Second chances by the se.., p.1
Second Chances by the Sea, page 1
part #1 of Echoes of Camano Island Series
Second Chances by the Sea
Echoes of Camano Island
Kimberly Thomas
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © 2025 by Kimberly Thomas
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Kimberly Thomas holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Coming Next
Other Books by Kimberly
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Prologue
55 years ago
She stood on the bustling dock in Whidbey Island with her palms pressed firmly against her pounding heart. The air was thick with the scent of salt and the clamor of activity all around her. Men dressed in crisp olive-green uniforms were surrounded by their families, hugging and laughing in an attempt to diminish the gravity of why they were all there.
The salty sea breeze tousled her blond curls as she watched the young man she’d come to see. He was wrapped in the tight, sobbing embrace of his mother, his lips moving with what looked like words of assurance as his chin rested atop her head. When they finally separated, he turned to his father. No words were spoken as they shared a firm handshake, but it did not lessen their affection, especially when the man pulled his son into a bear hug and whispered something against his ear, which caused him to hug him just as fiercely.
Finally, he turned in her direction as his parents stepped to the side. Her heart beat erratically inside her rib cage as she watched him take slow, measured steps toward her. She could see the tension in his shoulders, and his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to muster a bright smile for her.
“Hey, Nell,” he greeted her affectionately, the nickname he had for her rolling off his tongue.
Nelly stood there frozen. She couldn’t speak over the lump that had formed in her throat. She had promised herself she would be strong for him, but a sudden heaviness overcame her, and without warning, a tear slipped down her cheek, then another, and another…
“Shoot. Nell, please don’t cry.” He sighed as he gathered her in his arms. His words only seemed to encourage her to cry harder. “Everything will be okay,” he said encouragingly from above, rubbing her back soothingly.
“I’m scared, Steve,” she whimpered against his chest a few minutes later.
“I know,” Steve returned after a beat. “I’ll come back to you. I promise.” Her cheek rubbed against the cool material of his shirt as she nodded.
“You’ll write me every day… won’t you?” Nelly asked, lifting her head to look up at him.
“Every day without pause,” Steve declared, his steely gray eyes glinting with an unwavering vow. Cupping her cheek, he looked deeply into her eyes and continued, “There won’t be a day I won’t miss you, and I’ll be counting down the days until I get to hold you like this again… forever.”
Nelly’s smile came instantly. “I’ll be counting down the days as well.” She placed her head back against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Do you remember that night I promised to marry you one day?”
“How could I forget? We were stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel overlooking the fairgrounds. I was scared out of my mind, but you wrapped your arm around me and assured me everything would be okay.” She looked up into his eyes, her own glossed over with affection. “That’s the first time you told me you loved me, and then you said you were going to marry me one day,” she repeated his words.
“I remember,” he responded, his lips curving into an affectionate smile.
“I’m holding you to that promise, so you better come back to me.” She playfully jabbed her index finger into his chest.
“Yes, ma’am.” Steve saluted with a playful smile, which caused Nelly to giggle. “And to prove to you how serious I am, I want to do this now…”
Nelly’s eyes became saucers as she watched Steve drop to one knee and reach into the breast pocket of his uniform. Her hands flew to her mouth next as he produced a single gold band with a simple round-cut diamond in the center. “Steve…”
Steve smiled up at her. “Cornelia Christine Collins, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
“Steve Jacobs, you know I love you with all my heart…”
Onlookers had drawn closer. The noise on the dock subsided as everyone waited for her answer.
“Of course I’ll marry you.” She laughed excitedly.
Loud cheers erupted as Steve slipped the ring on her finger. Rising to his feet, he gathered her in his arms and spun her around as she squealed with pleasure.
“You’ve made me the happiest man alive; you know that?” he asked, eyes sparkling with happiness as he set her back on her feet.
“And you’ve made me the happiest woman alive,” Nelly gushed. Steve leaned forward and dipped his head until their lips met in an endearing kiss.
After receiving congratulations and embracing Steve’s parents, Nelly spent the remaining time hugging his side as his impending departure became the focus once more. He would be getting on the ferry headed for the military base in South Carolina, where he would be training for a few months before being shipped off to Vietnam to join the forces already there.
Soon enough, the blaring of the ferry’s horn broke through. Reluctantly, they separated, and Nelly stood with Steve’s parents, watching as he boarded the ferry. The aching in her heart intensified with each step he took away from her.
