CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
On a beautiful, sunny February afternoon, Morgan Riley stood in front of the pink, luxurious hotel on the Gulf Coast of Florida, in a charming town called Sabal.
She stared at the palm fronds rustling in the gentle breeze, the colorful tropical flowers highlighting the landscaping, the stunning carved double wooden doors that welcomed guests, and let out a sigh.
The Beach House Hotel was everything she’d hoped for. Even more.
She and Brad had followed Simon Weaver’s wishes for them to be his guests at the hotel in celebration of their love and the love Simon had shared with his wife, Ellie.
Brad came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her body. “Wow! Pictures don’t do this place justice.”
They watched as two women came down the front steps to them.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” said the smaller woman with dark hair. “I’m Ann Sanders, one of the owners of the hotel.”
“And I’m Rhonda Grayson, Ann’s business partner,” said the other woman with a big smile. “We love opening the hotel to all our guests, but it’s especially exciting when they arrive with a story as touching as yours.”
“We have the Presidential Suite all ready for you. And reservations have already been made for you to our Valentine’s Party here at the hotel,” said Ann.
“It’s the best,” Rhonda said. “Come with us. We’ll show you to your suite, home for the next six days. Who knows? It might be enough time to squeeze in a wedding.”
Morgan was amused to see Ann Sanders roll her eyes at her partner. “Now, Rhonda…”
“No worries,” said Rhonda. “But I have a feeling about such things.”
Ann faced Morgan and Brad. “You’ll have to excuse Rhonda. She loves to play matchmaker.”
Morgan held out her left hand, on which a diamond sparkled in the sun. “We’re already matched. Since New Year’s Eve.”
“Very nice.” Rhonda winked at her and turned to thank the bellman taking their bags away.
“Your luggage will be in your room,” said Ann. “Let’s get you registered and then we’ll take you there.”
###
Morgan and Brad were led through double doors into the Presidential Suite. A round table stood in the tiled entryway. A huge fresh flower arrangement sat in the middle of it.
Morgan turned to Brad with a smile of appreciation. “So lovely,” she whispered.
They followed Ann and Rhonda into the living room. A blue Oriental rug covered the floor. Two couches and a couple of overstuffed chairs complemented the colors in the rug.
“The balcony off the living room overlooks the side garden where some weddings take place,” said Rhonda. “Wait until you see how gorgeous it is.”
“The kitchen has everything you might need,” said Ann, diverting their attention. “But if you require anything else, be sure to call on your special service line. You’ll see it marked on all the phones.”
They left the kitchen and were shown the powder room and a separate guest suite before heading to the master suite.
The main bedroom held a king-size bed and an alcove with two comfortable chairs. Along the outside wall, sliding glass doors led to a balcony which overlooked the swimming area and, beyond it, the beach.
“You can have as much privacy as you wish,” said Rhonda, with a sweep of her hand.
“But be sure to enjoy the swimming pool and beach,” said Ann. “An early morning walk along the shore is one of my favorite things.”
“I intend to do that,” said Brad. “It looks beautiful.”
“We want our guests to feel at home here,” said Rhonda. “As long as you keep to our privacy policy concerning our other guests, it will be fine.”
“Yes, that’s important. We want you and all of our guests to have a sense of privacy,” said Ann. “Knowing that makes a special welcome to our hotel.”
“Enjoy your stay,” said Rhonda.
The two owners left, and with the door closed, Morgan let out a yip of pleasure. “Wow! What a gorgeous place!”
“It’s as outstanding as all the reviews indicated,” said Brad, who, in his lawyer-like fashion, had done some research on The Beach House Hotel.
“I can’t believe we’re here. It’s so ritzy yet comfortable,” said Morgan. Privately, she was glad she’d splurged on some new clothes. It was obvious that other guests appreciated the finest things.
Brad pulled her into his arms. “As Rhonda said, it’s a perfect place for a wedding. Think about it. Just the two of us.”
“What? Really? What about your parents?” Morgan asked. “Your mother would be disappointed to miss it. And Ashley would be, too.”
“Just think about it. I don’t want to push you into anything you don’t want. But I really like the idea of a tiny wedding without a lot of trouble.”
“What I want right now is to get out of these clothes and into a bathing suit to take a walk on the beach.”
Brad kissed her. “Okay, that’s a plan we both like.”
###
As they strolled hand in hand along the beach, Morgan told herself to stop thinking about a wedding at the hotel. How could it happen so quickly? It could be a disaster instead of the dreamy wedding she’d hoped for.
Morgan walked into the lacy fringe of the water and watched as waves rolled in, curled around her ankles, and pulled away again.
Above her, seagulls and terns swirled in the sky, their white wings like sails against the blue of the sky.
She observed the sandpipers and sanderlings hurry along the water’s edge searching for food.
She let out a sigh of contentment.
“This is really special,” said Brad. “Winters back home can be dreary. I love the sunshine and warmth here.”
“Me too. Let’s have drinks in the lounge before we go to dinner. I want to feel a part of this swishy group of people.” Morgan chuckled. “Is that awful of me to say?”
“Not at all,” said Brad. “Though guests come for privacy, they must know they’ll be seen, even if no one can talk about it.”
Morgan grinned at him. “I love that you understand me and are willing to have some fun together.”
Brad’s smile was sexy. “Oh, I plan to have fun with you, all right.”
As they were kissing, Morgan felt someone draw near. She looked up, saw an older man with gray hair, and pulled away from Brad.
“Hello, there,” said the man. “I’m Brock Goodwin. You must be new at the hotel. Got any interesting news? I’m the President of the Neighborhood Association and need to keep up to date as to what’s going on in the neighborhood.”
