CHAPTER THREE
When I entered Liz’s house, the three little ones rushed toward me shouting, “GeeGee!” My heart overflowed with love. All three were combinations of Liz and Chad with their varying shades of blond hair and blue eyes. Noah was the most physically active, but Olivia and Emily had been talking way before he began. But then, I could imagine it was hard for him to break into the constant chatter of his sisters.
“Hi, Mom! Glad to see you. What’s up?” said Liz, coming into the playroom.
“Two things. I needed a grandma fix, and I want to talk to you about an idea Rhonda and I had for the hotel.”
“Great. Chad and I are working on the hotel’s website. Anything we need to add?”
“Yes. Something we want you and Angie to develop: A Pampered Package. We’ll use this as a fall and holiday promotion for weekday stays.”
“Hm-m-m sounds like fun. Do we get to stay at the hotel and test it?” asked Liz, giving me a teasing grin.
“Not exactly,” I said. “But you know I’m willing to take care of the triplets overnight any time Vaughn is home. The two of us can handle them nicely.”
Liz chuckled. “I get it. I don’t know what I’d do without my part-time nanny. Want something cold to drink? Iced tea? Lemonade?”
“Lemonade sounds delicious,” I said, laughing when Olivia tugged on my blouse and said, “I want up.”
I lifted the little girl into my arms and nuzzled her neck. I’d wanted lots of children but had only been able to have Liz. And then, even with the unusual circumstances surrounding it, I now had the joy of being Robbie’s mother. Still, there was something special about grandchildren—as if I had most of the fun and not all the work.
While we sipped our lemonade, Liz and I sat outside on her patio and watched the children run around the yard.
“Mom? You won’t give up on Angie and me having a growing part in running the hotel, will you?”
I studied Liz’s look of concern. “Absolutely not. I understand how frustrated you might be staying at home raising the kids. But we’re already relying more and more on your handling of social media advertising and coming up with creative ideas. When you think about it, the hotel is almost as much a part of your lives as Rhonda’s and mine.”
“Thanks for understanding,” said Liz. “I adore my children, but I want some outside stimulation.”
“I get it, and, believe me, Rhonda and I will be anxious for you and Angie to take over for us when the time is right. Vaughn and I will reach the point where we’ll need to settle down to a more normal life.”
“Is he still working on the movie?” she asked.
“Yes, I miss him but know how important his work is to him.”
Emily started crying and soon all three children were crying. Liz and I jumped to our feet to see what had happened. Olivia and Noah held big rubber balls.
“Where’s your ball, Emily?” I asked, picking her up to soothe her.
Emily pointed to a bush by the fence. “In there.”
“Why don’t we help you get it, and you can stop crying,” I said, giving her a loving squeeze before setting her down on the ground.
Moments later, with the three of them each holding a ball, Liz and I headed back to the patio. I checked my watch. “I’ve got to go. It’s time for Robbie’s swim meet.”
“Wish him luck for me,” said Liz, hugging me. “Thanks.”
“Love you,” I said, hugging her back, realizing how important it was for Liz to feel part of the hotel operation.
###
Sitting in the bleachers watching Robbie swim the American crawl, my heart burst with pride. He was an excellent swimmer who loved being active and part of a team. He’d been a toddler when he became ours, but I felt strongly that spending time with Vaughn had helped Robbie learn about going after challenges and being a sport when he didn’t succeed. They spent hours together on Vaughn’s sailboat. Time well spent. Vaughn’s two children, Nell and Ty, had families of their own and lived elsewhere.
Stephanie Willis turned to me. “He won again!” She clapped a hand to her chest. “I’m so proud of him.”
I gave her a quick hug. Stephanie and her husband Randolph were longtime guests of the hotel and had become close to my family. Observing Randolph clapping his approval, I was filled with satisfaction. Since Rhonda and I opened the hotel, we’d brought a lot of people into what I called “our hotel family.” Maybe that’s why many of our guests continued to come back year after year.
My thoughts turned to Darryl Douglas. He was due to arrive in two days.
