by Judith Keim
“Would it be easier to hire staff to do it?” Sheena asked.
Nicole shook her head. “Not unless you can find a professional to come in.”
“And then, if you don’t have weddings lined up, what do you do with her and her free time?” said Casey.
“What if we hire a coordinator who can also do other work for us.”
“How about me?” said Nicole. “I can handle that and my marketing responsibilities.”
“Can you do marketing for the hotel, Gavin’s, Ventura, and The Key Hole?” asked Sheena.
“Yes, I think I can. They’re all inter-related. That’s what makes it so easy. And when we start to get really busy, we’ll hire someone part-time to help me.”
Sheena felt a smile cross her face. “How did we ever get lucky enough to bring you on board?”
Casey put an arm around Nicole. “Nicole and I are committed to staying here in Florida together, working for you.”
“All right then. We’ll ask Greg Ryan to draw up a contract with a good incentive program,” said Sheena. “You can work our first wedding in a few weeks, and when Darcy is back, my sisters and I can make a final decision.”
“Sounds good,” said Nicole.”
Graham spoke up. “As you asked, Sheena, I’ve put together three suggestions for wedding reception dinners with a selection of choices, along with a cost analysis of each one. In the future, we’re going to need more staff to handle these occasions. I’d like to go ahead and hire and train at least six more service people on a part-time, as-needed basis, so they’re ready for the next wedding. Then, they could be available on demand for future weddings or other banquet events.”
Numbers flashed through Sheena’s head. Every time she thought they could get ahead financially, new expenses arose. From her experience working in Tony’s plumbing business in Boston, she knew better than her sisters how business ebbed and flowed. Things were looking better around the hotel, but it was costing more money than she’d thought.
“Okay, go ahead and hire them,” she said to Graham. “Nicole, as long as you want to act as wedding coordinator, let’s talk about bookings. We have three destination weddings booked so far. I realize we can’t compete with the likes of the Don, the Vinoy, or any Ritz Carlton, but we can fill a niche for smaller, family-style weddings. Let’s concentrate on those.”
“Okay,” said Nicole. “I’ll get back to you on that.”
After more discussion, they each left with more work to do.
###
Sheena sat in Rocky’s truck between Rocky and her father, as quiet as the two of them. She’d visited Duncan on a couple of previous occasions. Each time she’d filled with sorrow at the life this man was forced to live.
She glanced at her father and realized from the rhythmic grinding of his teeth how nervous he was. Squeezing his hand, she gave him an encouraging smile. “I’m so glad you have the chance to meet Duncan. He may not react to you, but I’m convinced he’ll know you’re there.”
“Gavin would be pleased to know you did this,” Rocky said. “He saw to it every effort would be made to keep Duncan as comfortable as possible. He’s well taken care of, but it’s good for family to visit.”
“His caregiver, Elena Garcia, is an extraordinary person who sees he has everything he needs, though there’s no way he could tell her,” said Sheena. “It’s such a sad situation.”
Patrick stirred restlessly. “I suppose it’s just one of those things, though I’ve never heard of anything like this happening to the rest of our family.”
Their conversation ended when Rocky pulled up to the small, red-brick house in Ybor City where Duncan lived with his caretaker.
Sheena followed her father out of the truck and stood a moment, bracing herself for the visit. She couldn’t help thinking of the baby growing inside her and sent a private thank you to the heavens above that tests had shown her baby to be perfectly normal.
Elena greeted them at the door with a warm smile and then continued to study Patrick. “Rocky said you resembled Gavin. You two sure look like brothers.”
Patrick bobbed his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know about Duncan until recently.”
“How is he today?” Sheena asked.
Her eyes filled with sadness. “Same as always, but do come in.”
Sheena followed Patrick and Rocky inside. At the doorway to Duncan’s room, her father’s back stiffened as he looked into the room. Though he didn’t cry out, Patrick’s shoulders slumped, and he wrapped his arms around himself. After taking several deep breaths, Patrick walked forward and knelt in front of Duncan’s chair.
