by Judith Keim
“Hey, princess,” Vaughn called into the room. “Better hurry up. Our guests are arriving.”
I quickly hung up my dress and grabbed a cotton sundress from the closet. Vaughn liked me in blue, and the blue of this simple dress matched the color of my eyes. I pulled a brush through my straight, dark hair and studied myself in the mirror over my bureau. I was a grandmother through unusual circumstances. Did being “Gammy” make me seem any older? I thought of the welcome home I had in mind for Vaughn and smiled. At least for tonight, it wouldn’t.
###
I hurried into the living room. Bernie stood. Trudy barked and ran over to me, wagging her tail. I bent down and stroked her head, earning more wiggles from her. When I straightened, Bernie smiled his approval.
“Welcome,” I said to him, and held out my hand.
He shook it solemnly. “It’s good to be here. Thank you.”
Vaughn stood by with a look of amusement as he studied the dog who looked up at him with a doggie grin. He turned to Bernie. “Can I get you that scotch now?”
“Yes, indeed. That would be nice.”
Vaughn turned to me. “Glass of pinot grigio?”
“Perfect. Why don’t we go out onto the porch? Perhaps tonight we’ll be able to see the green flash.”
“Green flash? What is that?’ Bernie asked, following me onto the screened-in porch that overlooked the water, giving us a nice view of sunsets.
As I did with most new visitors to the Gulf coast, I explained, “If the atmosphere is just right, you can sometimes see a bright green flash at the moment the sun dips beneath the horizon. I’ve never seen it, but I never get tired of looking for it.”
“Ahhh, sounds like a plan,” Bernie said, smiling as he accepted his drink from Vaughn.
He sat in one of the comfortable, cushioned chairs. After being firmly told to stay down, Trudy sat dutifully at his feet.
Vaughn handed me my glass of wine, set the tray down on a nearby table and lifted his glass. “Here’s to friendships!”
Bernie and I raised our drinks. After we each had taken a sip, Vaughn settled on the loveseat next to me.
“So, Bernie, tell me a little bit about yourself. I understand you’ve come to The Beach House Hotel from New York City. The Brightly Hotel is a big, beautiful, busy property. I know it well. This is quite a change for you.”
He looked at me and smiled. “A change I was more than ready for.”
I’d heard all about the large, upscale hotel he managed, where people came and went in a hurry, about how he’d wanted to live life a little more slowly, and how ready he was to explore the resort end of the business by coming to a small property in the continental US.
Vaughn studied him. “Surely there’s more to the story than that.”
I could feel my eyes widen at the directness of Vaughn’s questioning. Following procedure for conducting job interviews didn’t allow Rhonda and me to ask too many personal questions. Rhonda and I knew Bernie was single. And from his glowing references, we learned that he was well-respected in the industry and that, away from the hotel, he was a bit of a loner, which we attributed to his formal manner.
The silence that followed Vaughn’s question continued for a few awkward moments. Then, Bernie cleared his throat. “The woman I planned to marry was murdered a little over a year ago. It was a senseless death, a case of her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was riding the subway home, and a fight broke out between gang members. She became trapped between the groups, and during the battle, a stray bullet killed her as she was trying to get away.” Bitterness crept into his voice. “I grew to hate everything about the city. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.”
Shock roiled through me. “Oh, Bernie, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
He picked up Trudy and held her in his lap. “She’s the only thing I have left of Louisa.” His eyes shimmered with emotion.
Trudy gave him a kiss.
Watching them, I felt the sting of tears. I would never have imagined such a story behind our very stiff, very formal manager—a man, I now knew, who had a hurting heart.
Bernie patted Trudy and set her back down on the floor. “You see why I have her with me always.”
I smiled. He was a true romantic.
“I’m sorry to hear about your girlfriend,” Vaughn said. “Violence like that is the downside of living in a large city. I work in New York, but this has become home for me.” He put an arm around me. “Here, with Ann.”
