“Brr.” She hadn’t thought to grab a coat in her rush to get here in the wee hours of the morning. Her boots made fresh prints in the snow, which looked to be about an inch deep as she hurried to her Subaru.
She started the engine then hit the wipers and then defrost. It would take a while before she could leave. She willed the process to go faster. Funny, it seemed she was always rushing. Slowing down sounded nice, but there was no time to take life at an easy pace. There were so many demands on her, from caring for her son, to working, to figuring out what was going on in her head about God and her feelings for Chris.
With the windows now clear, she set out for home. She still couldn’t believe Chris had come to the hospital. She felt bad about waking him and then avoiding him when he came to keep her company. Even though he didn’t seem to mind, she owed him an apology, which he would get as soon as she had a moment to herself.
Her tires slipped a little as she rounded a corner. Her stomach tightened—her car was all-wheel drive. It must really be slick. She kept going, unwilling to stop and get stuck like the Prius she’d just passed on the side of the road. A Prius? It couldn’t be. She slowed and checked her mirror—Chris. She pulled to the side and ran back a hundred feet to the car. Sure enough, Chris sat inside. She knocked on the window.
He opened the door.
“You want a ride?”
“How about a tow? I have rope in back.”
She looked at his tires and shook her head. “You need new tires. You’re not going anywhere in that car. Come on, I’ll give you a lift to the B&B, and you can call a tow truck.”
He frowned, but didn’t argue as he got out and locked up. “Where were you heading? I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I was running home to shower and pack a bag for myself and Jason. I thought he’d like to have a few of his books. I’m going to be staying in his room at the hospital until he’s released.” She slipped into her vehicle and waited for Chris to buckle up before pulling out. The tires spun once, she eased off the gas a little, and they moved forward. “I’m sorry that you got stuck, but I’m glad I saw you. I wanted to apologize for waking you this morning and to thank you for sitting with me. I’m sorry I wasn’t better company. When I’m stressed or overemotional, I prefer to be alone.”
“No apology necessary. I understand, and I’m glad you called. It makes me feel good that you were comfortable enough to call me in the middle of the night.”
She glanced at him then quickly returned her gaze to the road, which was getting worse by the minute. Her windshield wipers flapped back and forth in double time. “It’s snowing harder. I thought this island didn’t get weather like this.” She frowned. Maybe leaving the hospital was a bad idea. No, it would be fine. Her car had gone over the snow-covered Stephens and Snohomish Passes numerous times with little problem.
“I hope I can find a tow truck on this island.”
“You will. There’s a mechanic not far from downtown.”
He chuckled.
“What?”
“The idea of anyplace in Wildflower being called downtown is a stretch of the imagination.”
She grinned. He was right, but businesses had popped up all around the general store, which had rapidly become downtown Wildflower. “Will you be okay at the B&B without a car or any means to feed yourself?” She pulled into the driveway.
“I’ll be fine. It’s not like Nick and Zoe will neglect the B&B, but there’s always the manager, Jill. She’s extremely helpful.”
“I forget about her. I’m not used to dealing with anyone but Zoe and Nick.” She stopped as close to the front door as she could. “Here you go. Thanks again.”
“Thank you! Who knows how long I would have frozen sitting in my car if you hadn’t come along. Where are all the tourists when you need one?”
She laughed. “I’ll call you and let you know how Jason is doing.”
“Okay. Bye.” He hesitated, and before she realized what was happening, he kissed her cheek. “Drive safe.” He slid out.
She touched the warm spot his lips had left on her skin. Now that was unexpected. Did it mean what she hoped? Did Chris have feelings for her?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Chris stepped into Wildflower hospital and detoured to the gift shop. He hadn’t seen or spoken with Rachel since yesterday when he’d impulsively kissed her cheek. Maybe it was lack of sleep or simple gratitude for being rescued, he didn’t know, but what he did know was that he needed to see her again—and the little guy. He had to see with his own two eyes that Jason was okay.
“Good afternoon, sir. May I help you find something?” The woman working behind the counter asked.
“I would like to take a three-year-old patient a gift. Any ideas?”
“How about a deck of Go Fish cards?”
“Great idea.” He took the box she held out to him, then spotted a pretty Christmas floral arrangement with red and white carnations, along with greenery and shiny Christmas bulbs in red, gold, and silver and brought it to the counter as well.
“I don’t think a three-year-old will appreciate flowers.” She grinned. “Not that I don’t want the sale.”
He chuckled and pulled out his wallet. “The flowers are for his mom.”
A twinkle lit her eyes. “Lucky lady.”
He would never call Rachel lucky, but she was a special lady, who he couldn’t get off his mind. “Thanks.” Bypassing the elevator, he climbed the stairs to the third floor. His fitness had suffered since coming to the island, and he needed to get in mini-workouts wherever possible.
As he pulled open the door to the pediatric wing, he took a few deep breaths. He was more out of shape than he’d realized. The nurse’s station was situated a few feet ahead. He strolled up to a woman on duty. “Hi there, I’m here to see Jason Narrelli.”
