CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“If you have time, please sit and enjoy a cold drink with us,” said Darryl. “I’m giving Emma an update on the situation.”
“Thanks,” said Rhonda. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“Great. I’ve got lemonade with or without liquor,” said Darryl.
“Make mine without,” I said, and Rhonda quickly agreed. We didn’t drink alcohol while on the job.
Emma helped Darryl serve the drinks, and we sat together on the lanai under the umbrella of the high-top table.
“My lawyer is taking an attack role,” explained Darryl. “He feels we have enough to prove that the woman’s claim was all part of an effort to extort money, that she has no proof that I ever touched her or said sexual things to her. One of my other co-workers will be glad to make a statement that will prove my accuser is doing this for the attention and money.”
“You will have dozens of character witnesses,” said Emma.
“I appreciate that.” Darryl grinned at his sister and then his expression became serious. “My lawyer is going to speak to the network to allow them to release my contract, which is what I’ve wanted all along.”
“Wow! That’s a lot for you to handle,” said Rhonda.
Darryl gave her a thoughtful nod. “I trust my lawyer to do an excellent job to prevent such bullshit happening to others working for the network. Out of this bad news will come something good for me.”
“Unfortunately, the news of the woman’s accusation is everywhere,” I said. “It’s such a shame this couldn’t be handled more privately.”
“Yes,” Darryl said. “I agree. We knew it was coming and tried to deal with her. But she wanted to drag me through the court of public opinion, hoping I’ll cave in to her demands.”
“Are you going to be okay?” asked Emma.
Darryl nodded. “You know I would never do what that woman is charging me with.”
“Absolutely,” she responded, and I was reminded how strong his family bonds were.
“Tell us a little about yourself, Emma,” I said.
“I’ve been working in an accounting office in our hometown in Ohio since I graduated from Ohio University. I have two high school-aged children, twins, Amy and Jeff. My husband died a few years ago. We had a nice life together.” She had a way of smiling when she was speaking that made everything seem upbeat.
“She’s a smart woman and a great mom,” said Darryl proudly. “She’s helped me with a financial plan.”
“Now, I’m curious to know about you and Rhonda,” said Emma. “It’s great that women my age have accomplished so much. The hotel is beautiful and has an outstanding reputation.”
“I met Annie when our daughters were roommates at college. I wasn’t too sure of her when we first met, but I knew she was smart,” said Rhonda.
“I was devastated following a divorce and didn’t know where I’d live or what I’d do for a job,” I explained. “Once I got to know Rhonda better, I liked her idea of taking a chance on converting her mansion into a hotel.”
“We both had a lot to prove,” said Rhonda. “And I couldn’t have chosen a better partner.”
“Amen,” I said. “We’re perfect partners and best of friends.”
Emma shook her head in wonder. “What a great story. I’m sorry bad news has brought me here, but I want to enjoy every minute I have with Darryl. Look what it’s done for him.”
I checked my watch. “It’s been wonderful meeting you, Emma. And, Darryl, you know we’re here to help you in any way we can. I’m sorry, but I must leave.”
‘Yes,” said Rhonda. “We’re having a meeting to discuss the upcoming holidays with one of our best volunteers.”
“She’s part of what we call ‘the hotel family’,” I explained. “She’s been with us from the first day we opened.”
“We could hire someone professional to do the work but she’s very proud of her job,” said Rhonda.
I hugged Emma and Darryl goodbye. “Something good will come of this. I just know it.”
“Be sure to ask Darryl about Abbie,” said Rhonda, giving him a wink.
Emma laughed. “Don’t worry. I will.”
###
Back in our office, we received a phone call from Bernie. “Thought you’d want to know that the house next to Darryl’s will be rented to a friend of the governor, a man named Randall Haven. I don’t think it’ll be a problem to have him living close to Darryl. He wants isolation and I imagine he understands how the press works. He’s been called the ‘Playboy of Southern Florida,’ according to what I’ve read.”
Rhonda’s smile grew wider as Bernie stopped speaking.
I held up my hand to stop her. “I see your mind spinning. No matchmaking on this. Emma has her life away from Florida.”
“Wait a minute! You were thinking the same thing,” said Rhonda.
“Yes, but then I allowed reason to win,” I responded. “That’s what I want you to do.”
“What’s going on?” asked Bernie.
“Nothing,” I answered. “Thanks for the news. We appreciate it.”
Bernie ended the call and I looked at Rhonda and laughed. He wouldn’t understand by having happy marriages, we wanted everyone to have one too.
###
That night, as I lay in Vaughn’s arms, I smiled at the memory of Rhonda thinking she was a talented matchmaker. True, some of her pairings had worked, but having Randall Haven at the hotel didn’t necessarily mean he’d be a willing part of her schemes. I’d read about him online and though he was wealthy, smart, and handsome, he was elusive when it came to marriage. He was also an early-morning jogger.
