Sea Glass Island (17 page)

“But you’re not enthusiastic,” Samantha concluded, her spirits sinking. “Why?”

“Some people in this community are fairly conservative,” Mrs. Gentry explained. “They think of the acting profession the way they think of Hollywood, as if it’s a bunch of wildly liberal people who aren’t in touch with reality. While they’d never say such a thing to Cora Jane, there are some who’d be suspicious of anyone in that field. You’d have to be completely above reproach for them to entrust their children to you.”

Samantha wavered between indignation and the realization that Regina Gentry could well be right, that her background, rather than being an asset, could be a liability in some circles.

“I haven’t exactly lived a life in the tabloid headlines,” she responded. “And Cora Jane is a respected member of this community. So are you, which is one reason your participation could be so beneficial.”

“Those things are definitely a plus,” the teacher agreed. “But there wouldn’t be a lot of room for missteps.”

“If you feel this way, why would you have invited me to speak to your students?”

“A guest lecturer with your credentials is one thing,” she replied easily. “Letting a child attend classes with you on a regular basis, where you could influence him or her in unwanted ways...” She shrugged. “That’s something else.”

Samantha fought to cover her shock at the unexpected reaction. “Thank you for being candid with me,” she said, keeping her tone neutral. “I’ll have to give this some more thought.”

She was about to walk away when the teacher stopped her with a touch. Her expression sympathetic, she said, “If you do decide to stay, I just wanted you to know what you might be up against, Samantha. That said, I hope you stay. In my opinion, anything that encourages these children to follow a dream and gives them additional resources to do it is a good thing. And I would be happy to get involved, if you still want me after this.”

“I’ll be in touch,” Samantha said, unwilling to commit to anything more.

Samantha tried not to feel discouraged as she left the high school. Despite her final words, it was clear that Regina Gentry wouldn’t be offering a rousing endorsement. She might not even steer students in Samantha’s direction if she thought it might damage her own sterling reputation.

But, Samantha reminded herself, those like Cass Gray who were dedicated and determined might find their way to her on their own.

She tried to imagine any scenario from her past that could be twisted into a negative that would influence parents to keep their kids away. Nothing came to mind. And since she was well past her rebellious, daredevil days, it seemed unlikely that anything would crop up now.

* * *

Ethan wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into the church for the rehearsal on Friday night. He knew the role he was there to play, but no one had fed him any directions for dealing with Samantha after the previous night’s disaster in the clinic parking lot. He reminded himself sternly that they were two adults here to be supportive of Boone and Emily. He vowed to do nothing to make the evening awkward or uncomfortable.

Samantha had apparently made a similar vow, because she gave him a hesitant smile as he walked to the front of the church. Drawn to that smile as he would have been to sunlight, he slipped into the pew beside her.

“You got home okay, I see.”

Her smile widened at that. “And I didn’t send Emily and Gabi back to rip your heart out. All in all, a good night for both of us.”

Ethan chuckled. “I suppose so.” He nodded toward Emily, who was flitting around the sanctuary like a hummingbird. “Is she okay?”

“She’s on an adrenaline high,” Samantha said. “Even though she’s been over Cora Jane’s lists a thousand times herself, she’s convinced something critical has escaped their notice. How’s Boone doing?”

“Calmer than I would be,” Ethan told her. “He’s eager to put the ceremony behind them and get on with married bliss.”

“You sound skeptical.”

Ethan merely lifted a brow. “I think I’d best table my cynicism for the next couple of days.”

“Probably a good idea.”

He stood up. “I’d better check in with Boone. He’s over there trying to pacify his parents, and he’s starting to look a little desperate.”

Samantha followed his gaze. “Go. I don’t envy you.”

“Just part of my duties, or so I’m told,” he said, and crossed to the groom’s side of the sanctuary. “Everything okay?”

Boone’s scowl was response enough.

“What’s the problem?” Ethan asked.

“My mother seems to object to my father being allowed to sit in the same row for the service,” Boone explained, directing a frown at his mother. “Of course, what she really hates is that he’ll be accompanied by his wife.”

“I’m just saying, she’s not family,” the former Mrs. Dorsett said.

“Neither is your husband,” Boone’s father retorted. “Are we banishing him, too?”

