Page 66 of Nightcaps at The Beach House Hotel

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.

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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.”

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