Sea Glass Island (12 page)

Gabi gave her a chiding look. “I never said I’d tried one. That’s just the rumor that’s going around, that his are excellent. I’m almost regretting that I haven’t weaned Daniella.”

“You do know that sooner or later that baby is going to day care, right? To the one you handpicked after consulting with Wade’s sister about every child care facility in the entire region?”

Gabi looked flustered. “Truthfully, I’ve been thinking about that. It’s working out okay taking her with me to the gallery.”

Samantha stared at her incredulously. “You can’t be serious! I hear a half dozen artists have complained about the noise.”

Gabi waved her off. “Artists are notoriously temperamental. It doesn’t mean a thing.”

“Not even if one of them happens to be your soon-to-be husband? Wade says he hasn’t been able to concentrate on his carvings for weeks now. The only time he gets any work done is at home in his old studio.”

“Oh, phooey. That’s because every time that child so much as whimpers, he has to run and check on her,” Gabi said. “That’s on him.”

Samantha backed off. “Your decision,” she told her sister. “I’m just reporting what I’m hearing.”

Gabi frowned. “Wade really said that to you?”

“He did.”

“Why hasn’t he said it to me?”

Samantha smiled. “He seems to think you’d get a little defensive. Judging from your reaction just now, I’d have to say he knows you pretty well.”

Gabi drew in a deep breath, then sighed. “I’d better find him and talk about this. I thought he liked having the baby close by as much as I do.”

“Sweetie, he adores that child. Make no mistake about that. He’s just not a huge admirer of her lung capacity when he’s trying to be creative. And those other artists? They’re not even half as addicted to that sweet baby as Wade is.”

“How’d you wind up in the middle of this?” Gabi inquired curiously.

“I wasn’t. Grandmother caught wind of it. She mentioned it to me and said she was reluctant to tell you. I had a chat with Wade myself, heard the frustration in his voice and decided you needed to know.”

“I needed to know,” Gabi confirmed. “I’ll call the day care tomorrow, see if I can get Dani in there tomorrow or the next day. With everything going on this week for the wedding, it’s good timing, anyway.”

“If you make the arrangements, I’ll be there on her first day to offer tissues and moral support,” Samantha promised.

“That’s all well and good,” Gabi said. “But Wade needs to show up with at least two dozen of those doughnuts he uses to bribe me to get his way.”

“I’m sure he’ll be happy to oblige.”

“Yeah, he will,” Gabi said, smiling, though there were tears in her eyes. “How’d I get to be so lucky?”

“By being a fabulous, incredible Castle woman,” Samantha told her.

“In that case, you deserve one of the good guys, too. And, for the record, I hope it’s Ethan.”

“Too soon to tell,” Samantha said. But she couldn’t deny that she hoped so, too.

* * *

By the time Ethan was able to get away from the clinic and over to Cora Jane’s, most of the guests had left. Only Boone’s car and one other remained parked in the driveway along with the family vehicles. Though he’d made a quick call to Boone earlier to explain that he’d had to deal with an emergency, he doubted if that message had been passed along to the one person likely to be offended by his absence. Why hadn’t he thought to insist that Boone spread the word?

As he crossed the lawn, he was aware that all eyes seemed to be on him. He was also very aware of the frown spreading across Samantha’s face. Rather than going straight to her, though, he approached Cora Jane, bent down and kissed her cheek.

“I apologize for not getting here earlier,” he told her.

“Not a problem,” Cora Jane said, patting his hand. “I heard about the emergency. Is the boy okay?”

Ethan nodded, his gaze on Samantha, who was looking slightly less annoyed now. “He will be. He was scared more than anything. He took in a lot of water when he got caught up in that rip current. And no matter how often people are told to just let the current carry them, rather than fighting it, they panic. The natural tendency is to swim against it. That’s a sure way to wear yourself out. He could easily have drowned if the lifeguard hadn’t gotten to him when he did. I give the lifeguard a lot of credit. He did a good job on the scene and had the presence of mind to have someone call me, as well as 911.”

“You were close by?” Samantha asked.

