by Judith Keim
We arrived at the hotel as the last rays of sun left the sky. The outdoor mini-lights strung in the hibiscus bushes in front of the hotel and in the potted plants beside the double front doors glittered like lingering fireflies. I was pleased by it.
When Vaughn and I walked through the front entrance, Tim looked up at us from behind the front desk. “You here to see what all the fuss is about?”
“Fuss? What are you talking about?” I asked, immediately wary.
“It’s Cody Craig’s wife. She wants Jean-Luc to prepare a special meal for them in the Presidential Suite. Bernie tried to explain that it would be impossible, but she’s not happy about it. She’s making a lot of demands on all of us.”
I pressed my lips together. We depended on well-known guests for their business and for getting better known as a hotel, but oftentimes it meant putting up with their egotistical nonsense. I turned to Vaughn. “Why don’t you go ahead and have a drink in the lobby bar. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
“Meet you there.”
I went into the back of the house to the kitchen. Jean-Luc was slapping things around, muttering to himself in French. I knew enough of the language to realize how upset he was. When he saw me, he slammed a fist on the counter.
“Annie, I’m not here to wait on only one person. I serve everyone, non?”
“Yesss...”
“That woman is going to drive me crazy. She wants this and she wants that. I have to take care of our other guests.”
“You’re absolutely right. Why don’t you give me a chance to talk to Cody Craig and his wife and see if I can make them understand?”
Jean-Luc bobbed his head. “That would be good. I’m not a short-order cook.”
I checked on the dining room. It was packed. Sabine was acting as hostess and overseeing the waitstaff. While I was standing there, Bernie rushed up to me.
“Glad you’re here. One of our guests from New York is not feeling well. I’ve called the doctor that the hotel recommends, and he’s agreed to see her, but only if I can drive her to his office.”
“Okay, you take her. I’ll try to get Cody Craig’s wife under control.”
Bernie rolled his eyes. “Good luck. She thinks she’s a princess, but she’s a royal pain in the ass.”
I left the dining room and climbed the stairs to the Presidential Suite. Before I even made it to the suite, I heard a child crying.
I tapped on the door.
When no one answered, I knocked louder.
“Who is it?” came a male voice.
“It’s Ann Rutherford, one of the owners of the hotel.”
The door opened and a young man stared blearily at me. He was holding a crying toddler in his arms.
I studied him. He looked much younger than the man who performed on stage. Spiky brown hair rose on his head like unmowed grass. Behind his glasses, dark eyes glowered at me.
“Where’s our private chef? We’re hungry,” he said. “We were told we’d have one.”
“Cody, I don’t know who told you that a private chef was available to you, but that’s not true. You’re welcome to order from the in-room-dining menu or even our regular menu. Of course, we’d love to have you join our other guests in the main dining room. Or, if it’s available, you’re welcome to book the small dining room for yourselves.”
A tall, thin woman appeared wearing one of our white, terry cloth robes. A white towel was wrapped around her head.
“Are you our maid?” she asked, scowling at me.
I brushed an imaginary piece of lint off my black slacks. “No, I’m not. I’m Ann Rutherford, one of the owners of the hotel. I’m explaining your food options to Cody. We’ll try to accommodate your wishes as best we can, but our chef is busy in the kitchen taking care of our guests. If you would like to order food off the menu and have it sent up to the room, we’ll be glad to take care of that for you. We also can provide food options for your little one.”
Cody’s wife stamped her foot and pointed at finger at him. “I told you we should have gone to a bigger place—a place more used to stars.”
“Now, Dele, this place comes highly recommended. We don’t want to be noticed. Remember? We’re here to have some private time to ourselves. That’s what the doctor ordered.”
She turned and walked out of the room. Cody looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as much as he could with a toddler who’d fallen asleep in his arms. “Women! What can you do?”
It took all my willpower to keep my mouth shut. I was glad Rhonda wasn’t with me. She’d tell Cody exactly how to handle his fussy little wife.
