Page 6 of Waves of Reckoning (Echoes of Camano Island #1)

Chapter Five

P aul didn’t want to leave Nikki alone when she was already so low, but he had just found out one of his line cooks was threatening to quit.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he entered the kitchen.

“I can’t work with Ken,” Will complained, and the veins in his forehead bulged. “He doesn’t listen.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t listen,” Ken shouted.

“Hey!” Paul yelled at them both. “In case neither of you realized, this isn’t a preschool playground. I’m trying to run a reputable business here, and I didn’t get this far to have my main guys bickering like schoolgirls. Get your act together and start doing your jobs,” he told them.

“Ken, you’re the sous chef for a reason. I expect you to lead, not dictate. Will, he is your superior. A little respect goes a long way. What’s this talk about quitting?”

“Never mind.” Will shook his head. “It was a misunderstanding.”

“Is that so?” Paul turned to Ken. “What do you say?”

“It’s nothing. We’re cool,” he said, wiping the towel down his face.

“Great. Now, we have a dining room full of guests waiting to be served. I suggest you both get back to it. You’re good at what you do. Now act like it!”

The men nodded and returned to work. That afternoon bled into an even busier Friday evening, and Paul found himself staying at the restaurant into the busy hours. Once or twice, he joined the kitchen staff in preparing dinner tickets, but nothing too strenuous.

He was entering the dining room after preparing what he figured was his last ticket of the day when he noticed a waving Sarah by the door.

She was the spitting image of her mother, and Paul’s face lit up as he hurried over to her. “Hey, kiddo.” He lifted her off the ground in a tight squeeze.

“Dad,” she said, punching his arm playfully. “Not here.” She laughed. “And watch your back.”

“It’s not my back you need to worry about,” he said as he set her down. “It’s my heart that you’re going to break for taking so long to visit.”

She laughed. “Are you busy now? Please tell me you’re not still manning the line back there.”

He glanced back in the direction of the kitchen staff. “No, you know I can’t handle all of that. Not since the heart attack. Here, let’s go out on the patio.”

He pushed the door outward, and they sat under the umbrella covering the table on the patio. It was a beautiful, clear night where the stars were visible, and the ocean rolling in the background was like a live photo.

“I’ll never get tired of this,” Sarah said as the gentle breeze toyed with her dark-brown hair and tossed it across her face. She was sweeping it behind her ear when she caught her father staring at her. “What?”

“I can’t believe how much you look like her,” Paul said as he remembered his wife. She had died ten years ago from leukemia, and the memory of it still cut like a knife, especially when Sarah was around.

He struggled to be a single parent after that, and Sarah went through bouts of rebellion that drove him up the wall.

He constantly felt like a failure, but then, almost overnight, she blossomed into a woman he could be proud of, and he was.

She was also struggling with the loss of her mother, but somewhere, through their grief, they reconnected.

“Sometimes I pretend she’s still here.” Sarah sighed.

“That’s really healthy,” Paul quipped, raising his brows.

She giggled, and he spotted the deep dimples in her cheeks. “I mean, I like thinking of her like she isn’t just…gone.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” he said to her and sat back in the chair. “I think the shock of it was what gave me the heart attack in the first place. I don’t think it was working here. I love doing this.”

“I know,” Sarah said as she stared at the ocean. “I couldn’t have handled losing the two of you.”

“Hey,” Paul said as he took her hand across the table. “I’m not going anywhere. But, even if I did, you already found a replacement.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Sarah scolded. “And Aaron is not a replacement. He’s the other man I love.”

Paul laughed. “The other man.”

“Yes!” She laughed. “But don’t tell him I said that.”

“How is he, by the way?”

“Uh, he’s okay, I guess. He’s been busy picking up night shifts at the hospital. I’ve tried to avoid those, but I guess it’s okay for now. I wouldn’t want him doing that when we decide to have a family.”

Paul’s brows shot up. “Is there talk of that? So soon?”

“Don’t worry, Dad.” She laughed. “I won’t make you a grandfather just yet.”

“Phew!” he teased. “Although I can’t say I’d mind a rug rat or two crawling all over me. It would give me something else to do now that I’m not here as much anymore.”

“And how’s that working out?” Sarah followed up and leaned forward.

A server came onto the patio, and Paul called him over and ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon.

“Oh, classy,” Sarah teased and wiggled her fingers. “But back to the restaurant. I was worried you’d lose your Michelin rating or something when you stepped away.”

“To be honest,” he said and leaned forward secretly, “I was a little anxious about that too. But Francois is doing an amazing job. The chefs, Will and Ken…superb.” He kissed his steepled fingers.

