CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
T hanksgiving morning was bright and clear, as the weather forecaster had promised. But there was no time to enjoy it. It was the busiest day of the year for the hotel, with all staff helping to serve hundreds of people dinner in several shifts. We did it, in part, because it made such a satisfying difference to many people in the area who’d come to love our expansive buffet.
It made social and foodie news. Turkey wasn’t the only meat of the day. A steamship round of beef, halves of ham, and legs of lamb were also offered. Luckily, after several upgrades, our kitchen could handle it.
After our guests had taken what they wanted of meat, vegetables, salads, and desserts and we’d closed the dining room, the staff members could have whatever they wanted of the remaining food. It was a wonderful way to share camaraderie with staff members from all departments.
“Looks like you have a beautiful, sunny day,” murmured Vaughn, giving me a last squeeze before I got out of bed.
“It helps when we do. People can spread out to the outdoors to wait until their reservations are ready. What are you doing today until I see you this afternoon?”
“I thought I’d take Arthur for a sail. Robbie and Brett want to come too. It’s great that Robbie and Brett can enjoy sailing with me and being on a motorboat with Brett’s dad.”
I kissed Vaughn and forced myself out of bed. I knew the hotel kitchen staff were already at work.
After I showered and dressed for the day, I went to the kitchen and found Lorraine waiting for me.
“Ready for a busy day?” I asked, pleased to see her.
“Yes,” said Lorraine. “It’s essential for me to keep going on with my work even while things are uncertain for Arthur. We talked about it, and he agrees.”
“If at any time you feel you can’t be part of the scene, please let me know. There’s bound to be talk.”
“That’s why it’s important for me to do my usual job. I can’t let Arthur’s problem ruin my business. He and Vaughn have planned a pleasant day.”
I briefly wondered at Lorraine’s vehemence and then realized how right she was. She’d worked hard to establish herself as a well-known wedding planner and had spent years alone building her business. It seemed only right that she fight for its continued success now.
###
W e arrived at the hotel to find the kitchen area abuzz with excitement. A small area in Consuela’s kitchen, apart from the main kitchen, offered hot coffee and tea, plates of sweet rolls and cookies, and plenty of ice water. We needed the staff to be cared for throughout the day as they’d be on their feet for many hours.
Lorraine and I grabbed cups of coffee and a treat and moved to my office.
Rhonda was already there. “Hi, Ann. Hi, Lorraine. I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to be sure there would be no hard feelings between us because of any problems with Arthur.”
“Thank you for saying that,” said Lorraine. “I’ve done a lot of thinking about it, and I won’t let anything come between my friendships with the two of you.”
“I appreciate it,” said Rhonda. “After reading more about the situation online on the local TV website, Will thinks Arthur may be able to work something out. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one whose purchase wasn’t reported to the SEC by the stockbroker.”
“I hope that’s the case because Arthur is devastated. He has many big clients whom he’d hate to disappoint.”
Lorraine and I sat, and we formed a little circle.
“Naturally, I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and I’ve concluded that nothing should come between us,” said Lorraine. “We are three smart, successful women who love our spouses, families, and friends. Whatever happens, we can move forward.”
“I’ve thought about that too,” said Rhonda. “I know Arthur was disappointed that Reggie chose to go into business with Will. I understand. I get that Will wants to prove to Arthur that his business is successful, but this incident has pointed out how foolish it can be. We should simply want the best for everyone.”
“I appreciate your show of support by being here, Lorraine,” I said. “I honestly believe everything will work out however it’s supposed to.”
“Me, too,” said Lorraine. She studied Rhonda and me, then blinked back tears.
Seeing her so emotional, Rhonda and I looked at one another with blurred vision. Women were strong. Even stronger when helping one another.
###
T he day was as exhausting as other Thanksgivings and as equally gratifying as requests for rooms and functions grew for the future. But for me, after all the work of providing meals for our guests, it was a time to be together with my hotel family and my own for a quiet late evening.
It was also the day before one of my favorite events of the year—decorating the hotel for Christmas. In those early mornings following Thanksgiving Day, Manny and his crew erected a large, live tree in the front hallway. Then, the decorator we hired would sweep in with her team, along with some members of our staff, to decorate the tree and fill the nooks and crannies of the public rooms and dining rooms with touches of holiday decorations. The timing was important. We wanted as many of our guests as possible to awake to a completely changed décor.
Each year was a bit different. This season, Rhonda and I chose “The Wonder of the Sea” as a theme. I couldn’t wait to see how it would all turn out.
The decorator and her team were due to arrive at eight o’clock.
Though the thought of lingering in bed was enticing, I left Vaughn still asleep and quietly left the house. Lorraine had already gone before me.
###
W hen I arrived at the hotel, the decorator’s van was already parked behind the hotel. As I pulled into a parking space, the staff from Tropical Fleurs, the florist we used for most occasions, pulled their van next to me. They’d worked with the decorator for years and were part of our annual Christmas project.
