Page 55 of Nightcaps at The Beach House Hotel

Rhonda flung an arm across my shoulders. “Well, it is. Too late to back out now.”

I laughed. “C’mon. Let’s go say hello.”

A group of twelve people emerged from the two limousines laughing and talking. I grinned at Rhonda. It looked like this was going to be a good crowd.

Rhonda and I separated to walk to each group.

“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” I said. “It’s a lovely day for a wedding.”

A chorus of “Yes!” responded.

I answered their questions and saw that their luggage was being taken care of. Then, I went back inside to make sure the new arrivals weren’t waiting long to be checked in. Preregistration of groups shortened that timing.

Rhonda said, “As long as things look okay here, I’m going home. I promised the kids we’d do something special this afternoon. I’m thinking of taking them to a movie.”

“Have fun,” I said. Satisfied that things were going well, I decided to visit Tina. We hadn’t had much of a chance to talk privately last night.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Tina was lying in the sun on the pool deck when I arrived. She jumped up when she heard my approach. “Hi, Ann. I’m glad to see you. Come on in.”

I opened the door to the screened-in lanai and sat on a lounge chair next to her. “I thought I’d see how things are going with you. We didn’t get much of a chance to chat last night.”

“Thanks. I was hoping to talk with you. Things have been a little rough at home, and I need to get your advice.” She took off her sunglasses, and I noticed her red-rimmed eyes. “Nicholas is frustrated that I’m taking on a new movie role when the kids need me so much. I understand, but we have a wonderful nanny, and Nick will be home most evenings for the next couple of months. So, I don’t see why I should give up my chance to do another movie.”

“I know Nicholas and respect him. What’s really going on?” I asked.

“He couldn’t get the funding for one of his projects, and he’s depressed,” Tina said. “I’m sorry it happened. The timing couldn’t be worse.”

“You’re an excellent wife and mother,” I said. “I don’t want to intercede with your marriage. It’s been a happy one as you’ve often told me. But if you’re asking for my opinion, I think you have a right to have some time for yourself, to follow your own career. Especially after making sure things are being taken care of at home.”

“Thanks. I needed to hear that,” said Tina. “You know how important being a good mother is to me after having one who wasn’t. And I adore Nicholas.”

“But to fulfill herself, a woman may want to be more than a wife and a mother if she is going to happily fill those roles. We all have the right to continue to grow and learn as individuals.”

Tina hugged me. “You’re the best mom I could ever wish for.”

Tears stung my eyes as I remembered the broken young woman I first met.

We chatted for a while longer, then I headed home. Vaughn was going to attend Robbie’s swim meet, and I wanted to see how it went. The house would be quiet with Darryl and Abbie gone for the day, and I needed some time with my family.

###

The three of us were swimming in the pool when my cell rang.

When I saw Lorraine’s name on the call, I let out a long sigh. What now? The wedding wasn’t until five o’clock and I’d been hoping for a couple of hours of free time before getting ready to attend it.

“Hello, Lorraine. How is it going?”

“Not well. I just got a call from the hospital, the groom tripped over something in the woods on the golf course and he has a badly sprained ankle. He says he’s going to be fine for the wedding ceremony, but he’s pretty doped up on pain meds. The bride is threatening to put off the wedding for a day or two, but the hotel is booked, and we don’t have room for their guests to stay on. Also, we have a private wedding for a party of twelve Sunday evening.”

“Have you seen the groom?” I asked.

“No, I’ve only spoken to the best man.”

“Okay, let me go to the hospital and see what I can find out. You handle the bride and her party. I’ll call you back as soon as I can see for myself what the situation is.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I tried Rhonda’s number, but I couldn’t reach her.”

---