When the Ferry finally pulled away from the dock, Nelly stood there watching it, her hands pressed against her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the salt of the sea. She whispered a silent prayer for Steve’s safe return before allowing his parents to escort her back to their car to take her back to Camano Island—without Steve.
She found her mother in the kitchen, an apron around her waist and a spatula in her hand as she flipped the trout Nelly’s father had caught a few days back.
“Mama,” Nelly called out.
Her mother turned around. “How’d it go?” she asked. Her ocean-blue eyes stared expectantly.
Nelly held up her left hand. The light pouring through the window caused the diamond to sparkle on her finger. “He asked me to marry him.” She smiled brightly.
“Oh,” escaped her mother’s lips as her eyes widened and her lips parted. “Well…” she said, turning to place the kitchen towel on the counter before turning off the stove. Nelly’s hand fell to her side, and she waited with bated breath for her mother to face her once more. When she did, Nelly could read as clear as day the apprehension in the blue eyes that mirrored her own.
“Don’t you think you’re too young to be engaged?” her mother asked after a minute.
Nelly’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll be eighteen in November, Mama,” she spoke evenly even though, internally, she was panicking.
“I know, but—”
“Didn’t you and Daddy get married when you were seventeen?” She interrupted her mother to point out.
“We did.” Her mother nodded. “But those were different times. You have so many opportunities available to you now that I didn’t have back then, and being married so young comes with many responsibilities you might not be prepared for.” She held her hands as she reasoned.
“Marrying Steve won’t give me fewer opportunities, Mama. Besides, he’ll be gone for at least a year, after his training is complete, which will give us enough time to prepare for it,” Nelly countered. Her mother didn’t respond, but the apprehensive look in her eyes made her question, “Where is all of this coming from? I thought you liked Steve.”
“I do. I do.” Her mother nodded vigorously. Releasing a heavy breath, she walked over to the table and sat down. Nelly did the same. After a short silence, her mother looked at her seriously. “You’re a smart girl, Nelly—a whole lot smarter than I was at your age. You can go to college, have a career, be independent…” She reached across the table to grasp her daughter’s hand as she continued. “As much as I like Steve, I think if you get married now, your life will change so much that you won’t want those things for yourself, and you’ll wake up one day regretting not having done all that you could when you had the chance.”
“I am not like you, Mama.” Nelly pulled her hand away. “Just because you’re unhappy with doing house chores, cooking, washing, and ironing for Daddy doesn’t mean it’ll be the same for me.” She saw the look of hurt that flashed across her face, but she couldn’t stop—she needed her mother to understand th
There was silence around the table for over a minute before her mother looked at her with pursed lips. “You’re right. It is your choice. Congratulations, sweetheart,” she finally said. With that, she got up and walked around the table to stand before Nelly. She leaned down and placed a kiss against her temple. “I gotta finish up this meal for your daddy.” Nelly watched as her mother returned to the stove and started the fire again before lifting the spatula. She left the kitchen then and headed for her room.
Nelly face-planted on her bed, exhausted. She ruminated over her conversation with her mother. The fact she hadn’t been readily supportive of her engagement hurt her. She couldn’t wait for her father to get home, as she knew his reaction would be different.
Nelly stood by the kitchen counter, wiping down the cupboards as she helped her mother with the house chores. The familiar creak of the gate and the soft clink of the latch caught her attention. Her heart leaped as she dropped the dishcloth and raced out the door, her feet barely touching the wooden porch steps. “Hi, Bill!”
Bill, the postman, looked up from his bag with a sympathetic smile that quickly faded. “Sorry, Nelly, no letters for you today.”
The words hit Nelly like a physical blow. She felt her chest tighten, and the world around her blurred. “Oh…” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
The last letter she’d received from Steve had been over three months ago—one year and nine months after he’d been deployed. Prior to that, she had received between two and four letters every month. Now, each day without a letter felt like an eternity, her worry growing into an unbearable weight.
Bill handed her the rest of the mail. He hesitated as if searching for something more to say to ease her pain. “Maybe tomorrow,” he said gently before walking away.
Nelly watched him go, clutching the letters to her chest as if they could somehow bring her the news she desperately wanted. She turned and walked back inside, the creak of the door announcing her return.
Her mother, who had been watching from the kitchen, gave her a sympathetic look. “Still no word from Steve?” she asked gently.
Nelly shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Maybe he’s just somewhere he can’t send a letter from,” her mother suggested, trying to sound optimistic.
Nelly nodded mechanically, but the words offered little comfort. “I know you’re trying to help, Mama, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” she said, her voice cracking. “It’s been too long. What if something happened to him?”