“I’ll be around the hotel for a while longer,” I told him. “Let the kitchen know what you want, and they’ll take care of it. One other thing. The Beach House Hotel is known for its discretion. So if you and your family are out of the suite and mixing with the guests, it shouldn’t be a problem. We ask all of our guests to honor the privacy of others. That’s why it’s so popular among stars like yourself.”
I left the couple and went back to the kitchen to inform Jean-Luc what I’d told them.
He shook his head. “She is a... Bah! Never mind! Thanks for your help, Annie. Now tell me about Rhonda. You were there when she had her baby?”
“Yes. You won’t believe how it happened, Jean-Luc!”
“I heard all about it.” He chuckled. “Rhonda does love being in the kitchen. Tell her I can’t wait to have her back here with me. But no babies.”
I smiled. Jean-Luc and Rhonda had had their battles—mostly over recipes—but they’d become fast friends.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After dinner, Vaughn and I went to the community hospital and took the elevator up to the maternity floor. Vaughn carried a huge arrangement of pink roses, and I held onto a handful of balloons designed for welcoming a baby girl.
When we reached Rhonda’s room, I cautiously knocked on the partially-closed door.
“Come in,” called Rhonda.
Will opened the door. His eyes lit at the sight of us and a broad grin spread across his face. “Come on in. Rhonda’s just finished feeding the baby.”
“Annie! Vaughn! You should see how perfect this baby is. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces.” Rhonda opened the blanket around the baby so we could get a look at her.”
Vaughn set down the flower arrangement on a side table and turned to Will. “Congratulations! You’re going to find that a daughter has a talent for getting her way around you.” He shook Will’s hand. “I’m happy for you, man!”
“Guess what we’re calling her,” said Rhonda. “Of course everyone knows I was planning on a boy so we could name him after Will. So now we’ve decided to call her Willow. Get it?”
Observing the look of pride that filled Will’s face, unexpected tears stung my eyes as I hugged him. He was such a wonderful man, and this little girl was such a delightful surprise.
“Willow? What a perfect name for her,” I said. “Though, Rhonda, she’s already proved she’s got a mind of her own.”
Will chuckled. “Like her mother.”
I went over to Rhonda, gave her a hug, and studied the baby in her arms. “The entire staff sends their good wishes to you and the baby and Will. Jean-Luc is anxious to have you come back. But he says no babies in the kitchen.”
Rhonda chortled. “God! He would’ve freaked if I’d had the baby in his kitchen. Is everything all right in yours, Annie?”
“It’s fine. It’s always been one of my favorite rooms in the house, and now, it’ll be even more special.”
Remembering what had taken place there, we smiled at each other.
“So what’s going on at the hotel?” Rhonda asked. “Bernie sounded harried when I called.”
While the two men talked, I told Rhonda the latest happenings with Cody and his wife. “But, remember, you’re not to worry about anything at the hotel. It’s more important for you to get settled in with the baby.”
“Can I ask a favor of you?” she said. “W
ill you take Angela to see the house Reggie has picked out? I said I’d do that for him tomorrow, and now I can’t.”
“Of course. It will be fun to see it.”
The baby started to cry.
I turned to Vaughn. “Maybe we’d better go. It’s been a long day for Rhonda.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged Will once more. “Congratulations to you both on a beautiful little girl.”
“Wait! Don’t leave!” said Rhonda. “You don’t know Willow’s middle name.” She winked at me. “It’s Ann. For you, Annie. Willow Ann Grayson.”
Touched, I clasped a hand to my heart. “I love it. Thank you so much.”
“Nice.” Vaughn took hold of my free hand and squeezed it.
“See you guys later,” I said, pleased at the honor Rhonda and Will had bestowed on me.
As we left the hospital, I thought of the look of wonder on Will’s features whenever he gazed at Willow. I wished I were able to give Vaughn a baby of our own and bring that same look to his face.
