Page 32 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

“That’s what I’m worried about,” I said. “Tomorrow morning, Rhonda, Bernie, and I will decide how far we go in protecting the hotel. At the very least, we’ll clear patios, balconies, and the pool deck of furniture. I don’t think we’ll need to put tape across the windows.”

“What about at home?” Vaughn asked. “Will you need to put the hurricane shutters down?”

“No, I don’t think so. And you told me your sailboat should be fine. So, I’ll just remove furniture from the pool area.”

“Okay. I trust your judgment. How’s everything else?” Vaughn asked.

“Fine. Thankfully, we have no weddings scheduled. We’ll probably offer High Tea for a couple of days to keep guests busy. And I‘m sure Lorraine will come up with some other things for guests to do inside. She’s so talented. Once the storm is over, Rhonda and Will plan finally to take a short vacation.”

“Speaking of that, I’m wondering if you can meet me in New York when I finish here,” Vaughn said. “It’s time for us to have a short vacation, too.”

“That sounds delightful,” I said. “Name the time, and I’ll try to work something out.” The situation with Jane and the need for Amy to take care of her husband’s body were reminders to take advantage of every chance I got to spend time with Vaughn and my family.

Vaughn lowered his voice and spoke softly. “I miss you.”

At the sexy tone of his voice and words that meant so much, heat flooded through me. “I miss you, too,” I managed to say.

“Night, love,” Vaughn whispered and ended the call.

I lay in bed, letting sweet memories fill my thoughts.

###

The next morning, Imet with Rhonda and Bernie at seven-thirty to discuss preparations for the storm.

“The latest weather news shows the hurricane is on track to the west but weaker,” said Bernie. “I think we should distribute flyers to the guest rooms advising them of the likely increase in rain and wind and asking them to place their patio or balcony furniture inside the room.”

“Add an invitation to High Tea this afternoon,” I said. “Lorraine was going to alert the kitchen of what would be needed, and the dining room manager promised to provide serving staff for it.”

“Later, if the storm is bad, let’s offer free drinks in the hotel lobby,” said Rhonda. “The Lobby Bar can offer discounts.”

“I agree,” said Bernie. “We can turn this into something amusing for our guests. A few of them have opted to leave early, but we’ll provide diversions for those who stay. The housekeeping staff will remain on alert if the weather becomes worse than anticipated. Then, we’ll need all hands on deck to make sure everything is secure.”

“It sounds like a thoughtful plan,” I said, glancing at my watch. “I’m sorry, but I must leave.”

“I’ll walk out with you,” said Rhonda, rising. “Thank you, Bernie.”

“Yes, thanks,” I said, focusing on Jane and her appointment with Dr. Perkins.

Rhonda and I walked into the lobby and were surprised to find Jane standing there, looking through the sliding glass doors at the gray weather. She sensed us walking toward her and turned around.

“How bad do you think the storm will be?” she asked us.

“Not much worse than this, we hope,” I said. “But we have some exciting things planned. You and the other women in your group might enjoy high tea with us.”

“That sounds lovely,” said Jane.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked Jane.

She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Rhonda gave her a hug. “No matter what happens, I want you to know I’m with you in thought and deed. I know how scary it can be.”

“Thank you,” said Jane, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “It’s such a stressful time.”

I took Jane’s arm and led her to the hotel's front circle where I’d parked my car. A valet helped us into it, and I took off, feeling as if the world was being put on pause until we had an answer.

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