CHAPTER FIVE
Later in the week, I came home from the hotel and found the house quiet. Not even Cindy greeted me at the door. My heart raced. Maybe, if I was lucky, I’d find Robbie with Vaughn down at the boat.
I hurried out to the lanai and grinned at the sight of them working on Zephyr , Vaughn’s thirty-six-foot Pearson sailboat. I went through the lanai and was walking down to the dock when Cindy raced up to greet me. She was wearing a yellow life jacket, letting me know Vaughn was getting the boat ready to sail.
Vaughn looked up at me and waved. The sexy smile that all his fans loved lit his dark eyes. He dropped the line he was holding and strode toward me as I ran into his arms. We hugged tightly, and then I lifted my face. He kissed me, sending frissons of delight through me. Even though we’d been married for some years, we were still experiencing an exciting romance.
“Will you two stop kissing? I want to go sailing,” said Robbie, making a silly face.
Vaughn and I exchanged amused glances and then Vaughn tousled Robbie’s hair. “Someday you’ll find a girl you want to kiss as much as I want to do with your mother.”
Robbie shrugged. “Bethany isn’t interested in me. She likes Brett.”
“You have plenty of time ahead of you to find the right person,” said Vaughn, trying not to show his amusement.
“What’s for dinner?” I asked.
“I ordered a picnic from the Sable Café so you wouldn’t have to do any work. Get changed, and we’ll have time for a quick sail before it gets too dark,” said Vaughn. “I’ve supplied the boat with drinks.”
“Perfect. I’ll be right back.” I hurried inside the house to get ready. Time seemed to come alive when Vaughn was home.
A few minutes later, I sat in the cockpit of the boat while Robbie stood at the wheel and Vaughn tossed the docking line onto the boat and hopped in. It seemed like yesterday that Robbie, barely older than a toddler, sat with me in the cockpit watching Vaughn’s every move at the wheel.
It was a beautiful evening as Robbie guided the boat from our inlet into a larger waterway out to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. There, Vaughn raised the mainsail, and I unfurled the jib to catch as much wind as possible.
“Look! There’s a dolphin!” I cried as Robbie turned off the engine. The wind filled our sails, sending us forward. As the bow of the boat cut through the water, a pleasant hissing sound told of our speed.
I looked at a couple of dolphins following us playfully, jumping through the water. I was lucky to be in this place with people I loved.
Vaughn seemed to know what I was feeling and winked at me.
The sun was lowering in the sky, and I hoped this time I would see the green flash everyone talked about. If the atmosphere was just right as the sun dipped below the horizon, a green flash could appear. I’d met people who swore they saw it, but for most of us, looking for it was a fun part of the process of moving into the night.
Vaughn looked up at me from the galley. “How does a glass of wine sound?”
“Like the perfect end to a busy, worrisome day.”
Vaughn handed me a glass of red wine and sat beside me in the cockpit.
I snuggled up against him. “Why were you able to get home a little early? Good news, I hope.”
“I told them I’d been away long enough and needed a few days at home while they do some editing on the film.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” Thinking of the Gorman wedding, I frowned. “I’ll work out a deal with Rhonda to handle a wedding this weekend. Lorraine is in charge, but Rhonda and I always try to be present for part of the festivities. It makes a difference to the wedding party and future business.”
“Let’s not think of that. Let’s simply enjoy the evening and … time together,” Vaughn said, giving me a sexy grin. “I don’t know when I’ll be called back.”
“Perfect.” I observed Robbie handling the boat, and pride filled me. He was becoming a very capable sailor.
The wind lifted my hair and swirled it around my face. Laughing, I brushed it away. The salt air filled my nostrils, and I watched seagulls and terns whirl above us, crying out in their shrill voices. Sitting here with two of the people I loved most, my life seemed perfect.
Vaughn clasped my hand and squeezed it. I studied him, seeing his love for me, and my breath caught. I’d never thought I’d be this lucky.