“We have nothing to tell you,” Brad replied, his tone ending further conversation.
“Oh, well. Perhaps I’ll see you around. I’m almost famous in these parts,” the man said, giving them a wave goodbye.
“What a creep,” said Morgan. “I think we should tell the owners about him.”
“Yes. He could be a problem for them,” said Brad. “Are you ready to go back to the room?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Morgan said playfully.
He laughed, and taking her hand, they headed back to the hotel.
###
The next evening, Morgan dabbed a little of the perfume gift that had been left in the suite behind her ears and on her wrists.
It felt like such a glamorous thing to do.
She took a last glance in the mirror to gaze at the red dress she’d bought for the occasion.
A sleeveless sheath with a sweetheart neckline made it suitable for the evening.
When she stepped out of the bedroom, Brad let out a low whistle. “You look terrific. You’ll be the hit of the evening.”
Morgan chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that, but I’m looking forward to the party. Apparently, one of the benefits of this package is the opportunity to attend it. One of the maids told me that the party is sold out months in advance.”
He held out his arm to her. “Let’s have another sightseeing drink in the lounge. I’m as curious as you about some of the other guests.”
They entered the lounge to see that they weren’t the only ones to have that idea. Brad noticed an empty table in the corner and led Morgan there.
“Why don’t I order a bottle of champagne?” he said. “This is a special evening.”
“That would be such a treat. It suits the occasion.” Morgan had already noticed a few champagne buckets on stands near tables.
Brad left, and she sat quietly, viewing the scene in front of her. Morgan couldn’t help wondering if Simon could somehow magically know that she and Brad were enjoying his gift. She hoped so.
As they sipped champagne and enjoyed being part of the crowd, Morgan noticed the two owners arriving. She watched as they went around the room, greeting people.
When the women came to their table, Morgan returned their greeting, then remembered the man on the beach. “I want to warn you about a man we met on the beach…” she began.
Rhonda rolled her eyes. “Do you mean Brock Goodwin?”
“Why, yes,” said Morgan. “He’s very creepy and could be a problem to your hotel.”
“He wanted us to tell him who was staying here,” Brad said, joining them.
“He’s well-known to us,” said Ann, her lips thinning.
“Unfortunately,” Rhonda added. “Don’t worry about him. We’re onto the crap he pulls.”
“But thank you for telling us,” said Ann. “We hope you’re going to have a lovely time at the party.”
Morgan beamed at her. “Thank you for arranging for us to be part of the festivities.”
“It’s very romantic,” said Rhonda, and when Ann shook her head and started to laugh, both Brad and Morgan joined in. Rhonda was a true romantic.
“I like those two,” said Brad, as the owners moved on. “Very down-to-earth.”
“I’ve read about them. They are very well respected in the hotel industry,” said Morgan. “It’s nice to see women like that succeed.”
“Agreed,” said Brad, then gave her a teasing look. “You’re very respected by me. I consider you very successful.”
Morgan laughed. She loved it when Brad teased her.
###
When the time came, Morgan and Brad entered the dining room where the celebration was to take place. They knew the entire dining room had been taken over for the party because they could only get lunch at the bar while the room was being set up.
The crew had done a magnificent job of turning the dining room into a wonderland of twinkling lights and tables set with red tablecloths and rose centerpieces.
Brad gave the hostess their ticket, and then a young man dressed in a tuxedo led them to a table for two in a corner.
“This is ideal,” said Brad, helping Morgan into her chair.
In the middle of the far wall, a dais had been erected, and a string quartet was playing music there.
A small dance floor had been set up in front of it.
Morgan turned to him. “You can dance with me. That’s something we haven’t done together.”
“I’m not a great dancer,” Brad said. “But I’ll do it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.”
They listened as the General Manager, Bernhard Bruner, welcomed the guests to the party and introduced Ann and Rhonda as the owners. “Please enjoy yourselves,” he ended. “All the staff have worked hard to make this affair special for you.”
Everyone clapped, then waiters and waitresses arrived with the first course, a trio of canapes, including one with salmon, cream cheese, and caviar. A light white wine was served with it.
Morgan and Brad had chosen a Caesar salad for the next course, and they both had chosen Beef Wellington for the main course. Others, Morgan noted, had chosen fish for their main course: red snapper with a lemon-and-caper sauce.
During the beginning of the meal, the string quartet played. But after the main course, they were replaced by a small jazz group to provide suitable music for dancing.
While the dishes were being cleared away for the dessert course, Brad said, “Let’s try that dance you talked about.”
Morgan smiled, rose from her chair, and took the arm he offered her.
Other couples had the same idea.
Brad led her to the far edge of the dance floor, away from the others, and took her in his arms.
They moved together with natural ease.
Morgan was suddenly overcome by the thought of Simon doing this for them and looked up at Brad through the tears swimming in her eyes. “This is so magical. I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I agree that a wedding at The Beach House Hotel would be perfect. With one condition.”
Still moving to the music, Brad tilted her face and kissed her. When they pulled apart, he murmured, “What condition is that?”
“We need to invite your parents, plus Ashley and her family. Those are the people we really want at our wedding.”
“Anyone else?” he asked, studying her.
Morgan shook her head. “My mother hasn’t even called me after I texted her about our engagement. She did text me, asking me to tell her about your family.” She shook her head. “I don’t want them here.”
“I understand,” said Brad. “Okay, let’s do it. We need to talk to the owners right away. They might say a wedding in a couple of days is too much to handle.”
Morgan grinned. “I bet Rhonda won’t say that.”