by Judith Keim
“And now Angela will have a baby. Her house is perfect for her and Reggie and their family.” Liz gazed down at the floor. When she looked up, there was a wistfulness to her expression. “Everyone’s lives seem so settled compared to mine.”
“You have plans to finish your schooling and that won’t be done for another year. Sounds pretty settled to me.”
“I know. Working in DC, I learned that, without a degree, you can’t get anywhere. But I don’t want to end up all alone. Some of my friends would be furious with me for talking this way, but I want what you and Vaughn have, what Angela and Reggie have. You know?”
“I understand. I want that for you too, but not before you finish school. Vaughn told me you promised him you would.”
“I figured I owed him that for paying for my last year.” She fiddled with her hands. “I guess I’m still wishing Troy and Elena weren’t together. He’s so nice.”
“What about Chad? He seems nice.”
“Oh, he is. But he doesn’t have time to do a lot of dating. He’s busy setting up his own business. I guess that’s why he hasn’t asked me out again.”
“I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush. It’s better to be alone than to be with someone you’re not head-over-heels in love with.” I gave her hands a squeeze. “And like you said, he’s not your typical young man. He’s building a business. Besides, you’ll be going back to school in a couple of days. Why don’t you take the rest of your time here to relax before facing the end of the school year and all that comes with it? You’ve been through a lot of emotional upheavals. It will be good for you to just chill.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks for listening.” As she left the room, I thought of the recent turmoil in her life. Liz was much stronger than she knew.
###
I hurried into the hotel, mindful of being a little late. But Robbie had wanted to cuddle, and I couldn’t refuse him.
Sabine met me at the door to the private dining room. “We’re all set here. Jean-Luc needs fifteen minutes’ notice to serve, but he’s getting impatient.”
“Okay. The cocktail party for them went all right?”
“No problems.”
I clapped a hand on her back. “Thank you, Sabine. I don’t know what we’d do without either you or Jean-Luc. Have you seen Bernie?”
A smile swept across her face. “He and Annette Bauer are having dinner together. He said it was to discuss the upcoming wedding, but if I’m not mistaken, I saw a definite spark between them.”
“Rhonda is going to be thrilled,” I said, turning to a group of men headed our way. “Good evening, gentlemen. We’re ready for your dinner.”
Sabine and I ushered them into the private dining room and waited while they got settled in their seats.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” I said. “It’s always a pleasure to have your group visit us. For dinner tonight, you’ve selected strip steaks with a mushroom, bordelaise sauce, carrot soufflé, garlic-roasted potatoes, a tossed green salad and apple pie.”
“Perfect,” said one of Florida’s more robust state senators. “And plenty of wine. Right?”
I nodded. “As requested, we have a nice cabernet to accompany the meal. Enjoy, gentlemen. I’m here to offer my assistance. As always, conversations among you will be regarded as confidential.”
“Good,” said one of the men. “Because we’ve got a lot of messages for the governor and not all of them are nice.”
Amid the laughter that followed, I asked the wine steward to pour their wine.
Timing was critical. Jean-Luc was a chef who insisted his food be served hot. While wine was being poured, the waitstaff served an amuse bouche, which was a tiny, one-bite pastry shell filled with lemon crème topped with a tiny sautéed bay scallop.
A few minutes later, the waitstaff carried in the main course. The salad course would follow.
I was pleased to see how eagerly the men attacked their meal. Rhonda and I had taken a chance when we’d approached Jean-Luc to work for us on a part-time basis. It was a stroke of luck that someone of his caliber had agreed to do it and was now our full-time chef.
I was about to leave the room when I heard a cry and turned back to see one of the men struggling to breathe.
“He’s choking!” said one of my staff.
I ran over to him, stood behind him, and placed my arms around him with my fists in his solar plexus. With a surge of adrenaline, I squeezed three times with all my might.
“It’s come out,” said one of the men standing by. “You saved him!”