Ethan nodded. “Fortunately I happened to be just up the street at the clinic and got there even before the paramedics. I stayed with the boy at the emergency room until his family could get there. They thought he was at a friend’s house. I imagine once nerves settle down, he’ll be grounded for a good long time.”

“He’s not the first kid who went surfing when he was supposed to be safely on dry land,” Boone commented pointedly.

Ethan laughed. “And we always got grounded, too.”

“When we got caught,” Boone replied, then glanced at B.J., who was taking in the exchange with interest. Boone frowned at his son. “Just so you know, young man, my spies are everywhere. You will
always
get caught.”

“I don’t even know how to surf,” B.J. said in obvious frustration. Then with a naive innocence he asked, “Can you teach me?”

Ethan chuckled. “Kid, you need to learn about timing. This could be the wrong moment to suggest that.”

“Got that right,” Boone said.

Samantha stood up and walked to Ethan’s side. “Have you eaten? There’s plenty of food inside. I can make you a plate.”

“Thanks. I’ll come with you.”

Inside, she busied herself spooning fruit and salad onto a plate while Ethan stood back and watched her nervous movements.

“Everything okay?” he asked eventually.

“I’m trying to decide if I need to apologize to you.”

“For?”

“Misjudging you,” she admitted, lifting her gaze to meet his. “I thought you’d bailed today just to avoid me.”

“I thought maybe that was on your mind,” he admitted. “First, I’m not the kind of man who skips out just to avoid someone. Second, if I’m being honest, I should have called you, rather than Boone. So, maybe the truth is, I’m more of a coward than I’d like to think.”

“You didn’t owe me an explanation. It’s not my party.”

“Technically true, but I do think common courtesy is in order. I wonder if I wanted to see if you’d miss me.”

She stared at him, then shook her head. “Boy, we’re a real pair, aren’t we? Even when we swear we’re not going to get involved, we keep playing crazy games. Is it just the nature of the male-female dynamic?”

“I certainly hope not, though I wouldn’t doubt it. Men and women have been messing up for eons.”

“And here I thought we were special,” she teased, setting the plate on the table, then gesturing for him to sit. “Want an omelet? Or a waffle?”

He shook his head. “Just some company.”

“How about a mimosa? Word is they’re lethal.”

“I’m on call at the clinic, so no,” he said. “You haven’t tried the mimosas?”

“Nope. I’m starting to realize I need to keep a clear head these days, especially after that little performance I put on the other night, collapsing at your feet on the front lawn.”

“All that told me is that you’re not a heavy drinker under normal circumstances. Otherwise a few glasses of champagne wouldn’t have knocked you on your butt.”

“I’m not much of a drinker,” she confirmed. “I never really saw the point. And after the other day when I woke up feeling as if there was a full-blown orchestra of kettledrummers in my head, I don’t think that’s going to change.”

“Yeah, there’s not much to love about a hangover,” he agreed.

“Did you ever turn to alcohol when things were tough during your therapy?” she asked.

“Nope. It wouldn’t have mixed well with the drugs I needed for the pain. I didn’t even like taking those, but they did allow me to work harder at rehab, so I put up with the side effects for a few weeks, then tossed those, too. I like being in control.”

Her eyes lit up. “Aha!”

“What?”

“That’s the piece of the puzzle I was missing. You’re a control freak,” she said triumphantly. “And people who like control have lots of trouble with emotions, which are usually messy and unmanageable.”

Ethan could hardly deny the truth of that. “Okay, sure. I do like things to be orderly.”

“How’d you reconcile that with emergency medicine? From what I gather, there’s nothing nice and neat about working in a trauma unit.”

“Ah, but you’re wrong,” he insisted. “The cases may be unique and the scene totally chaotic, but the doctor’s job is to bring order to it, to focus on the details that will lead to a positive outcome for the patient. We cut through the chaos, because we know how to tackle anything that’s likely to happen.”

“Even the unexpected?” she inquired doubtfully.

“Even that,” he said. “We train to expect the unexpected, just so we can control the situation. Lives depend on us being calm and in control.”