“I mean, they bicker from time to time, but they manage to send out amazing dishes every time. I can literally walk away to help Trish without worrying.”

“I can see that.” Sarah smiled as pride radiated on her face. “Is she going to be alright? I like her.”

“I hope so.” Paul sighed as he thought about her. “I didn’t know she and I would have gotten along that well.”

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “For a second, I thought you two were going to be an item.”

“Never crossed my mind,” he said as nostalgia washed over him.

“I saw what she was trying to do with the inn, but knowing the town folks as much as I did, I knew she’d have a hard time.

She had some good ideas, but her execution wasn’t always on point, and I had more experience, so I offered what help I could. ”

“You did way more than that,” Sarah noted. “You gave her your restaurant’s name. That was a big risk. What if she had flopped?”

Paul laughed. “I wasn’t thinking about that at the time. But it worked. I wanted her to piggyback off Lot 28’s reputation.”

“That was a good thing you did, though.” Sarah smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, kiddo,” he said as they sipped from their glasses and looked out at the pale silhouette of the horizon. “About you…” Paul said and tapped her arm. “I can’t believe my little girl is going to get married.”

“Yeah.” She blushed and looked at the princess-cut diamond on her finger. “I can’t believe it either. I was so surprised when he asked.”

“I wasn’t. He would have been crazy not to.” Paul grinned.

Sarah sighed. “I just wish Mom could have been here for the wedding.”

“I know.” Paul sighed. “I wish she were here too, but you’ll have to do it with just me.”

Sarah smiled. “I can live with that. I know Aaron is fond of you. Speaking of which, I wonder how he’s doing on his rounds. He’s doubling tonight.”

“That’s why I’m not a nurse. I’m a cook. I work during sane hours,” Paul teased.

“Well, luckily for you, there are people like us who work insane hours when you need us,” she said and stuck out her tongue like a child.

He laughed. “I was just messing with you. In fact, I think it’s great that he’s a nurse. The medical field needs more men like that.”

“You can say that again,” Sarah agreed. “What are your plans for the rest of the night?”

Paul scratched his head. “I didn’t really have any plans. I brought Nikki here for lunch and then…”

“Nikki?” Sarah asked with sudden intrigue.

“Don’t get any ideas.” He chuckled. “She’s Trish’s sister, although we used to have a thing back in high school.”

“Oh, you did?” Sarah asked, and Paul could see the wheels turning in her head. “Is she pretty?”

“Sarah, I know you’re happy with Aaron, but that doesn’t mean you should start with the matchmaking. It’s never worked before,” Paul said and downed the rest of his glass of wine.

“But this time, it’s an old flame. Is she single?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. We aren’t thinking about that,” he told her flatly.

“Speak for yourself,” Sarah goaded. “She might be interested.”

“What we had was decades ago. What are the odds we’d reconnect now?”

Sarah shrugged. “Who knows why anything happens?”

“You’re right,” he said and looked around. “But don’t get your hopes up.”

“Okay, but I can’t promise you anything.” Sarah giggled. “Anyway, I think I need to get going. I had a long day, and I want to put my feet up,” she said.

“That makes two of us,” Paul agreed as he pushed his chair back. “Let me walk you to your car.”

They walked slowly toward the parking lot, the wind whistling in his ears.

The air was crisp and salty, just the way he liked it.

That was one of the reasons he’d moved to Camano after he’d completed his education.

He loved the dynamic flair of the place and the uniqueness of the individual villages.

The people were warm and friendly, and he quickly grew attached to the place.

“So,” Sarah said when she got to the car, “I’ll come and see you soon.”

“Should I believe you this time?” Paul asked and moved a wisp of hair from her face.

“Yes!” she said emphatically. “Unless I get extra busy, in which case I deserve a pass and a lot of forgiveness.”

Paul laughed and hugged her. “Take care of yourself, will you?”

“I will,” she said.

He watched as she got into her Chevy Cruze and pulled away. She honked the car on her way out, and Paul waved, then walked back toward the restaurant.

Her words didn’t leave his mind as quickly as she had. He hadn’t seen Nikki in years, but there was still a strong sense of familiarity with her. Sarah was right. What were the odds that she’d shown up in his life again, and at the most convenient time, when they were both single? Serendipity?

Paul didn’t want to read too much into fate and circumstances, but as he walked back into the restaurant, he couldn’t help feeling that there may be something to what Sarah had said after all.

And a smile spread across his face. It would not be the worst thing that could happen to him.