Ethan held up a hand, deciding to test his peacemaking skills. “It’s a big pew. Couldn’t you all share it for Boone’s sake? The ceremony will take, what? An hour? Surely you can remain civilized for that long.”

“I will not sit in the same row with that bimbo,” Felicity retorted at once.

“Do not refer to my wife as a bimbo,” her ex-husband snapped. “Or I’ll call that man you married exactly what he is.”

She got up in his face. “Which is? Say it, Martin. What is it you think he is?”

“He’s a gigolo,” Martin said heatedly. “And everyone here knows it.”

“Well, Sheila is a money-grasping fortune-hunter,” she replied. “Why else would a twenty-three-year-old marry you?”

Boone lifted his eyes heavenward. Ethan got between the two warring exes. “Enough!” he said emphatically. “This is not about either of you or about your opinion of each other’s marriage. Tomorrow is all about Boone and Emily, and if you can’t behave like reasonably civilized adults, then maybe you both should stay away.”

Boone’s mother stared at him in shock. “You want me to miss my only son’s wedding?”

“I don’t want you to miss anything,” Ethan replied, hanging on to his patience by a thread. “I just don’t want you to ruin it with this childish game you’re playing.”

She burst into tears and ran up the aisle. Boone’s father turned on Boone. “And you agree? That’s what you want? For us to stay away?”

“I want you here,” Boone contradicted. “But Ethan’s right. Not if you’re going to cause a scene.”

Martin Dorsett looked taken aback by his son’s response, then slowly nodded. “That woman could always get on my last nerve, but you’re right. I’ll deal with this.” He glanced at Ethan. “Thanks for trying to be a voice of reason. I know it’s a thankless task when it comes to Felicity and me.”

Ethan nodded. “It was worth a shot, just the same.”

As he left, Boone held up his hand for a bump. “Thanks for having my back. I was about at my wit’s end with the two of them. You’d think after all these years apart, the old anger and resentment would be dead and buried.”

“You treat children with authority,” Ethan said, then grinned. “Even if they are in their fifties.”

Boone nodded. “I’ll have to remember that if I’m ever insane enough to get them into the same room again.” He sighed. “I’d better see if Emily’s ready to start. For all I know, this little scene has scared her off.”

“I think it’ll take more than a spat between your parents to scare her off,” Ethan said.

Boone started away, then came back, his expression worried. “You and Samantha okay? I know something went down between the two of you last night. When I spoke to Emily last night, they were in the kitchen at Cora Jane’s getting soused.”

“Samantha and I are fine,” Ethan assured him. At least he hoped they were. And if they weren’t, they’d just have to fake it for the next twenty-four hours or so.

* * *

Samantha had watched with amazement the scene unfolding across the church as Ethan clearly fought to get the situation under control. Better him than her, she’d concluded. Though she hadn’t been able to hear the words being exchanged, it was apparent that Boone’s parents were behaving badly.

Once the situation had calmed down, the rest of the rehearsal went by without a snag, and an hour later they were all in the private dining room at Boone’s Harbor for the rehearsal dinner. Several of Emily’s Los Angeles friends had been invited to join the family for the occasion, so their presence masked whatever ongoing differences there were between Boone’s parents. She noted, though, that Ethan had apparently made it his mission for the night to keep the two apart.

In the lull before dessert, Samantha glanced across the room and noted that both of Boone’s parents were missing. She scanned the crowd, but couldn’t spot them.

“Uh-oh,” she murmured and went looking for Ethan. When she found him, she leaned in close to whisper, “Your charges seem to have escaped.”

He glanced down at her, his eyes filling with alarm. “What?”

“Boone’s mother and father are AWOL.”

Ethan muttered an expletive. “Help me look, okay? Any sign of their spouses?”

She nodded in the direction of the table where one of the couples had been seated earlier. Now the stepparents were huddled together there, minus their mates. Neither looked especially happy. It did not bode well, she decided.

“That can’t be good,” Ethan said, expressing her own impression.

“Just what I was thinking. Any thoughts on where Mom and Pop might be?”

“Hopefully far, far apart,” he replied. “You check the ladies’ room and any other nooks and crannies in here. I’ll check the men’s room, then scout around outside.”

