Page 33 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

“When are Mommy and Daddy coming here?” asked Bailey.

I lowered Ned to the floor and gave each of them a steady look. “They should be here soon. Both of Daddy’s arms have been hurt, and he had to stay an extra day. You’ll have to be very careful not to bump into him.”

“Liana helped us make pictures for him,” said Bailey.

I mouthed “thank you” to Liana and said, “While you kids eat, I’ll put this food away.” It would be essential to keep the kids’ routines as simple and easy as possible to minimize meltdowns when Clint was trying to recover.

Robbie and Vaughn came inside, and after the kids had greeted them, Robbie and the little ones settled down to eat.

I went into my bedroom to take a shower and change out of my clothes.

Vaughn came into our bedroom and said, “I’m going to rest for a while.”

I kissed him. "You deserve it. It’s been a couple of hard days."

l went to shower.

When I came out of the bathroom, Vaughn was lying on the bed snoring softly.

I studied him. He was such a decent man. I knew how upset he was to think he was the person responsible for Clint’s injuries.

Not wanting to wake him, I tiptoed out of the room and went to talk to Liana.

We were still chatting on the lanai, sipping lemonade, when Nell called to say they were approaching the neighborhood.

Robbie, Bailey, and Ned joined me in the driveway, and we waited to greet them.

“Remember what I told you about not bumping into Daddy,” I said as Nell pulled the car into the driveway.

I hurried to open the door for Clint while Nell went to greet the children.

Clint grimaced as he turned to get out of the car. “I need to take more medicine.”

I saw him struggle to smile as the kids stood by me, saying, “Hi, Daddy!”

With both arms in slings, I helped him steady himself on his feet. “Hi, Bailey, hi, Ned,” he managed to say, though I knew it cost him to hold back a groan.

Nell rushed to Clint’s side and put her arm around his shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.”

“Your room is ready for you,” I said. “The lounge chair there might be more comfortable for you than on the bed, even though the mattress is adjustable.”

“Thanks,” he murmured. “I need to lie down. Either place will do.”

Nell turned to me. “Ann, if you keep track of the kids now, I’ll let them speak to their father later.”

“Will do,” I said. “We can go for a swim, and then we can watch a television program.”

Vaughn appeared. “Need another steadying hand?”

“Yes,” said Nell. “I’ll run ahead and get the room ready.”

The kids and I followed behind as Vaughn led Clint into the house and to the guestroom he was sharing with Nell.

“Okay. Dad will see you later,” I told Bailey and Ned. “How about us having a swim in the pool?” The gray skies of the morning had given way to a sunny afternoon.

The worried looks on their faces were replaced with excitement, and I helped them get into their bathing suits.

Robbie went next door to be with his best friend, Brett. Liana left for the day but promised to be on standby if we needed her.