“Glad to see you,” I said to the gentleman who emerged from the van.
“It’s always nice to be here at the hotel. Especially at this time of day when I can grab some coffee and a sweet roll.”
I laughed. It was a useful way to bribe service people to come to the hotel early in the day.
I went inside the hotel, leaving him and his co-worker to figure out how to unload the van. In all the confusion of Arthur’s dilemma, I forgot to check the arrangements for both of the weekend weddings.
I said hello to Consuela, and instead of going to my office, I went to see Lorraine. Vaughn and I had kept to our promise of allowing Lorraine and Arthur to enjoy total privacy, and after an exhausting day at the hotel, I hadn’t wanted to discuss business with her.
I knocked on her door and opened it.
Smiling, Lorraine called me inside. “Hi, I’m just going over the details for both of the weddings. Now that the decorator is here, I need to make sure the library is set up for the Saturday wedding. The bride chose a Christmas color theme, which makes it easy. I just need to make sure the details are what she wants.”
“And the Sunday wedding? I haven’t heard anything.”
“It’s going to be super easy,” said Lorraine. “It’s the first time we’ve had a wedding in one of the houses. The book club group is staying in House #2. House #1 is where the wedding will take place.”
“Wow!” I said, surprised but pleased by the idea. “Caro said she and Henry wanted a simple wedding. This is as simple as it can get. What about a theme? Decorations? Flowers?”
“Her color scheme is dark green and white. For the house, we’ve planned a white basket with a green ribbon and filled with freesia, orchids, white roses, and dark green leaves. After the service, the party will move to the private dining room, where flowers of a similar nature will sit on the four tables. The tables will be covered in dark green linen.”
“That will be stunning. I can’t wait to see what the bride will be wearing.”
“Caro has been one of my favorite people to work with on this,” said Lorraine. “The couple truly wants it to be simple and easy. It’s a last-minute arrangement, and they don’t want to stress about it.”
“I wish more couples felt that way,” I said.
“Yes, our group tomorrow won’t be that easy. The bride is a young, local woman who’s spoiled. Some of the guests arrived yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner. Tonight’s rehearsal dinner is being held elsewhere, but we’ll have the bridal luncheon here tomorrow. We could never have taken a late wedding request for Sunday if the ceremony weren’t being held at one of the houses.”
“Not with a send-off breakfast at the hotel Sunday noon for Saturday’s wedding guests. How about the meal in the private dining room for our small wedding group? Is that going to be easy to do?”
Lorraine gave me a satisfied smile. “Surf and turf for the main course. And some interesting choices for appetizers, sides, and even desserts. Instead of a wedding cake, they want a selection of pastries.”
“I can’t wait for this wedding. Rhonda and I feel very connected to this group.”
“So far, they’ve been a delight to work with. I’ve even had requests for champagne to be available on Saturday evening to be served at the house, along with a tray of appetizers and snacks before moving to the hotel.”
“This is a group that definitely likes a little bubbly,” I said. “When they made their original reservations here, they even talked about bubble baths at the house.”
“That’s so cute,” said Lorraine. “One of the gifts the bride is giving to people in attendance is a package of bubble bath powder from the spa shop.”
“Sweet. Thanks for all the input. I’ve got to see what Tropical Fleurs and our designer are doing with our Christmas decorations.”
“See you later,” said Lorraine. “I’m glad you’re handling that.”
“It’s always fun and a mad race to get it done quickly,” I said, standing.
I left Lorraine’s office and went to the front hall, where a beautiful, tall spruce tree was being decorated.
Rhonda was standing in the middle of the hallway with a wide smile. “This is going to be stunning,” she said, giving me a gleeful hug. “Look at the ornaments.” She held up a sheet of photographs. “There are shells of every size, starfish, beach plum accents, crystals, glass balls, and deep aqua, peacock green, and silver ribbons.
I stared up at the tree, imagining how it would look finished. Right now, sparkly white lights were being threaded through the branches.
“It’s always so exciting,” I said, watching for a minute. “Do you remember our first Christmas tree here at the hotel? It wasn’t as fancy as this, but it was ours, and we were very proud of it.”
“I still love seeing the hotel decorated like this. It makes the holidays seem so much more alive.”
“I just found out information about the upcoming weddings. Caro and Henry have decided to have their ceremony in one of the houses. It’ll be a first for us.”
Rhonda grinned. “It seems right for them, somehow. Their relationship evolved so fast not only because of the hotel’s atmosphere but because of us.”
I laughed. “Okay, if you say so.”
“You know I’m right. And it’s a relief to laugh after all the crap that has gone on. I hope this holiday season will prepare us for another year without any family problems.”
“I agree. Let’s have fun.”