“What’s up, babe?” Vaughn murmured.
“Nothing much. Just thinking about how much I love you. Were you ever called a playboy?”
“No, and for a very real reason. I had a great life with my wife, Ellie, and now with you. Why would I want to screw that up?”
“I hope you never would,” I said, giving him a teasing smile.
“That’s my woman,” he said, pulling me closer and planting his lips on mine.
###
I was still cuddled up next to him in the morning when my alarm went off. I’d set it so I wouldn’t miss the chance of seeing Darryl on his early morning run. Or Rand.
Vaughn rolled over when I slid out of bed.
I quietly showered and dressed before going to the kitchen to put Cindy out and turn on the coffee pot. After I let Cindy back inside, I poured myself a cup of coffee and took off for the hotel.
I loved this time of day when the sun was emerging from a sleepy dawn, filling the pink and gray sky with a promise of a good day. The fronds of palm trees rustled in the onshore breeze as I got out of my car at the hotel, making distinctive music of its own.
I took off my sandals and walked onto the beach. Another pleasure of this early morning hour was the freedom from others you could find.
Shell seekers carried net bags as they searched for beautiful gifts from the sea, walking slowly in a bent position near the water’s edge. Joggers and walkers used the hard-packed sand away from the edge for their exercise.
I walked to the water and allowed waves to wash over my feet. I could feel the push and pull of the water as it raced onto the shore and pulled away again, taking some of the sand beneath my feet.
I studied the joggers but didn’t see Darryl, and I decided to walk north away from the hotel. As I did, I noticed three figures standing and talking in the distance. Hoping one of them wasn’t Brock Goodwin, I walked forward.
As I approached, I could see Darryl, Emily, and a man I didn’t know. Darryl and the man were talking while Emma had her back to them looking at the birds whirling above them.
“Hey, Ann,” said Darryl. “Have you met my new neighbor here at the hotel? Rand Haven moved into the house next to me yesterday. Rand, this is one of the owners of the hotel, Ann Sanders.”
Dazzling blue eyes focused on me and a smile spread across Rand’s handsome face. “Hello, Ann. My pleasure. I’m glad to be here for some quiet time, away from Miami.”
“We’re delighted to have you. I suspect you’ve been told about our confidentiality policy here at the hotel.”
“Indeed. That’s why I chose The Beach House Hotel,” Rand said, still smiling at me. He gazed at Emma who was paying us no attention.
I went over to her. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself. It’s such a beautiful morning.”
“Oh, yes. The white wings of the birds are beautiful against the blue of the sky. They remind me of poems my kids made for me when they were writing Haiku poetry in school. Birds have always been of interest to me. My husband used to love to track them as they migrated each fall and spring.”
“Well, you know what we call people who migrate here for the winter.”
“Snow birds,” she said, and we laughed together.
“Hey, Sis, I’m going to jog down the beach with Rand. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” said Emma. “I’m enjoying myself right here.”
I felt Rand’s eyes on us and noticed they settled on Emma.
She turned away to lean down and pick up a shell.
I couldn’t hold back a chuckle as Darryl and Rand took off. Rand was obviously used to being noticed, and Emma wasn’t paying attention to him.
I caught up with Emma. “I’m glad to see Darryl is still following the workout program Abbie set up for him.”
“Yes, we talked about it. He says he’s never felt nor looked better. I agree with him. He wasn’t fat, just a little bit pudgy. Now, he’s ruggedly handsome, more like I’ve always known him.”
“What do you think of Rand Haven?” I asked, thinking how pleased Rhonda would be to know I’d asked.
“So far, I’m not about to succumb to his charms. He’s strikingly handsome and is used to being the center of attention. He’s a wonderful diversion for Darryl.”
“I don’t know Rand. But he’s known as a real playboy.” I looked up. “Oh, oh, here comes someone I do know. Though he’s attractive, Brock Goodwin is someone to avoid for many reasons. And for sure, don’t tell him where you’re staying or with whom. He’d take pleasure in exposing Darryl.” I took her arm and led her away.
“Ann! Wait!” Brock called. “I need to talk to you.”
Groaning, I slowed. “There’s no stopping him. He’ll run faster if we try to get away.”
Brock jogged up to us and paused a moment to catch his breath. “I want you to know I’ve been cleared of all charges in the Everly Jansen case, and I want to be welcomed back at the hotel.” He turned to Emma and gave her a leering look. “Who do we have here?”
“Emma is a friend of mine, visiting for a short time. As far as being welcomed back to the hotel, you know the rules about privacy and your need to stay away from any guests. That’s what got you in trouble with Everly.”
