Page 35 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I found Clint lying in the lounge chair, his eyes closed, both of his arms in slings. Seeing him in this vulnerable position, I wondered what had happened to the son-in-law I loved and admired that had led him to change his ways. He’d been ambitious but down-to-earth. Nell mentioned that the partners in the company had many more benefits and perks and were more successful. Had he decided he wanted that too? For Nell?

He opened his eyes.

I took a seat on the bed nearby and sat facing him. “Nell’s upset about your decision to fly to D.C., and I’m concerned that Claudine is apparently pressuring you to disregard the doctor’s orders to work with her.”

“Claudine told me the group hired me specifically for this project, and if I don’t follow through and get this done, I may lose not only my equity in it, but my job.”

Frowning, I leaned forward and patted his hand. “Clint, it doesn’t make sense for you to go to D.C.. First of all, with your injuries, you’re not close to functioning at peak performance. Secondly, this is a holiday weekend. Are all the people expected to work this weekend?”

Clint shook his head. “No. A lot of them went away. But they weren't tied to this project.”

“Then why is Claudine insistent on working with you this weekend?”

“She bought into the equity of this project like I did, with a lot more money. She doesn’t want to lose it because of timing.”

“It doesn’t add up to me. Deals don’t always work on a specific timeline. Lots of circumstances can change that. This should be one of them,” I said.

“Ann, I can’t afford to lose the money either. I knew it was a risky deal, but that’s how you make big money. You take a risk and make it work in order to cash in.”

I studied him and let out a long breath. “What made you decide to do this? You’ve bought into the concept of projecting a very successful lifestyle with a private school for the kids, fancy cars, and a membership to a pricey golf club. That doesn’t seem like you.”

“I know. But that was part of the deal. If you look successful, you’re more likely to be successful. I’m sorry about that concept because it’s so much pressure to keep everything going.”

“Whenever you want to pull the plug, you have my support. Vaughn’s too, I’m sure.”

“That’s just it. I want to provide my wife with a wonderful life without needing the support of her parents,” said Clint.

“You provide Nell and the kids by being there for them in person, loving and supporting them. You’re a very bright man, Clint. You don’t need to have a lot of money to make them happy.”

Clint stared out the window.

“And another thing. I saw the way Claudine was with you. Her intentions are very obvious, and you didn’t seem to be fighting her off. If you ever hurt Nell and destroy your marriage, you’ll have a line of people waiting to get back at you. I’ll be the first one there.”

His eyes widened, and then he nodded. “No worries.”

I got to my feet and faced him. “I love you, Clint. I want what’s best for you. You and your family.”

“I know,” he said, giving me a glum look.

I left the room and went back to the lanai.

“Well, what did he say?” asked Nell. “Is he going to stay here?”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I have the feeling Clint is beginning to see that the golden handcuffs his business has given him might not be what he wants after all.”

“That sounds promising,” said Vaughn.

“He never said exactly that, but he’s worried. He and Claudine each stand to lose a lot of money if their deal doesn’t work.”

“That’s exactly why I was hesitant to have him buy into the deal. It sounded risky to me, but he seemed so sure it would be a wise move for us,” said Nell.

“He believes he’s done it for all the right reasons,” I said.

“What if Claudine comes to Sabal to stay in the hotel?” Nell asked.

“There’s nothing we can do about that,” I said. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”