Her mother sighed; her face lined with worry. “I know it’s hard, Nelly, but you have to believe he’ll come back. I’m sure he’s doing everything he can to get a letter to you. In the meantime, you need to do something to take your mind off this situation.”
Nelly’s eyes flashed with anger. “How can you say something like that?”
Her mother’s eyes widened as her lips parted. “Wh-what,” she sputtered before Nelly spoke up.
“I shouldn’t have expected anything more from you. You never even wanted me to marry him! You don’t care about Steve!”
“That’s not fair, Nelly,” her mother protested, her voice rising. “I just want what’s best for you. I worry about you every day.”
“Well, worrying doesn’t help me!” Nelly shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I need to know he’s okay. I need to hear from him!”
The argument left a heavy silence in its wake. Nelly couldn’t stand it any longer. She grabbed her coat and stormed out of the house, tears blurring her vision as she walked briskly down the road. The ten-minute walk to Steve’s parents’ home felt like a lifetime. Her mind raced with thoughts of Steve, memories of his laughter, the warmth of his embrace, and the promises they had made to each other.
As she approached the Jacobs’s residence, her heart hammered against her chest at the sight of a military service vehicle parked by the gate. She quickened her pace, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. When she reached the steps, she saw Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs stepping onto the front porch, flanked by two solemn-faced Army men.
Mrs. Jacobs’s eyes met Nelly’s, and the look of grief and understanding in them made Nelly’s blood run cold. “No…” Nelly whispered, her voice breaking. “No!”
Mrs. Jacobs’s tears spilled over, and she reached out a trembling hand. “Nelly, I…”
Nelly’s knees buckled, and she crumpled onto the porch steps, her sobs wracking her body. “No! It can’t be true! Steve…”
Chapter One
The June sun cast a warm glow over Nelly’s flower garden as she knelt among the blossoms. Her weathered hands, covered by a pair of worn yet sturdy gardening gloves, moved deftly as she tended to her beloved plants.
Despite her age of seventy-two, Nelly’s movements were still deliberate and precise, though perhaps a bit slower than they used to be. She carefully inspected each flower, gently removing any wilted petals or yellowing leaves with practiced hands. The bending and reaching required to tend to her garden were more challenging now, causing a dull ache in her knees and lower back, serving as a reminder of the passage of time. Yet she persevered, unwilling to let age hinder her passion for gardening.
With a sense of satisfaction, she leaned back and admired the fruits of her labor as she lovingly tended to each plant, knowing her efforts would result in an even more bountiful display of colors and fragrances in the weeks to come. The rhythmic sounds of nature surrounded her—the chirping of birds, the buzzing of bees, and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze—all contributing to the peaceful sanctuary she had cultivated in her own yard. In this tranquil moment, Nelly found solace and contentment, grateful for the simple joys her garden brought to her life. Gardening had always been her solace, a way to escape the loneliness that sometimes crept into her heart.
As she worked, the distant ring of the landline pulled her back to reality. With a sigh, Nelly set down her trowel, pulled off her gloves, hurried up the porch steps, and entered the house. By the time she reached the phone, the ringing had stopped. She noticed the blinking light, indicating a new voicemail and pressed the button to listen.
The voice that greeted her was familiar yet unexpected. Nelly’s heart skipped a beat as she listened to the message.
“Hi, Mom, it’s me… Kathy. I know it’s been a while since we last spoke and even longer since… Listen, I’m on a break from work, and I was, um… I was wondering if I could stay with you for a couple of weeks. Let me know if that’s okay. Bye.”
Nelly felt a mix of emotions wash over her—surprise, joy, and a touch of hesitation. She had grown accustomed to her quiet life on the island, finding comfort in her routines and solitude. The thought of having her daughter back in the house stirred up memories and longings she had tucked away.
Kathy hadn’t stepped foot on Camano Island in over twenty-eight years. Ever since she’d moved to Arizona, the closest she’d gotten to town was Seattle, where Nelly would pick up her granddaughters so they could spend time with her. When the girls had gotten old enough, they began traveling on their own. She worried her bottom lip as she wondered what had prompted her daughter’s sudden need to come home.
After a moment of contemplation, Nelly picked up the phone and dialed Kathy’s number. The phone rang a few times before she answered.
“Hello?” Kathy’s voice sounded through the speaker.
“Hi, Kathy, it’s me,” Nelly replied, trying to keep her voice light.
