you.” She took the pen he offered and sat down. Her hand shook as she filled in the form then signed a shaky version of her signature.
Jason rested on the exam bed quietly and watched the TV that had been tuned into the football game. She glanced at Chris and noted his eyes were glued to the screen. At least he hadn’t missed all of his game.
Jason seemed content as long as he sat still. “How you doing, Jasie?”
“Okay. My arm hurts.” Crocodile tears slipped down his cheek causing her own eyes to water. She blinked away the threatening tears and cleared her throat.
Glancing at her watch, she sighed. A good thirty minutes had passed watching the game with the guys and waiting for a doctor, but she couldn’t wait any longer. Zoe expected her to return to the restaurant. “The restaurant is expected to be super busy today, and I need to go back to work. Will the two of you be okay together?” She looked at Chris, who nodded, then Jason, who did as well.
“Thank you for being such a big boy, Jason. Please listen to Chris today and no more climbing onto counters.” She brushed the hair off his forehead and gave him a kiss. “Will you call me when you know if it’s broken or not?” Although from looking at it, she highly doubted he had broken his arm. She suspected a sprain at the most.
“Of course. You can’t stay a little longer?” Chris asked.
She checked the time again. “If I hadn’t gotten off to such a rocky start at the restaurant, I wouldn’t go back.” It was clear Jason was comfortable with Chris. “How long do you think it will take?”
“The nurse said an orderly will be coming in soon to take him to x-ray.”
She nodded. “Don’t leave him, Chris. Please go with him to x-ray.”
“I will.”
“Thanks. I owe you.” She moved to pass him so she could exit the cubicle, but he caught her hand.
“He’s going to be okay.” Chris’s intense eyes held a promise of hope.
“I know. Or I wouldn’t leave. Even if it meant losing my job. Thank you for being here with him.”
He nodded and released her hand.
An orderly came in wearing a big smile. “You must be Jason.” The woman who looked to be in her fifties spoke gently to her son. “How would you like to go for a ride in this wheelchair?”
Jason’s eyes brightened, and he nodded.
Chris stood and helped her son off the bed and settled him into the wheelchair. Jason looked at the man with adoration in his eyes. She could understand that feeling. Chris was a special man.
Confident that her son was in good hands, Rachel did one of the hardest things she ever had to do and left. The rest of the work day flew by in a blur.
At the end of the evening Zoe stopped her on the way out. “Thanks for coming back today. You did a great job, and I’m glad Jason wasn’t badly hurt.”
“Me too. A sprain is so much better than a break. He has to wear a brace for a while, but that’s not too big a deal. Especially this time of year.” She waved then headed to her car and ten minutes later pulled into her driveway. The lights inside shone brightly, casting a glow onto the front porch.
She strode to the door and let herself in. Chris sat on the couch, his computer by his side with Jason’s head on his lap. By the look of her son, he was sound asleep. A brace covered his left arm and an icepack sat on the ottoman. Chris’s hand rested on her son’s back.
The television played It’s a Wonderful Life. She moved his computer aside and eased down beside him. “How’d it go?” She kept her voice low, so Jason wouldn’t wake.
“Smooth as the delicious pumpkin silk pie you left for us.” He whispered back. “We were watching football when he fell asleep. I didn’t want to disturb him by taking him to bed. He had Tylenol at six for the pain. He’s wearing a compression bandage to help reduce swelling. You’ll want to ice his arm tomorrow, but after that use heat for short periods of time if it’s achy. The doctor also suggested elevating his arm with a pillow. He seems to be doing okay.”
“That’s a relief. I worried about him all day.”
“He has a bad sprain. The doctor thinks it could take three or four weeks to heal.”
Her shoulders sagged. She’d hoped a sprain wouldn’t be such a big deal and he’d be fine by Christmas. “I imagine you’re sore from sitting there so long. I’ll carry Jason to bed and be right back.” She stood, w
alked around the ottoman, then hefted her son into her arms, careful to avoid bumping his arm.
He snuggled into her. “Hi, Mom.” His eyes drooped. “We had fun, but my arm hurts.”
“I know, kiddo. I’m sorry.” She went into his room, pulled back the covers with one hand, then placed him on the cool sheets and covered him to his chin. Before leaving the room, she clicked on his nightlight then closed the door behind her.
Chris patted the spot beside him when she walked into the family room. “What a day.”
She eased onto the couch and twisted to face him. “I’m really sorry about Jason.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. He got hurt on my watch. Incidentally, I think your landlord should have the plumbing looked at. It makes some odd sounds.”
“You’re right. Sorry about that, too.” Why was she always such a mess?
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault the plumbing here needs help. Come here, you look like you could use a shoulder rub.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a nice guy?” She scooted closer and turned her back to him. His gentle fingers kneaded the tired and sore muscles in her neck and shoulders.
“Maybe. How’s that feel?”
“Wonderful.” She closed her eyes and allowed her head to dip forward. “You could do this for a living.”
He chuckled.
“I’m serious.” She turned, causing him to drop his hands. “I should be offering to rub your shoulders after the day you had.”
He shrugged. “It really wasn’t that bad. It’s not a day I’d care to repeat, but it could have been much worse.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” She really liked this man.
“I should go.” He stood. “Thanks for the meal. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
Disappointment hit her. She wanted him to stay, but it was late, and he was probably as worn out as she was. “It was my way of saying thank you for watching Jason today. I’m sure you could’ve found a TV to watch the game on without having to spend several hours at the hospital and playing with my son for half the day.”
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