###
After a night of lovemaking, I awoke to find Vaughn staring at me. “Hello, sweetheart. What shall we do today?”
I reached for him and hugged him tightly. “Let me get things settled with Rhonda, and then we can plan something.”
We kissed, and I got out of bed determined to take advantage of Vaughn being home.
In the kitchen, I fixed a cup of coffee and took it and my cell phone out to the lanai. I knew it was early, but Rhonda’s husband, Will, was an early riser, and with the kids in school, I figured Rhonda would be up.
She answered on the second ring. “Hi, there. What’s up?”
“Vaughn’s home for a couple of days, and I’m wondering if you’ll handle the Gorman wedding. I’m sure Lorraine has everything organized, and Laura Young is scheduled to help.”
“Sure, I’ll help. But, Annie, I must warn you Willow and Drew are both fighting the flu, and I’m not feeling great after taking care of them.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Let me know how your day goes. I’ll go to the hotel this morning, but I’d like this afternoon and the rest of the weekend off.” I seldom asked for time off, but with Vaughn’s erratic schedule, this was important.
I finished my coffee and went into the kitchen where Vaughn had fixed breakfast for Robbie. He looked up at me. “Well? Did you get the time off?”
Feeling conflicted, I shrugged. “It’s complicated, but I think I have this afternoon off. Rhonda’s kids are sick, and she isn’t feeling great.”
I could see the disappointment on his face, but we supported one another in our jobs, and I knew he wouldn’t make a big issue of it. Still, I was as disappointed as he was.
“We can look for a new dinghy,” said Robbie to his dad.
Vaughn’s face brightened. “Yes, we do need one.”
I smiled at the two of them. Boys and toys.
###
A short while later, I arrived at the hotel and went directly to Lorraine Grace’s office, which served as the coordination center for weddings. Laura was there looking frazzled. A woman in her late twenties, she’d been helping Lorraine parttime with weddings doing a lot of the administrative work while Lorraine planned and executed wedding functions.
“What’s wrong?” I asked Laura, a pretty, brown-haired woman with dark brown eyes, who was normally calm.
“Lorraine called me. She and Arthur are both sick. Apparently, there is some kind of flu going around. I told her not to worry that you, Rhonda, and I would handle the Gorman wedding.”
“Oh, dear. I’m afraid it’s going to be just you and me. Rhonda isn’t feeling well, and if she’s getting the flu, we don’t want her at the hotel.”
“Most of the wedding guests are arriving this afternoon. The Rehearsal Dinner is here tonight. The groom’s family specifically requested the dinner be held here, so Jean-Luc could prepare duck a’l’orange. They’re regular hotel guests and had it here previously.”
“What are we talking about in numbers for that meal?” It worried me to have a fancy, time-consuming meal for a lot of people in addition to serving our regular guests.
Laura looked through the notebook Lorraine had set up for the wedding. “It looks like there are only two bridesmaids and three groomsmen. And with the other guests listed the total is twenty-four.”
“What about the wedding dinner? How many people and what is the menu for that?”
“That’s a little easier. They are expecting forty people and are offering a choice of surf and turf or poached salmon for those who don’t eat red meat. Jean-Luc can easily handle that.”
Though this was an important wedding for PR purposes, it sounded like a tasteful, small gathering. But that meant that each detail had to be perfect. “Do we have the gift baskets ready?”
Laura checked another section of the notebook. “Yes. Dorothy Stern and two friends packed them up yesterday.” She smiled. “Dorothy loves to do this. She says it reminds her of getting ready for her wedding years ago.”
“Nice. Will you see that they get delivered to the proper rooms? I assume housekeeping has been notified.”
“Yes. It’s checked here.”
“What time is the cocktail reception?” I asked. “I’ll arrange to be here to welcome everyone, but will you oversee dinner and make sure all is going well? Vaughn is home for only a couple of days and, if possible, I’d like to have the evening with him.”
