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Amanda winced. A part of her wanted to run down the hallway to the groomsmen’s suite just to ensure Sam was still on the property. She wanted him to be right there beside her, reminding her he wouldn’t ever leave her alone.Why was she still so insecure?
“Look! Isn’t that Officer Bobby?” Audrey pointed down at the crowd, where an officer strode alongside Kelli. Kelli’s face was pained, and she spoke directly into Officer Bobby’s ear, as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear what she said.
“Poor Kelli,” Amanda breathed. “Remind me never to operate a hotel.”
“Does Sam have this much trouble?”
“The Sunrise Cove has been around for so long that it sort-of runs itself,” Amanda said. “And I have a hunch that the Aquinnah Cliffside’s elegant guests don’t make it easy on Kelli.”
Kelli and the officer stood at the front door for a long time. Officer Bobby touched his walkie-talkie as Kelli crossed and uncrossed her arms. As she stood there, her father, Uncle Trevor, and her mother, Aunt Kerry, breezed past, hugging and kissing her. Kelli fixed her face immediately, clearly wanting to show just how happy and with-it she was. Amanda’s heart went out to her. She understood what it was like to pretend. It was exhausting.
ChapterFourteen
“Ican’t afford to comp every room, Bobby,” Kelli muttered under her breath as the officer prepared to leave. He’d taken a police report from the woman with the supposedly stolen rings, who’d said they were worth one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
“I know that,” Officer Bobby told her. “But that woman’s threats were terrifying. She could take down the hotel. Easy.”
Kelli grimaced. “I never imagined I’d be at the mercy of so many terrible rich people.”
“It’s just the first week’s kinks,” Bobby told her. “We’re all pulling for you down at the station. Let us know how we can help.”
“Can you babysit some of the women at this hotel to make sure they don’t misplace their jewelry?”
“I’m not sure about that,” Bobby said with a laugh. “Although I wish I could.”
Kelli watched Officer Bobby go, teetering nervously from one heel to the other. Her mouth felt strange and tangy, and she was terribly hungry, as the one-half of the bagel sandwich hadn’t gotten her very far. Already, guests for Amanda’s wedding had begun to celebrate, and they crowded through the ballroom and out along the veranda and the grounds. Their conversations were soothing, a dull roar of laughter, stories, and compliments. Because she’d said hello to her parents only briefly, she beelined for them and put on the very brightest smile she could muster.
“Mom! Dad! Sorry I couldn’t chat earlier. I see you’ve already gotten some drinks?”
Kelli’s mother raised her vodka tonic. “The bartender is quite good.”
“She just has a crush on him,” Trevor teased.
“I do. Perhaps a bit.” Kerry wagged her eyebrows playfully as Trevor kissed her gently on the cheek.
“What do you think of the party so far?” Kelli asked her parents.
“It’s beautiful, honey,” Kerry said. “You should really get a drink and enjoy it for a little while.”
Kelli glanced back at the front desk, which was empty save for Sandra, who scribbled something down on a notepad as though it was the most important thing on earth.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Xander appeared through the crowd, carrying a Negroni and an Aperol Spritz. His eyes glinted with good humor.
“There’s your handsome fiancé!” Kerry teased.
“I can’t believe I caught you standing in one place,” Xander teased as he passed her the Aperol Spritz, her favorite drink.
“I shouldn’t drink this,” Kelli said hesitantly, considering the mess in the kitchen, the mess of her guests, and the mess of her to-do list.
“Just one drink won’t hurt,” Xander assured her.
“You have to learn how to manage stress,” Kerry said. “When your father and I were at the top of our game in real estate, we had to force ourselves to take vacations and days off. But our career was better for it.”
“Yes, but Mom, this is the first week of the hotel being open. There are still so many things to figure out,” Kelli tried.
“Even so,” Kerry said. As Kelli’s mother, Kelli’s health would always come first for her, not the bottom line of the hotel. Kelli had to appreciate that.
“There she is!” Suddenly, Kelli’s Uncle Wes appeared alongside his beautiful girlfriend, Beatrice, who wore a beaded blue dress and sensible heels. “Beatrice, isn’t my niece a genius? This entire hotel was her vision.”
