Page 37 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

“You told me you were afraid that Claudine and Clint might be having an affair,” said Rhonda. “If so, Claudine isn’t simply going to walk away.”

“Especially someone as aggressive as she is,” I said. “Now, tell me about the goings on at the hotel. How was the engagement dinner?”

Rhonda lifted her coffee cup in a salute. “It turned out to be a goldmine for us. The hostess is none other than the sister of our governor, and the three other women present with their husbands have decided to book family weddings with us.”

“Thanks for handling that. I assume Annette was there to assist you,” I said.

“Yes, and you know how well she connects with people. She was able to say that she was one of our wedding coordinators. That worked well for us.”

“Well done!” I gave Rhonda a high five. We celebrated the big occasions at the hotel, but we also celebrated smaller ones. You never knew when a seemingly simple event would help bring in future business.

We were going over the financials for the previous day when someone tapped at the door, and then it flew open.

Surprised, Rhonda and I stopped talking and looked up to see Claudine.

I got to my feet. “Claudine, is there something we can help you with?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “You can help me have a meeting with Clint. I’m his partner and deserve to have some time with him. His wife tells me I’m not welcome at your house. Is that true?”

I drew a deep breath. “My home is a private space for Vaughn and me. Though you can’t meet Clint there, I think he should be able to talk to you on the phone. But he’s pretty drugged up at the moment and under the doctor’s order to rest for a few days. He has been through a lot of traumatic experiences. I would think you’d honor that information.”

Claudine drew a deep breath and studied me. “Did you know that Clint was considering leaving his wife? He and I had an understanding.”

I gripped the edge of my desk. “I find that hard to believe. But really, it has nothing to do with Clint getting better. As I said, you’re welcome to call him. And he can decide if, when, and where, other than my house, he can meet with you.”

Rhonda stood and put an arm around my shoulder. “Miss, Claudine, is it? You’re upsetting my business partner, and I won’t allow that. Your business with Clint Dawson is not ours. You’d better take a hike.”

Claudine glared at Rhonda, then whipped around and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

“Wow!” said Rhonda. “She really is a bitch. Are you okay, Annie?”

I nodded, but inside, I was trembling with rage. I thought about calling Nell and decided not to. She’d have to handle the situation on her own.

###

That night, when I got home, Robbie was with the kids on the lanai while Vaughn was seasoning the filet mignons he was going to grill for dinner.

“Hi, darling. How are you?” Vaughn asked me.

“It’s been quite a day. Where are Nell and Clint?”

Vaughn indicated the guest wing of the house. “When I last checked, both of them were napping.”

“Claudine came into the office and demanded to meet with Clint. She wanted to know if it was true that she wasn’t allowed to visit him at our house. I told her, yes, that it was our private space for obvious reasons. I suggested she call Clint, and he could decide how to best proceed.” I sighed. “She also told me that Clint was going to leave Nell, that she and Clint had what she called an arrangement.”

Vaughn’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? I don’t believe that. Not after the talks I had with Clint on the boat. What’s Claudine’s game?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t trust her. Something weird is going on. Something that doesn’t make sense.”

Nell padded into the kitchen. “I thought I heard voices. How are things at the hotel, Ann?”

“That engagement dinner last night brought us the possibility of many new weddings. And the high tea the other day went well enough that we’re considering offering it as a Christmas gift for some of the locals to purchase. Sunday afternoon teas will be served throughout the high season.

“I loved seeing how the teas are set up. I can’t wait to participate in them,” said Nell.

“Have you and Clint talked about his staying here?” I asked. It would make a difference if Nell couldn’t work at the hotel.

“Clint has agreed to stay here for a few days as the doctor has requested,” said Nell. “Then he hopes to go to D.C. to work on his deal. He’s talking about leaving the company, but he’s worried about getting his share of equity money back.”

“How will he handle traveling? He’ll still need help,” I said.

“He’s asked me to go with him. I told him I’ll do it on the condition he promises to return to Sabal as quickly as possible.” Nell looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet. When she looked up, her eyes were full of tears. “He told me that Claudine thinks he’s going to leave me, but that it isn’t true. He told her so. As the daughter of one of the business owners, she believes she can choose any man in the company she wants and is willing to strong-arm them into a romantic relationship. She tried that with another man who has since left the firm.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter and let out a loud huff of breath. “What a mess.”

Nell studied me. “As Rhonda would say, a freakin’ mess.”