Duncan’s arms were mere stubs protruding from shoulders. His legs, almost as deformed, were hidden beneath a blanket. His eyes remained in a blank stare. Drool dripped from a mouth that hung open. He might have been a handsome man had he been given a chance, but nature’s cruelty had taken that away from him.
For a brief moment, Duncan’s gaze rested on Patrick as if he could see him. “Hello, Duncan,” Patrick said, even though he understood Duncan couldn’t hear. “I’m your Uncle Pat. You’re a Sullivan, all right. You resemble my Dad.”
“And he has my hair,” said Sheena softly, standing next to her father.
Tears filled Patrick’s eyes. He got to his feet and walked out of the room.
Sheena said, “Hi, Duncan. It’s Sheena. Your two cousins, Darcy and Regan, got married a couple of days ago. I wish you could have joined us.” She bent over and kissed the top of his head.
In the living room, her father sat on the couch, his face buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking.
Sheena went over to him and rubbed his back. “It’s all right, Dad.”
“No, Sheena,” he said, shaking his head ferociously. “It isn’t right at all. How can anyone live like that?”
She had no answer. She’d asked herself that same question over and over.
###
Sheena was at work in the office that afternoon when she got a phone call from Mary Lou Webster, the grandmother of their first bride.
“Our little private wedding has grown from eighteen to thirty. Can you accommodate us at the hotel?” said the woman, panic rising in her voice.
Sheena did a quick review in her mind. With the twenty new rooms in the Egret Building opening soon, they’d have space. She checked the reservations chart and was dismayed but pleased as well to find that they’d be two rooms short. She’d read about hotels overbooking rooms because cancellations were inevitable, but she wanted to do it without disappointing any guests.
“We’d hate to have anything to go wrong now,” Mary Lou said. “It’s too late to change plans.”
“Of course, we can accommodate you. Email us the list of names, and we’ll put them into our system,” said Sheena brightly. “With your permission, I’ll add the deposit for their rooms to the account we’ve set up for you.”
“No problem,” said Mary Lou. “Just have the rooms ready.”
After Sheena hung up the phone, she blocked off the rooms, double-booking two of them, turned on the emergency phone system, and ran to the Egret Building to check on the progress of the upstairs rooms.
New bedding and bedspreads were in place. Paintings were in the rooms but sitting on the floor, waiting for Rocky to hang them. Televisions were still in boxes in the rooms, but not yet mounted and hooked up. And a few rooms still had to have their phones installed. Chip Carson, who’d installed most of their computer systems, had promised to take care of these last few items.
Sheena sighed. Regan was usually good about following up on these kinds of things, but she’d been busy filming more ad campaigns for Arthur in addition to working on the renovation of the Sandpiper Suites Building.
In the office, Sheena called Rocky and Chip to make sure they’d finish their work. Then she called Tony.
“Hi, hon!” said Tony. “What’s up?”
“I need you to make the final inspections on the plumbing and electricity bef
ore we bring in the building inspectors to approve the twenty top-floor rooms in the Egret Building for occupancy.”
“Sheena, you know how busy I am with Brian away. Can it wait?”
“How about we have a light supper, and I’ll help you with paperwork this evening?”
Tony was silent and then said, “Guess so. See you tonight.”
“Thanks,” said Sheena, well aware of the stress they both were under.
She hung up and looked up the schedule for the suites. They were due to be completed by April 1st. She studied the progress. They’d given the construction job to Brian and Tony’s company, but their men were slow in getting the work done. Sheena decided to wait until Regan and Brian returned before discussing the situation with Tony. She didn’t want to cause any friction between them.
After Sally came to relieve her, Sheena took some time to look around the property. The poolside bohio bar was built and awaiting installation of refrigerators, bar sinks, speed wells, and other bar equipment. Casey had already hired a couple of college kids to run it and to oversee distribution of towels and beach chairs from the pool storeroom.