At home, we found Liz sitting in the family room in front of the television. She waved limply at us and turned back to her program.
She looked so forlorn I went and sat beside her. “What are you watching?” I asked, putting an arm around her shoulder.
She made a face. “It’s just something stupid. I’m not really paying any attention to it.” She leaned against me and emitted a quivering sigh. “I hate all that’s happened.”
“Me too. It hasn’t been easy on you. And, with the care of Robbie, it won’t be easy in the future. But you’ll get through it.”
Liz sat up. Tears glistened in her eyes. “After you left for the hotel tonight, I called Troy to see if we could get together. He said he was busy and then told me he was falling for someone else. I asked him if my having Robbie made a difference to him, and he grew quiet. When I pushed him for an answer, he said he wasn’t ready for children.” Tears spilled onto her cheeks. “What am I going to do, Mom? I’ll end up a single mother.” Her breath hiccupped. “With a child that isn’t even mine.”
I brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “I’ll help you all I can, Liz.”
“I love Robbie, I really do, but I never thought it would come to this.”
“The fact remains you’re his legal guardian. He’s a wonderful boy. This afternoon it was very clear how much you love each other. Let things go forward in their own way. You’ve got a lot of support. We’ll work together. Okay?”
She sniffled. “Why did Dad have to go and die?” she said, sounding more like a child than the young adult she was. But I understood. One phase of her life was unexpectedly over and another had begun.
“Why don’t you get some rest?” I said. “Tomorrow is another busy day.”
We said good night, and I went to join Vaughn in our bedroom.
When I opened the door, he was sitting in bed, reading a book. He looked up when I walked into the room. “What’s going on with Liz?” he asked. “I sensed you two wanted to be alone.”
I told him about Liz’s conflicting feelings and the worries she had about losing her independence. “I can’t blame her. She loves her brother, but as she says, she never thought it would end this way. Supposedly, Robert told Liz that he if it were his choice alone, he’d want me to have Robbie, but he couldn’t ask me to do it. He said if she had any problems with him to come to me.”
Vaughn patted the empty space beside him. “Have a seat.”
I sat down and turned to him.
He took hold of one of my hands. “I’ve done a lot of thinking about this. You’ve mentioned on a couple of occasions that you wished we could have a child of our own. Maybe Robbie is the answer to our wishes. Would you ever consider adopting him? We could give him a stable, loving home with all the advantages. And that would free Liz to love him like a sister, not a child of hers.”
Feeling my breath leave me in a rush of surprise, I fell back among the pillows, momentarily stunned by the idea. Could I do it? Take in Robert’s and Kandie’s child—the same child whose appearance had caused me so much pain?
“Ann? What do you think?”
I closed my eyes, battling my whirling emotions. When I opened them, I stared into Vaughn’s handsome face. With great tenderness, I cupped his cheeks with my hands and gazed into his dark eyes. “I think you are the kindest, the most wonderful, most generous man I’ve ever known.”
“Are you amenable to the idea. Is that it?”
“I think maybe I am. I’ve always wanted more children. As you say, it would be the best arrangement for both Robbie and Liz. And, I have to admit, I’ve already fallen for Robo Rob. Whenever he smiles at me and calls me ‘Gammy,’ it warms my heart.”
“I thought so.” Vaughn drew me into his arms. “I really love you, Ann. It may seem an awkward circumstance to others but it feels so right to me. In the morning, we’ll see how Liz feels about this and take it from there.” He gave me the crooked smile I loved so much. “Now, Gammy, come to bed with me.”
###
Long after we’d made love, I lay in bed gazing up at the ceiling, thinking about all the ramifications of adopting Robbie. We were lucky enough to be able to afford help, but our busy lives would change materially. Neither Vaughn nor I would settle for less than being an active part of Robbie’s life. And many couples our age were becoming first-time parents. From that standpoint, we were ahead of the game.
After a restless night, I awoke early. Careful not to wake Vaughn, I rolled out bed and quietly dressed. I needed time to myself before addressing the issue of Robbie and Liz.