It was ironic, really, because in that most stressful of environments, he’d never felt the kind of uncertainty he felt when dealing with the woman seated across from him right now. She was trying so hard to figure him out, to pin a label on him that could make sense of his reluctance to get involved.

The truth was actually quite simple. She represented something he’d once wanted with all his heart. Now, though, life had taught him that a man couldn’t always have what he most desired. As soon as he dared to reach for it, there was every likelihood it would be snatched away.

And though he’d coped with an injury that could have destroyed a weaker man and a loss that had torn him up inside, something told him that he might not be strong enough to deal with losing Samantha.

12

S
amantha slipped into the back of the high school auditorium and was suddenly assailed by a hundred memories. Even the way the room smelled—some sort of mix of greasepaint, wood shavings from the set design and the mustiness of old costumes—seemed familiar. So did the giddy sense of anticipation and nerves she could feel emanating from the stage.

It was in an auditorium much like this one where she’d honed her skill and developed her love of live theater. TV, modeling and all the rest took a backseat in her heart compared to the immediacy of being onstage in front of an audience.

She smiled as the girl onstage succumbed to a bad case of nerves, her mind obviously going blank as she stared into the darkened auditorium with a hint of panic in her expression. Samantha could relate. At that age, she’d suffered her share of memory lapses.

An impatient voice from the wings fed the girl the right line. Even with that help, the teen looked vaguely lost, then stumbled over her next line, as well.

“Let’s take a minute,” Mrs. Gentry called out, then stood up and turned away from the stage, probably to keep herself from saying something she’d regret to the obviously unprepared student.

She must have spotted Samantha standing in the shadows, because a smile broke across her face and she immediately headed up the aisle.

“There you are,” she said excitedly. “I didn’t mention to the students that you might be stopping by because I was afraid something would come up and you wouldn’t make it.”

“You mean I had a choice?” Samantha said lightly. “It didn’t sound that way when I saw you.”

“Sometimes my command performance approach works. Sometimes it lets me down,” the drama teacher replied. “Anyway, I’m delighted you’re here. If you’ve been here long, you know it’s been a tough afternoon. The kids could use a pep talk.”

“Your lead seems to be having trouble with her lines.”

Mrs. Gentry shook her head. “She tries. She really does, but the truth is, Sue Ellen’s not cut out for the pressure. I’m not even sure why she tries out for every play, except for the accolades that might come her way or this competitive thing she has with one of the other girls.” She sighed heavily, then confided, “I probably made a mistake casting her.”

Samantha regarded her with surprise. “Then why did you?”

“Long story and one that doesn’t show me in a very good light,” the long-time drama teacher said. “Ethan Cole certainly took me to task for it.”

Ah, Samantha thought. This was the situation he’d been so worked up over a few days ago. “Is Ethan involved with the school?”

“No, not officially. That didn’t stop him from coming by to tell me just how terrible my casting decision had been. He was quite passionate about it.”

“He thought someone else deserved the role?” Samantha asked, trying to fit the pieces together.

Before Mrs. Gentry could answer, a girl hesitantly approached them. “Mrs. Gentry, Sue Ellen’s in the restroom throwing up. Do you want to cancel the rest of the rehearsal?” She gave Samantha a curious look, then asked with surprising directness, “Do I know you?”

“Samantha used to spend her summers in Sand Castle Bay,” Mrs. Gentry explained. “Now she works in New York.”

The teen’s eyes lit up. “On TV!” she said excitedly. “You were on one of my mom’s soaps that she used to tape before it went off the air.”

“I had a couple of small soap parts,” Samantha confirmed.

“You got killed off. My mom hated that.”

“I wasn’t thrilled about it, either,” Samantha said.

“Cass, this is Samantha Castle,” Mrs. Gentry said. “Samantha, this is Cass Gray. She’s working as my assistant and Sue Ellen’s understudy in this production.”

Samantha didn’t miss the grimace that passed over the girl’s face at the mention of her role as an understudy. She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Cass.”