Samantha tried to open the door to the ladies’ room, but found it to be locked from the inside. Since she knew it was a large restroom with many stalls, she also knew that locking the door was unnecessary unless someone had sought out privacy. Her stomach sank.

“No, please, no,” she whispered, waiting for Ethan to come back before she did anything else. She pressed her ear to the door, then groaned, a sound that seemed to be reflective of the passionate noises coming from inside the restroom.

Ethan appeared within minutes, took one look at her and asked, “What?”

“I can’t be sure, but I think they’ve locked themselves in there,” she told him.

Ethan stared at her. “But why?” he asked, then gasped as understanding dawned. “Are you sure?”

“Take a listen,” she said, stepping out of his way.

He put his ear against the door, turned pale and jumped back. A smile tugged at his lips and before Samantha could react to that shocking sight, he was laughing. He grabbed her hand and tugged. “Let’s get away from here.”

“But shouldn’t we do something?”

“I’m not breaking down that door,” Ethan said. “How about you?”

“They could be killing each other,” Samantha said, casting a last worried look in the direction of the restroom.

“Did you hear any screaming?”

She shook her head. What she’d heard definitely wasn’t screaming, at least not the shouts of someone in trouble.

“Then let’s hope for the best,” he said.

“Which is what exactly?” she wondered. “That Boone’s long-divorced-and-now-remarried-to-others parents are in there getting it on?”

“Not a scenario I especially want to lock in my head,” Ethan said, “but yes. That’s the one that makes it none of our business.”

Samantha was outside before her own laughter started. “We can never tell Boone and Emily about this, can we?”

“Maybe someday,” Ethan said. “When we’re all very, very old and sitting on a porch somewhere with very strong beverages.”

Samantha gave him a wistful look. “Do you think we’ll know each other then?”

Ethan held her gaze, then caressed her cheek with a tender gesture. “I’m starting to think we can count on it.”

When he draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked along the marina, she snuggled into all that strength and heat and took comfort in his words. It was far from a commitment, but on the eve of her sister’s wedding, it gave her hope that he might be opening his heart.

17

S
amantha stood in the back of the church and watched as her father nervously ran a finger under his shirt collar. Sam Castle in a tuxedo with that bit of distinguished gray in his hair was an impressive sight.

“Dad, you look incredible,” she told him. “You were made to wear a tuxedo.”

Rather than looking reassured as she’d hoped, he frowned. “Do you know one of the things I regret the most?” he asked. Then, without waiting for a reply, he answered his own question, “That I wore one so seldom with your mother.”

“The two of you weren’t exactly big partygoers.”

“Precisely my point. She loved getting dressed up for fancy parties, and I couldn’t be bothered. She stopped showing me the invitations after a while. I inadvertently cast her in this role as dutiful corporate wife, then wouldn’t cooperate with any of the things she considered to be important, no dinner parties, no charity balls. Worse, I neglected her.”

“I’m sorry.” She wanted to tell him it wasn’t true, but she couldn’t. Obsessed with his work, he’d emotionally abandoned all of them.

“Let it be a lesson to you, Samantha. Life is short. I always thought there’d be time to do the things your mother wanted to do sometime down the road. There wasn’t.”

“Mom understood your priorities,” Samantha reminded him. “She was proud of you and your work.”

“She shouldn’t have had to understand or to take a backseat to my priorities, not a hundred percent of the time, anyway,” Sam Castle replied. “She should have been my priority. She and you girls.” He glanced inside the church. “She should have been here for this.”

“I think she is,” Samantha said softly. “And she would be very happy that you’re putting us first now.”

“Too little, too late.” He waved off the comment. “Not the time to be dwelling on my mistakes. From here on out, actions will speak louder than words. I will be here for all of you. I owe it to your mother, to you and to myself. Maybe I’ll do better by my grandchildren than I did by you girls.”

He studied her for a minute. “You assigned to keep my nerves from getting the better of me?” he asked.

She chuckled. “Something like that. And Gabi does better at keeping Emily calm than I do.”

He frowned. “Why is that?”

“The usual sibling dissension,” she said, minimizing it. “It’s mostly all worked out. Nothing for you to worry about. Today’s all about happiness.”

He nodded. “Today we’ll focus totally on your sister,” he agreed, “but tomorrow you and I will talk. I want to know why you haven’t asked me about that land my father left me.”

