CHAPTER NINE #2
“Very well. I’ve fallen in love with Sabal and realize I’m going to need a lot more time than I thought to consider where we might want to live. I’m meeting with the Luna brothers tomorrow, but that won’t be nearly enough time. Do you think we could rent one of the guesthouses for a week or so?”
“Let me check the reservations schedule and see what we can do,” said Rhonda. “After the luncheon, come see us in our office. We’ll make arrangements of some kind that will please you.”
“Yes, we’ll do our best,” I said.
Enrico came over to us. “Thank you for setting up everything for our meeting today. I’m hoping it will be beneficial to all in the community.”
“I’m curious. Is Jonny Arno one of the invited guests today?” I asked him.
“No.” He grimaced. “He called me this morning. He claims we’re distant cousins.” Enrico shook his head. “It could be possible. In Sicily, many families are intertwined and go back generations. I’ll follow up.”
“We’ll do our best to put Catarina and Philippa in one of the guesthouses,” I said.
“Thank you. It’s easy to see why Amelia Swanson recommended Sabal and your hotel,” he said. He turned away to greet one of the guests heading toward the private dining room.
Rhonda and I went back to our office to check the reservations schedule.
“We can move the one couple who was supposed to stay there for one night to the Presidential Suite. That will give Catarina and Enrico the guesthouse for eight straight days,” I said. “More, if necessary.”
“Okay. That’s better planning. I see that the reservation for the couple was not guaranteed. That makes it easy,” said Rhonda.
“They’ll be thrilled with a stay in the Presidential Suite,” I said. “A win-win for all.”
“I want to check on the employee apartment for Chet and Harper,” Rhonda said. “I wish we were able to build more than the three apartments we have.”
“With the expansion of the laundry room and spa, there wasn’t room,” I said.
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Rhonda and I left our office and went over to the building which at one time was simply a six-car garage.
It had changed considerably over the years and now, with additions, housed the spa, laundry room, and three staff apartments.
All had beautiful views over gardens and the two tennis courts we had installed for both tennis and pickleball.
Each apartment had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living/dining room, small laundry area, and a decent-sized kitchen with a small eating area.
The largest one was occupied by Consuela and Manny.
The other two were used by a variety of staffers on a short-term basis.
Now, one of the other apartments was temporarily housing a young couple with a baby who were waiting to purchase a house of their own.
He was working for Manny on the landscaping crew, and she was employed in the housekeeping department.
This flexibility allowed us to find long-term employees, which was so important in the hospitality industry where employee turnover was a problem.
We knocked and walked into the apartment to be used by Chet and Harper.
The housekeeping staff had done a great job of getting it ready.
A vase of fresh flowers sat on the coffee table in the living room, and bottles of cold water sat in the refrigerator, along with a platter of cheese, fruit, and crackers.
We checked the bedrooms. It appeared that Harper’s things were in one bedroom and Chet’s in the other.
“Guess they really are just friends,” said Rhonda. “It’s none of my business, but I’m glad they’re not dating. Any break-up might affect us, and I must confess until things get settled with Jonny Arno, I don’t want anything else to worry about.”
“I agree,” I said, feeling a shiver crawl down my back even as we stepped outside into bright, warm sunlight.
“Guess, we’d better get ready for the wedding,” Rhonda said. “I’ll meet you back at the hotel in a few minutes. I’m going home to change clothes and to check on the kids.”
“Me, too,” I said. “It might be wise for us to be around. Harper said it’s a drinking crowd, and you never know what that might mean.”
“Sometimes it feels as if we’re babysitters,” grumbled Rhonda, and I couldn’t blame her. Though our guests were very different, we felt a responsibility for all of them.
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When I arrived back at the hotel later that evening, I was pleased to see a security guard patrolling the area.
I got out of my car, waved to him, and entered the hotel anxious to see if everything was prepared for the wedding ceremony.
Though the ceremony itself was going to be on the beach, there was much to prepare both in the hotel and outside.
Guests were asked to gather in the library and then to make their way to the beach where a wooden arch decorated with flowers was in place, along with a small lectern for the minister presiding over the ceremony.
