Page 83 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

“I wish more couples felt that way,” I said.

“Yes, our group tomorrow won’t be that easy. The bride is a young, local woman who’s spoiled. Some of the guests arrived yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner. Tonight’s rehearsal dinner is being held elsewhere, but we’ll have the bridal luncheon here tomorrow. We could never have taken a late wedding request for Sunday if the ceremony weren’t being held at one of the houses.”

“Not with a send-off breakfast at the hotel Sunday noon for Saturday’s wedding guests. How about the meal in the private dining room for our small wedding group? Is that going to be easy to do?”

Lorraine gave me a satisfied smile. “Surf and turf for the main course. And some interesting choices for appetizers, sides, and even desserts. Instead of a wedding cake, they want a selection of pastries.”

“I can’t wait for this wedding. Rhonda and I feel very connected to this group.”

“So far, they’ve been a delight to work with. I’ve even had requests for champagne to be available on Saturday evening to be served at the house, along with a tray of appetizers and snacks before moving to the hotel.”

“This is a group that definitely likes a little bubbly,” I said. “When they made their original reservations here, they even talked about bubble baths at the house.”

“That’s so cute,” said Lorraine. “One of the gifts the bride is giving to people in attendance is a package of bubble bath powder from the spa shop.”

“Sweet. Thanks for all the input. I’ve got to see what Tropical Fleurs and our designer are doing with our Christmas decorations.”

“See you later,” said Lorraine. “I’m glad you’re handling that.”

“It’s always fun and a mad race to get it done quickly,” I said, standing.

I left Lorraine’s office and went to the front hall, where a beautiful, tall spruce tree was being decorated.

Rhonda was standing in the middle of the hallway with a wide smile. “This is going to be stunning,” she said, giving me a gleeful hug. “Look at the ornaments.” She held up a sheet of photographs. “There are shells of every size, starfish, beach plum accents, crystals, glass balls, and deep aqua, peacock green, and silver ribbons.

I stared up at the tree, imagining how it would look finished. Right now, sparkly white lights were being threaded through the branches.

“It’s always so exciting,” I said, watching for a minute. “Do you remember our first Christmas tree here at the hotel? It wasn’t as fancy as this, but it was ours, and we were very proud of it.”

“I still love seeing the hotel decorated like this. It makes the holidays seem so much more alive.”

“I just found out information about the upcoming weddings. Caro and Henry have decided to have their ceremony in one of the houses. It’ll be a first for us.”

Rhonda grinned. “It seems right for them, somehow. Their relationship evolved so fast not only because of the hotel’s atmosphere but because of us.”

I laughed. “Okay, if you say so.”

“You know I’m right. And it’s a relief to laugh after all the crap that has gone on. I hope this holiday season will prepare us for another year without any family problems.”

“I agree. Let’s have fun.”

We followed the directions from the designer’s staff and placed candles, ribbons, and decorations where they told us, feeling a part of the project.

By noon, we were still working when Lorraine approached us. “Arthur called. He’s flying to New York City to meet with his lawyers. He’s asked me to come with him. I told him I could go on Sunday morning but not before. I figure you two could handle the small wedding for your friends. Is that all right?”

Rhonda and I glanced at one another.

“Of course,” Rhonda said.

“Are you alright?” I asked, observing her red eyes.

“I will be,” she said. “It’s been a rough morning. It will take time for Reggie and his father to work things out. It might be wise for us to leave for a few days.”

“I see,” said Rhonda, looking worried. “Can I do anything to help?”

Lorraine shook her head. “I think it’s something they have to do for themselves.”

“Don’t worry about Sunday’s wedding. But if you and Laura could handle the wedding tomorrow, we’d really appreciate it. You said the bride was spoiled, and the last thing we need is for her to turn into a bridezilla.”

---