She stood and gazed at the main building. A coat of fresh paint was being applied to the building in the back, where construction of the private patio for Gavin’s people was mostly complete. She squinted at the roof. It looked fine, though they’d been warned it would need to be replaced. They’d scheduled that for next year hoping cash flow would pay for it.
There was a chill in the air as Sheena walked past the pool where a number of guests were lounging in the sun, protected from the slight breeze by tropical shrubbery surrounding the pool.
She approached the waterfront. A company was scheduled to rebuild the dock within the next two weeks. She and her sisters had decided to spend a little extra money by having them build benches at the widened and expanded end of the dock. The same company would build racks to hold kayaks, paddle boards, and a secure storage area for life preservers and paddles.
Sheena took a seat in one of the wooden Adirondack chairs and studied the gazebo and nearby trellis. Each provided a lovely setting for wedding pictures, as well as a location for an actual ceremony.
Closing her eyes, Sheena leaned back in the chair and lifted her face to the sun. The warm rays relaxed the tension she always felt after reviewing numbers for the hotel. Her thoughts turned to her family. Soon, Michael would hear whether he got into the college of his choice. Poor kid had really been torn up by his relationship with Kaylee. But, she reminded herself, he’d matured a lot because of it. He’d been extra gentle, extra helpful because of her pregnancy. Sheena patted her stomach. She’d already felt the baby move, making the idea of a new baby a firm reality. If the baby was a boy, she wanted to name him Gavin. She hoped her father would understand.
Thinking ahead, she decided to talk to Tony about giving Meaghan the use of her VW convertible. They’d need a bigger car to transport the baby and all the required gear. Having her own transportation would allow Meaghan to get around on her own and do errands for her.
Sheena opened her eyes and sat up. When she realized the person walking toward her was Maggie, she smiled and struggled to stand out of the awkward chair.
“Hey there!” Sheena called to her.
“Hi,” said Maggie. “I saw you here and wanted to talk to you alone.” She paused, sat next to Sheena an one of the chairs, and licked her lips nervously. “I wonder if you’d consider using me as a nanny after your baby is born. I’m trying to break away from my work in Gracie’s. I know I can’t renew my nursing license, but I want to work with patients of all ages as a nanny or an aide.”
“Does Gracie know this is what you want to do?” Sheena asked. She’d never want to upset Gracie.
“Yes, she knows and understands,” said Maggie. “We’re having to expand our wait staff anyway, so she’ll get someone to cover for me when it’s needed.”
Sheena looked into Maggie’s eyes. She, like all of Gavin’s people, had sad stories behind them. Hurt and disappointment still lingered on Maggie’s face. She’d already been punished for helping her father with pain medications she’d felt forced to take from her employer.
“You as my nanny? That would be wonderful,” Sheena said. “I’m sure I could use your help.”
Tears sprang to Maggie’s eyes. “Thank you!”
They stood and embraced, and then Sheena said, “Guess I’d better be going on my way. I’ve got more office work to do at home.”
On her way home, Sheena thought of all it would take to continue her work at the hotel and wondered if she could meet the challenge.
CHAPTER FORTY
REGAN
Regan awoke with a smile. Today was the first day of the rest of her life as Mrs. Brian Harwood.
Lying beside her, Brian opened his eyes. A slow grin crossed his face. “How’s my bride?”
“Happy,” she replied, reaching over and trailing a hand down his body. He’d healed well, but she’d always wonder what might have happened if she hadn’t gripped Brian’s arm to warn him about the truck bearing down on their motorcycle. The scars on her face were less apparent, but would always be a reminder of the accident that had brought them together. The movement of her lip was slowly coming back, but it, too, would never be perfect again.
“Let’s go to the pool before having breakfast,” she suggested. “It’ll be crowded later on, but we should be able to swim lengths now.”
“What kind of breakfast were you talking about?” Brian asked, giving her a sly look.