“Okay, I’ll handle it today, but tomorrow I’m leaving for New York to attend a family celebration. I’d already cleared it with Lorraine.”
I let out a long breath. “No problem.” After Rhonda and I first opened the hotel, I knew that our time would never be ours alone. The hotel, the biggest baby of all, would come first.
I left Laura and went to find Bernie to inform him of how I planned to handle things.
“Good thing you’re on it. Annette is all set to handle service for both dinners.” Bernie’s wife, Annette, had turned out to be a wonderful addition to our staff acting as hostess to special dinners and quietly overseeing the service staff.
Feeling better about things, I headed home. I planned to be back in plenty of time before the cocktail service to make sure the wedding guests were well looked after.
###
I arrived home to find a note from Vaughn sitting on the kitchen counter. “ I’ve gone on errands. Be back in time for a late lunch.”
After checking my watch, I made a quick phone call to Hair Styles. Malinda was always gracious about finding room for me to have my hair trimmed and nails painted. I crossed my fingers. Like it or not, I’d be on display this weekend and needed help.
Malinda told me to come right away, that she could fit me in for the next twenty minutes, and she’d ask the manicurist to quickly do my fingernails.
Grateful for the friendship I’d developed with her over the past several years, I headed into town.
###
A little over an hour later, I emerged from the salon looking and feeling better. I kept my dark hair in a simple cut just above my shoulders, where it curled under in a smooth style. I wanted to look nice to greet Elise Gorman, mother of the bride, and her friend, Janelle Cummings. Both were well-known in New York City social circles for their charity work. Through them, we hoped to get more business.
Before I could make it home, Vaughn called me on my cell.
“How about meeting me at The Wharf for lunch?” he said. “I have a feeling that might be the only time we get to share a meal today.”
“Perfect. I’m afraid you’re right. The Gorman wedding is important to us, and Lorraine is out sick. I’m helping Laura handle things but will have to be around this evening for sure. Rhonda texted me that she was too sick to come in.”
“Guess that’s the hotel business,” said Vaughn. “Meet me at the restaurant, and we’ll have a nice lunch.”
The Wharf was a rustic restaurant on the waterfront north of downtown. It was known for its water views and excellent seafood. The large bar was for casual dining, but the restaurant had a more formal dining room where Vaughn and I liked to sit to enjoy quiet discussions.
I pulled up in the parking lot as Vaughn was heading inside.
Seeing me, he waved and waited.
“Hi,” he said, bending down to kiss me.
A couple walking by recognized Vaughn and stopped, but we ignored them and then went inside to the dining room. The receptionist led us to a table in the corner where we could talk quietly.
“Thanks for making the reservation. I don’t feel like sharing you with your fans,” I said, giving him a teasing smile.
He chuckled. “You’re probably more famous in town than I am.”
I shook my head. “No way. What are you going to have to eat? I want to eat heartily because I think you’re right, I may not be able to have another real meal today.”
“I know what I’m going to order. I’ve been thinking about it all morning. Key Lime Grouper with a blue crab cake,” said Vaughn.
“I’m going to start with some fresh oysters and then have the Florida Louis Salad with extra shrimp.” With Vaughn gone, it wasn’t often that I went out to restaurants.
“Sounds great.” He signaled a waitress over and placed our orders.
Sipping our iced water, we chatted about the filming. I watched Vaughn’s face as he talked about his character. It was clear that he loved his work. After years of being in a soap opera, The Sins of the Children , he loved being able to choose what scripts and roles he wanted.
I was happy for him.
Our food came to the table, and we were quiet as we dug in. I appreciated that neither of us felt as if we had to talk all the time. It made the conversation between us more interesting.
After we finished eating, Vaughn focused his dark-eyed gaze on me. “Let’s go back to the house and have some time to ourselves before Robbie comes home and you have to go to work.”
I knew exactly what he wanted and rose.
We walked out of the restaurant together, holding hands.