Sea Glass Island (13 page)

Samantha gave her a wry look. “Since you’re the only one with a child and Emily’s the only one so far who’s got a date set for her wedding, I’d say you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. Let’s stick to my career move for the moment. What do you think?”

To her dismay, Gabi didn’t jump all over the idea with enthusiasm. She sat back, clearly weighing it, letting her businesswoman’s mind sort through the pros and cons. Since Samantha had come to her precisely for her business acumen, she waited patiently for the verdict.

“I think with your résumé, you could open an acting school anywhere and draw students,” Gabi said slowly. “The right PR could ensure that.”

“So you think it’s a good idea,” Samantha said, relieved.

“Hold on. It’s not a bad idea,” Gabi contradicted, then grinned. “I just think it could be better.”

“How?”

“Open a playhouse. Do a few productions every year, especially in summer, maybe one during the holidays geared more toward the locals. Use your contacts to bring in an artist-in-residence every so often to teach and star in the next production. Let the kids learn not just from you, but from the best. You’ll be buried under applications from all over the state. And with tourism booming, your theater will be packed every night.”

Samantha regarded her sister with awe. “You came up with that whole concept in five minutes? You’re amazing. I’ve been thinking about this since I left the school and only came up with the idea to teach a couple of acting classes.”

“You were thinking too small. I say if you’re going to do it, make it big. Just like this place. I could have opened a small gallery, brought in an artist now and then for a show, but by turning it into a working studio with several artists actually working on-site, it’s become a real tourist draw.”

She beamed at Samantha. “And you know what? It’s working. We’ve been getting a lot of press regionally, and people are making this one of the places they want to see when they come to the North Carolina coast. I have a waiting list of interested artists who’d like to rent one of the studio spaces. And art collectors and gallery owners from major cities are popping in to see whose works are being displayed, looking for the next big talent.”

“It’s fantastic that it’s working so well,” Samantha said. “But could I really do anything on such a large scale? It’s not as if I have piles of savings to invest the way you did.”

Gabi waved off the problem as if it were of no consequence. “Get a few investors. Use the school auditorium for productions, if you have to at first. Then build your playhouse a couple of years down the road when you’ve become a huge success. Or buy a fixer-upper now and let Wade and the guys he and Boone know convert it into a showplace for you. You know they’ll do it for a good price, the same way they did this gallery for me. This building was a shambles till they got started on it. Look at it now.”

“It’s beautiful,” Samantha agreed, infected by her sister’s enthusiasm. “It would be amazing to create a playhouse from scratch, even perform from time to time.” Then her excitement was overrun by worry. “What if I’m no good at any of this? I’ve never taught. I’ve never run a business.”

“Take on one or two students for a few weeks and see how it feels,” Gabi advised. “As for the business stuff, you have me, you have Emily and you have Grandmother, who’s no slouch when it comes to making a success of a business in this community. She, by the way, will be absolutely over-the-moon about this idea.”

“Don’t say anything yet, okay?” Samantha cautioned. “I need to think some more. Maybe find a couple of interested kids and test the idea with them.”

“Do whatever you have to do to be comfortable with this whole thing,” Gabi said. “But I know it’s going to work. I can feel it in my bones.”

Suddenly Samantha was every bit as excited as her sister was. She just wished she shared Gabi’s unbridled confidence.

* * *

Ethan was finishing up making patient notes for the day when Cass came barreling into his office, a beaming smile on her face. The smile was so rare, he didn’t have the heart to remind her that she was supposed to have permission before coming into the back part of the clinic.

“Before you yell at me for busting in here, Debra said it was okay and to tell you she was leaving.”

So, it was the receptionist who needed a reminder about office protocol, he concluded. No surprise there. Debra liked pulling the occasional stunt like this, especially when she was annoyed with him, which she apparently was today. He had no idea why. If she weren’t generally good at her job, he’d have given up on her long ago. Amazingly, Greg didn’t seem to have the same problems with her.

