CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Several days later, I stood in the upstairs room designated for Bailey with a paint roller in my hand.
I, like others before me, was helping with the transformation of the interior of Nell’s new house.
The exterior had already been painted a light beige, and Nell had chosen a deep turquoise for the front door, a pretty tropical color.
I was working under the instruction of one of the professional painters whom Rhonda and I had hired to oversee the work.
Bailey’s room walls were to be coated with a shade of peach called Glee.
Being part of Nell’s project had become a show of unity among the hotel employees.
The process was moving quickly and needed the constant guidance of the professional whose boss was a cousin of Manny’s.
“Okay, you know how to put paint on the roller. Now, be careful to roll it on the wall evenly to get a smooth color effect on the walls,” said my coach, an encouraging young man working for his uncle.
After a few unsure attempts, I worked easily, covering up the old pink walls and giving them an entirely new and fresh look.
A member of the hotel staff joined me, and we worked together to do the job.
We were to leave the wall near the ceiling alone, so the paint didn’t get on the ceiling.
The professionals not only prepared and taped the walls for painting, but they also put the finishing touches on each of the rooms.
A couple of hours later, I stood rubbing my back and staring with pride at the room.
Vaughn, who had been assigned Ned’s room, came up behind me. “Are you sore?”
I laughed and turned to him. “I’ve discovered muscles I didn’t know I had. Are you done with Ned’s room?”
“Yes, and we’ve started on the guest room. I’m pleased with the house’s structure. It’s sound. It may have needed dressing up, but that’s all.”
I walked with him to Ned’s room and looked inside. The dark green color on the walls was the one both Nell and I liked best, and it was perfect for a boy’s room.
We moved to the guest room/office, and I loved the soft, gold-colored walls. Though the main part of the house downstairs would become a warm white, the rooms upstairs each had their distinct flavor.
“Thanks, everyone,” I called as I went down the stairs. I had to get home and change to go to the hotel. We were, as usual, extra busy during this holiday.
On my way out, Rhonda and Will arrived. We all wanted to do our share to help. It had become a family thing.
“The hotel is fine,” Rhonda told me. “We heard from the private investigator that the issue with the hotel and Claudine has been resolved.” Her lips curled. “I think he was embarrassed when he realized she’d left out a lot of important details in her story.”
“From what Nell tells me, Clint’s company is trying to enforce a non-compete clause even though any job he gets through Will and Reggie isn’t at all like his work for Everett, Shuster, and Donnelly.
I wonder how they can be that mean and spiteful.
I know people can be that way, but it seems senseless. ”
“I agree,” Rhonda said. “Say hi to Tina for me. I’ll see her this afternoon when we get together for a champagne toast.”
“Will do,” I said, excited to see Tina and her boys. Nicholas was going to fly to Sabal in a couple of days.
###
After changing at home, I drove to the hotel, geared up for the day. Thankfully, no weddings were scheduled. That was the last thing we needed when we were all working hard on Nell’s house and continuing to provide excellent service at the hotel.
Nell’s project had generated a lot of camaraderie among our staff members. Most of all, Angie, Liz, and Nell had become even closer. They worked together to choose light fixtures and to decide on small details that made a house a home.
At the hotel, I walked into the kitchen to greet Consuela and grab a cup of coffee. I didn’t need a sweet roll. Consuela had sent a huge tray of cinnamon rolls to Nell’s house for the crew members working there.
“Hi,” I said, pouring my coffee and turning to her. “How’s it going here?”
“Busy. Our customers like holiday coffee parties. The dining room has been full of them taking the place of luncheons that were sold out.” She wiped her forehead. “I’ve been busy.”
I put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “You are such a treasure. And everyone loves what you do. The cinnamon rolls are the best. Thanks for sending some to Nell’s house. It’s the perfect thing for a break.”
Consuela smiled at me. “It looks like someone has been working there.” She reached up and tugged on some strands of hair.
I laughed. “I’m sore, but at every stroke I took to cover up the ugly old paint, I felt terrific.”
“It’s great how everyone is pitching in. That’s because you and Rhonda have made us a family,” said Consuela. She lifted her hand and patted my cheek.
I blinked away tears. “I guess I’d better get to the office. Rhonda and Will are at the house ready to paint. See you later. Thanks.”
###
At the hotel, I checked for messages, and after taking care of them, I headed to the library. A popular women’s club in the area had reserved the room to hold an afternoon tea for the benefit of a women’s shelter. It was an event that Rhonda and I were excited to have in the hotel.
I opened the door to the library, went inside, and stood a moment to admire the festive décor.
Tables of four, covered in dark green linen, filled the room.
Atop each table sat a crystal bud vase filled with holiday greens and a single, beautiful red rose.
A large arrangement of greens and a variety of flowers sat on the small dais at the end of the room. A microphone was already in place.
Annette came up behind me. “Pretty, huh?”
“Very. Simple but beautiful,” I responded. “I love this event. For every guest seated, a donation of $100 is made to our charity.
“I like the idea of women helping women,” said Annette. “We’ve just finished setting up the private dining room for the Livingston family group. Want to see?”
We went to the private dining room, and the setting was much more formal.
A long table filled the center of the room.
Crystal glassware, sparkling silverware, and holiday gold-rimmed dishes were part of the display.
The arrangement in the center of the table was filled with greens, gold balls, and orchids.
Though it was very different from the library’s decorations, it suited the style and mood of this elegant room.
