Page 31 of Waves of Reckoning (Echoes of Camano Island #1)

“N ikki, we gotta go now. We’re already a half hour late,” Paul’s voice rang out with impatience. He glanced down at his watch, his brows furrowing before he looked up at her.

“Just…a few…more…There. I’m done,” she said triumphantly before carefully making her way down the ladder. Paul held it in place until she stepped off the last rung.

“Thank you for keeping me steady.” She smiled innocently up at his scowling face.

“You’re a riot, do you know that?” Paul chuckled, unable to remain mad when she was smiling at him like she was.

Nikki’s smile grew even wider, and she leaned forward and pecked his chin before stepping back. “That’s why you love me.” She smirked.

Paul groaned. “I don’t remember you being this mischievous.”

“That’s because there are a lot more layers to me than back when we were in high school,” she expressed. “What are you doing?” Nikki asked, pulling back in alarm when Paul lightly scraped his finger up her arm.

“Looking for your layers,” he replied in an isn’t it obvious voice. He burst into laughter when she huffed, and her arms banded across her chest.

“You, Paul Thompson, are not funny,” Nikki pouted with a roll of her eyes, then turned her back to him.

A kiss landed on her cheek that sent instant warmth to them. She turned around to face the man smiling affectionately back at her. “That’s why we’re perfect for each other,” he stated. Instantly, Nikki’s frown dissolved, and her lips turned up at the corners.

“Anyway, what do you think?” She jutted her chin upward at the banner she’d spent the past half hour hanging up.

Paul looked up at her handiwork and nodded in approval. “It looks great, but we really gotta go. I’m sure Trish is probably wondering where we are by now, and she might get suspicious and start having ideas.”

“You’re right. We need to go. Just let me get Amy and leave some instructions with Kaylyn, and then we can leave.”

“All right. I’ll put this away and meet you two by the car,” Paul responded, lifting the ladder and heading toward the front door.

Nikki turned in the opposite direction, making her way toward the back porch where she could already hear the chatter from the guests they’d invited over for Trish’s welcome home party. She was greeted by a flurry of activity the moment she threw the back door open and stepped onto the porch.

The sweet, smoky scent of barbecued ribs wafted to her nostrils, and her eyes instantly found Reed at the grill, turning slabs of meat as the rising smoke and heat fused with them to create an authentic, salivating aroma.

She definitely wanted a rack of those ribs when she got back from the hospital.

"Nikki, I thought you'd be gone by now," Kaylyn said as she sidled up to her.

"I'm leaving now. I just need to find Amy,” she replied, looking around in hopes of spotting her niece.

“Oh, I saw Amy heading over to the Nestled Inn with your friend Ava,” Kaylyn informed her.

“Thanks,” Nikki replied, turning around to leave. “I’ll text you when we’ve got Trish. Make sure everyone moves to the living room and is quiet until I give you the signal,” she instructed.

“Will do,” Kaylyn replied with a thumbs-up.

Nikki made her way to the front and found Paul leaning against the driver’s side of his car with his arms folded against his chest.

Nikki gave him an apologetic look.

“Where’s Amy?” he asked, looking behind her.

“She’s by the inn. I’ll go get her.”

“I thought that’s what you were doing in the first place,” Paul said, easing into his car and starting the engine, then honking his horn.

Amy came running down the porch steps before Nikki had taken more than ten steps.

“Sorry.” She smiled sheepishly at her aunt.

“It’s okay, but we’re very late. Your mother must be worrying by now.”

The women got into the car, and Paul drove off the property and onto the main road. In less than twenty minutes, they were riding the elevator up to the fourth floor where Trish was.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry,” Nikki and Amy apologized for their lateness as they hustled past the two nurses standing by their station whose unsmiling gazes had landed on them the moment they came through the elevator.

“We’re not the ones you should be worried about,” one of the women responded with a smirk.

Nikki pushed the door open and entered the room to find her sister sitting on the bed, her cell phone in her hand. Trish’s eyes registered surprise when they landed on Nikki before they narrowed.

“I was just about to send out a search party for you,” she said lightly, but the slight wobble in her voice told Nikki that her lateness had affected her. She felt awful.

“I’m sorry, Trish. I should have been here a lot sooner,” Nikki apologized.

Trish gave her half a smile. “That’s okay,” she responded softly.

Nikki knew it wasn’t. Ever since Trish had woken up over a month ago, she’d had to work very hard to regain functionality in her limbs, which had almost become flaccid as her muscles were wasted from lack of use.

She’d had to relearn how to walk again, and her broken leg had healed, but she still hadn’t fully recovered and had to use a cane for support.

She’d done one reconstructive facial surgery, and her bandages were now all gone, but there were a few noticeable scars on her forehead.

Her physiotherapist had said her improvements were all on track.

Still, even though that was good news, Nikki realized that her sister struggled to cope with the emotional trauma from the accident and her recovery.

Sometimes she felt so helpless, especially when Trish got into a pensive mood like now, as she stared down at her feet.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said, causing Trish’s head to lift to stare at her curiously.

Nikki walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Amy.

“Hi, Mom,” Amy greeted with a wide grin as she walked into the room.

“Hi, sweetie. What are you doing here? Don’t you have classes today?” Trish asked, furrowing her brows. However, this time, a small smile graced her lips.

