Page 37 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

Rhonda and I glanced at one another.

“No matter what happens, Amy says they’ll be friends forever,” Jane added.

I couldn’t help repeating Rhonda’s smile at that bit of news. “I’m sorry about what happened, but maybe some good will come from it. Will Amy’s son return with them?”

“No, he’ll go right back to school. It’s a critical time for him. Besides, Nick has been through a lot with his father for several years. He might need both the time alone and the diversion of school.”

“I understand.” I was someone who needed to work through my feelings alone, at least initially.

“I’m going to go home and make sure everything is set there,” said Rhonda. “Rita’s cousin will take care of the landscaping and getting everything cleared off the patio and the balcony.” Rita Ramos was Rhonda’s housekeeper and had been with her since her marriage to Will. Her sister, Elena, had worked for me before she got married and went into business with her husband, who ran a few spas in the area. They were a terrific family.

I told Rhonda about Liz and said, “I’ll check in with her to make sure everything is all right, and then I’ll work here until things have settled down a bit. It’ll be helpful to see how many people sign up for high tea. I’ll work on some ideas for Christmas high tea services. Inviting someone to the hotel for high tea is a delightful holiday gift.”

“Maybe we can get a deal on holiday chinaware,” said Rhonda. “That will add to its glamour.”

“See you later. But if Bernie doesn’t think it’s necessary for us to stay, I’ll call you. We might be needed more tomorrow when there will be cleanup and assessments to do.”

“Yes,” said Rhonda. “That makes more sense. Good luck with everything.”

“You, too,” I said.

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After working for afew hours and assessing the situation outdoors, I decided I’d feel better about riding out the storm at home with Robbie and Cindy. Liz needed the quiet without having guests in her house.

As I headed out of the office, the palm tree fronds were whipping around in the wind, and the sound of the rain hitting the windows was more like angry slaps.

I drove to Liz’s to pick up Robbie and Cindy and to make sure my daughter was okay. Liz wasn’t usually emotional, but earlier, I could tell she was at her wit’s end with worry.

I parked as close to the front door as I could and dashed through the rain. Robbie answered it and held a finger to his lips. “The T’s are finally down for a late nap.”

When I walked into the kitchen, I found Chad alone. “Where’s Liana?” I asked.

“She went home to help her family get ready for the storm. They grow vegetables for the local markets, and they’re trying to do what they can to save them from being ruined by the wind and rain.”

“How’s Liz?” I asked.

“Asleep,” said Chad. “We think she’s going to be alright, but she’ll never forgive herself if she doesn’t do everything the doctor said and then have something go wrong.”

“I understand,” I said. “How are you feeling about what’s happening?”

“I think Liz and the baby are going to be fine. Liz feels bad because we remember how excited we were to think we would have a baby before we found out we were having triplets. It’s different this time, but it doesn’t mean we don’t want this baby.

I gave him a quick hug. “I love that you support Liz like you do. I’m going to leave with Robbie and Cindy to go back home. I think I need to be there in case anything goes wrong.”

“Vaughn’s boat is going to be okay?”

“He thinks so. We’re lucky that we live inside an inlet. It protects the boat.”

I tiptoed to Liz’s room and peered inside.

She was lying on the bed curled up like she used to do as a child, holding onto one of Olivia’s Teddy bears. Tears stung my eyes. She’d always been resilient, but I knew if this situation went bad, it would break her heart. I blew a kiss into the room and went to get Robbie and Cindy.

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