Only when Cass didn’t grasp her hand did she notice the prosthesis she was wearing. Samantha pulled her hand back, embarrassed.

Instantly the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. This girl was one of Ethan’s protégés. She had to be. And he’d apparently felt she’d been robbed of the lead role, most likely because of her arm, Samantha concluded. If that was the case, no wonder he’d taken Regina Gentry to task.

“So, are we canceling rehearsal or what?” Cass asked, her cheeks flushed after that momentary awkwardness when Samantha had held out her hand.

“We’ll put it on hold, but gather everybody down front,” the teacher instructed. “Samantha’s going to give a little talk about her experiences to the group. You all can ask questions about what it’s like to be a working actress.”

“Really?” Cass said, her expression animated. “Gimme five minutes. I’ll corral everyone, even Sue Ellen.”

Mrs. Gentry nodded. “Perfect. Thank you.”

Samantha kept her gaze on Cass as she hurried away. “Is she any good?” she asked Mrs. Gentry. “Cass, I mean.”

“She’s excellent,” the teacher admitted. “And, yes, that was the mistake I made, leaving her out of the production because of her arm. I should have been more open-minded. Ethan made sure I saw that. Of course, I couldn’t very well take the part away from Sue Ellen at that point. Cass has been a surprisingly good sport about being her understudy, even though we all know she’s the better actress. I’m ashamed to say I lost sight of that.”

“At least you’re able to admit you made a mistake,” Samantha said.

“I’m not sure that’s much comfort to Cass.”

“Perhaps not, but learning that adults do make mistakes and that they need to own up to them isn’t a bad lesson.”

But even as she let the teacher off the hook for what she’d done to that vulnerable girl, Samantha’s mind was sorting through ways she could maybe reach out and make things better.

* * *

After leaving the high school, Samantha stopped by the gallery to see Gabi. Though her sister was in her office, tears were streaming unabashedly down her face and Wade was trying to soothe her.

“Uh-oh, did I come at a bad time?” Samantha asked as she hesitated in the doorway.

“Separation anxiety,” Wade said succinctly. “I took Dani over to day care after lunch.”

“Oh, boy,” Samantha murmured, crossing the room to give her sister’s shoulder a comforting pat. “Sweetie, it’s okay. She’s in good hands.”

“I know that,” Gabi said, her voice choked. She sniffed and blotted at her face with a fistful of tissues. “I just don’t like it. I miss her.”

“Well, of course you do,” Samantha said. “But just think of the work you’ll be able to get done with all this peace and quiet.”

Gabi burst into tears again. “I
hate
peace and quiet.”

Samantha smothered a smile. “But you
love
work,” she reminded her. “And look at that desk of yours. I’ve never seen such a disorganized mess in my life.”

Gabi glanced at her desk, her eyes widening in obvious dismay as she took in the sorry sight. “What has happened to me?”

“You became a mom,” Wade said. “And despite the way your desk looks, you have this place running like clockwork. No one could have done a better job, especially with juggling the demands of a baby.”

Gabi looked from Wade to Samantha, then managed a watery grin. “Are you two double-teaming me?”

“Something like that,” Samantha said. “We both want you to see this change as a positive thing. It’ll even be good for Dani to socialize a bit.”

“She’s an infant,” Gabi scoffed. “How much socializing is she likely to do? She already gets passed around like a football when you and Emily are around. Even Jerry likes to take a turn holding her up in the air till she giggles. Grandmother swears the baby is the real draw for him these days, not her at all.”

“Then Dani will get to rest up from all that undue attention while she’s at day care,” Wade countered.

Gabi rolled her eyes. “Okay, I can see you’re going to manage to put a positive spin on any concern I express, so I give up. No more tears. I will be brave.” She gave Wade a defiant look. “But I am going to pick her up early today just to be sure she isn’t traumatized by the separation.”

“If anyone’s been traumatized, it’s you,” Samantha suggested.

“Do you really want to toy with my emotions right now?” Gabi challenged. “I’m on edge and trying to make the best of things, but it won’t take much for me to snap.”