I tiptoed through the house and slipped out the kitchen door to the back lawn and down to the dock. At the end of the dock, waves like tiny, shy, wet kisses, licked at the pilings supporting it. As I gazed out over the water, the rising sun behind my back spread a rosy glow across the sky that reflected onto the inlet’s rippling surface in front of me. The soft breeze stirred the water forming different patterns of light. I raised my face to the breaking day and drew several deep breaths, waiting for peace to fill me.
Images of Robert smiling at me during our good times filled my mind. When I thought of the gift Robbie could be to us, my past anger at Robert melted away. His little boy might have a lot of his father in him, but I would see that only the best of my ex shone through. I thought of how the past and the future were magically becoming one, a reminder that life was not in our own hands. The peace I’d been seeking wrapped around me, a gentle cloak of assurance that all would be okay.
I drew another deep breath and turned as Vaughn approached.
“You all right?” he asked.
I smiled. “I’m fine.”
And I was.
###
While Elena and Troy played with Robbie in the pool, Liz met with Vaughn and me in our bedroom. She sat in one of the overstuffed chairs alongside mine. Vaughn sat on the edge of the bed facing us.
I listened as he quietly explained to Liz what he and I had discussed about Robbie’s future. He stopped when Liz burst into tears.
I leaned over and patted her back. “Are you all right? We didn’t mean to upset you, sweetheart. We’re just trying to do the right thing for everyone.”
Tears streamed down her face. “No, no you don’t understand. I can’t believe you would do this for Robbie. For me.” She clasped her hands together. “Does it make me an awful person for wanting this to happen?”
“Oh, sweetie, no! By offering to adopt Robbie, we hoped it would make you feel even closer to him as his big sister, not his mother. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. It feels right.” She gazed over to Vaughn. “I know now why my mother loves you in a way she never loved my father. Thank you, Vaughn, for thinking of Robbie and me.”
His cheeks colored with emotion. He simply nodded.
“Liz, if you want to proceed with this idea, Mike Torson, the lawyer who works for the hotel, can help us straighten things out. In the meantime, we’ll keep going on as we were. I�
��m not going to ask Robbie to call me Mom. I’ll remain ‘Gammy’ for the time being, and then we’ll see.”
“I want to go ahead with this,” said Liz, tearing up again. “But I promise I won’t be just any sister to Robbie. I’ll be the best sister any little boy could have.” She grabbed a tissue from the nearby box and dabbed at her eyes. “I suppose that someday he’ll hear the whole story. I just hope he won’t blame me for doing this.”
“Liz, you, as well as Ann and I, are thinking of him and what’s best for his future,” said Vaughn in a deep calm voice. “But there’s no reason you can’t be there for him along the way.”
“You’re right,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “I can do that, and I will.”
“Honey, we’re a family. All of us,” I said.
Liz turned to me. “I know Dad would be pleased that Robbie will have a home with you. It’s a little weird. Are you sure you don’t mind, Mom?”
“I’ve done a lot of thinking about the past and the future, and I’m happy to do this,” I said honestly. “Especially with Vaughn’s help. He’s a wonderful father to his own children and will be great with Robbie.”
Liz studied Vaughn. “Can we spend some time alone? I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. Should we go for a little sail? That’s a good way to relax.”
Liz smiled. “Sounds good.”
After they left, I stayed in the bedroom for a while, letting my emotions settle. As I prepared to leave the room, I looked out the window that overlooked the back lawn and saw Liz and Vaughn, the white sail of their boat billowing in the wind as if they were about to take flight. Good for them, I thought, pleased two of the most important people in my life were getting along.
I hurried to find Robbie.
Elena and Troy were sitting next to one another, talking, on the steps of the pool. Robbie sat on the step above them playing with his plastic boat.
“Gammy! Boat!”
I kicked off my shoes and sat on the edge of the pool by him. “Let’s see the boat, Robbie.”