Our conversation ended when Elena brought Robbie into the living room. “I thought you might like to say good night to Robbie,” she said brightly. “I’m reading a few books to him before he goes to sleep, but he wanted to see you.”
Dressed in the new pajamas Liz and I had bought him, he looked so much like Robert for a moment that I caught my breath.
Vaughn seemed to feel the tension in my body and held out his arms. “Come here, buddy.”
Robbie hesitated, but then allowed Elena to bring him closer to us.
Vaughn ruffled his hair. “Have fun reading books. See you in the morning.”
Robbie studied him and moved in front of me. “Gammy.”
I lifted him into my lap and hugged him. He leaned against me a moment and then wiggled to get down.
“Sweet dreams, Robo Rob,” I said.
His face lit up at the mention of his nickname. “Izzie?”
“Liz will be back soon. I promise.”
Elena took Robbie’s hand and he left the room, glancing back at me several times.
“Cute little boy,” said Bernie. “So sorry about his parents.”
“Thanks, it’s been an awful surprise to everyone.” I forced a smile. “It’s another reason Rhonda and I are glad to have you on board at the hotel.”
“Ahhh, yes. I understand.”
Vaughn rose. “I’m going to start the grill now if that’s all right with everyone. Want to come with me, Bernie? We’ll get another drink before grilling up some steaks.”
“Sure.”
Bernie and Vaughn left the room and I sat a moment, still shocked by Bernie’s sad story. In his mid-50s, he obviously was still suffering from his loss. I wondered what other stories he had of his past.
I rose and decided to check on Robbie and Elena.
When I cracked open the door to his room. I saw Robbie sitting in Elena’s lap, listening intently as she talked about the pictures in the book. Pleased by the way she was handling him, I silently closed the door and went into the kitchen.
I was putting together a green salad when Elena walked in. “Robbie’s down for the night.” She smiled. “I think he was exhausted from all the swimming we did.”
“Thank you. You’re so good with him,” I said with real gratitude.
“He had a few tantrums today, but once he understands you mean what you say, he settles down.” She chuckled. “One of my brothers was the very same way.”
“Vaughn is cooking some steaks. Would you like to eat with us?”
She shook her head. “No thanks. If I’m through with Robbie for the day, I’d like to go and meet my friends for a while.”
“Certainly,” I said. “That was our agreement. You’re free to come and go after Robbie has been taken care of.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I’ll see you later. I’ve got the key you gave me. I’ll be quiet coming in.”
She left as Bernie and Vaughn were bringing in the steaks. They were chatting comfortably with each other, and I thought, as I had so many times, that Vaughn was a real nice guy.
By the end of a very congenial meal, I thought the new, relaxed Bernie was a nice, all-around guy too.
###
Sated from our lovemaking, I cuddled up against Vaughn’s strong body. It felt so good to have him in our bed, next to me. He cupped my cheek with his large, broad hand. “You are no ordinary Gammy,”
I smiled. “Good.”
“How long do you think this arrangement with Robbie is going to st
ay this way? Liz will go back to school and be home in June and then what?”
I shook my head. “I wish I knew.”
“Does this interfere with our plans to get married?”
Frowning, I pulled away from him and stared into his troubled eyes. “It shouldn’t, should it?”
“We’d talked about a summer wedding. Should we wait until September when Liz is either back at school or on her own?”
My mind spun. “Maybe you’re right. It’s going to be a small, family wedding so I suppose it can be easily changed.” Even as I said the words old resentments against Robert burned inside me briefly before I chided myself for being childish. Robert couldn’t help dying and leaving Liz—and me—with our lives in an uproar.
“Let’s not decide that now,” Vaughn said.
At the sound of someone in the house, I sat up.
“It’s just Elena,” Vaughn reminded me.
I sank back against the pillows, more conflicted than ever about the way things were turning out.
