Island Christmas Read Online Free

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