Debra, however, could wait for another day. He focused on Cass.

“You look happy,” he commented. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me Sue Ellen quit the play.”

“No,” Cass said, a note of disgust in her voice. “Even after forgetting almost every single one of her lines today, she doesn’t have sense enough to call it quits. The play’s going to be a disaster.”

“Is that what has you looking so cheerful?” he inquired worriedly. Gloating wasn’t an especially attractive trait. It certainly wasn’t one he intended to encourage.

“No. We had a speaker today, a real actress who’s been in commercials and TV shows and on Broadway. It was soooo awesome!”

There was little question in Ethan’s mind who that actress was, but he asked, anyway. “Anyone I’d have heard of?”

“Maybe. She’s from around here, or spent summers here or something like that. Samantha Castle. Her grandmother owns that restaurant across from the beach, Castle’s-by-the-Sea. She’s probably younger than you, so you probably never met her.”

“I know her,” Ethan said. “I’m the best man in her sister’s wedding on Saturday. She’s the maid of honor.”

Cass’s eyes widened. “Wow! How cool is that? Do you think you could introduce me to her?”

He regarded her with confusion. “You just met her.”

“That was at school. She met a lot of kids. She might not even remember me.”

“I doubt that,” Ethan said. Cass was not easily forgettable and not just because of her prosthesis. “Why do you want to spend more time with her?”

“Because she’s an honest-to-goodness working actress,” Cass said impatiently. “Maybe she’d give me tips or something.” Her expression filled with worry as she glanced at her arm. “Or maybe she’d be like Mrs. Gentry and tell me to forget trying to be an actress. I guess if she told me that, I’d have to believe her. She sees casting people all the time. She probably knows exactly what it takes to get chosen for a part, that it’s not always about the acting.”

Oh, boy, Ethan thought. There was a mine field Samantha would want no part of. She wasn’t the kind of woman who’d ever knowingly crush a kid’s dream, but she was honest. What if she happened to agree with Regina Gentry? Could Cass handle that?

The only way to protect Cass was to have a long conversation with Samantha before ever bringing them together. For now, he was making no promises.

“This week is real busy with wedding activities,” he told Cass. “I doubt she’ll have any time. I’m not sure when she’s planning to go back to New York, but if she does stick around, I’ll see what I can do,” he promised, hoping that was vague enough that Cass wouldn’t hold it against him if he failed to deliver.

Cass gave him a penetrating look. “You don’t want me to see her, do you? How come?”

Ethan hated that she’d read him so easily. “I never said that,” he replied.

“Is it because you think she’ll tell me I don’t stand a chance?” Cass persisted. “I swear I can take it if she does. I’m not some baby who can’t deal with bad news. I’ve already had to deal with more than my share, you know?”

“I know how strong you are, Cass. I honestly have no idea what Samantha would tell you,” Ethan replied. “I really don’t know her schedule. It’s as simple as that.”

“If you say so,” Cass said doubtfully.

“I say so.”

She stood up and started for the door, then turned back. “I pushed Trevor to school today in his wheelchair,” she said. “Not that I’m looking for brownie points or anything. He said it was embarrassing having his mom take him all the time. He might be just a kid, but he doesn’t need that aggravation.”

Ethan bit back a smile. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

She shrugged. “No big deal. I just thought you should know. I figure since we’re all about self-esteem around here, I’m doing my part to help with his.”

“I know Trevor appreciates that.”

“He’s not such a bad kid,” she admitted. “And he’s way too smart for the classes he’s taking. He’s going to help me with my math, if you can believe that. I think he may know more than the teacher, and he’s still in elementary school. He must be some kind of genius or something.”

“When it comes to math, I think he is. His mother told me they’re thinking of letting him take a class at the junior college next semester.”

Cass frowned at the news. “But he’ll be like this social misfit,” she said worriedly. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? He might get bummed out.”

“I don’t think you or I get to decide that, but maybe you could talk to him, see how he feels about it.”