###
The next morning, I entered the hotel curious to see what kind of reaction I’d get from Bernie. Last night we’d been open and friendly in a new way.
As I stood at the front desk talking to our night clerk, I heard the clatter of nails against the tile floor and turned as Trudy rushed toward me.
Smiling, I knelt on the floor, and Trudy wiggled her way into my arms. “Hi, girl. Where’s Daddy?”
“Good morning, Ann.”
I looked up to find Bernie frowning at me. “We need to talk.”
Concerned, I rose to my feet. “Sure, want me to come to your office?”
“Yes, please.” Back straight and stiff, he led me into his office. Following behind him, I wondered where the pleasant, congenial man of last night had gone.
Inside his office, he indicated a chair for me before taking a seat behind his desk.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I posted a schedule for the housekeepers. This morning, I discovered Ana had changed it all around. Either I’m in charge or she is. Which is it?”
My heart thudded at the anger in his voice. “Did she say why she’d done it?”
He shook his head. “Apparently it’s spring break for the local schools and some of the women have family commitments. Their first commitment should be the hotel.”
I drew a deep breath and hoped he’d understand what I was about to say. “We’re lucky to have the housekeepers we do. They’re good at their jobs. But they’re also mothers and wives. And if they’re willing to switch things around to cover their duties here at the hotel, I’m okay with it.”
“But we need to know who’s here and who we can expect,” he protested.
“Surely you had department heads at the New York hotel. We’ll make Ana head of Housekeeping and tell her she must report to you, instead of having you discover the changes to the schedule on your own. It’s a growing operation and we’re all trying to adjust to your new ways,” I said, hoping to appease him.
“Okay, then, we’re going to add more structure to the group, tiny as it is. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” I said, wondering if Rhonda and I had made a mistake by bringing someone else in. Then I thought of Rhonda and her baby and all the changing demands of our families and realized I could never run the hotel without him.
Before I went to my office, I spoke to Ana. “It’s important for you to inform Bernhard of any changes to the schedule.”
“You know what it’s like for us. A child gets sick, and if we can’t find somebody to watch them, then we have to find someone to take our shift. Things were a lot simpler before Bernhard came.”
“That may be,” I said, “but he’s going to help us make our operation a little more professional. You know how much we’ve grown. Now we have to be able to provide the necessary protocol, paperwork, and figures behind it.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
I left her standing at one of the maids’ closets and went into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.
“Buenos dias,” said Consuela. “You heard about Ana and Bernhard?”
I nodded. Nothing escaped Consuela’s notice. “It’s all settled. Are the cinnamon rolls ready?”
She grinned. “For you, si. A little hot for others.”
I laughed and accepted a single sweet roll still warm from the oven. They were a weakness of mine.
Carrying the plate with the sweet roll, a napkin, and a cup of coffee, I carefully made my way into the office.
“Hi, Annie!” said Rhonda. “Look here! It’s a house I think Angela and Reggie may like. What do ya think?”
I could feel my eyes widen. “Are you going to buy them a house?”
“No way. Reggie asked me to look for him.” Her eyes moistened. “Annie, he’s gonna do it. He’s definitely going into business with Will. His parents are furious about it, but what’s new? They’re always mad about something.”
I set down my coffee and the plate so I could give her a hug as easily as I could around the bulk of her pregnancy. “When did you find out?”
“Last night, Will made an official job offer, and Reggie accepted it. They’ve been talking about it for some time. Will figured he’d better know for sure before he thought of hiring somebody else. Nice, huh?” Rhonda’s dark eyes sparkled. “I can’t believe all my good luck. Now if only this baby will come. I keep telling him to hurry up.”
“Him?” Though Rhonda and Will had chosen not to find out the sex of the baby, Rhonda was convinced her baby was a boy.
I looked at the photograph of the house Rhonda had pulled up on her computer. It was a nice but modest home in what was described as a family neighborhood with a community pool.
“Whaddya’ think?” said Rhonda. “Nice, huh?”