Only when I stood back, breathing heavily, did I realize how big the man was, how nearly impossible it had been to get my arms all the way around him.
“Thank you,” cried the senator I’d saved. “I don’t know how you did it, but I’m so thankful you did.”
“She may not be very big, but the lady has strength,” said another of the men, clapping me on the back.
Smiling, I accepted their praise, unwilling to mention that my body had turned so weak I felt like I couldn’t move.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Shall I call 911, just to be safe?” I asked the senator.
“No, I don’t need any more help. But thank you.”
Before he left, I’d have him sign a release. We’d had training for ourselves and our staff in the Heimlich maneuver, hoping we’d never have to use it. Now, I was really glad we knew how to do it.
Sensing how weak I suddenly felt, Sabine moved to my side. “Please, enjoy the rest of the meal,” she said in her French accent to the crowd around us.
As the group retook their seats, the shuffling noise of their chairs was satisfying. Once I was certain everything was under control, I headed to the kitchen. Everyone was hopping to Jean-Luc’s orders. I walked through the kitchen to the main dining room. Hotel guests and other local guests filled most of the room.
Sabine soon joined me. “Maria has the waitstaff under control in the small dining room. I thought I’d better check on you and things here.”
“Thanks.” I headed over to where Bernie and Annette were sitting.
When he saw me, Bernie jumped to his feet. “Annette and I were discussing the wedding,” he said quickly.
I smiled. “Great. And, Bernie, I think Rhonda’s right. You should take part in the photo shoots for our promo piece on weddings. You photograph well and can make sure things are done properly.”
Bernie nodded, maintaining a serious expression, but I noticed the corners of his lips twitching in an effort to keep from smiling.
The kitchen staff was closing down for the night, and Julie, Tim’s assistant, was overseeing service to the few remaining guests in the lobby area when I left for home.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
All was quiet when I entered the house. I tiptoed through the living room into the wing of the house where Robbie and the girls were located. Liz’s room was dark. A light seeped under the door of Elena’s room. I opened the door to Robbie’s room. In the dim light from the decorative nightlight on his bureau, I saw him sprawled on his stomach, sound asleep. I couldn’t resist patting him on his back as I studied his face and the way his long eyelashes floated like butterfly wings against his cheeks.
I quietly made my way out of the room, and sighing with exhaustion, headed toward my bedroom in the other wing of the house. As I approached it, I chided myself for leaving a light on and then distinctly remembered I’d turned it off before leaving the house.
Heart pounding, I crept closer to the door. It was cracked open, and now, I could see movement behind it. Debating whether I should call the police, I paused.
“Aren’t you going to come inside?” asked a voice I knew so well.
“Vaughn?” I rushed forward into his waiting arms. “What are you doing here? I was going to call you earlier, but got sidetracked.”
“I’m home for a quick visit. I had a break in scheduling and decided to take advantage of it to surprise you.”
I snu
ggled against his hard chest. “I’m so glad you did! We’ve all missed you.”
He chuckled. “It hasn’t been that long.”
“Every day without you seems long,” I said, inhaling the aroma of the spicy aftershave and manly smell that was his alone.
His lips came down on mine. All the weariness I’d felt earlier disappeared in a surge of lusty energy. When we pulled apart, he took my hand. “Come to bed.”
My body pulsing happily, I followed him over to it, eager to welcome him home.
Later, lying in his arms, we shared our days.
“Reggie was on my flight. He met his parents in New York before coming down here to Sabal and Angela. He’s arranged to complete his final course from here, checking in online, and writing a huge paper. He’s a nice kid and very excited about their baby.”
“Are his parents more supportive now?”
Vaughn shook his head. “I asked him, but he didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Hopefully they’ll come around.”
Our talk continued, discussing events with Liz and Robbie. After we’d covered most of the details, I fell into a blissful sleep.
The next morning hands patted my face, awakening me with a start. I stared into Robbie’s eyes. Rising on an elbow I frowned at him. “How’d you get here?”
He laughed. “Hi, Mommy!”