Her expression brightened. “And if he’s scared or something, I could take him sometimes,” she offered. “Nobody would mess with him on my watch.”

Ethan smiled at her fierce protectiveness. “I like seeing this side of you, Cass.”

She looked confused by the compliment. “What side?”

“You’re thinking about other people’s feelings. That’s a really good thing.”

“Trevor’s okay,” she said with a shrug. “It’s no big deal.”

“It
is
a big deal,” Ethan corrected. “Don’t ever try to hide that big heart of yours.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. See ya, Doc.”

“See you,” he responded. Only after she’d gone did he allow a full-blown grin to spread across his face. She was going to be a success story, a kid who’d once again discovered that life had no limits.

At least as long as Samantha didn’t inadvertently slip up and take that away from her.

13

A
fter dinner, Samantha retreated to her room, relieved that for once there were no wedding duties tonight. She had a lot to think about. With a pad of paper in front of her, she intended to make one of those lists her sisters insisted kept their lives on track.

Unfortunately after a half hour of staring at the blank page, she hadn’t come up with even a first step to take to see if this new career path might be viable. Why did Gabi and Emily think this was such a great process? It just made her realize how little she knew, not even the kind of questions she needed to be asking.

When there was a tap on her bedroom door, she welcomed the interruption. “Come in.”

It was her grandmother who looked in. “Ethan’s downstairs.”

Samantha glanced down at her old jeans and his football jersey and sighed. Of course he was.

“Tell him I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, already stripping off the jersey.

Cora Jane winked. “Good decision. That jersey’s a dead giveaway about your feelings for him, and he’s already seen you in it once.”

“I’m aware of that,” Samantha said tightly, rummaging in a drawer for something not only prettier, but less of a red flag emotionally.

She found a blouse with three-quarter sleeves and a few ruffles on the front. With a couple of buttons left undone, it was very feminine. She considered changing to capris and putting on shoes, then shrugged. He’d dropped by unannounced. This was as good as he was getting, she decided, padding to the stairs in her bare feet.

Downstairs, she found him in the kitchen with Cora Jane, Jerry and Gabi all studying him expectantly.

“Feel like going for a walk?” he asked, an almost desperate note in his voice.

Samantha might have enjoyed his discomfort if she hadn’t been so eager to get away from their speculative looks herself. “Sure. I’ll grab a sweater and my shoes.”

His gaze immediately landed on her bare feet with the fire-engine-red polish she’d chosen for her pedicure on Friday night. She intended to exchange the sexy shade for a more sedate pink for the wedding, but the red was obviously a very good choice the next time she had seduction on her mind. Ethan looked a little dazed.

As soon as she’d grabbed her things, they left the house. Only when they were heading toward town did he seem to draw a deep breath.

“Does my family make you nervous?” she asked, smiling.

“They didn’t until they started plotting. And I have to admit, Jerry scares the daylights out of me. He’s a big guy and he’s clearly very protective of you, Gabi and Emily.”

“Jerry’s harmless,” she insisted. “Unless Grandmother or one of us asks for his help. Just so you know, I haven’t felt the need to do that in a long time.”

“But you did?”

“Sure. When I worked at the restaurant, there were guys who came on to me. Most of them I could handle, but if I had any doubts, one glance in Jerry’s direction and he’d have my back.”

“A good man to have in your corner, I’m sure.” He studied her. “Were there a lot of jerks?”

“Sure. I was a teenage girl and there were always guys who wanted to prove what big men they were. I still run across a few even in the very fancy New York restaurant where I work as a hostess between acting gigs. Some men are genetically incapable of accepting rejection. Add in a few drinks and it can get ugly.”

Ethan frowned. “Does your boss there back you up?”

“You bet she does,” Samantha said. “I swear she had to have been a bouncer in a previous life. She can’t be much more than five foot five, but I’ve seen her escort men who had at least fifty to seventy-five pounds on her to the door so fast their heads must have been swimming. I think she has taxi drivers on the payroll or something, because there’s always one right outside, ready for whoever she’s ejecting. It’s actually awesome to watch.”