“Got it,” Wade said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I told the day care people you’d be by in an hour.”

Gabi gave him a startled look, then laughed. “No wonder we’re such a good match. You know me so well.”

Wade turned to Samantha. “Try to keep her from leaving before the hour’s up, okay? I already consider it a coup that she didn’t follow me over there and retrieve the baby the second my back was turned.”

“Will do,” Samantha promised, settling into a chair.

Gabi sighed when Wade had left them alone. “This is killing me,” she said unnecessarily.

“I can see that,” Samantha said. “It will get easier, or so they say.”

Gabi didn’t look convinced. “If I’m going to last a whole hour, I’m going to need a distraction. Why are you here? You obviously didn’t know about Dani going to day care, because I just arranged that this morning.”

“Actually I have a little crisis of my own,” Samantha told her.

Gabi instantly looked alarmed. “What? Is it Ethan? Work?”

“My life,” Samantha replied.

“Ah, the easy stuff,” her sister said. “Tell me.”

Samantha drew in a deep breath. “You already know that work hasn’t been going that well. I had a talk with Dad the other night and he helped me to see things more clearly.”

“Dad did that?” Gabi said incredulously. “Our dad?”

“One and the same,” Samantha said, smiling at Gabi’s stunned reaction. “You should have been there. He was surprisingly insightful. I actually got a hint about the man Mom fell for all those years ago.”

“Astonishing.”

“It was, actually. Anyway, he said the time to quit something is when you no longer feel the passion and drive that brought you to it in the first place.”

Gabi’s expression turned thoughtful. “I think he’s right about that,” she said slowly. “That’s exactly how I knew it was time to forget about fighting for my job in Raleigh or even going back there to look for something else.”

“I hadn’t drawn the parallels, but I can see that now,” Samantha said. “So you get where I am.”

“I think so. Months ago you were getting tired of battling for bit parts and being ignored by your agent.” She studied Samantha. “But I thought that had changed.”

“It did for a little while, thanks to all that PR buzz you stirred up. The new agent seemed to be energized. Now, though, I think he’s hit a wall, too.”

“We can do the PR again,” Gabi said eagerly. “It was fun.”

“You have enough on your plate,” Samantha argued. “Besides, it’ll be a never-ending battle. I can’t let you bail me out every time my career hits a snag.”

“Are you sure about that? Because I don’t mind. I really don’t. I’m happy to do whatever I can for you. If I can’t put my skills to use for family, then what good are they?”

“You need to stay focused on this place,” Samantha countered. “It should be more than enough professional challenge for you. And with Wade and Daniella, you have the balance in your life you always needed. I’m not going to be the one who shifts that balance till it’s out of whack again.”

“Sweetie, making a few calls and sending out some press releases is not that demanding.”

Samantha laughed. “Don’t minimize what you do. I know just how hard you worked to get that buzz going last time.”

“Okay, okay, your mind is made up,” Gabi concluded, relenting. “So, what’s next?”

“I was thinking about something earlier when I stopped by the high school.”

“Oh, that’s right, you were going to talk to Mrs. Gentry’s students. How’d that go?”

“About like you’d expect. Lots of questions about which celebrities I’ve met through the years, a few about how hard the work is and a handful of really insightful questions about the business from two or three kids who seemed seriously interested.”

“And those two or three caught your attention,” Gabi guessed.

Samantha nodded, thinking particularly of Cass, who’d been both eager and knowledgeable. “I didn’t get to see any of them perform, so I don’t have a clue if they’re truly talented, but what if someone with experience coached them? I know Mrs. Gentry has a great reputation as a drama teacher, but she’s teaching in a high school where most of the kids are more interested in having fun than in serious acting.”

Gabi’s eyes lit up. “You want to open an acting school? Here?” she asked excitedly. “Oh, do it, Samantha! I’d love it if you were living here. That would make life just about perfect. I think even Emily will cave eventually and she and Boone will settle here, at least part-time. Can you imagine all of us living in this fantastic place, raising our families together, sitting at Grandmother’s while all the cousins run around the yard? What could be more idyllic?”