Page 3 of Waves of Reckoning (Echoes of Camano Island #1)

Chapter Two

T rish’s face became a staple in Nikki’s mind after the grim revelation.

It was hard to imagine that she may end up being the only one left of her family if Trish succumbed to her wounds and she hadn’t made any effort to reconnect with her sister.

She should have understood why Trish couldn’t give her the baby and why her parents had refused. They could have done so many things differently, but that was all in the past. What mattered was what happened next.

A somber feeling followed Nikki as she arrived to the island, but when she arrived, an entirely different feeling welcomed her.

Nikki peered at the slow-moving Stillaguamish River below as she drove over the Camano Gateway Bridge.

It brought back memories of the emerald-colored water that once reflected the hue of the evergreens that sandwiched it as it meandered its way toward Puget Sound.

But with the construction of the new bridge a few years back, she could see that her memory of it had changed.

Coming upon the sign “Welcome to Camano Island” instantly teleported her to the days when her family rented summer homes there every year. Most of the island was busiest in the summertime, and her arrival was in stark contrast to the overall mood.

As she drove through downtown Camano, she watched tourists and locals walk up and down the streets lined with locally owned small businesses dwarfed by a few department stores, a mall, and business complexes.

The air was salty and sweet at the same time, and all-around, she was invited to taste the ocean.

She would have probably ventured into one of the seafood restaurants for the experience if not for the fact that she needed to get to her destination to see her sister.

Nikki made her way to the Nestled Inn that Trish owned, which was new information to her.

She hadn’t known her sister to have a business head, but then again, she didn’t know much about her sister at all.

The path to Trish’s business was littered with childhood memories as she glanced through Camano's storefront windows.

She smiled faintly as she passed the antiquarian bookstore she had often visited when the summer days had gotten boring as a child. Old stone walls lined the byways, and summer's vibrant green and yellow colors weaved along the stones like a modern tapestry.

The general architecture was one of the old brick homes that gave the feeling one had traveled back in time.

She turned onto NE Camano Drive, where she saw lush woodlands broken up by unoccupied grassy lots, as well as gorgeous bungalows and two-story homes on spacious lots.

The foliage thinned off to her left, revealing the blue ocean beyond.

A more unobstructed vista of the big ocean opened up before her as she climbed Camano Hill Road.

Glacier Peak Drive was the next street on the GPS route, so she took it and climbed the steep hill to reach Blue Mountain Road.

The houses along this stretch were much bigger and on magnificent lots of land.

Even though the ocean was much farther away, she could taste the salt from the air, and once again, her thoughts switched to the fresh seafood available at the restaurants scattered throughout downtown and along the coast.Another thing to die for was the breathtaking view of the beautiful Cascade Mountains, which was like an art form on an exhibition with Mount Baker and Port Susan in the distance.

Her mind was in complete disarray by the time she arrived at the Nestled Inn, but its magnificence took her breath away.

It was a great three-story wood and stone structure with gabled roofs and balconies on the second floor.

Large French windows and doors finished the adorning of the beautiful building.

She could see the adjoining restaurant named Lot 28 displayed on a plaque above the main door.

There was also a house on the property next to the inn that Nikki assumed was part of the entire spread.

Nikki inhaled deeply as she walked into the establishment and was immediately greeted by an animated woman.

“You must be Nikki, Trish’s sister,” the rosy-cheeked woman said as she hurried to meet her. She had long chestnut hair and a runner’s figure. She appeared middle-aged and spritely as she practically skipped to take Nikki’s hand.

“I am,” Nikki replied and looked around at the immaculately kept space. A large crystal chandelier hung above them, and modern paintings and soft-hue lights adorned the walls with a gentle ambiance. She instantly felt pride in the image before her.

“So good to meet you. I’m Kaylyn Morris, the manager and receptionist here, and this is Dorothy, head of housekeeping,” she introduced as a woman who seemed roughly the same age as her joined them.

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am, and I’m so sorry for what happened to Miss Trish,” she said sadly, and Kaylyn nodded in agreement.

“Thank you both,” Nikki told them.

“Oh, let me show you to the main house where Miss Trish stays,” Kaylyn said as she walked off. “We’ve already prepared everything for you, so if you need anything, just let us know.”

“I don’t know how to thank you enough,” Nikki said as she followed the woman, but Kaylyn kept turning around to face her when she spoke.

“It’s no worry,” Kaylyn replied. “We love Trish, and we hope she comes around soon. It’s such an awful thing that happened. I hope they catch that crook who ran into her.”

Nikki didn’t even want to consider the specifics of the crash. She needed to get situated and get to the hospital right away. “I hope so too.”

“I was told to show you around. The Nestled Inn has six bedrooms, which can accommodate twelve adults at any time.”

Kaylyn took her down the hall and up the stairs, where she was shown the available rooms. Two were occupied, but Nikki had a pretty good idea of what they’d look like.

