Page 46 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

I studied them. Caro seemed much younger, freer, and happier than when she arrived. Henry beamed at her, looking every bit like a tennis player with long, muscular limbs and a trim body. Handsome, he had a gentleness about him that was appealing.

We all remained gathered around the table, chatting and enjoying one another’s company. Heather, as she usually did, provided us with hors d’oeuvres—crackers, nuts, and a vegetable dip.

We were listening to Slade tell a joke when I noticed a car pull up to the front of the house. A figure emerged from the automobile and started walking toward us.

Surprised, I got up from the table and went to the door, leaving the others laughing at Slade’s joke.

“What brings you here?” I asked, my heart pounding at the seriousness of his expression. I could see Amelia sitting in the car.

“Are Henry and Slade here?” he asked. “I must speak to them.”

“Come with me.” I took his arm and led him to the pool area while another security man quickly checked the house.

When Henry and Slade saw the Secret Service man, the shock on their faces was telling. They straightened as if he’d commanded their attention.

The women were as shocked as they were to then see the Vice-President of the United States enter the house with another security man.

“Slade, Henry, you need to come with me now,” said Amelia. “You don’t need to pack more than an overnight bag, but we must leave immediately.”

“You didn’t tell me you knew the vice president,” said Caro to Henry in a loud whisper as Amelia stood by. “What else were you keeping from me?”

“No, it’s not like that,” Henry said. “I’ll call you later.”

Amelia observed the two of them with obvious fascination. “I’m sorry to interrupt your fun. My apologies to you all. But our time isn’t always our own in this business of running the country.”

“It was great getting to know all of you,” said Slade, addressing the group.

Henry gave a last look at Caro and followed with visible reluctance.

I hurried to the front door to usher them out of the house, wondering what was going on. It had to be some sort of emergency for Amelia to give up time with her sister’s family.

When I returned to the lanai, the atmosphere was as if the bubble of fun we all had been enjoying had burst, leaving mere remnants of happiness behind.

Caro’s eyes filled with tears. “Henry works for the vice president. Don’t you think that’s worth mentioning? God only knows what else he conveniently forgot to tell me. Maybe that relationship he told me was over is another lie.” She covered her face with her hands. “I’ve been such a fool. I thought I knew him.”

Lisa turned to Amy. “Did Slade say anything to you about his job?”

Amy shook her head. “Only that he worked for people in Washington D.C., like a consultant. With everything going on in my life, we no longer talked about it. I’m just as surprised as everyone else.”

“It must be an emergency,” said Rhonda.

“Yes, Amelia was visiting with family and would never leave if it wasn’t necessary,” I added.

“What kind of emergency are we talking about? And why do Henry and Slade have to be part of it?” Caro asked.

“I can only guess that some national crisis has taken place and the men’s talents are needed,” I said. “I know that Amelia relies on the men to assess a situation and understand the ramifications of any actions taken. They report to her on them.”

Jane looked around the group. “We must remember that government secrecy is required in many instances. This has to be one of them. I’m sorry things have ended this way. Who knows when they will return?”

“We most likely will be long gone,” said Lisa.

Caro let out a small sob and ran from our group.

“Henry and Caro had planned a romantic dinner alone tonight,” explained Lisa.

“It may sound foolish on our part, but I honestly believed Caro had found the perfect man for her,” Jane said.

We gathered around the table, sipped our wine, and nibbled on food with less enthusiasm.

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