Samantha gave him a startled look. “Grandmother told you about how I might be able to use that?”

“You know how she likes to ensure a certain outcome,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “She wanted me to be in a receptive mood when you asked. Since I’ve never been interested in claiming that land, I don’t know what she was worried about. It’s yours if you want it.”

“Just like that?” she asked, wide-eyed.

He smiled at her shock. “Even I am capable of the magnanimous gesture from time to time, especially if it will make one of my daughters’ dreams come true.”

“I’m not sure if it is my dream,” she admitted. “Or how ready I am for such a huge step.”

“Then we’ll talk about that, too,” he promised. “I think I can convince you that you are.”

Samantha laughed, despite his perfectly serious tone. “Boy, when you get into this whole fatherhood thing, you jump in with both feet, don’t you?”

“Only way I know to do things,” he agreed. “You might keep that in mind,” he added with a wink.

* * *

Ethan was so worried about getting Boone to the altar on time, not losing track of the rings and keeping an eye on the wayward parents that the ceremony pretty much passed in a blur. When it was over, he breathed a sigh of relief.

That feeling that his duty was done only lasted until the photographer rounded them up for pictures. It seemed an endless number of them were required. The only saving grace was being positioned by Samantha’s side for most of them.

When they’d been at it for what seemed like an eternity, he bent down and whispered in her ear, “Want to make a run for it? I know a restroom where we can lock the door and hide out.”

She laughed. “As intriguing as that offer sounds, I’m afraid we’d be missed,” she told him, though there was obvious regret in her voice.

“Not by Boone and Emily,” he countered. “Those two haven’t taken their eyes off each other since she appeared at the back of the church to walk down the aisle.”

“As it should be,” Samantha said. “If couples are ever visibly crazy in love, it ought to be on their wedding day.”

“Isn’t that part of the problem?” Ethan asked, unable to stop his cynicism from showing. “After that day of nerves and high romance, reality sets in. There are arguments over picking socks up off the floor, or putting the dishes in the dishwasher.”

“Those things are pretty petty compared to the big picture,” Samantha argued.

“But they eat away, just like a tiny drip of water eventually erodes the cliff beneath.”

“Hey, you two,” Emily suddenly interrupted. “You’re spoiling the pictures. Whatever has you looking so somber can wait.”

Ethan nodded. “Got it,” he said, forcing a smile.

Samantha’s was only marginally more sincere.

“You know,” she said, when the photographer finally released them, “just yesterday I was thinking your attitude toward love was improving.”

“Afraid not,” he said.

She stopped him from walking away and held his gaze. “You sure about that?”

“Of course I’m sure,” he said firmly.

“Want to know what I think? I’d lay money that you say those things automatically because cynicism is second nature to you. It’s your defense mechanism, the way you avoid getting involved. It probably makes most women run for the hills, at least the few you allow to get close in the first place.”

Ethan wasn’t sure how to respond to the accuracy of her assessment. Being cynical had become easy over the years. It had kept women at bay, leaving his emotions untouched and his life uncomplicated. No one had ever called him on it before. Well, no woman, anyway. Greg and Boone called him on it all the time. It was easy to ignore their well-meant opinions. They were great guys, the best of friends, but insightful? Nah.

Discovering that Samantha knew him well enough not only to figure this out but to call him on it made him think of her a little differently. He saw a new depth to her, an almost irresistible degree of sensitivity. He’d seen hints of it in her understanding of Cass, too. She was quite a woman, he concluded. She understood the things that mattered.

“You figured this out all by yourself?” he asked suspiciously, hopeful that one of his friends had filled her in on their theories. He was in deep enough without discovering yet another reason to stop holding her at arm’s length.

“Yes, Ethan, all by myself,” she responded with amusement. “You’re not that complicated.”

“So you believe the cynicism is an act,” he said.

“Not an act so much as a convenient way to get out of sticky emotional situations. I think on some level you do believe every word, but it’s starting to sound hollow, even to you.”

“Are you thinking I’ve undergone some huge transformation because of you?”

“Heavens no! I’m not taking credit for this. I just think the cynicism has outlived its usefulness. Sooner or later, I’ll bet even porcupines take a chance on love.”

He laughed despite himself. “I’m the porcupine here?”

She smiled. “If the shoe fits...”