I checked the bedside clock. Six AM.
“Up, Mommy. Want up.”
I debated for a moment and then decided I was too tired to fight it. I lifted him up onto the bed. He crawled over to Vaughn and patted him on the chest.
“Daddy?”
Vaughn opened his eyes and stared at him with bleary eyes. “What’s up, sport?”
“Wake up.”
Vaughn pulled Robbie up into his arms, rolled over onto his side, and said, “Any chance he’ll go back to sleep?”
I watched Robbie twitch restlessly between us. “Not a chance.”
Vaughn groaned. “Okay, I’ll get up with him.”
“I will too,” I said. “I don’t want to waste a minute without you. This afternoon, I have to check on the photo shoot with Bernie and Annette, but I think Bernie and the staff can handle the rest.”
“Bernie and Annette?”
As I filled Vaughn in on the details, a smile spread across his face. “Does Bernie know what Rhonda is like when she has her mind made up about something?”
I grinned. “He’s about to find out.”
We got out of bed and quickly dressed. Elena wasn’t due to come on duty until seven thirty. I’d arranged it that way so I’d have some alone time with Robbie at seven when he usually woke up.
I carried Robbie back to his room and changed his diapers, making a game of whispers so we wouldn’t wake the girls.
When we entered the kitchen, Vaughn was scrambling eggs. He turned to me with a smile. “Coffee’s ready. Thought you and Robbie might like some eggs.”
I put Robbie in his highchair and turned back to Vaughn. “Thanks! It’s nice to have a guy like you around the house.”
He pulled me into his arms for a quick kiss. “It’s always good to be home.”
“The eggs!”
He laughed. “Oh yeah.”
While he went back to his cooking, I placed cereal on Robbie’s tray and filled a sippy cup with milk for him. Then I poured myself a much-needed cup of coffee.
Sitting at the table beside Robbie’s highchair, I watched Vaughn serve up the eggs. He’d once told me how he’d had to learn to cook after his wife died and how it had become a hobby of his—a hobby we all could enjoy.
As we sat eating breakfast, I wondered if this was how it was going to be after we were married. In my mind, we already were married; the ceremony would just make it official for everyone else. I reached over and patted his hand. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” He smiled. “So any more news on the wedding? It’s still on for June seventh?”
I nodded. “Everything is reserved at the hotel. Sabine is handling all the details.”
“Good. I want to make an honest woman of you.” The megawatt smile he turned on me lit my insides with excitement. He was the sexiest man, and against all odds, he was mine.
After he finished his breakfast, Vaughn rose. “Guess I’ll check the boat.”
“Want to take Robbie with you? That’ll give me time to take a shower.”
“Sure.”
“Put a life jacket on him,” I said and hurried out of the room.
When I emerged from my bedroom, showered, and dressed for the day, the girls were up.
“Where’s Robbie?” I asked.
“He’s playing on the screened porch,” said Liz. “Vaughn dropped him off inside and went to do a couple of errands. Something for the boat.”
“One of you needs to be with Robbie,” I said. “I don’t trust him. He is now climbing out of his crib.”
“Oh, Mom,” sighed Liz. “He’s fine.” She rose and followed me out to the porch. My eyes widened when I realized the door to the pool was open. “Oh my God! Where is he?”
I ran out the door and looked into the pool. He was bobbing up and down in the water, his feet kicking frantically as he circled in the middle of the pool. The look of panic on his face was frightening.
“Robbie, I’m coming!” I cried, jumping into the pool with my clothes on. I swam to the middle of the pool and took him in my arms, trying not to show my panic. “There, little swimmer. You’re all right. You just need a little help.”
As he started to cry, I walked back to the shallow end of the pool with him. Sitting down on the steps into the pool, I rocked him in my arms. “You’re not to go near the pool without an adult. Hear me, Robbie?”
“Y-y-yes,” he hiccupped.
Fighting back tears, I hugged him close to me, realizing how much I already loved this little boy. I’d be devastated to lose him.
