CHAPTER NINETEEN
The next morning, I rose early, intent on a walk on the beach. I’d been thinking about Clint and Nell all night, tossing in bed with worry.
I was parking my car behind the hotel when I got a cell call from Nell.
“Hi. What’s up?” I asked.
“I’m not flying to Florida today,” Nell said. “I’ve thought about it, and Clint and I talked honestly, and I feel a lot better by staying with him while he’s going through this rough time.”
“I’m pleased you’re doing that,” I said. “I think it’s the right thing to do. Use these days to support him and to make the move out of the house the easiest it can be.”
“Yes, I’m going to do that,” said Nell. “It’s been such a tough year that I sometimes forget what our marriage was like when we first started out.”
“You two have a lot of love,” I told her. “That’s too precious to waste.”
“I’m relieved I can talk to you,” said Nell. “Is everything fine at the hotel?”
“Yes, we’re busy, but Lorraine is back part-time, and that helps. You and Clint should know, though, that Claudine has made a complaint to the Chamber of Commerce about Rhonda and me, as well as our hotel. We’re ignoring it, but it’s aggravating.”
“Very much so,” said Nell. “You know how I feel about Claudine.”
“Rhonda and I have faced worse, but we’ll keep an eye out for any more trouble from her.”
I was walking out to the beach when my cell rang again. Vaughn.
“Hi, what’s up?” I asked him.
“I just got a call from my agent. I have to go to New York City for a couple of days. Hope you don’t mind. It could mean an audition for me.”
“I understand. Thank heavens for Liana. Can you do me a favor and call her to make sure she’ll be on hand?”
“Okay. I’m catching a flight this afternoon. I’ll give you all the details.”
Vaughn ended the call, and I stepped onto the sand and walked to the water’s foamy edge to stare out over the Gulf.
Life was unpredictable, and I needed this peace to catch my breath.
Ever since moving to Sabal, the soothing waves and the birds in the sky or scurrying along the sand brought me a peace I couldn’t find elsewhere.
Especially when a soft sea breeze caressed my cheeks, helping me to relax.
I’d just made it back to the hotel gate when Brock came running up to me.
“Say, Ann, I heard from a friend at the Chamber of Commerce that The Beach House Hotel is about to be sued for mishandling a situation with a guest. It’s something I, as the president of the Neighborhood Association, should know about. Care to comment?”
“No, Brock, I don’t,” I said calmly, as my pulse sprinted inside me.
I left him grumbling under his breath as I hurried through to the loading dock and into the hotel.
“Why the rush?” asked Consuela as I entered the kitchen.
“I need comfort and warmth after meeting up with Brock Goodwin,” I told her, pouring myself a cup of coffee.
She gave me a grim look and handed me a plate with a warm cinnamon roll on it. “That man is beyond annoying. Did you know he tried to talk to one of Manny’s gardeners about how much he was being paid? Manny told him in no uncertain terms that an employee’s pay was private.”
“I don’t put it past Brock to do that. He can’t stand not knowing more about our hotel. But much of our success is based on maintaining a sense of privacy for our guests, our staff, ourselves.”
“What’s going on?” asked Rhonda, coming into the kitchen. I automatically handed her a cup of coffee while Consuela loaded a plate with a sweet roll.
“I ran into Brock at the beach. I’ll tell you about it later. By the way, you two, I heard from Tina Marks. She and her family will be here in a week, and she can’t wait to see everyone and have some of your sweet rolls, Consuela.”
Consuela beamed. “They are The Beach House Hotel’s secret weapon.”
Rhonda and I laughed, but it was true. They played a significant role in the hotel's early publicity.
“You’ve got that right, dear lady,” said Rhonda.
“Love you,” I added, and then walked with Rhonda to our office.
We took seats at our desks, and I faced Rhonda. “Brock told me we were being sued by someone who notified the Chamber of Commerce about us and the hotel, claiming it was unsatisfactory.”
Rhonda shook her head. “No, that’s not true. Someone is spreading lies. Most likely Brock. He hears something, and he builds onto the scrap of information until it’s a completely different story. I’ll contact my friend to see what she has to say about it.”
“We don’t need bad publicity when we’re trying to end our year well.” I shook my head. “Some days, I wonder why we seem to have so many struggles.”
“If we weren’t doing such an outstanding job, no one would notice us. Now, with the spotlight on our hotel, we must be prepared for attacks like this,” said Rhonda. “When is Nell coming back?”
“She was going to come back today, but she’s staying in D.C. to help Clint,” I said. “Vaughn is leaving for New York City this afternoon for a couple of days. It’s a good thing we have a contract with Liana for babysitting. It’s been a little crazy at my house.”
“And here at the hotel,” said Rhonda. “I’m going to call my friend at the Chamber of Commerce, and then we’d better let Bernie know what’s going on.”
While Rhonda made the call, I returned the dishes to the kitchen and took a moment to walk through the lobby to see what was happening there.