The bride had chosen fall colors for her wedding. While guests were lining up and preparing to walk to the beach, the three bridesmaids showed up wearing coral silk tea-length slip dresses. They looked adorable—so young, so eager. At their innocence, my eyes smarted with the sting of tears.
I met Rhonda outside by the boardwalk, and we stood together as guests walked by. In the background, a guitar player was playing soft classical music. He suddenly changed music and the parents of the groom, the mother of the bride, and the first of the bridesmaids walked by us.
The music changed once more, and the bride appeared on the boardwalk with her father.
A pretty girl with red hair, she wore a simple white silk sleeveless dress that hung just above her ankles.
On her head she wore a collection of flowers tucked into the French knot at the back of her head. The effect was stunning.
I glanced at Rhonda.
As usual, she was dabbing at tears she couldn’t contain.
It was always this way. We’d seen many weddings and would continue to do so, but each one was special in its own way.
Even though the mother of this bride had been difficult, the bride herself was a sweet young woman who was marrying the man she’d helped through medical school.
Once the bride had passed by, Rhonda and I hurried behind the sunset deck and building to watch the ceremony.
The groom and the rest of his party were wearing tan slacks and coral golf shirts.
The smile on his face as he gazed at his bride walking toward him brought fresh tears to Rhonda and had me dabbing at my own eyes.
At the end of the ceremony, as the guests were applauding, Rhonda and I slipped away to make sure the reception was ready to receive guests.
We checked the dining room. Both Lorraine and Annette were talking in the area reserved for the wedding party.
“Cocktails and canapés are being served on the pool deck,” said Lorraine. “The dinner is well-organized here.”
“Thanks so much. It all looks fantastic,” I said.
Lorraine cleared her throat. “Heads up. The mother of the bride, who’s been so difficult to work with, had a lot of champagne this afternoon. We’ll keep an eye on her, but it could mean trouble.”
“If there’s anything you need, let us know,” said Rhonda. “Annie and I are going to check on guests who’ve moved to one of the guesthouses, and then I’m going home.”
Lorraine gave us a little salute, and we walked away.
We took the private walkway to the two guesthouses on the property. These accommodations were important for guests who especially needed privacy for a number of days. It would be the perfect place for Catarina and Philippa to hide out.
“I’m glad we could juggle things around so that the Ambassador’s family could stay here,” I said as we approached the guesthouse reserved for them.
“I can’t shake the idea that Jonny is going to continue to be a problem.
And with little enthusiasm from the Ambassador for his new restaurant, Jonny could try something stupid with his family. ”
“Oh, my God! I didn’t think of that, Annie. Would he be that stupid?” said Rhonda.
“He’s allowing Brock Goodwin to be part of his team. That says a lot about how smart he is.”
“You’re right. Before I leave the hotel, I’ll speak to the security team and Bernie. I’ll feel better if I do,” said Rhonda.
“Thanks. I’m going home and taking a swim in the pool to relax,” I said, wanting to shake off the bad feelings I couldn’t get rid of after seeing the slashed tires on my car.
We rang the bell of the guesthouse and waited for an answer.
Philippa came to the door wearing a bikini that showed off her young, taut body to perfection. “Hello. Please come in. My parents and I want to thank you for finding this accommodation for us.”
As we stepped inside, Catarina walked toward us wearing a coverup. “Thank you, Ann and Rhonda, for allowing us to stay in this lovely house. Enrico had to go back to New York City, but my daughter and I will stay here for as long as it takes to find a place to live.”
“We’re glad we could do this for you,” said Rhonda. “If you need anything, just call the front desk.”
“I saw a wedding going on at the beach,” said Philippa. “How romantic. I’m sure you have plenty of beach weddings here. It’s so lovely.”
“Yes, we do,” said Rhonda. “Each one is very special.”
“We won’t keep you,” I said. “We just wanted to make sure you were comfortably settled.”
“Thank you again,” said Catarina, shaking our hands.
Rhonda and I left, and I quickly gathered my things from the office and went home, exhausted.