She smiled warmly. The floor was very quiet as if Jason might be the only patient in the department. “Jason is a cutie. He and his mom are in the first room on the right.”
“Thanks.” He nodded and strode to the nearby room. The door hung open. “Hello,” he said quietly as he entered the room. Jason lay sleeping, cuddling a soft looking, chocolate-colored teddy bear, and Rachel sat reading a Bible.
She looked up and smiled. “You came.” Her eyes widened when she spotted the flowers.
He held the arrangement out to her. “For you. I thought it might cheer up his room and help you remember that Christmas is only two weeks away.”
She stood and took the bouquet. “It’s beautiful. No one has ever given me a Christmas arrangement. Thank you.” She set the flowers on the windowsill where sunlight glinted off one of the baubles.
“I brought Go Fish for Jason.”
“He’ll love it. He’s been sleeping a lot. The nurse said that’s normal. But once he starts to feel better you can be sure he will enjoy playing. Can you sit and visit or do you need to leave?”
“I can stay for a bit.” He carried in a padded, vinyl-covered chair near to Rachel so they could talk quietly and not wake her son. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. Jason slept soundly all night, so I was able to doze. Although this chair converts to a bed, it’s not the most comfortable. Did you already get your car taken care of?”
“Yes. The mechanic you mentioned had time yesterday. Have you had a chance to go outside and enjoy the snow?”
“No. I hope it sticks around long enough for Jason to appreciate it. He was really looking forward to experiencing snow for the first time.”
“As cold as it is, I doubt that it will melt soon.” Speaking of melting, he was roasting. He shrugged out of his coat. “I take possession of my house this Friday, and I’ll be painting all weekend. I want the walls finished before the flooring guys get there Monday morning. They promised to have the flooring finished in both the apartment and the house by the end of the day on Tuesday. I’d like to re-do some fixtures, but that will keep until later.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. P
lus, you’re getting in a week early. How did that happen?”
“I’m guessing since I paid cash things moved faster. I finally found a few friends to help empty my storage unit on Saturday, but I’m considering hiring a company to bring everything over on Wednesday instead. I’m anxious to get into my own place. Don’t get me wrong, the B&B is great, but there’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed.”
“Agreed, but good luck finding anyone this close to Christmas.”
He shrugged. “If I can’t, then I’ll stick with my original plan.”
“Jason should be back to normal or at least close by then. If you need help, let me know.”
With all she was dealing with, he couldn’t believe she’d even consider helping. Surely she needed a break. But he liked spending time with her. “I won’t turn down the help. Thanks. Is there anything I can do for you while you’re here?”
She started to shake her head, then a sheepish look settled on her face. “Actually I have a huge favor to ask. Let’s talk in the hall.”
His curiosity piqued, he stood and led the way.
Rachel closed the door and kept her voice low. “Jason and I were going to get a tree yesterday. Now I don’t see being able to do that at all. Do you think you could help me out and set up a small tree in our living room? I’ll pay of course,” she quickly added.
“I’d be happy to do that for you. You said small. Define small?”
“No more than six feet and not too fat. Smaller is fine. I don’t want it to take up the whole room. I don’t have a tree stand, so you’ll need to get one of those too.”
“You’ve never had a tree before?”
“I’ve always been at my parents’.”
He’d forgotten Rachel’s history and how much younger Rachel was than him, which amazed him considering how upset he’d been to learn about her sowing wild oats, as she said her parents said. “Don’t worry. I’ll find the perfect tree. What about decorations?”
“We planned to make them, but I’m afraid he’s not going to feel up to it now.”
“I’ll figure something out. Are you picky?”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
“Good.” He had an idea, but if she was picky it wouldn’t work.
“I’ll get you my house key before you leave.”
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to get started on finding a tree right away.”
“Okay. Be right back.” She slipped into her son’s room and returned a moment later with her purse. “Here’s my key.” She dug out her wallet, and he couldn’t help but notice it was empty of cash. She quickly flipped to her checkbook.
“Don’t worry about the cost, Rachel. This is my gift to you.” Missing work so much had probably taken a toll on her finances.
“But you gave me that beautiful flower arrangement.”
He grinned. “So, maybe I enjoy giving. Don’t spoil my fun.”
She tucked her wallet away. “Thank you. Again.”
“My pleasure. Now you take good care of yourself and that boy.”
She looked ready to cry.
“Come here.” He tugged her close. “Everything is going to be okay.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sometimes life can seem pretty unfair and downright rotten, but you and Jason are going to be okay. You have family and friends who care about and love you.” He leaned back slightly and tipped her chin up. “I’m here for you, Rachel. Whatever you need.”
“Why? We’ve only known each other for a short time.”
“Some friendships are like that.” He wanted to be so much more than her friend but held back. She wasn’t ready. And with the circumstances the way they were, neither was he.
Rachel stood staring out the window in Jason’s hospital room. The grounds were truly lovely covered in snow. She hoped Chris had good tires now and wouldn’t slide off the road again. Especially since she’d sent him on a mission—she’d feel horrible if he had any car troubles because of her.
“Mommy,” Jason croaked.
