CHAPTER TWELVE
Each time I saw my darling grandchildren run toward me my heart filled with joy. I’d heard from other women how special it was to be a grandparent but hadn’t experienced it until my grandchildren were born.
Liz had tried for a baby for a few years before having the triplets.
The wait had been worth it. Emily, Olivia, and Noah were bright, active four-year-olds about to become five.
Their younger brother, Gabe, who was eighteen months old, had walked early in an effort to keep up with them.
Though they played together, each child liked to do their own thing making it difficult to keep an eye on them.
As an only child with no real example to follow, Liz had surprisingly acquired an easy attitude with them, befitting someone from a large family with a lot of experience. It was a pleasure to see.
After bidding Liz and Chad goodbye, Vaughn and I helped the children play in the oversized plastic pool in the backyard.
All the kids, even Gabe, had taken swim lessons and though the water in the pool wasn’t deep, we watched them carefully.
Noah liked playing with the water table, a small table that held a few inches of water in a built-in trough.
He liked playing with his cars there, while the girls played house with their plastic dishes and cups in the pool.
Gabe was content to sit and splash in the water.
With their parents away, it was interesting to see how the children interacted. For their age, the triplets were pretty nice at sharing and checking up on one another. Gabe followed them around the yard when he could but would sometimes get frustrated and sit and cry.
Both Emily and Olivia were sweet about comforting him, but as the youngest, he couldn’t keep up with them.
I lifted Gabe into my arms, not caring that his wet bathing suit was soaking my top.
I hugged him, loving the moment. I could see he was getting tired, and while Vaughn watched the other kids, I took Gabe into his room to rock him to sleep.
Liz had admitted to me that she and Gabe both liked this special time together.
After trying to take care of three at once, Liz was enjoying this little one by herself.
I loved having these moments with him, too.
Later, after the Ts were changed out of their bathing suits and given snacks, Vaughn and I sat and read books with them. Vaughn loved playing the parts of characters in the books bringing gales of laughter from the kids.
By the time Liz and Chad returned from lunch and errands, Vaughn, the kids, and I were all tired.
As Vaughn and I left Liz’s, he turned to me. “Want to grab a burger at Ken’s? I’m really hungry for his special.”
“Sounds delicious,” I said, realizing we hadn’t had lunch, and it was almost suppertime. “Let me check in with Robbie. He and Brett are doing a project together at Brett’s house.”
I called Robbie and told him what Vaughn and I had planned to do.
“Okay,” Robbie said, “Brett’s mother already invited me for supper. Is that all right?”
“Perfect. Vaughn and I’ll come home after we eat.”
I ended the call satisfied that Robbie was content to be more independent. At fourteen, it was time.
###
Vaughn parked the car in town, and we walked down the street hand in hand to Ken’s, a neighborhood bar in town that served great food. It was a favorite of the locals.
Ken, the owner of the bar, acted as bartender, a job he loved. It was a convenient way for him to collect the news of people in town.
He waved to us when we walked inside. “Back from movieland?” he said to Vaughn.
“Back home. My favorite place to be,” said Vaughn wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
Ken waved me over to him.
When I reached him, he leaned over the bar and said softly, “I hear the new owner of Osteria Arno is out to get you and Rhonda. He wants to become the number one place to go for dinner on the Gulf Coast. He’s telling everyone you stole his chef.”
I sucked in my lips. “If you hear anything else, will you let me know? He wants us to compete, but Rhonda and I aren’t about to play any games with him. We don’t need to compete. We have our clientele, and they’re happy with us.”
Though Ken and I were talking softly, Vaughn was able to hear some of the conversation. He gave me a worried look.
I’d been dreading the time when I’d have to tell Vaughn about the harassment Rhonda and I and the hotel were facing. Now, I couldn’t avoid it.
Vaughn led me over to a corner booth and we sat down.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” said Vaughn. “I don’t like what I’m hearing.”
The waitress came to our table, and we placed our orders.
After she left, Vaughn said, “So?”
“I told you about hiring Chet and how he was blackballed in Miami by the chef he accused of stealing his recipes,” I said.
“Yeah, there shouldn’t be any problem doing that,” Vaughn said. “So what aren’t you telling me?”
“After Rhonda and I worked on the special Italian dinner, I went out to my car to find the tires on it slashed. We think it was Jonny Arno’s supporters who did it.