At his teasing, Regan shook her head. “We’ll have to see.”
“What happened to the love and obey part?” he said in mock horror.
“I never said ‘obey.’ Remember?”
He laughed. “It wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”
“Got that right,” she said, climbing out of their luxurious bed.
She put on her bathing suit and stood by watching as Brian slid on his swim trunks. His brawny body was mostly brown from working in the sun. Staring at him, thinking of all that lay ahead, she hoped one day to have a son who would look like his handsome daddy.
“You ready?” said Brian, turning to her.
She grinned at him. She was ready for all of it. Her life had never seemed better.
###
Later, after an invigorating swim and a quick, light breakfast inside on the concierge level where Brian had booked their room, Regan suggested a walk along the beach.
“Okay, and then we can go paddle-boarding,” said Brian.
Regan laughed. Brian liked to keep busy. “Then I want to lie in the sun and read. And maybe I should call Sheena and check on the hotel.”
Brian waggled a finger at her. “No work. We’re here to play.”
“You’re right. I wonder how Darcy and Austin are doing in London?”
Brian frowned at her.
“Just wondering,” she said, chuckling. “C’mon, husband, let’s take that walk.”
Outside, the tropical air wrapped itself around her, inviting her to relax. At the beach, she took off her sandals and accepted the hand Brian offered her before stepping onto the sand. They walked to the water’s edge and stood in the foamy edges of the waves feeling the water rush at their ankles and then ebb away.
“Seeing the endless movement of the waves, I feel like such a small part of the universe,” Regan said. “How long has all this been here? How long will it remain?”
“We’re lucky, you and I, to be alive and together in this moment,” said Brian.
Regan looked up into his face, feeling a surge of love for him. “I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”
Brian gave her a sheepish look. “Now that you’ve found that out, I suppose I have to prove it to you.” He pulled a small box out from a side pocket on his swim shorts.
“What’s this?” Regan asked, stepping back in surprise.
“The jeweler where I bought our wedding rings helped me pick this out. I wan
ted it to be a perfect reminder of what you mean to me.” He took the lid off the box and held it open to her.
Nestled on a background of turquoise velvet was a necklace. A white-gold symbol of a wave hung from a matching chain. Below the crest of the wave, a huge diamond sparkled at her.
“Brian, it’s beautiful! Thank you,” said Regan, placing a hand over her heart, stunned by his gift to her.
His smile lit his eyes. “The wave signifies all the swimming you did with me to help me heal. I love you so much, Regan.”
“I love you too.” Regan couldn’t stop the tears forming in her eyes as she lifted the necklace out of the box and handed it to him with shaking fingers. “Will you help me?”
Brian hooked the necklace around her neck and stood back to look at it. “It’s perfect!” He hugged her to him.
Regan laid her head against his hard chest. Brian would never know how grateful she was to have found such sweet love with him.
###
On the limousine ride back to the cottage on Kenton’s property, Regan cuddled up next to Brian. Their short honeymoon had been fabulous, but that moment on the beach with Brian looking at the waves and learning the reasons behind his gift to her would stay with her forever.
“Back to the grindstone, eh?” Brian said.
Regan smiled and nodded. “I’ve got a lot to do before our first wedding celebration at the hotel.”
“And I’m hoping we’ve sold a couple more houses,” said Brian. “Bett and Taylor make a good team.”
Regan sat up. “Taylor certainly works long hours. What do you think that’s all about?”
Brian shrugged. “Who knows? It’s all part of the real estate business.”
Regan thought no more about it as the limo drove through the gates on Kenton’s property and pulled to a stop beside the cottage.
The driver hurried to open the door for her. As Regan stepped onto the ground, she felt a dose of reality. She and Brian had a lot of work ahead of them.
After Brian paid the driver and tipped him, they headed inside. It seemed as if they’d been gone for several days, not two. Her thoughts flew to Darcy. London was a far cry from the Gulf Coast of Florida.