She whirled around. “Hey, buddy. It’s about time you woke up. How are you feeling?”
“Okay. I’m hungry.”
She chuckled. “I’m glad.” She pressed the button for the nurse. “Chris came by this afternoon. He brought you a present.”
Jason’s eyes widened. “What?”
She handed him the deck of Go Fish cards.
“Cool!”
She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his enthusiastic exclamation.
The nurse came into the room her eyes going directly to Jason, then to Rachel.
“Jason is hungry. Is it too late for him to have dinner?”
“Let me check.” She slipped from the room and returned about fifteen minutes later with a small bottle of apple juice. “The doctor said liquids are fine for now. He will be in soon to check on Jason.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Jason drank about half the juice. “That’s yummy, Mommy. I want that at our house.”
“You think so, huh?”
An hour later a knock sounded on the door, then it swung open and Nick walked in. “How’s my favorite patient?” He looked to Rachel and lowered his voice. “I hope you don’t mind if I check on Jason rather than Doctor Howard. I volunteered to keep an eye on him.”
“It’s better this way, since he knows you.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
“I like apple juice.” Jason grinned.
“Glad to hear it. May I listen to your tummy talk?”
“My tummy doesn’t talk.” He giggled then gasped, his face twisted. “That hurt.”
“That’s normal, but try not to laugh.” He applied the stethoscope to various spots on Jason then stood up. “Everything sounds good.” He examined the surgical area next. “Have you tried walking yet?”
Jason shook his head.
“How about you and your mom take a walk and see how far you can get?”
“Okay.” Jason looked to her for approval.
“That sounds like a good idea. Would you like to go now?”
“Yes.”
“That a boy.” Nick helped him from the bed and attached the IV bag to a rolling pole. “It might be painful to walk, but I want you to go as far as you can.”
Jason made a face as he stepped toward the door. “I don’t want to walk, Mommy.”
“How about you go to the door and back,” Nick said. “Then I’ll help you get back in bed.”
Rachel held her breath, unsure what her son would do.
Jason’s little face scrunched up. “Okay.” One slow step at a time, he made it to the door and the four or so feet back to the bed.
“Way to go.” Nick patted him on the back and gently placed him back on the bed. “I think that calls for a Popsicle reward.”
Jason grinned. “I like banana.”
“One banana Popsicle coming up. I’ll send Nurse Stacy in with it soon.” He motioned for Rachel to follow him into the hall. “If he continues to progress so well, I expect to release him tomorrow.”
“Okay. So everything is fine?”
“His incision site looks great and everything appears normal.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rachel. Your son is healing nicely. I’ll be by tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” She stepped into the room. For the first time in days she truly felt like everything was going to be okay.
“Can we play Go Fish?”
“Sure.” She opened the box and slid out the cards.
“Did I hear someone ask about Go Fish?”
Chris’s voice sent a tingle zipping through Rachel. She turned and saw him standing in the doorway. “This is an unexpected surprise. What are you doing back?”
“I took care of what you asked, at least mostly, and was hoping to get in a few hands of Go Fish.”
“Yay!” Jason finally had the brace off his arm and clapped his hands. His face sobered. “But no laughing. It hurts.”
Chris
shot her a questioning look.
“When he laughs it pulls on his incision site.”
“Oh.”
Rachel shuffled then dealt the cards. She couldn’t believe Chris came back. Her insides warmed at the kindness of this man. He had the true Christmas spirit. Or was there more than Christmas spirit at play? When she thought about her friends here on the island they were different from the people she knew at home. Not that her friends were horrible people, but they were missing the spark she saw in Zoe, Nick, and Chris.
Chris caught her eye as he held out his hand of cards to Jason. She had the sudden image of the three of them as a family, and it was lovely. A warm-to-your-toes kind of feeling. Did Chris see the same thing? Her face warmed as his eyes questioned her as if he could read her mind. She shook off the thoughts and focused on the game.
Chris took out his phone and held a finger to his lips. “I know phones are frowned on, but we could use Christmas music.” He swiped the screen, and a few seconds later, Oh Holy Night played and peace filled the room.
Rachel hummed along to the familiar song. She loved Christmas music. The game ended quickly, and Jason’s eyes drooped.
“I should go.” Chris stood.
“Would you like to take a walk on the grounds? Someone did a beautiful job decorating the trees outside. I’d love to take a walk and stretch my legs.”
“What about Jason?” He nodded toward her son.
“The nursing staff is here and have my cell phone number, plus he can barely keep his eyes open. He’ll be sound asleep any minute.”
He grinned and shrugged into his jacket. “In that case, I’d love to walk in the freezing cold with you.”
She grabbed her purse, knit hat, gloves, and coat, kissed Jason goodnight, and closed the door behind them. On the way to the elevator, she told the nurse where she’d be and reminded her to call if Jason needed her.
As the elevator carried them to the main level she donned her winter wear. “Thanks for walking with me. I had to escape that room, and I’ve wanted to check out the gardens here since the night of Jason’s surgery. There’s a place with a gazebo that looks so inviting.” The doors slid open, and they strolled arm in arm into the night.
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