“Very nice for a first home,” I said. Gazing at her, I asked the question I couldn’t hold back. “With all your money you could buy them a bigger house...” I let my words die out.
She smiled. “Will and I talked about it, and he pointed out that if Reggie didn’t have to work for something like that, he might be one of those people who think they deserve it.” Rhonda beamed at me. “Will’s so smart.”
I returned her smile. In Rhonda’s eyes, Will was the best, the brightest, the most wonderful man of all. I could almost agree with her. Aside from the fact he was my financial manager, I loved him like a brother.
“How did your dinner with Bernie go last night?” Rhonda asked.
I took a sip of my hot coffee and sat down. “It was very interesting.” I told her about Bernie’s past.
“What an awful thing to have happened,” gasped Rhonda. “Poor guy! Such a tragedy! We don’t want him to be all alone. We’ll have to introduce him to someone.”
I waggled a finger in warning. “Now, Rhonda, we are not, repeat not, going to play matchmaker. That would bring us nothing but trouble.”
“But, Annie, it’s so sad for him to be lonely,” pleaded Rhonda.
This time, I glared at her. “No. We’ve got our hands full introducing him to the staff. They’re chafing at his insistence on being in charge of everything.”
“You mean about the struggle between him and Ana? Consuela told me all about it.”
I sighed. Nothing was sacred among our staff. “Bernie and I talked about setting up departments and running it like a big hotel. Even though we’re small, it might be best to handle it that way. We’re continuing to grow, and it’s a lot different from when we started all this.”
“Okay, I say we do it. We can’t lose Bernie.” Rhonda’s expression grew even more serious. “When I talked to Angela last night, she told me she was gonna be with Liz all day today—for the private burial.”
I sank down into my chair. “I can’t thank Angela enough. I offered to go, but Liz didn’t want me there. And, I admit, it would’ve been a little awkward.”
“I think so too. I’m glad Angela and Liz are together. They’re best friends after all. And where wo
uld we be if they hadn’t been college roommates their freshman year?” Rhonda grinned at me. “So much has happened to us in such a short time, it sometimes seems unreal. Huh?”
I couldn’t help smiling. Breakfast at The Beach House Hotel had turned into lunch and dinner at the hotel, with famous people coming and going along with others who’d discovered our gem of a small hotel. It made me feel as if all the worry and hard work that had brought us to this point was worth it.
CHAPTER NINE
Rhonda waved me out of the office. “Go! Don’t keep Vaughn waiting. I’ll cover for you.”
I gave her a grateful wave and left the hotel. It was important to me to give Vaughn as much of my time as I could. We’d discussed it before he bought the house we were living in.
I drove past my small house on the hotel property, which was now serving as Bernie’s home, and thought how much that house meant to me. I never wanted to sell it. It stood as a symbol of my determination to make a successful, new life following my divorce from Robert.
All was quiet when I walked into the house I now shared with Vaughn. I looked out at the pool. It was empty. Beyond the screened-in porch, I saw Vaughn washing down the small day sailer, a perfect sailboat for playing around on the inlet waters.
Before going down to join Vaughn, I decided to check on Robbie. I walked into his wing of the house and heard crying. Hurrying my step, I went to his room. Elena was sitting in a rocking chair with him, singing softly as he wept in her arms. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
“Someone is missing his Mommy and Daddy. When is Liz coming home?”
My heart squeezed in sympathy. “She should be here in a few days for spring break. She had a couple of course exams to take and her father’s funeral to attend.”
“Gammy?”
I knelt beside the chair and put my arms around him. “I’m here, Robbie.”
He scrambled to get into my arms.
I sat on the floor and pulled him into my embrace. Rocking his sweaty little body, I thought of the twists of fate. And then I remembered what Robert had told Liz about my being the perfect choice to care for Robbie and vowed to keep him close. If someone had asked me to imagine such a thing two years ago, I would’ve laughed in her face.