Page 49 of Canapés at the Beach House Hotel
“Oh, come on!What’s he doing about other Italian restaurants here in Sabal?Is he going after them too?”
Rhonda let out a snort.“I asked him that and he said we’re special and the only real competition Jonny has.I told him there were several other excellent restaurants around.”
“And?”
“And he said that he had information from a reliable local person that we’re number one in the area.”Rhonda sighed.“Guess who that local is?”
My lips thinned.“Brock Goodwin.How did you end the call?
Rhonda huffed, “I told him to eff off, that we’re doing our business our way without any intention of harming anyone else.”
“Maybe like Vaughn says, we need to go to the police with this information.It’s just a threat, I know, but I want the local police to be aware of the situation.”I was beginning to get scared.
“Listen, Annie, I grew up with tough guys like this.You can’t let them see your weaknesses.We’ll do the dinner tonight and then stop until things have settled down after the opening of Jonny’s restaurant.”
“Okay, because we can’t be put in the position of defending a smear campaign,” I said firmly.
“On a better note,” said Rhonda.“I stopped off at Angie’s before coming to work.With the help of a tutor, Sally Kate is doing better in school.And Evan is on the soccer team.And little Bella is happy in pre-school.All of that makes me unbelievably happy.I know you shouldn’t worry about your kids and grandkids so much, but I can’t help it sometimes.”
“It’s a mom thing,” I said.“Even though we don’t get to see enough of Vaughn’s two children, we’re interested in all the news and sometimes worry about them as much as those who are here in town.”
“I knew you’d make me feel better,” said Rhonda.“When are you coming in?”
“I’m about ready to leave.When I get there, I’ll tell you about who I met at the beach.”I ended the call before Rhonda could pressure me into telling her now.
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At the hotel, Rhonda and I met with Bernie to discuss the threat from Edward Thompkins and to ask him to meet with the police.Having our concerns come from Bernie would make it seem less confrontational than a fight between Jonny and Rhonda and me.
“C’mon, let’s go for a walk on the beach,” said Rhonda.“I’m spitting mad about being caught up in this battle with Jonny and I need to work off some steam.”
“Me, too.We can’t run our hotel if we’re afraid that it’s going to be ruined by someone else,” I said.
We walked through the lobby, where people were gathering for their day.At the pool, sunbathers were already stretched out even though the gray clouds from earlier were slow to move on.The sun was due to come out later, but some couldn’t wait to stake their claim on a chaise lounge chair.
We quickly discarded our sandals and headed for the water’s edge.We stood quietly, letting our worries settle between us.
I turned to Rhonda.“Maybe we should send flowers to Osteria Arno for their grand opening.That would seem like the neighborly thing to do.”
Rhonda made a face.“True.We’ve done it for others.But I didn’t like the tone of voice Edward Thompkins used with me.Even though I lost my temper and told him to fuck off, I think we need to be careful.But I don’t know about flowers.”
Her cell phone rang.Rhonda checked it.“Speak of the devil.”She answered the call.
I listened to the conversation and became startled when Rhonda said, “Okay, thank you.We’ll let you know.”
“What’s that about?”I asked.
“We have been officially invited to a celebration at Osteria Arno tonight.Some of Jonny’s backers and friends will be there.Seven o’clock.Our spouses are invited, too.”
“That’s a big change of attitude,” I said.“But I think it’s wise for us to be there.I’ll call Vaughn and see if he wants to go with me.I’d certainly feel better if he was along.”
“After all I’ve told Will about the situation, I’m sure he’ll come,” said Rhonda.
We walked toward the guesthouses.Being out on the property was a way for us to check on how the beach operations were going.What we called the sunset deck was open from mid-morning until nine at night.It had gone from a place to watch sunsets to a small food and drink operation where one could get refreshment throughout the day.
“Well, look who’s getting some sun,” said Rhonda as we approached Philippa and Harper on the beach in front of the guesthouses.The two of them were sitting on large beach towels.
“It’s a surprise to see you out here,” said Philippa.
