Page 41 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

Jane gave me a quick hug. “I’ll never forget how kind you both were to me. See you tomorrow.”

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Pleased to know everythingwas in order at the hotel, I headed home and called Robbie to meet me at the house.

Cindy greeted me at the door when I entered the kitchen. “Hi, sweet girl. Where’s Robbie?” I called out to him. “Hi, Robbie! I’m home.”

He came from his bedroom to greet me. He’d obviously been crying.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked him, sweeping him into my arms.

“Granny Steph just called. Papa is sick. She asked me to let you know. She sounded scared.”

I immediately called Stephanie Willis. She and her husband, Randolph, had been long-time guests at the hotel before they’d become Robbie’s adopted grandparents.

“Hi, Stephanie. What’s happening? Robbie told me Randolph is sick.”

Stephanie let out a long sigh. “Rand has had a cold, which I think has caused pneumonia. He, of course, is declaring he doesn’t need to see a doctor and that he’s fine, better than yesterday. But he does need to see a doctor.”

“I see. What can I do?”

“He adores you, Ann. If you ask him to go to the health clinic, I’m sure he’d do it for you.”

“Okay, Robbie and I will come to your condo right now,” I said. “I don’t like the sound of it.”

“Thanks so much. I’m not going to tell him you’re on your way. I’ll let it be a surprise,” said Stephanie.

I ended the call and turned to Robbie. “Come with me to see them. Sometimes, as people get older, they get stubborn about having decisions made for them.”

“Is Papa going to die?” Robbie asked, looking as if he might cry.

I hugged him. “I don’t believe so. But he needs to be convinced to see a doctor.”

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When we arrived atStephanie and Randolph’s condo, Stephanie opened the door and bid us to come inside. “Randolph is in the sunroom.”

The condo was in a mid-sized building along the beach. The units facing the ocean had one room off the balcony with many windows providing a lot of sunlight. It was a lovely spot to sit among potted plants and relax.

Randolph was lying on a reclining chair when we walked into the room.

Seeing us, he immediately rose in his chair. “What are you doing here?” he asked, smiling.

Robbie hurried over to him. “Papa, you’re sick. Granny Steph says so. You gotta go to the doctor.”

Randolph, a gray-haired man with well-defined features, glanced at Stephanie. “You’re ambushing me?”

“Anything to force you to get help,” she said. “We can’t lose you to stubbornness.”

“Please, Papa,” said Robbie.

Randolph sighed. “I suppose I can’t say no. Right, Ann?”

“Right,” I said. “There’s no harm in being seen by a doctor. I can take you to the clinic now. It shouldn’t take long at this time of day.”

Stephanie clasped her hands. “Thank you so much, everyone!” She helped Randolph out of the chair and hugged him. “We’ll all feel better about having you seen. Robbie can stay here with me.” She placed a hand on Robbie’s shoulder.

“Might as well get it over with,” Randolph grumbled to her. He held out his arm. “Ready, Ann?”