The Sauna Part 282

We woke to the sound of thunder and lightening as a rainstorm blew in from the south. Our flight to Blanket Bay would be delayed by a few hours due the storm, so we settled down to a leisurely breakfast and I called Alice to fill her in on her Uncle Hugh’s progress.

“Lord have mercy! The poor man! How long do they expect to keep him in the hospital?” Alice exclaimed after I shared the news.

“Just a few days, provided there are no complications. We’re headed off to Queenstown for some planned R & R, but Hugh will be joining us as soon as he’s released and he’ll have time to recuperate before the next show” I explained. “How are my boys?” I inquired.

“Missing their Momma! That Edward! He’s quite a darling-you know he’s been sleeping under the covers with me every night?” she chortled.

“That sounds like my baby. I sure miss my kids. Give him a hug for me, Alice, and tell him I’ll be home soon” I said wistfully.

“Tell him yourself-he’s right here on my lap” she giggled and held out the phone.

I could hear the soft sounds of a perfectly contented cat purring loudly over the phone as I cooed lovingly into the receiver. I missed my babies and I longed to hold my sweet little Edward and nuzzle my face in his fur. It wouldn’t be long now as I’d decided to skip the gigs in Japan and fly home in less than a week. We’d spend a few days in Blanket Bay before the final New Zealand show in Auckland and I would head home when the guys left for Japan. Jon would be home by his birthday and there were things I wanted to do in preparation.

“Oh boy, you’ve done it now! He knows your voice, Trish, and he’s marching on my lap to beat the band! Ow!” Alice laughed as Eddie dug his claws into her thigh.

“Everyone’s okay then, I take it?” I asked just to make certain.

“Yep, no worries here. So you’ll be back Sunday?” she asked, checking the calendar.

“Sunday” I confirmed. “Call me if anything comes up between now and then” I added before thanking her again for taking care of my precious darlings.

“I take it that all the furballs are doing okay?” Jon asked, raising his eyebrows.

“The children are fine, but they’re missing their parents” I replied indignantly.

“I kinda miss the little buggers myself, but not half as much as I’m gonna miss you” he sighed, pulling me onto his lap.

“It won’t be that long and you’ll be home for your birthday” I clucked provocatively in his ear.

“Mhhmmnn, hhmmmnn” he purred as he carried me off to the bed.


*************


We’d just finished taking a shower when Richie knocked on the door. The storm had let up and our flight had been rescheduled, but we’d decided to take a later one anyway as we wanted to stop by the hospital and see Hugh before heading off to Blanket Bay. David and Tico had already gone over, but Richie and Jim were waiting for us.

“David volunteered to stay here with Hugh until he’s released, but ya know he’s thinking more about makin’ time with that hot little nurse” Richie laughed as we hurried to get dressed.

“Yeah, very noble of him, eh?” Jon snickered.

“I think they’re releasing Hugh tomorrow, so Dave’s gonna have to work fast” Jim commented, confident that he’d rise to the occasion.

“That’s why they went on ahead-Dave wanted an early start without competition from me” Richie winked.

“I don’t think he’ll have to work all that hard” I smiled, remembering the twinkle I’d seen in her eyes.

When we arrived at the hospital, Hugh was sitting up in bed, eating his lunch with Tico sitting by his side. David had apparently managed to convince Elena, the saucy little nurse who’d tossed us out of the room yesterday, to have lunch with him in the hospital cafeteria. The younger nurse who’d remained on the floor didn’t feel as inclined as her superior to impose the rules, so we all crowded into Hugh’s room for a visit.

“How are you feeling? Is there anything that you need?” I asked.

“I’m feeling a lot better than I did when they brought me in here, that’s for sure. My stomach’s still tender, but the Doc said I could probably be released tomorrow” Hugh replied.

“Yeah, Dave was pretty disappointed to hear that” Tico chuckled and we all laughed.

“Elena’s been subtle, but I think Dave may have an edge. She never even mentioned you two clowns” Hugh grinned as he nodded towards Jon and Richie.

“Hmmphh” Jon said indignantly and Richie just rolled his eyes while Jim laughed.

“I’ve heard some women prefer blondes, but looks like you lose, buddy” Richie smirked with satisfaction.

“Like I said, there’s no accounting for taste” Jon retorted just as the object of discussion swept into the room.

“Are you people all deaf? I SAID two visitors allowed at a time!” Elena announced as she moved towards Jon in a threatening manner.

“Okay, okay, calm down, little lady! We’re going” Jon protested, protecting his ears as he made a beeline for the door. “See ya later, buddy!” he called to Hugh as she shooed us out for the second time while David stood there grinning.

“You too, Goldilocks!” Elena bellowed at David as Hugh caught my hand.

“I’ll be fine Trish, don’t worry. But David, on the other hand…” Hugh grinned, raising his eyebrows.

I bent down and kissed Hugh goodbye as I whispered “Call me if there’s anything that you need.”

And with that we made our way toward the elevator, leaving David to try and soothe Elena’s ruffled feathers. Tico caught up with us just as we overheard David trying to sweet-talk his way back into her good graces.

“Okay, baby, they’re all gone. Now about later, after your shift…” we heard as the elevator door closed shut.

“She’s a spitfire, that one” Tico observed.

“Dayum! Dave’s got his work cut out for him” Jim agreed.

“But the sassy ones are always worth the effort” Jon winked as he squeezed my ass and planted a kiss on my cheek.

We headed off for the airport and soon we were arriving in Blanket Bay-the playground of the rich and famous. I could immediately see why it was such a popular vacation spot as the limo approached. It was quite secluded and the main lodge was nestled in one of the most picturesque places I’d ever seen and I thought I had seen quite a few at this point.

The five of us checked in and explained that Hugh and David would be arriving in another day or two after Hugh was released from the hospital. The resort staff proceeded to take us on a short tour of the facilities while they explained the various services they provided. We would be sharing a Chalet Suite with Richie and Jim which afforded us a common living room area while Tico, Hugh and David would have suites in the main lodge. Cocktails, we learned, were served every evening at six-thirty.

Blanket Bay was a traveler’s paradise and Jon, Richie, Jim and I stood there mesmerized as we gazed out the window of our living room. The view was astounding, from the crystal blue water of Lake Wakatipu to the majesty of the Humboldt Mountain Range in the background. Our bags lay on the floor where the staff had deposited them and all thoughts of unpacking quickly vanished as we were drawn to the door leading into the courtyard. It was still early evening and the sun shimmering on the still waters was beckoning.

“Would you like to dine on the deck this evening?” the staff asked with a smile.

“Yes!” we all said in unison and the man slipped away quietly to make the arrangements.

“This place is magickal! How did you find it?” I asked as Jon slipped his arm around my waist, drawing me close.

“We’ve never been here, but I remembered Keith telling me once we should try it when we came to New Zealand” Jon said, remembering a conversation long ago.

“Keith? Who’s Keith?” Jim asked, looking from Jon to Richie to me.

“Keith Urban. He was born here and regaled Richie and me with tales of all the amazing places to see in New Zealand” Jon explained.

“He really wasn’t embellishing his description when he told us about it” Richie added, shaking his head and remembering the conversation with Keith when they’d been in the studio recording the first cut of the duet version of ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’.

“No wonder he and Nicole love coming back here” Jon nodded. “I’m glad we took his advice.”