CHAPTER SEVEN
W hen I got home, Vaughn was talking on the phone. He gave me a sign of hello, and I went to change. I had just slipped on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt when Vaughn entered the room.
“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow to go to Canada for filming the sequel to Love in the Air. ”
“They finally reached an agreement?”
“Yes, Lauren Hyde and I will be paid the same amount to do the follow-up film, Love by Design . Everyone is amenable to the arrangements.”
“You’ve been busy studying your lines, so I imagine how relieved you’ll be to get started finally,” I said, though I hated the thought of him leaving. But I’d known from the beginning of our relationship that acting was his job.
“Yes, the director is a stickler for using time wisely, so it’ll be great to get this done before the holidays,” Vaughn said. “How’d your luncheon go?”
“Great. We made over $90,000 for the research center. I won a weekend at the Palm Island Club, and I’ve decided Liz and Chad need that more than we do. I’ll babysit the T’s. It’ll give me a chance for some time with them.”
“That would be a nice surprise to them,” said Vaughn. “I stopped by to see Liz and the triplets. She was a little stressed but was as sweet as ever with the kids. She’s such a capable mother that I have no doubt she’ll do an excellent job with the new little one. She might even enjoy having just one child occasionally to fuss over.”
“That’s what I tried to tell her,” I said, falling into Vaughn’s open arms. I nestled against him, hearing his strong heartbeat and enjoying the sense of comfort he always gave me. I’d miss him so much.
“Robbie won’t be home from swim practice for a couple of hours. How about a little afternoon delight?” said Vaughn, tightening his grip around me and allowing me to sense how ready he was.
“I skipped dessert. Now might be a good time to make up for it,” I said, smiling at him.
He chuckled at my teasing, and we left the room together.
###
L ater, after taking a quick shower, I dressed again in shorts and a T-shirt, ready to enjoy this pleasant evening. Having lived in Boston for most of my life, I still delighted in being dressed like this to relax.
“Do you want a glass of wine while I get some chicken breasts marinating so I can grill them?” asked Vaughn.
“That would be delightful,” I said, scooping up Cindy and carrying her to the couch on the lanai for special “puppy love” time.
We settled on the couch, and I stroked her, thinking of what a superb addition she was to the family. Cindy, the glutton she was, kept nudging my hand every time I stopped.
Vaughn handed me a glass of red wine. “A new pinot noir to try. Full-bodied but not heavy.”
“Thanks.” I took a sip of wine and leaned back against the couch's cushions, thinking of all that had happened that day. The group of five women in the guesthouse was more complicated than I’d first thought.
Vaughn picked up Robbie from his swim practice, and after he came home, Robbie spent some time with Cindy on the floor. He and the dog had a strong bond. It was interesting to see how much they relied upon each other for relaxation.
“Dad’s going away again,” I said.
“I know. He told me. He promised that if filming went on over school break, I could come to Canada to be with him.”
“That’s a pleasant thought,” I said, feeling a momentary resentment that I wouldn’t be able to leave the hotel during those busy days. But then, Rhonda and I quickly understood how important it was for us to be at the hotel.
###
T he next morning, I took advantage of Vaughn being home to visit the beach early in the morning.
When I walked onto the sand, I went over to the water’s edge and was surprised to see how high the waves were. I hadn’t turned on the news, so I hadn’t heard anything about storms, but I thought I’d better search the news when I went into the office.
For now, I stood in the foamy edges and lifted my face to the sky. Sun warmed my skin, and I remembered that the weather at this time of year was like a trickster at Halloween—harmless after making many threats.
I heard someone call my name and turned to see Amy walking toward me. “Hey, there, early bird,” I said gaily.
“Hi. It’s such a great day,” Amy said.
Studying her, I had the impression that something had changed with her. She moved like someone with a sense of freedom.
“Did you have fun at Disney World?” I asked.
“Oh, yes,” said Amy. “We all had a blast. Then Caro went out to dinner with Henry, and I fixed dinner for Slade.”
“What about the other women?” I asked.
“Heather and Lisa were content to stay at the house and fix their own dinners. Jane said she was too full of lunch to have more than a snack.” Amy stared at the water and turned back to me. “Jane and I sparred a bit. She thinks it’s terrible that I’m spending time with Slade so soon after my divorce, even though she’s never liked Dan. She keeps telling me to slow down.”
“Oh,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
Amy sighed. “The thing is, I love Jane, but she’s so unrealistic about love. Her husband died soon after they were married, so she has this fantasized version of what their marriage would’ve been like. She’s never even dated because she says she’ll never meet a man as wonderful as her husband.”
“And the others?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Lisa’s happily married to her high school sweetheart, and Heather’s second marriage is to a man who’s perfect for her. Caro and Henry seem really attracted. Heaven knows Caro needs a sweet guy like him. Her ex is a gigantic ass who’s now married to a woman who is all about his money and showing off. He ruined Caro’s self-esteem. I don’t know all the details, but he did many different things to make her feel bad about herself.”
“Emotionally abusive then,” I said.
“Exactly.” Amy kicked at the sand with a bare foot. “I announced my divorce being final the other night because I wanted to be up front with everyone, including Slade. We really enjoy one another. The last several years have been a nightmare.”
“Addiction of any kind is difficult. I can’t imagine living with someone who gambles money away,” I said.
