Page 13 of Waves of Reckoning (Echoes of Camano Island #1)

Chapter Twelve

N ikki’s feelings of despair did not dissipate quickly.

The following morning, she woke up feeling like she was the only person in the world and all hope was lost. Still, it felt like a dream.

She lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, hoping the patterned surface would bring her comfort or answers.

She knew Amy wouldn’t fall into her so easily, but she’d dreaded the rejection she’d received.

It was Trish’s wish for her to find her daughter, and while she’d accomplished that, she hadn’t really brought her home.

If Amy wanted nothing to do with them, she’d all but ruined Trish’s chances of meeting her daughter.

She slipped from the bed and padded into the kitchen. The coffee machine had a timer, and the hot brew waited for her when she walked in. She loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning but couldn’t appreciate it then.

She remembered what Paul had said to her—she just needed to give Amy some time. The problem was that she’d left a life back in Arlington indefinitely, and that period seemed to have been extended.

She poured the coffee and returned to the bedroom. Maybe Amy had already texted, she thought. Her heart started to race as she picked up the device, but there was no message from Amy. She noticed, however, a couple of missed calls from Ava.

She was about to put the phone down when it started ringing, and she jumped in fright. It was Ava, and though she wasn’t in the mood for conversation, she needed a friend.

“Hey,” she answered weakly.

“Okay, that’s not the usual morning voice I get. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Nikki lied, not because she wanted to, but simply because she didn’t want to relive the last day.

“Um, I’m not sure who you think this is, but I know you better than that. So, spill it, and don’t make me have to drive all the way to Camano Island to wring it out of you.”

Nikki laughed softly. Ava was always good at lifting her spirits, which was one of the reasons she’d been her best friend for so many years. “Okay, fine,” she relented. “I went to see Amy yesterday.”

Ava squealed. “You found her? You must be so relieved. What’s she like?”

“Does this sound like relief in my voice?” Nikki asked.

“Uh-oh, someone sounds mad,” Ava replied, and Nikki could almost see her pouting lips.

“Sorry,” she said and wiped her hand down her face. “It’s just that it didn’t go quite the way I wanted it to.”

“What happened?”

Nikki sighed. “We went to the restaurant where she works, and remember how I was concerned that she wouldn’t want anything to do with us? It seems I was justified.”

“Oh no,” Ava lamented. “What did she say?”

“She said she doesn’t want anything to do with us and asked why, after all this time, am I coming to tell her she’s adopted when her real mother is on the verge of death.”

“Wow,” Ava exclaimed. “I’m sorry, hon, but I’m sure she was just angry. She couldn’t mean any of that.”

“She sounded sincere to me,” Nikki replied. “Although, in hindsight, she was having a rough night, and some guy was harassing her over the menu.”

“There you go,” Ava replied. “She was having a bad night, and you just probably picked the worst time to drop a bomb like that. Maybe you should just give her some time.”

“That’s what Paul said.” Nikki sighed again.

“Paul’s a smart man,” Ava said.

“Should I call her? Check on her?”

“Babe, this is not something you can force on someone. Just imagine how you would feel if someone just walked up to you and told you that you’re adopted. Would you just leap for joy?”

“I guess not,” Nikki replied. “I hope she comes around is all.”

“She will,” Ava told her. “But how are things on the other end? How’s Trish and the Nestled Inn?”

“Trish is the same,” Nikki replied as she sipped from her cup. “Every day, the doctors hope, and we hope, but all we can do is pray and wait. Reed, one of the guys from the Humane Society, wants to host an event for her this coming weekend to get support and offer prayers for her recovery.”

“Well, that’s nice,” Ava said happily. “I wish I could come, but I’ll be tied up.”

“It’s okay,” Nikki told her. “I know you’d be here if you could.”

“And how about Paul?” Ava teased. “Anything going on there?”

“Nothing since the last time you checked.” Nikki laughed.

“Bummer. I’m still rooting for you. He seems like a good guy.”

“He is, but now’s not the time. I don’t think any time will be the time for that, so I’m not getting my hopes up again only to be let down hard.”

“I hear you,” Ava replied. “At least you have your job to distract you.”

“Speaking of which, I have an investigative piece to finish, but I have another day or so. Luckily, I don’t need to be at the office to do my job.”

“Yeah, you’re lucky. I still have to go to work and have so many chores this weekend.”

Nikki laughed. “What’s new?”

“Yeah, what’s new? And with that said, I have to run,” Ava said. “Lots to do. I just wanted to check in on you and make sure everything is okay.”

“Thanks, hon.” Nikki smiled. “I’ll talk to you later.”

After Ava hung up, Nikki lazed around the house. She couldn’t even call Amy if she wanted to because she didn’t have a phone number for her. Plus, she would probably drive her away, as Paul had said.

But she couldn’t remain content for the rest of the day. The following day began in no better way than the one before, but she had to busy herself so the time would pass quickly.

Kaylyn was heading to the laundry area when Nikki ran into her on her way through the back door.

“Hello, ma’am.” Kaylyn smiled and embraced Nikki.

“Didn’t I tell you to call me Nikki?” she replied as she pulled back. “No more of this ma’am thing.”