“I was just being pleasant and helpful. Like I always am.” He turned to Emma. “I’m president of the Neighborhood Association, and I have a responsibility to make sure everything is going well under my control.”
I rolled my eyes.
Emma grinned at me. “You’re right. You have some very interesting neighbors.”
“At your service,” said Brock, giving her a little bow.
“See you later, Brock,” I said, taking hold of Emma’s arm as we walked away. “Brock is a pain in the butt and has done everything he can to undermine what Rhonda and I try to do. He thinks because he’s a single man in a group of single women that he’s a real Casanova. Rhonda and I detest him.”
“What about Rand? Is he like that too?” Emma asked. She frowned as she saw Darryl jogging toward them with Rand.
“Tell you what, why don’t you come with me to the hotel? I can show you where Rhonda and I work, and we can have some of Consuela’s sweet rolls.”
Relief washed across Emma’s face. “Let’s go.” She turned and waved at Darryl and then hurried away with me.
###
At the hotel, we walked into the busy kitchen. I introduced Emma to Consuela and explained that Consuela and her husband, Manny, were more like family than staff members.
We grabbed some cinnamon rolls and cups of coffee and went into the office.
Rhonda was there looking through some brochures. “Hi, there. Nice to see you here, Emma.”
“We’re escaping Brock and Rand,” I said.
“Brock, I can understand, but Rand is mighty fine to look at online,” said Rhonda.
“But Ann told me he has a reputation for playing around,” Emma said. “Believe me, I’m not interested.”
“Well, those are stories about him. We don’t know the real facts,” said Rhonda, ever the matchmaker unwilling to give up on a cause. “Has Darryl heard from Abbie?”
“She called last night and wanted to come to Florida to keep him company. He turned her down.”
“What?” said Rhonda drawing herself up in her chair. “Why would he do that?”
Emma shook her head. “He told her that he didn’t want her pulled into this mess, that when he was cleared of all charges, he’d love to see her.”
“That’s awful. That’s pushing her away,” said Rhonda.
“It’s wonderful that she wants to support him,” I said.
“It’s that Douglas family stubbornness. He won’t budge,” said Emma. “I tried to talk to him, but he cares for Abbie and doesn’t want to see her hurt by bad publicity.”
“That’s very honorable,” I said. “I just hope it doesn’t ruin a beautiful, growing relationship. Abbie works with well-known people and knows how to handle herself.”
“Thanks for your concern,” said Emma. “I wish you two would talk to him. I’ve never seen him this happy with someone. He even talked about a future that they wanted together.”
“Okay,” said Rhonda. “When you’re ready to go back to the house, I’m going with you.”
“Me, too,” I said. When Rhonda got her mind made up about something, there was no use trying to talk her out of it.
We chatted for a while, answering Emma’s questions about running a hotel, and then she said, “I suppose I should head back. Darryl will be wondering where I am.”
“We’re going with you,” Rhonda said, rising to her feet.
###
When we arrived at the house, Darryl and Rand were sitting on the lanai talking. Both men rose as the three of us approached them.
“Hi, there,” said Darryl. “Rand, I don’t believe you’ve met Rhonda Grayson, Ann’s partner.
Rand beamed at Rhonda, and as they shook hands, I noticed how her cheeks grew flushed with color.
“Nice to meet you. Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” Rhonda said.
“It’s my pleasure to be here. As Darryl told me, it’s a perfect place to hide out and be able to be yourself,” said Rand. He glanced at Emma as she left the room.
“Darryl, can we talk?” Rhonda said.
Rand held up his hand. “Nice to meet you both. I’ll leave you to yourselves. It’s time for me to return to my house.”
As he left the room, my eyes weren’t the only ones focused on his butt before I faced Darryl. “We don’t mean to pry, Darryl, but Rhonda and I are concerned that you don’t want Abbie to come here to support you.”
“We and Emma know how she feels about wanting to help you, and we support you both,” said Rhonda. “What’s the problem?
Darryl ran a hand across his bald head and sighed. “Abbie is someone very special to me. I don’t want her name dragged into the mud along with mine. It’s going to get nasty. I want to protect her.”
“That’s sweet,” I said. “But we and your sister are concerned you’re pushing her away when you should be together.”
“I appreciate your concern,” he said. “Now, I’m ready for something to eat.”
He left, and Rhonda and I faced one another.
“That’s it,” I said. “We’ve done what Emma asked us to do. Now, we have to let it go.”
“Okay, but I hope he hasn’t ruined the match,” sighed Rhonda. “I could even envision a beach wedding for them.”
“That, my friend, is out of our hands,” I said, throwing an arm around Rhonda. “Time to get back to work.”