“Okay, I’m going to order us some takeout,” Ava said as she pulled away from Nikki.
“I can’t lose her, Ava.” Nikki sobbed. It was as if the tears wouldn’t stop raining down, consuming Nikki in the process.
“You won’t,” Ava promised her. “You won’t.”
She pulled her in for another hug, but deep down, Nikki dreaded the worst.
ChapterTwo
Trish’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.