###
Even though Darryl was going to be secreted away in one of our guesthouses, Rhonda and I stood at the top of the stairs at the front of the hotel ready to greet him.
At the sight of his limo driving through the gates of the property, I nudged Rhonda. “Okay, here we go.”
“For better or worse,” she grumbled. Wearing a blue silk caftan, she made me think of a bluebird, my favorite, as her sleeves flapped as she hurried down the steps beside me. In a pale-blue linen dress, I felt plain beside her.
The white limousine pulled to a stop beside us.
We waited for the driver to come around the car and open the door for Darryl.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” I said, as a man of average height and with more pounds than normal for a television star sat and stared at us from inside the car. He had engaging hazel eyes and thinning brown hair that may or may not be enhanced by a toupee on television.
“We hope you have a wonderful stay,” Rhonda said.
“Now that you’re here, we’ll follow you and the limo to your house on the property. We’ll have you check in there, so you won’t be seen,” I said. “We understand how important that is to you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to find out where I am. I need plenty of time to sort things out and to get some much-needed rest.”
He closed the passenger door and his driver followed our directions to get to the road leading to the two houses.
Rhonda and I easily walked there, pleased to see that no other hotel guests had noticed Darryl. We could promise to do our best to see he was isolated, but that was all.
###
At the house, which was the one Tina had previously used, not the newer one, we ushered Darryl inside. We showed him around, explaining how certain things worked, and then had him review and sign the registration card and other agreements for his stay.
“You’ll notice that included in the agreement is a special section requiring your signature to respect the confidentiality of other hotel guests,” I said.
“The other house, just beyond here, is about to be occupied by someone who wants seclusion too,” said Rhonda. “So, please stick to your property.”
“Right,” I said. “There’s security assigned to both houses. Please respect him.”
“Okay,” said Darryl. “I figure I’ll use the beach early in the morning when few people are around. Otherwise, I’ll be here. I understand your chef, Jean-Luc Rodin, is exceptional. I’ll be ordering room service unless I feel comfortable going incognito in the dining room.”
“We understand,” I said. “You aren’t the only VIP requiring privacy who will be staying here.”
“Yeah, we don’t want you interviewing anyone here,” said Rhonda. “We saw you on television, ya know.”
Darryl bit his lip, and I realized he was shy.
Leaving the house with Rhonda, I mentioned that to her.
“Yes, I had a friend who could only get by in high school by telling jokes and making other kids laugh at him.”
“Tina and her trainer arrive tonight. Hopefully, she can get settled in without Darryl seeing her. But if it does happen, I’m sure Tina will make him understand that they both need secrecy.”
###
That evening, Tina arrived in a black Town Car and went straight to the house she was renting.
Rhonda and I were waiting for her there as pre-arranged. We’d already ordered a snack tray accompanied by a bottle of wine and sparkling water for all of us to share.
At the sound of the car approaching, Rhonda and I stepped outside. With Tina, it was more a homecoming than greeting a beloved guest.
Tina got out of the car and hurried to greet us.
The three of us huddled for a group hug.
“It’s very good to see you. You look terrific,” I said to Tina.
“Not really,” said Tina. “I’ve loved being home with the boys, but now it’s time to get back to work. I have a wonderful role coming up, but it requires a lot of physical action. That’s why I’ve brought Abbie with me. Meet my personal trainer, Abbie Hathaway.”
As she and I shook hands, I was amused by Abbie’s firm grip. Of average height, dark-haired and with luscious brown eyes, Abbie appeared to be in her 30s and was a perfect model of fitness with a buff, trim body I knew I could never achieve. For such a tough person, her manner was sweet, almost shy. I liked her immediately.
“Don’t let her sweetness fool you,” said Tina. “Abbie is a monster when it comes to training. I have no doubt I’ll be ready for the movie when we get the signal it’s a go.”
“Why the delay?” asked Rhonda.
Tina shook her head. “I waited to get here before I told you. The hero of the movie is Sinclair Smith, who’s recently married and is on his extended honeymoon. Guess who he married?”