“The first time Dan went back on his word, I began stashing money aside for a time like this. Fortunately, the house is in my name because we purchased it with money from an inheritance of mine. I’ve continued paying the mortgage on it and paying for most everything else. Not only is Dan a gambling addict, but he has been unable to keep a job these last few years. It reached the point that after trying to help him, I was no longer willing or able to do so.”
“You’ve stuck with it for longer than most,” I said.
“I’ve done what I could,” Amy said. “Now, it’s time to recover.” She turned as Slade came up to us.
“ ’Morning, ladies,” said Slade, smiling. His gaze lingered on Amy, and I felt the connection between them. Rhonda would be thrilled by the idea of the two of them together.
“Ready for that walk we talked about?” Slade asked Amy as he placed an arm around her.
“Yes,” said Amy. “It’s a beautiful day.”
“Let’s enjoy it. There’s talk about a hurricane coming off the coast of Africa and heading toward Cuba,” he said. “But don’t worry. These things often turn out to be nothing but bluster.”
I watched them leave, then took a few moments to myself to wade in the water and regain a sense of peace.
###
L ater that morning , I filled in Rhonda on all the news.
“We have two chances for matchmaking,” she said with a grin and then grew serious. “With Amy finally free from carrying the dead weight of her husband while trying to help him, I say she deserves a break.”
“Both Amy and Slade seem to be enjoying one another, but I’m not sure about it being permanent. If I were to bet on anyone becoming serious, it would have to be Caro and Henry. There was something so sincere about Henry confiding he wanted to know more about Caro.”
“She’s quiet,” said Rhonda. “We might have to work on that.”
I laughed. “Stop! We have to let nature take its course, or it’ll all be ruined.”
Rhonda winked at me. “You’ll see. I have a plan.”
Later, when I heard Rhonda had invited Henry and Caro to dinner at the hotel, I wasn’t surprised.
“Jane is taking the other women to dinner at André’s. It works out perfectly,” Rhonda explained. “Everyone seemed satisfied with the plan.”
“Where are you going to seat them?” I asked.
“In my favorite corner of the dining room where they can have all the privacy they want,” said Rhonda with a self-satisfied smile.
I couldn’t help chuckling, and she joined in. “I love having fun with our guests.”
“Well, we’d better start thinking of how we’ll have fun with them if Hurricane Marlene keeps heading our way. I’m starting to get worried.”
Rhonda shook her head. “You know how those weather reports go. It’s all a bunch of excitement until it fades away with a false alarm.”
“True, but as always, we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” I said. It was a nuisance, but when the time came, we all had to pitch in to protect the hotel and our own properties.”
“What else is going on? Are you going to handle the governor’s group dinner tonight?” asked Rhonda.
“Yes, I promised Annette I’d take care of it. It’s her night off.” I sighed. “Vaughn was planning to leave tomorrow, but he’s leaving this afternoon instead. So, Robbie and I will be alone once more.”
“How’s my favorite godson doing?” Rhonda asked. “I want to make it to one of his swimming meets.”
“Robbie is doing fine. He’s such a thoughtful kid. He told me he wants to be a doctor when he grows up and that he wants to help old people like Stephanie and Randolph Willis.”
“That’s so sweet. Stephanie wouldn’t like the old part, but she’d be touched by the thought. From hotel guests to family. That’s the best part,” said Rhonda.
A couple of years ago, Stephanie and Randolph had an issue with their room reservation and ended up spending Christmas at my house with Vaughn and Robbie. Instead of being an inconvenience, it had cemented a beautiful relationship between Robbie and them. With all of us, really.
We went over the budget for our annual Thanksgiving celebration at the hotel and then prepared to meet with Bernie and Jean-Luc. It was easy to attract people to our fantastic Thanksgiving buffet, but we wanted to get guestrooms filled for the event. By offering a variety of packages, we were able to do a satisfactory job of it.
###
A s soon as the meeting with Bernie and Jean-Luc was over, I headed home to spend some time with Vaughn before he left for Canada. It was always difficult to say goodbye, but I did my best not to show it because I didn’t want him to feel guilty about leaving us.
Cindy didn’t rush to greet me when I walked into the house. I stepped onto the lanai, and as I’d suspected, she was sprawled on Vaughn’s lap, staying close until he left. She’d miss him as much as Robbie and I did.
Vaughn patted the empty seat on the couch next to him, and I sat down and leaned against him as his arm came around me.
“I should be home for Thanksgiving,” he said. “I saw that Hurricane Marlene might be heading to New Orleans. They’re already warning people to get ready for it.”
“Rhonda and I already talked about it. When we know for sure if and where it will land, we’ll take care of the hotel. I’ll clear the pool area here at the house and use the electric hurricane shutters if necessary.”
“Thanks. It’s great that we have those shutters,” said Vaughn. “Using them saves a ton of work.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that. Our special group of women in the guesthouse didn’t bargain for a hurricane.”
“Just so everyone is safe,” said Vaughn.
“Amen,” I said. “It can be such a stressful time.”
“I hope you understand that I’m not in charge of the shooting schedule for the film,” said Vaughn. “I won’t be able to help except to give you encouragement.”
“Of course. You have your job to do. Robbie and I will miss you, but we’ll be all right. Cindy, too.”
Cindy’s ears perked up, and she wagged her tail as if to say that we’d be okay without him. However, the dog and I knew the days ahead wouldn’t be the same as we faced new challenges.