We followed the directions from the designer’s staff and placed candles, ribbons, and decorations where they told us, feeling a part of the project.
By noon, we were still working when Lorraine approached us. “Arthur called. He’s flying to New York City to meet with his lawyers. He’s asked me to come with him. I told him I could go on Sunday morning but not before. I figure you two could handle the small wedding for your friends. Is that all right?”
Rhonda and I glanced at one another.
“Of course,” Rhonda said.
“Are you alright?” I asked, observing her red eyes.
“I will be,” she said. “It’s been a rough morning. It will take time for Reggie and his father to work things out. It might be wise for us to leave for a few days.”
“I see,” said Rhonda, looking worried. “Can I do anything to help?”
Lorraine shook her head. “I think it’s something they have to do for themselves.”
“Don’t worry about Sunday’s wedding. But if you and Laura could handle the wedding tomorrow, we’d really appreciate it. You said the bride was spoiled, and the last thing we need is for her to turn into a bridezilla.”
“Amen,” said Rhonda. “This has been such a terrible week, and I wouldn’t be pleasant handling that.”
“Understood,” said Lorraine. She gazed around. “The tree and decorations are stunning. I’m sure the hotel will be busy for our holiday brunch season because everyone will want to come here to look at them. It’s become a kind of tradition.”
Lorraine left us, and Rhonda gripped my arm. “Should I call Angela? Do anything for Reggie?”
“I’m afraid this is one time where there’s nothing to do but wait,” I said.
“You know how I hate that,” sighed Rhonda.
“Let’s concentrate on the hotel, the staff party, the upcoming events, and the things we can control.”
“Okay,” said Rhonda. “But I won’t rest until I know everything is all right with Angela and her family.”
“I understand,” I said as my cell rang. Vaughn.
“Hi, Sweetie. What’s up?” I asked.
“It’s Randolph. Stephanie and I are with him at the hospital. He’s not feeling well, and the doctor thinks it’s time to change the batteries of his pacemaker. Stephanie is pretty upset because she found him on the floor.”
“I’ll come to the hospital right now.” Stephanie and Randolph were the closest thing my family had as grandparents.
“What’s wrong now?” said Rhonda.
I told her and sighed. “I guess the more people we include in our hotel family, the more issues we’ll have with them.”
“But that’s being part of a family,” Rhonda said, and I was reminded how unusual my own family had been growing up with just a grandmother.
“You’re right. No matter what, I’d still want them to be part of it.”
“Go,” said Rhonda. “I’ll see that things are completed here. I’m also going to have Lorraine send each of us the file for Sunday’s wedding so we can plan how that will get done.”
I grabbed my things and drove to the hospital as quickly as I could.
###
W hen I arrived, I saw Vaughn and Stephanie in the emergency waiting room and hurried over to them. “How is Randolph?”
“He’s all right,” Vaughn assured me. “It’s the battery in his pacemaker that’s the problem. It needs to be replaced. They’re giving him a lot of antibiotics now and will do the surgical procedure later today.”
“A few days ago, Randolph told me he’d called for an appointment to have the work done, but apparently, it couldn’t wait that long,” said Stephanie.
“I’ll stay here with Stephanie until the surgery is complete,” Vaughn said. “The procedure isn’t difficult. Lots of people can have it done as an outpatient, but they told us they want to keep Randolph overnight.”
I gave Stephanie a long hug. “I’ll take Vaughn’s place after the procedure. We’ll have you come for dinner, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“What would we ever do without you two?” Stephanie said. “You’ve given us a whole new life as Robbie’s grandparents.”
“We feel the same about you. We’re family,” I said.
“Who knew this would happen when we couldn’t get a room at the hotel?” said Stephanie, doing her best not to cry.
“A lucky day for all of us,” I said.
“I’ll walk you out,” said Vaughn to me. “And then Stephanie and I are moving to the surgical waiting area.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” I said, waving to Stephanie.
“How are they both?” I asked Vaughn. “Stephanie looks completely frazzled.”
“Stephanie had a very frightening scare. Apparently, Randolph just fell to the floor. She thought he was dead. Luckily, Randolph came to quickly, and she called 911. Then she called me.”
“It’s lucky she knew you were home and that you weren’t sailing,” I said. “I’ll go back to the hotel and wait for a call from either her or you.”
“Elena knows I’m here. She’ll wait at the house for Robbie to return from Brett’s. I asked her not to mention anything to him about Randolph until I could talk to him. I know he’ll be upset.”
“Maybe he can visit Randolph tonight,” I said.
“How are things at the hotel?” Vaughn asked me.
“Busy with the Christmas decorating, but it’s going to look lovely. And Rhonda and I are greeting the five women of the book club who are returning this afternoon for the wedding of one of them.”
“Don’t worry about things here. We don’t expect bad news, but I’ll be here to support Stephanie.”
I hugged him. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Not since last night,” he said, grinning.