Page 30 of Nightcaps at The Beach House Hotel

“Have you talked to him about it? He’s at an age when he should be thinking about slowing down.”

“He doesn’t want to listen to me. It’s as if he must prove he’s as successful as Arthur. He’s every bit as successful as Arthur, but he’s handling a different kind of client.” Rhonda sighed. “I don’t know what I can do.”

“Do you want to go on vacation? Maybe go over to the Palm Island Club? That’s one of Vaughn’s favorite nearby spots for relaxation. It might help.”

Rhonda’s eyes widened. “I’ve tried talking to him about going away with no success. Maybe he’d consider somewhere closer. We’ll see. I’m doing my best not to let it affect my attitude, but I don’t need much to set me off. It’s just that I feel worried and helpless. Know what I mean?”

“I do,” I said. We loved our husbands and when they were worried or depressed, it affected us.

“Why don’t you go ahead and call the Palm Island Club and see what dates they have open for one of their cottages?”

Rhonda drew a deep breath. “Okay. But, Annie, how can I leave you alone with the hotel when we have a guest who’s a problem and both houses are occupied?”

“That’s why we have Bernie. It’s his job to manage the hotel. We’re here to manage the hotel’s reputation and growth.”

“You’re right. This isn’t the first troublemaking guest we’ve had to deal with. Everyone from VIPs to fake royalty. I’m going to call the Palm Island Club now.”

I headed out to the beach for some fresh air and a chance to collect my thoughts. Everly Jansen spelled trouble. I knew it. But I also knew we’d have to deal with it. The chance for public relations to go wrong was part of our worry.

As luck would have it, I saw Brock Goodwin talking to a group of women down the beach. It surprised me that many of the single women in the neighborhood found him attractive and a nice addition to social gatherings. But then I’d had the chance to see what kind of man he was when I foolishly went on a date with him and discovered he was a pig in disguise.

I headed away from the group and walked slowly among the frothy edges of the water. Holding my sandals in my hand, I stood in the water ankle-deep and loved the feeling of the sand shifting beneath my feet as the water came into shore and pulled away. It made me feel part of nature.

“Hello, Ann,” said Brock coming up to me. “I saw all the commotion at the hotel with the arrival of Everly Jansen. I hope she isn’t going to become a nuisance for the neighborhood with all the paparazzi following her. We don’t want television trucks parked on the streets, making it impossible to get by.”

“Rhonda and I don’t care for the publicity either,” I said, surprising him with my agreement. “We’ve asked them to leave the property. What Everly and her following do outside our gates is not our problem.”

Brock’s face wrinkled as he frowned. “See? That’s just the kind of thing I expect from you and Rhonda. No cooperation with the neighborhood.”

“You know that’s not true. But realistically there’s nothing we can do about this.”

“Well, then, I’ll have to come talk to Everly myself,” said Brock, drawing himself up straight.

“You’ll have to get her permission to visit her. You can’t just walk into the hotel demanding to see her.”

“I know. But when she knows who I am, she’ll want to talk to me,” said Brock, his ego in overdrive.

“See you later,” I said, wondering why the beach, the place I loved, was always ruined by his presence.

CHAPTER TWELVE

When I got back to the office, Rhonda was just ending a call. “I’ve got the reservation for this weekend. Will has agreed to go for the three days. Now all I need is a new swimsuit. Will you go shopping with me? You know it’s going to be a traumatic event.”

“Sure. Finding a swimsuit is as difficult as finding a comfortable bra or the right shade of lipstick. I never seem to get it just right.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve gone shopping, and I trust you to tell me what works and what doesn’t. I want something sexy. Great sex helps, and I intend to make this time away count.” Rhonda grinned and wiggled her eyebrows with exaggeration.

I laughed. She and Will had a great relationship. They were immediately smitten when they first met, and that feeling had remained even through normal family trauma.

Rhonda bit her lip. “You know, if Will is comparing himself to Arthur, there’s no way I’d do well comparing myself to Lorraine. She’s attractive and very put-together. A real lady.”

“Whoa! Where is this coming from? We’re not going to make any comparisons to anyone else. Okay?”

Rhonda sighed. “You’re right. With me, what you see is what you get. I just wish it wasn’t quite so much of me.”

“I understand. I’ve learned not to compare myself to the actresses Vaughn works with. It wouldn’t be wise.” I put my arm around Rhonda. “We all love you just the way you are.”

Rhonda was quiet, and then she slowly nodded. “Okay, let’s do it. But if I ask you to hold my hand, promise you will.”

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