Our security team at the hotel now patrols that area and we’ve had no other incidents like it.
” I swallowed hard. “But there was no mistaking the venom in Jonny’s eyes when he vowed to best Rhonda and me and the hotel. ”
“He threatened you?” Vaughn hissed in an effort to keep his voice down.
“In a way, he did. But when he spoke to me like that, he’d just been shut down from making a fool of himself over an inappropriate request of the Ambassador. That made him angry at me.”
“Have there been any more incidents?” Vaughn asked.
“No,” I said. “Bernie, Rhonda, and I agree we won’t be drawn into any arguments with him. There really is no need for us to be involved in any.”
“I need you to promise me that the minute things get worse between you and him, you’ll let me know. I can’t stand by quietly while I think you might get hurt.” Vaughn gave me a steady look. “Promise?”
“Yes,” I said. “I think it’s more bluster than anything else. He’s an egotistical man who failed miserably in Miami and thinks he can renew his reputation here.”
“What does Rhonda think?” Vaughn asked.
“She thinks he’s a dick …” I began and laughed when I saw Vaughn’s lips curve.
“Never mind. I get it,” he said, chuckling. “One always knows where they stand with Rhonda.”
Our beers and burgers came, and then it was quiet while we ate.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Ann Grayson and her husband slumming it here.”
I choked on my beer and looked up into Jonny’s unpleasant sneer.
“I gather you don’t know much about the town,” said Vaughn. “Ken’s has been here for years and is a favorite among the locals.”
“Vaughn, this is Jonny Arno,” I said with reluctance. He was an obnoxious man who didn’t realize what a small town Sabal was. He was heading for political suicide by making fun of some of Sabal’s favorite establishments.
Vaughn gave Jonny a long stare and remained seated. “I understand you have shown animosity toward my wife. I don’t like it. Understand?”
Jonny’s face flushed a bright red. “It’s just business competition. That’s all. I’m out to prove that my restaurant is going to be known as the best on the west coast of Florida. If she or her partner can’t stand the heat, maybe it’s time for them to get out of the business.”
Ken walked over to us. “Jonny, we have your table set up.”
Jonny turned and walked away.
Ken quietly said, “Sorry about that.”
“No worries,” said Vaughn keeping a lingering look on Jonny’s backside. “He’s one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met.”
After Ken left, Vaughn gave me a worried look. “I’m going to speak to Bernie about this. I want him to understand that this man’s ego is dangerous.”
“Bernie, Rhonda, and I have already discussed this,” I said. “We are taking measures to ensure our safety and that of the hotel.”
“Good, because I don’t trust that man to be decent to anyone,” said Vaughn. “How did he ever get to be such a chef celebrity?”
“By using people, according to Chet,” I said. “When you watch some cooking shows, everything is prepared for the chef to use in a recipe. It’s a lot of showmanship to make it seem as if the chef is the brilliant one.”
“I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” Vaughn said, reaching across the table and taking hold of my hand. “I love you.”
My heart filled. “I love you, too. Let’s enjoy the time together and not waste another moment on Jonny Arno.”
“Deal,” said Vaughn. “How about another beer?”
###
The next morning when I went in to work, I took my time outside in the back parking area to look around.
A security guard was in sight, making me feel secure.
I decided we were all overreacting to Jonny.
Even if he surrounded himself with people we didn’t like, he really had no reason to do more than to try to open a spectacular restaurant that took business away from us. Competition was fair.
Inside the hotel, I greeted Consuela then grabbed a cup of coffee and took it into the office.
I was checking over the financials for the last wedding when Rhonda walked in.
“I heard the mother-of-the bride is trying to sue us. I talked to Mike about it, and he said not to worry,” said Rhonda. Mike Torson was our lawyer and handled our legal business.
“With all the witness reports and other data, she’d only be embarrassing herself,” I said. “But I want to tell you about meeting Jonny yesterday.”
After filling Rhonda in on the incident at Ken’s, I told her we might be overreacting to Jonny. He was an obnoxious person who would have to work hard to compete with us. “His manner is very abrasive, and his ego knows no bounds, but we can’t afford to let him derail our daily business.”
“If Vaughn doesn’t trust him, neither do I,” said Rhonda. “But what else can we do except keep an eye on him?”