The teasing look on Tina’s face was perturbing as she stared at me.
I thought of a name and shook my head. It couldn’t be, wouldn’t be possible.
“Well?” said Tina.
“Are you talking about Lily Dorio?” I asked.
Rhonda burst into laughter. “No shit.”
“Yes, it’s her, the comeback kid. We can’t seem to get rid of her. She’s like a rubber ball bouncing in and out of our lives,” said Tina.
I let out a long sigh. Lily Dorio was an actor who’d tried to interfere in the growing relationship I had with Vaughn and even afterward. “I’m sorry you have to deal with her, Tina. She’s bound to cause trouble.”
“Yes, I know,” said Tina. “But I’m going to do my part and pray Sinclair will do his. As I mentioned, I like the script which is why I’m willing to work hard to get in shape.”
“You can’t let her ruin it for you,” said Rhonda. “Somehow Karma is going to get back at Lily. Just do your own thing.”
“Yes, I agree,” said Tina. “Let’s get settled, and then I’ll have a glass of wine … uh, make that water with you. Abbie can have my wine.”
Abbie gave Tina a satisfied look. “I’m glad to do the honors.” She turned to us. “I’ve heard a whole lot about the two of you. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
I smiled in return and wondered what the next couple of weeks would bring.
###
It being a school night, Rhonda and I didn’t stay long. But even after I returned home to be with Robbie, my heart was happy from seeing Tina again. She’d always be the young girl who I’d helped to heal from a terrible childhood. She’d had an overly ambitious mother who would offer her to execs to get new roles in movies.
After getting Robbie and Cindy settled for the night, I got ready for bed, climbed in, and sat beneath a light blanket with a new book.
My cell phone rang. Vaughn.
Smiling at the fluttering of my pulse, I answered. “Hi! How are you?”
“Fine. Missing you. Are you in bed?” His low voice, familiar to fans of his, made me smile even wider.
“Yes, I am,” I answered. “It is empty without you.”
“I’m more than ready to come home. ’Sure you don’t want to travel to Toronto to see me?”
I let out a deep sigh. I loved knowing he wanted me there, but the truth was, he’d be busy, and I was needed in Sable. “I wish I could, but we have a tricky situation at the hotel, and I wouldn’t feel right leaving Rhonda to deal with it alone.”
“Don’t tell me it’s another request of Amelia Swanson’s,” Vaughn said. “You promised you’d be careful going forward. Almost losing you in that kidnapping scheme was something I never want to repeat.”
“The only person in trouble is Darryl Douglas,” I said. “Rhonda and I watched his show a couple of nights ago, and he seemed okay.”
“Darryl Douglas the nighttime talk show host?” Vaughn said. “I hear he’s having more than one problem. Why is he at the hotel?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “But, believe me, he just wants a quiet, private time here.”
“Guess what? I heard some very interesting news. Sinclair Smith married Lily Dorio. Poor guy.”
“They’re honeymooning. That’s why Tina was able to get away for a few weeks to get herself in shape for the movie she’s starring in with him.”
“There’s always trouble surrounding Lily,” said Vaughn with an edge of bitterness.
I didn’t blame him. She’d pretended to be his pregnant girlfriend. Told everyone he was the father to hide an affair with a producer. Vaughn was a straight-up guy who was infuriated by her lies.
“Well, hopefully, we won’t have to deal with her again,” I said, mentally crossing my fingers. “How much longer are you going to be away?”
“I’m hoping to come home in a week or so. Tell Robbie to have the boat ready. “
“I will.”
“Ann? Do you have any idea how much I love you? Having you waiting for me at home with our family means the world to me. You’re the anchor I need.”
“And you’re the wind I need,” I said, meaning it with my entire being. I hadn’t known real love until I met and married him.
He chuckled softly. “How about a private cruise on the boat so we can make love under the stars.”
“You know I love stargazing,” I said, teasing him.
We laughed together and then after catching him up on family news, we said goodnight.
I couldn’t wait for him to come home.