She grinned. “And the few she can’t handle are dealt with by the bartender, who’s six foot three and two hundred pounds of solid muscle.”

Ethan nodded, looking relieved. “That’s good, then.” He hesitated before asking, “Do you work there much?”

“More than I’d prefer in recent months,” she confessed. “It’s not a bad place and the people are great, but being there is always a reminder that things aren’t going so well with my so-called real job.”

“Ever thought of giving up?”

“Sometimes,” she said. “Especially recently.”

“What’s stopped you?”

“Stubbornness, mostly. I’m not a quitter by nature. I’m an optimist. I always think the next big thing could be just around the corner. Enough little things pop up to keep that hope alive.” She paused, then added, “Or at least they did.”

“Not so much anymore?”

She shook her head.

“That must be tough.”

“I can’t deny that it is,” she said.

“I guess I always thought of that world as being glamorous and exciting. I never stopped to think about the constant stress of not knowing what’s coming next.”

“It takes a toll,” she said, not really sure why she didn’t want to reveal just how powerful a toll it had taken recently and that quitting was more and more on her mind.

They walked to downtown Sand Castle Bay in silence, but as he led the way toward a small bar on the waterfront, she glanced up at him. “Were you just lonely tonight or is there something on your mind?”

“I need to talk to you,” he said. He gestured toward an available table with a view of the water and the bar’s host nodded. Ethan led the way, then held her chair.

Only after they were seated and their drink orders had been taken did he continue. “Something happened today and it has me worried.”

Samantha heard the real anxiety in his voice. “What happened?”

“Cass Gray stopped by my office.”

“Ah, I see,” she said, immediately grasping the problem. He wanted to warn her not to tamper with the girl’s emotions. “She told you we’d met at the high school.”

“She did. And I think it’s great that you took the time to speak to the cast. Cass was obviously thrilled. Whatever you said inspired her.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It should be,” he conceded. “What I’m worried about is that she wants to get to know you better. I think she has some idea that you hold the key to her entire future. When she found out we know each other, she asked me to set up something.”

“Why is that a problem?” she asked, though she thought she knew the answer. He still didn’t entirely trust her not to be insensitive.

“It isn’t necessarily a problem,” he said quickly. “I just know how crushed she was by Mrs. Gentry’s failure to cast her in the play. I’m afraid if you tell her she’s wasting her time pursuing an acting career, it will be the last straw. I know she talks tough, but Cass is fragile. What she needs more than anything these days is to hang on to hope.”

“Even if it’s false hope?” Samantha asked, although she did understand his concern.

He regarded her with immediate dismay. “Do you think it will be?”

She put her hand over his. “Ethan, I have no way of knowing. I didn’t see her act or even read a single line. Mrs. Gentry says she’s good, and I trust her judgment.”

“But that didn’t stop her from rejecting Cass for a part in the play.”

“She knows now that she made a mistake, that she based her decision on appearances, not on Cass’s talent,” Samantha told him. “She says you made her see that, by the way. Good for you!” She held his gaze. “I can promise you this, if I do get to know Cass, if I do have the chance to hear her read for a part, I won’t judge her the same way.”

Ethan didn’t look as relieved by that as she’d thought he would be. “Not good enough?” she asked defensively, hurt by his lack of faith in her.

“I know it’s perfectly reasonable. I’m just scared for her. She’s finally making some progress with her self-esteem and her self-image. I don’t want her to go backward.”

“You can’t protect her from life,” Samantha warned him. “If you were listening to me earlier, you know that this business she’s chosen isn’t easy. It takes a tough hide to handle the rejections that are a natural part of it, or the bad reviews, or sniping from actresses who thought they should have gotten the part you were given.”

“Maybe it’s not possible to protect her from that forever,” he agreed. “But for now, I only want her to experience the most positive things possible.”

“And you don’t think you can trust me to be real with her without crushing her spirit?” she concluded.