I loved the striking difference between the holiday decorations inside and the tropical scenes outside.
The smell of pine filled my nostrils as I studied the floral and pine displays inside, adding a brightness to the lobby area.
But it was the large sparkling Christmas tree I loved the most, looking regal with its silver and gold theme.
Rhonda caught up to me. “There you are. My friend says there was no mention of any legal action in the complaint that she told me about. She said Brock is a nuisance at the office and we should ignore him. I told her I wished we could.”
We went to Bernie’s office and knocked.
He was on the phone but waved us inside.
After he ended the call, he turned to us. “What’s up?”
Rhonda told him about the email the Chamber had received, and I told him about my meeting with Brock on the beach.
He listened quietly and then said, “We’ll just keep on keeping on. That dummkopf is nothing but trouble.” He turned to me. “Is Nell still out of town?”
“Yes. I don’t think we can count on her for another few days. I hope you understand,” I said. “Working at the hotel is very important to her, but there are details she needs to handle in D.C. to make the move here.”
“As long as the hospitality department can function without her for a while, I’m okay with it,” said Bernie. “But as you know, it’s our busy time. I’ve heard that everyone likes Nell and likes working with her. It’s too bad that the timing is off.”
“I know,” I said, wishing Nell had had a stronger beginning. Even though Rhonda and I owned the hotel and wanted family involved, Bernie was right to be concerned when a staff member was unable to work.
###
Following a pattern that we’d begun when we were dating, I drove Vaughn to the airport and picked him up there whenever possible. In our busy lives, it gave us a rare chance to be alone before saying goodbye or greeting his arrival back home.
“What are you auditioning for?” I asked Vaughn.
“A fairly small but important part in a movie that sounded great when my agent pitched it to me,” he said. “It’s a fairly short shoot schedule, and I like that more and more.”
Returning his smile, I said, “Me, too.”
“Thanks for all you’re doing for Nell and Clint,” he said. “I’ve purposely stayed out of a lot of discussion about it as we’d promised one another. But it’s important Nell has you to talk to about it.”
“I love her,” I said as I pulled into the drop-off zone at the airport.
My stomach always clenched with pangs of unhappiness as I saw him off, but it also kept our marriage alive by having him leave home occasionally. The goings were sad, but the homecomings were … well, delicious.
Vaughn kissed me, grabbed his travel bag from the back seat, and headed into the airport wearing a baseball cap to keep people from recognizing him.
I left the airport and headed back to Sabal, thinking of the busy days ahead.
My cell phone rang. Clint.
“Hi, Ann. I’m going to take you up on your offer to help Nell and me. I need you to do two things for me. Are you at home?”
“Actually, I just dropped off Vaughn at the airport for a short business trip, and I’m on my way home.”
“When you get there, could you please scan some papers and email them to me? I’m fairly certain it’s what someone was looking for when they broke into the house.
I’m still keeping the originals, which I hope you’ll store in a safe place.
At the moment, I’ve placed them in a bureau drawer, but I’m not sure they’ll be okay there. ”
“I’ll find a safe spot for them,” I said. “And I’ll get those copies to you.”
“One more thing. I’m turning in my rental car. I’ve arranged for the Audi dealer in Sabal to receive it. It was nothing but an ego trip, anyway. One I’m paying for now.”
Good for you, I thought. “No problem. Do you want me to keep all personal items from the car for you?”
“That would be great. The paperwork is in the glove compartment. I don’t believe you’ll need anything else. Nell brought both sets of openers when she drove it to Sabal.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Besides feeling stupid for getting into all this?” said Clint. “Okay, I guess. The pain level is significantly lower than it was. Nell has been terrific about helping me.”
“She’s a special woman,” I said with pride. “I’ll let you know when I’m about to send the papers to you. Text me the number where you want them sent.”
“Will do. And thanks,” said Clint.
We ended the call, and I let out a sigh of satisfaction. Clint was sounding more like himself. I understood his desire to provide for Nell, knowing she came from money, but neither Nell nor her father ever flaunted it or demanded expensive personal possessions. That’s what he should’ve known.
###
At home, I went through the bureau drawers in the guest room, where Nell and Clint were staying, and quickly found a file folder containing documents. Although I didn’t want to snoop, I read enough to know which papers Clint wanted, and then I went to Vaughn’s office to send them to Clint.
“Thanks,” said Clint when he called.
“I’ll take care of the car tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll get Rhonda to help me.”
“That would be great,” said Clint. “Talk to you then. Nell wants to say hi to you.”
“Hi, sweetie. It seems to be going well,” I said.
Yes, but it won't be easy for Clint to break away. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I just wanted to thank you for your help. Can I speak to the kids?”
“Sure. I’ll get them,” I said, carrying my phone to the lanai where they were playing a game.
Watching the children’s faces light up at the news that Nell wanted to speak to them, I handed my phone to Bailey and went to talk to Liana, who’d moved into her room here at the house until further notice.