“Is the dining room prepared for this dinner?” I asked Annette.
“Yes. All the food ordered has been delivered, including the lobster tails,” Annette said. “It’s such a lovely way for the family to get together each year.”
“Especially as Mr. and Mrs. Livingston age,” I said. Elderly now, the Livingstons were one of my favorite couples. They quietly insisted on the best, making it a challenge for us and the staff to produce a delicious meal with stellar service.
I left Annette and returned to the office to make sure the billing was prepared for the Livingston dinner. Later, I would greet the women at tea before making sure that the guesthouse Tina had rented was ready for her arrival.
###
After leaving the women enjoying their tea, I walked over to the guesthouses and let myself into the one Tina had rented.
Stepping inside, my excitement grew, knowing Tina and her two boys would soon be there.
Rhonda and I hadn’t opened the hotel for long before a Hollywood agent called to ask for our help hiding Tina while she lost some weight before starting a new movie.
She’d been a total brat when she’d first arrived at the hotel.
Now, she was like a daughter to me and Rhonda.
I heard the sound of a car outside and, surprised, went to see who it was. At the sight of Tina and her sons getting out of a white limousine, I ran to her.
“Ann! It’s great to see you!” Tina wrapped her arms around me, and we rocked back and forth.
“Mom, can we go inside? I want to go for a swim,” said Victor, her oldest son, who was the same age as Bailey.
“Better give Aunt Annie a hug first,” said Tina.
I hugged Victor and then his younger brother, Tyler.
The limo driver carried the suitcases inside the front door.
While Tina took care of tipping him, I went inside to check on the boys.
I saw a pile of clothes in the middle of the living room and heard them outside, where I went to check on them.
They were in the shallow end of the pool, laughing and splashing at one another.
“That was fast,” I said. “I bet that feels delightful after your flight.”
“It does,” said Victor. “We wore our swimsuits under our clothes. Mom says we can get together with all the kids. Where are they?”
“Most of them are in school. But there will be plenty of chances for you to see them.”
Tina came out on the lanai. “How does that feel?”
“Great, Mom,” said Victor. “Auntie Ann says we’ll get to see all the kids.”
“They’re almost out of school for vacation, and we’ve planned a lot of get-togethers. I’ll leave you to get settled here, then Rhonda and I will come back to celebrate with you. Rhonda has a special bottle of champagne for us to share. A homecoming for the ‘daughter’ we love.”
Tina clapped her hands together. “That sounds lovely.”
She hugged me goodbye, and I left to check the progress at Nell’s house before returning to the hotel. I hadn’t mentioned it to Tina yet, but I hoped she’d do a little work on the house because it had become a family affair.
###
I arrived to discover a number of cars parked in front of Nell’s house. It was satisfying to see that many. It meant that work inside was being done at lightning speed.
When I walked inside the house, all was quiet except for the music blaring from a well-placed phone.
Several people were painting the main floor rooms. I climbed the stairs.
The rooms on the second floor had all been painted except for trim work.
Even though Nell wanted to completely redo the upstairs bathrooms, she knew that was something that would have to wait.
The complementary colors and the freshness of the paint gave the second floor a whole new feel.
“It looks nice, huh?” one of the professional painters said to me, paintbrush in hand.
“Such a difference,” I said.
“We’ll do the trim tomorrow,” he said. “And then it’ll look even better.”
“Thanks for your help. This work couldn’t be done without you.”
“We have plenty of people working on it. The downstairs is coming along, too,” he said.
I followed him down the stairs and went to check out the main bedroom suite.
A buttery white was being painted on the walls. I studied it and approved. It was a perfect backdrop for any bedding Nell might choose.
Nell came over to me. “Like it?”
“I do,” I said. “Everything looks nice and fresh. I’m excited that Clint will see this version of the house instead of the original. I know he was proud to have that big house of yours in Maryland.”
“It makes a lot more sense for us to live in this one,” said Nell. “It’s already more like home to me than the one he chose.”
“It’s a great neighborhood for kids,” I said. “Families of all sizes.”
“He’s going to love having Reggie and Chad nearby,” Nell said. “His mother isn’t close with us at all.”
“How’s he doing with the business settlement?” I asked her.
Nell shrugged. “I think the company is realizing they can’t hold him back from doing anything else, and that they went against their word in dealing with him the way they did.”
“It sounds hopeful,” I said.
“I think so, too. More than that, Clint is healing well. What seemed like a disaster some weeks ago now seems manageable. He’s anxious to come here, but he’s going to supervise the shipping of our remaining furniture from our house there, and then he’ll fly here for Christmas.
His lawyer said that at this stage, there’s no reason he has to stay up north. ”
“I’m relieved. Has Vaughn gone to pick up the kids from school?”
“Yes,” said Nell. “I explained to him that I don’t want the kids here while we’re in the middle of transitioning the house. When the painting is done, they can come and help with a small project to feel part of it. If they see too much, they’re bound to give away my secret to Clint.”
I laughed. “The other day, Bailey was trying her best not to tell me what she made me for Christmas. It was adorable. She knows no matter what it is, I’ll love it.”
Nell smiled. “I have to pick up something special for each child’s room, and I want them to help me choose. The rest of their belongings have been packed and will be sent along with the furniture, but it’s gratifying for them to have a fresh start.”
I put my arm around her. “That’s exactly what you and Clint are doing—giving yourselves a fresh start.”