Page 36 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

They jumped to their feet and headed for the kitchen. They climbed into their booster seats, and while they were busy eating, I washed each sweet little face.

Robbie sat with the triplets, eager for a snack, too.

I quietly explained to Robbie that Liz would have to rest as much as possible, so it would be up to him to play with the triplets until Liana came to help.

Robbie gave me a solemn look. “Can I go see Lizzie?”

“Of course,” I said, pleased they shared a special bond. My ex had fathered them both. And though he’d thought Liz would raise Robbie if anything happened to him and Kandie, she was too young to be able to do so, which is why Vaughn and I had adopted him. It had turned out to be a perfect solution.

When the triplets finished their snack, I rewashed their faces and hands and led them into the playroom, where they could each choose a book for Robbie to read.

Once Robbie was seated with them, I locked the gate to the playroom and said, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Liz is right here. I don’t want her lifting the children.”

“Okay, I can do this,” said Robbie. “Lizzie told me not to worry. We’d all be fine. Uncle Chad is on his way home.”

Cindy was curled up between Noah and Olivia, and Emma was sitting next to Robbie, holding a book for him.

At the touching scene, I blinked away sentimental tears and turned to go.

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At the hotel, thingswere chaotic. The lobby was filled with guests milling around. I noticed that a coffee service had been refreshed and now held plates of cookies.

I went to Bernie’s office and found Rhonda there, along with various department heads.

“Thanks for joining us, Ann. Everything all right at home?” said Bernie.

“Yes, thank you. What’s going on?” I answered.

Bernie briefed me on each hotel department’s chores. “In a matter of hours, things have become more serious than we’d thought. Housekeeping will see that all the patios, balconies, and the pool deck are cleared of furniture. The same goes for the sunset deck. The beach chairs have already been stacked and tied together.”

“We have the library set for high tea today and tomorrow,” said Lorraine. “We’ve also planned a few party games for those who might be interested, and we’re having special cocktail hours both days.”

“The kitchen is aware of all these plans,” said Bernie, answering my silent question. “Manny and his crew are doing what they can to prepare the landscaping.”

“When are we going to get the worst of it?” I asked.

“It’s forecast to hit east of New Orleans in a few hours,” said Bernie. “We’ll post extra security during the night in case we need help.”

“Thank you, everyone, for all your help. It’s times like this when it counts to have a cooperative team,” I said.

“We appreciate all of you,” added Rhonda.

“Okay, then, we will meet back in my office in a few hours for updates,” said Bernie.

We all rose.

Rhonda pulled me aside. “Let’s talk to the women in the guesthouse. I want to know if Amy made it back from seeing to her ex.”

We went to our office and called Jane.

“How are things with Amy? Is she back yet?” Rhonda asked her, putting her on the speaker phone.

“No, she and Slade are staying there. Amy’s son, Nick, is flying into Miami from Philadelphia, where he attends the University of Pennsylvania. They’re making some family decisions there.”

“So, they’ll wait until after the storm hits here,” I said. “Right?”

“Yes,” said Jane. “Slade can stay with her. After the details are taken care of, he’ll bring her back here. Amy told us she doesn’t know what she’d do without him. He’s been so supportive of her.”

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