“I do. I did. But I decided to take the day to help Aunt Nikki get you back home, where you belong,” Amy replied, reaching for the hand her mother held out to her and holding it against her chest, an endearing smile on her lips.

Trish’s smile brightened as she stared lovingly back at her daughter. “I’m glad you came,” she said in earnest.

“Me too,” Amy replied.

“What did I miss?” Paul asked, stepping into the room with a blank expression.

The woman chuckled, and Amy released her mother’s hand but remained close to her.

“Hey, Paul,” Trish greeted him with a smile.

Paul smiled back. “You look in high spirits,” he observed.

“I am now,” Trish replied, reaching for Amy’s hand and squeezing it lovingly.

“That’s great news. Are you guys ready to go?”

The women nodded before filing out of the room and heading for the elevator. They waved goodbye to the smiling nurses just before the elevator dinged shut, and they zoomed to the main lobby. Nikki held the door open for Trish and Paul, who assisted her through it.

Trish sat in the back with Amy while Nikki rode up front with Paul.

As the vehicle moved along the road, Nikki searched out Trish in the rearview mirror, but Trish was smiling over at Amy.

This brought a smile to Nikki’s face. She took out her phone and quickly shot a message to Kaylyn.

Almost instantly, her phone pinged in response.

Bringing up her messages, she noticed the woman sent her a thumbs-up emoji.

When they finally made it back to the house, Paul helped Trish get out of the car. She exchanged a knowing look with Amy as they ascended the porch steps ahead of them. Nikki rattled the doorknob as she tried to open the door.

“Oh, I forgot, I didn’t use the key,” she said loudly, slapping her hand against her forehead. “Let me just…” She rummaged through her purse before finally lifting the key above her head and jingling it in triumph. “Here it is. Now I can open the door.”

Trish’s brows launched upward as she stared at her sister in confusion.

Nikki finally opened the door after three attempts as Trish stared questioningly at her.

She moved aside, allowing Paul and Trish to go ahead.

Just as they approached the wall that opened into the living room, Nikki said.

“I was thinking maybe we could go out to eat, or if you’re not up to it, we could get a table at Lot 28! ”

Trish looked weirdly at her sister. “Why do you keep do—”

“SURPRISE!”

Trish jumped back, and her hands clutched her chest as her eyes widened with surprise at the mass of smiling faces. Without warning, she burst into tears, effectively wiping the smiles off their faces as they stared at a sobbing Trish in concern.

“You guys”— Sniff— “I can’t believe you did this for”— Sniff— “Me.” Her eyes lifted above their heads to stare appreciatively at the welcome home sign attached to the curtain.

“Wait until you see what’s on the outside,” someone called out, earning chuckles from the group.

“Still, thank you guys so much for this,” she said in earnest as a few more tears rolled down her cheeks.

“You deserve it, Trish, and so much more. We are just happy that you found your way back to us,” Kaylyn responded, walking over and pulling her into a tight hug.

Nikki smiled affectionately at her friend and worker the minute they separated.

Just like that, Trish accepted the hugs and encouragement from the townspeople while thanking them for their support.

“Hi, Trish,” Reed greeted her with a warm, affectionate smile.

“Reed,” Trish responded with a coy smile.

“You look…lovely,” he complimented.

Nikki noticed the way her sister’s cheeks became rosy as a sweet smile turned her lips upward. She exchanged knowing looks with Paul and inclined her head in nonverbal agreement to give them some privacy.

“All right, everyone, let’s make our way outside. That’s where the real party is after all. Let’s give Trish a little time to breathe and regroup before she joins us,” Nikki instructed. The crowd dispersed quickly, leaving Reed and Trish staring shyly back at each other.

Nikki and Paul exited the house and joined in the festivities. She eagerly tucked into the succulent rack of ribs she’d been craving, and she moaned in satisfaction that it did not disappoint.

A little while later, Trish exited the house using Reed’s arm for support instead of her cane. Again, the crowd erupted in cheers for her, and her smile only grew wider as Reed escorted her down the steps, holding her protectively at his side.

“I brought you some punch. Thought you might be thirsty.”

Nikki smiled over at Paul as she gladly took the drink and took some sips. Paul’s arms came around her shoulders, pulling her against him in a sideways hug as he placed a kiss against her temple.

Nikki couldn’t help the slight shiver that traveled up her spine at his show of affection. She didn’t think she would ever get used to how good and natural it felt to be with him.

She felt his fingers along her chin, turning her head, and she eagerly complied, looking into his green eyes that stared back at her.

“Are you happy?” he asked. His eyes studied her closely as he waited for her to respond.

“I am happy,” she finally responded with conviction, smiling up at him.

And she was.

She turned and stared appreciatively at the scene before her; at Trish being hugged and coddled by Kaylyn and the others, Reed hovering close by protectively, and Amy laughing at whatever Sarah, whose baby bump was very noticeable, said to her.

Her eyes flickered to her best friend in deep conversation with Nelly, and she wondered if there would be a better scene than this.

Just then, she felt something soft rub up against her leg. She looked down to see Tabby staring up at her as she released a soft meow. She felt another pair of eyes on her, and she complied with the magnetic pull she felt, turning to look back at Paul as he stared lovingly back at her.

At that moment, she knew she had made the right decision, and she could not be happier.