“I trust you,” he insisted. “I’m just worried for her.”

“So, what’s the bottom line? Will you get us together or not?” She held his gaze. “You do know if she wants this badly enough, she’ll find another way to get to me. Even with all the tourists, Sand Castle Bay is essentially a small town. She’ll know where to look if she wants to cross paths with me.”

He gave her a wry look. “No question about it,” he acknowledged. “So, if you’re still around after the wedding, we’ll work something out.”

“Not this week?” she asked, disappointed. Cass was one of the people she’d envisioned as a test case for this acting school idea.

He frowned. “I get the sense that you’re almost as eager to see her again as she is to spend some time with you. Is there a reason for that?”

Samantha wasn’t ready to reveal her plan just yet. For one thing, she didn’t begin to have everything worked out in her head. For another, ironically just like Cass, she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to hear from any naysayers. It was possible Ethan would be a big booster, but she wasn’t quite ready to find out.

“Just an idea I wanted to run past her,” she said eventually. “I’m still working out the details.”

He didn’t look overjoyed about being left in the dark. “When you have them all worked out, fill me in,” he replied. “Then we’ll move forward.”

“You’re a tough negotiator,” she said.

“Thank you.”

“I’m not so sure I meant it as a compliment,” she grumbled.

In fact, right this second, it seemed as if he was standing in the way of
her
dream.

* * *

Something was going on with Samantha. Ethan had seen it in her eyes when he’d insisted on knowing more before he brought her and Cass together. He couldn’t imagine, though, what she felt the need to hide from him. He did know it hurt that she wouldn’t confide in him. However, since he was the one who’d put the brakes on getting too close, he supposed this was fair turnabout. But he didn’t have to like it.

“You look cheery,” Greg noted when he walked into Ethan’s office. “Somebody steal your morning coffee?”

“Nobody
made
my morning coffee, come to think of it,” Ethan said. “Where is Debra?”

“She took the day off,” Greg revealed. “Didn’t she mention it to you?”

“Apparently she’s not speaking to me. Any idea why?”

Greg settled into a chair across from him, shook his head and gave him a pitying look. “No wonder my wife thinks men are oblivious.”

“Oblivious to what?”

“Our receptionist has a serious crush on you.”

“She’s a kid!” Ethan protested.

“She’s twenty-three, which makes her a woman and old enough to have a serious, if unrequited, crush on her boss.”

Ethan frowned. “This isn’t good.”

“Well, it’s not exactly great, but it’s not a calamity,” Greg said. “The good news is that she knows nothing is ever going to happen, not only because of the age difference, but because you’re not the kind of guy who hits on an employee.”

“You’re sure she’s clear about that?” Ethan asked worriedly.

“A hundred percent. We’ve talked about it. Just yesterday I told her she needs to move on, find someone her own age and fall crazy in love.”

“Well, that answers one question,” Ethan concluded. “I wondered why she was barely looking me in the eye yesterday afternoon and bolted without saying good-night.”

“Yeah, she wasn’t real happy about the wake-up call I delivered in my most fatherly, compassionate way.”

“Did she come to you, or did you take it upon yourself to step in?”

Greg grimaced. “Do I look like the kind of guy who wants to get all tangled up in some woman’s emotional stuff? She came to me, of course. As soon as she opened her mouth, I regretted not having had a drink with lunch.”

Ethan chuckled. “Sorry she put you on the spot.”

“Better me than you,” Greg replied. “At least I have a reputation for diplomacy. You’d probably have ticked her off so bad she’d have quit.”

“Probably,” Ethan agreed.

The door to Ethan’s office opened, and Pam stuck her head in. “Anyone in here planning to see patients today?”

“He will,” Greg said, then grinned at him. “You owe me. I think I’ll go surfing.”

“Surfing? Since when?”

“I thought I’d take it up. I hear you get to see lots of girls in bikinis that way.”

Ethan knew better. Greg’s wife would kill him for looking, much less acting on any wayward impulses.