She had to admit the place was exquisite and homey, unlike some of the inns she was familiar with, where you just slept in and left as soon as possible. At the Nestled Inn, you wanted to stay.

She was sorry she couldn’t enjoy it more.

When they finished the tour, Kaylyn showed her the restaurant. “This is the sister restaurant to the other Lot 28, which is a one Michelin star restaurant,” Kaylyn beamed with pride.

“She has a one Michelin star restaurant?” Nikki asked as her eyes popped.

“The whole place is a five-star experience,” Kaylyn beamed. “I mean, sure, it didn’t start that way, but then Paul came along and helped her turn this place around. He sort of co-joined with her so she could take his brand, and here we are,” Kaylyn said as she opened the door to the house.

“That’s incredible,” Nikki remarked. “I had no idea.”

Kaylyn nodded. “Paul should be coming by shortly, but make yourself at home,” Kaylyn said. “I’ll be back at the desk if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Kaylyn,” Nikki gushed. “I appreciate you.”

“My pleasure,” Kaylyn said, then retreated.

Nikki walked slowly into the space, already feeling lousy. She had never been there, and it pained her that she had missed so much of her sister’s life—twenty-one years of it. She set her bags by the door and walked around the room.

Nikki could sense her sister’s presence as she wandered over to the mantel and picked up pictures of when she was younger. Nikki felt the pull on her heartstrings, and she choked on the invisible lump that had formed in her throat.

It was hard as she smelled the throw draped across the sofa or wandered into the kitchen and smelled the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and she swiftly brushed them away moments before a knock sounded on the door.

She knitted her brows as she returned to the door and pulled it open. She gasped when she saw who it was. “Paul?”

“Nikki,” he said as a wide grin developed on his face.

Before she could say another word, she was in his arms, and he hugged her and lifted her off the ground like an old friend. “You’re the Paul who Kaylyn mentioned?” Nikki asked in disbelief.

“I am,” he said and entered the house. “It’s a pity we have to reunite under such sad circumstances.”

“Yeah,” Nikki replied. She had dated Paul all through high school, but they’d broken up when she’d left for college.

She hadn’t seen him since, but he had aged well.

“You look good, Paul.” He had a more distinguished face.

He wore a few days-old face stubble, and his black hair had streaks of gray running through it.

His gray eyes were warm and kind and danced when he smiled.

“Right back at you,” he told her. “Listen, about Trish…”

“Right,” Nikki replied as she gathered her wits. “I need to get to the hospital. I haven’t been to see her yet.”

“Okay. I can take you if you’d like,” he offered. “I just came by to check on you and to see if you needed anything. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you.”

“I’m glad you and Trish found each other,” Nikki said gratefully. “I’d hate to think she was out here all alone.”

“Yeah, when she came back here, we sort of bumped into each other accidentally. I was sad to hear she hadn’t heard from you in a while, but when I realized she owned this place, I stuck around to make sure she was okay and helped her out when I could.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. We reconnected and became fast friends. I saw how I could help her by suggesting she change the restaurant's name. People already knew about Lot 28 and would expect the same quality service here. She’d pick up business better, and it worked,” he said as he widened his arms. “I was just happy she wasn’t too proud to accept the offer, but we’ve been somewhat of partners since then. ”

“That was awfully nice of you, Paul.” Nikki smiled.

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from you.

You were always a white knight.” She remembered that about him from her high school days.

“It may not be necessary, but thanks for everything. I haven’t been around, but it’s good to know she was in good company. ”

“She was.” Paul smiled. “Everyone around here loves her. And you know, you can always call me, just like she could.”

“I might be calling you a lot. I haven’t been to Camano in years.”

Paul chuckled. “Nothing’s changed. You’ll get the hang of things. How long are you staying?”

“It all depends on how well Trish is doing. And then there’s that business with the lawyer that I still haven’t figured out.”

“Oh right,” Paul said, but Nikki got the impression he knew exactly what she was talking about. “When do you meet with him?”

“Tomorrow. I’m not sure what that’s about because she isn’t dead,” Nikki said and gulped again.

“No, and you won’t think like that either.” Paul touched her shoulder gently. “She’s a fighter, and she will pull through. I have no doubt about that.”

Nikki desperately wanted to believe that, but she feared the worst. “I’ll take you up on that offer to go to the hospital, but please, come back after my visit with Trish so we can catch up and,” she said, gesticulating at the establishment, “get familiar with all of this.”

“Sure thing.” Paul smiled. “How are you holding up?”

“I could be better.” Nikki sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be okay until she is.”

“Understood.” Paul checked his watch. “Maybe we should get going.”

“Yeah, right,” Nikki agreed as she followed Paul out of the house.

She was in a familiar place that was also strange and different at the same time. She’d spent entire summers on Camano Island growing up, but somehow, it was like walking into a foreign country. Everything was different, and she was alone.

And as they approached the Camano Hospital, she couldn’t help thinking that her whole life was about to change.