Kaylyn laughed. “Were you coming to find me?”

“Yes, actually,” Nikki replied. “I wanted to check in on things.”

“You can walk with me.” Kaylyn started moving again.

“How are the reservations stacking up?” Nikki asked. “Where are we going?”

“Heading to the laundry.” Kaylyn glanced back and replied, “I just wanted to track our inventory. We have every room booked as it is and five others waiting to get a room.”

“Wow. Quite the buzz, eh?” Nikki said with pride.

“It really gets busy here in the summertime. A little slower in the winter, but we’ve always had a full house.

” They got to the laundry room, and Kaylyn showed Nikki where the cleaning supplies and towels were kept.

“Dorothy does the laundry on Mondays, but it seems we need to get fresh towels, miniature shampoo and body washes for the baths, toiletries, and there was one room that needed deep cleaning—there was a wine spill, so we need supplies for that as well. But all in all, things are going well. Don’t you worry about it ma…

Nikki.” She grinned when she remembered Nikki’s earlier warning.

“That’s good news,” Nikki said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m glad Trish has such reliable and capable people around. That’s a blessing.”

“Indeed,” Kaylyn agreed as they walked out of the room and back into the hallway.

“And speaking of blessings, I have a little bittersweet news to share,” Nikki said, and her shoulders sagged.

Kaylyn noticed and stopped her by holding her arm. “What news? Is it Trish?”

“No, it’s not her, but it concerns her daughter. We found her, and Paul and I went to visit her on Friday evening.”

Kaylyn’s eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands. “That’s good news indeed,” she said happily. “Trish is going to be delighted.” Then she noticed Nikki’s downcast eyes. “It didn’t go well with her?”

Nikki shook her head, and tears welled in her eyes again. “No, not so well.”

“What happened?”

“She didn’t take the news well,” Nikki said without relaying the entire awful scene.

“Oh,” Kaylyn replied. “Well, just give her some time. She might come around.”

Nikki laughed. “That seems to be the general consensus. I guess that’s all I can do.”

“The good thing is you found her, and now she knows. Based on my experience, people don’t just walk away from something like that.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nikki told her.

“Come, let’s get you something to eat. You’re beginning to look a little pale,” Kaylyn said in a matronly way.

Nikki was grateful because she hadn’t eaten all day.

When she returned to the house, she got to work on the paper she needed to submit, and as she did, she started to bake.

Cooking had always been another passion of hers, so she tried to busy her mind with writing and getting a savory meat pie in the oven.

The house was filled with the flavors coming from her seasoning and spices, and once out of the oven, she set her pie on the counter, just inside the sliding window, to cool. Her stomach had started to rumble, and she anticipated digging into her creation.

She was finishing her paper when she heard a scratching by the window. She knitted her brows as she walked cautiously to the kitchen to investigate. She peered outside and noticed a cat reaching toward the window, paws scratching as it tried to get a piece of the pie.

Nikki smiled. “Oh, you like the smell too, don’t you?” she asked the animal as she slid the window open. “I guess we could share.”

She reached for the animal and was surprised when it calmly came toward her.

She enticed it with the pie and brought it to the back door where it could feed.

She watched it as it ate hungrily and noticed it was a little thin, with its fur pasted on, like it had gotten caught in something sticky.

There were no name tags, and she suspected it was a stray cat.

After it was done eating, she took on the task of cleaning it up. That was a bit of a struggle, and she realized all too quickly that cats really didn’t like water much. She managed to get it decent-looking.

The thought occurred to her that she could take it to the Humane Society. She was glad for yet another distraction as she drove to the shelter.

“Nikki,” Reed greeted her upon arrival. “What do we have here?”

“Oh, just a little friend that wandered onto my windowsill today. You think you can make a home for her here?”

Reed’s jaw dropped. “Sorry, Nikki. We’re out of space at the moment.”

“Oh, okay. But I can’t just let it go now,” she said as she looked at the very calm animal. She couldn’t imagine how it was a stray.

Reed grinned at her. “Maybe you can keep it.”

“Keep it?” Nikki asked in surprise.

“Just until we have more space. People adopt animals all the time. I’m sure we’ll have a space in no time.”

Nikki sighed and looked at the cat as it yawned and prepared to take a snooze. “It is kinda cute. Okay, I’ll keep it. For now.”

“I’m glad you came over,” Reed said. “I meant to call you but got caught up.”

“What’s up?” Nikki asked and started to stroke the cat in her arms.

“I just wanted to keep you in the loop about this weekend,” he beamed. “Everything is in place. We’ve sent word to practically everyone with ears or eyes.”

Nikki laughed. “We’ll have the place all set. I can’t wait. Thanks again, Reed.”

“Anytime,” he said.

And Nikki returned home with her new friend. He sat on the front seat with his head on his paws, and she reached over and occasionally stroked it as she drove.

It would seem she had planned on staying in Camano for a short time, but as the days passed, she felt like she was slowly setting her roots.

She was in much better spirits when she pulled into the driveway but then slammed on the brakes when she saw Amy sitting on the front steps with a suitcase next to her.