“Mom! Mom! Is he all right?” As she joined us on the steps, Liz’s eyes seemed extra wide in a face gone pale.
“He’s fine. He’s a very good swimmer.” I smiled with encouragement at Robbie. Though I wanted to yank him out of the water and keep him safe with me forever, I fought for calm so he wouldn’t be afraid of the water.
Elena stood by, wringing her hands. “I’m so, so sorry. I should have been with him.”
I took Robbie’s hand and led him out of the pool. Apparently unaware of the seriousness of the situation, he ran over to get his plastic turtle.
I turned to the girls. “Let this be a lesson to all of us. Doors need to be locked at all times. And he needs to be supervised. We’re going to have to adjust his crib and install a few more locks on doors so he can’t get out to the pool and the dock. And we need to reinforce the idea that he needs an adult with him before he can go into the pool.”
As Liz and Elena bobbed their heads, I noticed tears in each girl’s eyes.
Trembling from the realization of what might have happened, I went into my bedroom to change.
When Vaughn came home from doing his errands, I told him what had happened. We worked together to adjust Robbie’s crib and to install higher locks on some of the doors.
“I’ve forgotten what life with a toddler is like,” Vaughn admitted. “I thought he was fine playing on the porch.”
Later, when it was time for Robbie to go down for a nap, I rocked him a little longer than usual, loving the feel of his active, healthy body in my arms.
Rhonda called as Vaughn and I were having a late lunch. “Are you going to watch the photo shoot?”
“Yes. Do you want to join me?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“You betcha. I wouldn’t miss seeing this budding romance blossom into true love. I saw how Bernie and Annette looked at each other.”
I laughed. “I’ll meet you at the hotel.”
###
Annette was a stunning mother of the bride, I thought, surprised by her ease in front of the camera as she posed in a variety of places around the ho
tel. Bernie was less comfortable in front of the camera, but the shots of the two of them together told a story of their own.
“I knew it,” whispered Rhonda as we watched them kiss in the background as a model dressed as a bride pretended to cut into one of our sous chef’s wedding cake masterpieces.
“Nice touch,” said the photographer. “Now let’s have the bride and groom stand between the two of you. Then, we’ll move to the dining room for shots of Dad dancing with the bride and then dancing with Mom.”
“The two of you together look wonderful,” gushed Rhonda, clapping her hands.
Bernie stiffened at the smile Rhonda bestowed him and then relaxed when Annette took his hand to lead him into the dining room.
As I watched them go, I noticed how the touch of her hand, the shy smile on Annette’s face, softened Bernie’s normally rigid manner.
Rhonda gave me a smile and flung an arm around my shoulder. “Told ya.”
I pushed her playfully. “Let’s see how it goes. It’s just a photo shoot.”
Tim hurried over to us. “I just got a call from the governor’s office. He wants to schedule a surprise here for his wife next weekend. I looked at the reservations. We’re booked.”
I turned to Rhonda. “Let’s put him in the Presidential Suite with a special rate.”
“Sounds good to me. We’re not getting enough use out of it. Was it properly cleaned after the fiasco with that rock star?”
“It’s ready to go.”
“Okay,” said Tim. “I’ll put him there at the lower rate.”
“And Tim? Please find out what the occasion is so we can make it special,” I said. The governor of Georgia’s stay last winter’s had brought us new business. Maybe this would too.
After he left, Rhonda said, “Why don’t you go home to Vaughn? I’ll stay here for a while. Rita said she’d call me if I need to come home.”
“Okay, great.”
Feeling like a child let out of school, I all but skipped down the front steps of the hotel.
###
Lounging beside me by the pool, Vaughn snored softly. The sound of him, the sight of him next to me, brought such unexpected joy. I loved that he used a break in the filming of his show to surprise me every chance he got. Toward the end of my rocky marriage to Robert, we’d avoided each other as much as we could. I vowed to see that didn’t happen to Vaughn and me.