Page 39 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

“I know whenever I got sick as a child, I always felt better if my mother was around,” said Rhonda. “I’ll come to the office this afternoon if I can. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow. Let me know how our “Fab Five” women are doing.”

“Will do,” I said.

After taking care of messages, I headed to the guesthouses to see what was going on there, assessing any damage to the property along the way.

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Iwalked along thebeach so I could inspect our sunset deck for any damage. What had started as a simple wooden deck had turned into an attractive, covered facility that provided food and drinks all day to our beachgoers, closing after the sun went down. It generated a satisfying income for us and provided a place for our guests to watch the famous Florida west coast sunsets. It also sometimes served as a beach wedding location.

A couple of staffers were sweeping sand off the deck and cleaning up broken branches of nearby shrubbery.

I stopped to say hello and to thank them for their help before going on my way.

During and after a windstorm, the beach filled with treasures tossed upon the sand by the pounding water. The beach was now filled with people stooped over, searching for finds. Even walking past them, I found myself looking down to see if I could spot something special.

The salty smell of the air held a freshness that followed a storm. I stopped and studied the white-capped waves rolling into the shore with a fury they normally lacked. Seagulls and terns screeched their excitement and dove for their own treasures that the ruffled waters offered up.

Before I reached the path to the guesthouses, I saw Jane, Heather, and Lisa looking for shells together.

I approached them. “Find any unusual ones?”

They saw me and grinned.

“I found a scallop and a couple of olive shells,” said Jane, holding them up.

“I got a worm shell and a sundial,” said Heather.

“We’re using a book to identify them,” Lisa said, holding up a small paperback.

“Of course you are,” I said, smiling. “You’re book club members.”

Lisa laughed, then grew serious. “How’s everything at the hotel? We’re going to go to another high tea this afternoon. The one yesterday was fabulous.”

“Yes, so much fun,” said Heather. “I’ve got to get a recipe for those little buttercakes.”

“You can try,” I said. “Ask Annette for it.”

“What’s the story with Amy? And where is Caro?” I asked.

“Amy and Slade are still in Miami with her son,” said Jane. “They’re arranging to have Dan’s body cremated. Both Amy and Nick wanted to honor Dan’s wishes. Amy will retrieve the ashes sometime later.”

“That seems like a thought-out plan,” I said. “How about Caro? What’s happening with her?”

The three women glanced at one another.

Finally, Heather said, “We haven’t seen much of her. She and Henry have camped out at his house. I’ve never seen Caro so happy.”

Lisa added, “I think it’s the best thing to happen to her in a long time. I hope it continues long after we leave.”

“Don’t talk about leaving,” teased Heather. “I don’t want to think about returning to my usual routine after enjoying the luxury here.”

“Have you spent time at the spa yet? You’ve talked about it,” I said.

“Yes, but it never happened. We’ve signed up for a day at the spa tomorrow, so Amy is here to enjoy it with us.”

“Be sure to sign up time in the sauna,” I said. “Have luck with your treasure hunts.”

As I headed back to the hotel, I saw Brock Goodwin in the distance and decided to jog. He was the last person I wanted to meet up with.