Page 56 of Nightcaps at The Beach House Hotel

“She promised the kids they’d do something special. I don’t know where she is. But no worries, I’ll handle this.”

“Thanks,” said Lorraine and ended the call.

“Hotel problem?” Vaughn asked as I wrapped a towel around me and prepared to go inside.

I explained the situation to him and Robbie and gave them each a kiss goodbye. “I’m sorry. I’m going to go, and then I’ll come back to change for the wedding, if, and that’s a big IF, it goes forward.”

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When I got to the hospital, Robert Anderson, the groom, a handsome man in his fifties, was about to be released from the emergency room. His left ankle was in a soft, expandable cast and he was being handed crutches. Another gentleman stood by looking worried.

“I can’t let Brianna down,” the groom complained. He looked up and saw me. “Hello. Don’t worry. I’m not about to ruin the wedding.”

“I came to see how you are. I heard you took a nasty tumble at the golf course,” I said.

He gave me a soulful look. “I was going after the damn golf ball in the woods. My foot got caught in a little hole I didn’t see, and I twisted my ankle. Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything to stop the wedding. Brianna’s upset, but I told her we could take our honeymoon another time. Believe me, I’ll make it up to her.”

“Okay, with your agreement, I’m going to call the hotel and tell them to continue with your wedding plans.”

“Oh, yes. Please. My divorce was finalized last week, and Brianna and I want to get married right away.”

“Do you need a ride back to the hotel?” I asked. “I can take the two of you there now if you’re ready.”

“That would be great,” said Robert, and I forced myself to stop thinking of my ex, Robert, and the way he’d moved on so quickly after dumping me.

I left them to go to my car and call Lorraine. After giving her the go-ahead for the wedding, I pulled the car up to the Emergency Room entrance and waited while a nurse oversaw Robert getting out of the wheelchair and using his crutches. “Remember, no walking on that cast. That will happen in time, but we don’t want any pressure on that now.”

Robert’s friend and I exchanged glances. The wedding wasn’t going to be what the bride wanted, but there was nothing either one of us could do about it.

I drove them to the front of the hotel, made sure that Lorraine met us there as we’d agreed, and then went home to change for the wedding. This was one wedding I was eager to have behind us.

At home, I greeted my family and Darryl and Abbie who’d returned to the house and went to change my clothes. Rhonda and I dressed appropriately for the weddings we oversaw. Even though we weren’t in charge, we enjoyed observing the various ceremonies. We’d done it from the first one and continued as often as we could.

In my bedroom, I called Rhonda and gave her an update. “Lorraine was rattled at the thought of a late cancellation. I wanted to see for myself what was going on, and I’m glad I did. No matter how much effort the groom will put into it, the wedding won’t be the same. We’ll have to do extra work to keep the bride happy. Let’s meet with Lorraine as soon as we get to the hotel.”

“Okay. Sorry I couldn’t take Lorraine’s call earlier. I was in the movie theater with the kids. The animated films for children these days are fantastic. I think I enjoyed the despicable characters as much as they did.”

I smiled at the mental image of Rhonda in the theater laughing with her children. Rhonda was the biggest kid of all.

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At the hotel, Rhonda and I met with Lorraine. She was trying to decide how to handle the walk to the altar in the garden and back inside the hotel.

“A wheelchair would make it easiest but the groom refuses to use it,” said Lorraine. “The bride’s mother is willing to talk to him about it.”

“I’ve talked with Robert Anderson, and he seems to be a man used to being in charge. Maybe we can convince him we can make it a unique experience acceptable to both him and the bride. We can use the wheelchair to get him to his spot by the altar, hide the wheelchair away during the ceremony, and then use it to get him to the private dining room.”

“That might work without taking too much attention away from the bride,” said Lorraine.

“And if we decorate the wheelchair with flowers and ribbons, it could be festive,” I said.

“Maybe add some golf clubs for fun,” added Rhonda, and we all beamed.

“Okay, I’ll call the bride’s mother and talk to her,” said Lorraine. “Brianna was pretty upset earlier. This idea may ease her worries. She won’t be the only bride who’s had to deal with unexpected problems. It happens in different ways. Over time, it becomes a cherished reminder of the day.”

“Okay, we leave this in your capable hands,” I said. “If you need me, I’ll be walking through the hotel, checking on things, before standing with Rhonda by the front door to welcome wedding guests.”

“Okay. Laura will be meeting the in-house guests to direct them to the garden. I’ll hurry and get the florist to help me with the wheelchair,” said Lorraine. “She’s in the dining room now.”

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