“Why haven’t you long since given up on me?”

“You mean the way other women did?”

He nodded. “Not that there have been many other women, mind you. I could count my repeat dates on one hand since the breakup of my engagement.”

“Maybe I’m just stubborn,” she said lightly. She held his gaze, then added quietly, “Or maybe it’s because I think you’re worth fighting for.” She touched a hand to his cheek. “Something to think about, Ethan. I’ll see you inside. Save a dance for me.”

He tried to understand the feelings that washed over him as he watched her go. Desire, never far from the surface, was there, for sure. But there was also longing. For the first time in recent memory, he wanted something that he was almost convinced was just within reach: a woman who would love him unconditionally. Could he trust his heart? Or maybe, more important, did he dare trust Samantha, a woman destined to leave and return to a far more glamorous life?

* * *

The reception was being held outside at Boone’s home. A tent had been erected near the water and filled with tables. A band was playing in a temporary gazebo with a dance floor set up in front. Flowers were everywhere, a mix of white roses and blue hydrangeas. Small arrangements of the same flowers served as centerpieces, set on periwinkle-blue tablecloths. Candles were ready to be lit as soon as dusk fell. Twinkling white lights in the shrubbery and trees would add a fairy-tale element as the guests danced under the stars. Boone and Emily were clearly expecting the party to go on forever.

Samantha sought out her grandmother. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she told Cora Jane, giving her a huge hug. “You outdid yourself with everything. You gave Emily her dream wedding.”

Cora Jane smiled with pleasure at the compliment. “I think she’s happy with the way it all turned out.”

“Of course she is. Who wouldn’t be?”

“Even when she didn’t say it, I knew your sister thought some fancy Hollywood wedding planner would make it better.”

“No way could this have been any better,” Samantha reassured her, just as Emily’s friend Sophia Grayson joined them.

Apparently she’d overheard Cora Jane’s lament, because she beamed at her and said, “I’ve done my share of elegant Hollywood parties, Mrs. Castle. None have ever been more elegant than this.”

Cora Jane gave her a startled look. “You sound as if you mean that.”

Sophia laughed. “I may be from Los Angeles, but I’m not an actress. When I say something, it’s sincere.”

“Thank you,” Cora Jane said.

“Now tell me how much longer I’m going to be able to claim Emily’s time before you all lure her back here permanently,” Sophia said.

“That’s up to her,” Cora Jane replied, “but I can’t deny I’d like to see her and Boone raise their family here.”

“She told me just yesterday that she’d like to do the same work she’s doing in Los Angeles but closer to home,” Sophia said. “She’s meant to do something meaningful with her life. Where she does it hardly matters. I promised her I’d help in any way I can.” She glanced around. “I might even spend a little time on this coast myself to help her get things off the ground.”

“What a generous offer,” Cora Jane said. “I know that will mean the world to my granddaughter. She admires you.”

“As I do her,” Sophia said. “Something tells me she takes after you. I look forward to getting to know you better. Now I’d better circulate a bit. I saw a very handsome man earlier who caught my eye.”

To Samantha’s shock, when she walked away, she gravitated directly toward Sam Castle.

“Well, I’ll be,” Cora Jane said, her eyes round. “You don’t suppose...?”

Samantha laughed. “Well, it is a magical night. And something tells me if Dad is in Sophia’s sights, he’ll never know what hit him.”

Cora Jane nodded, clearly pleased. “Just exactly what he needs. She’s the kind of woman who could make him think about something other than work.” She faced Samantha. “Where’s your young man?”

“Ethan’s avoiding me, more than likely. I cut a little too close to the truth earlier, and it scared him. He doesn’t like thinking he’s not that big a mystery.”

“Men never do. Find him, honey bun. Keep him on his toes. If anyone ever needed to have his life shaken up, it’s Ethan. It’s pained me to see him keeping to himself since that awful woman broke their engagement.” She leveled a look at Samantha. “Wouldn’t hurt for you to take a few risks, either.”

Since staying out of Ethan’s path wasn’t nearly as much fun as butting heads with him, Samantha took her grandmother’s advice and went looking for him. If nothing else, he owed her a dance.

* * *

Ethan stayed on the move during the reception, convinced that he’d be less of a target for the Castle meddlers if he always appeared to be on a mission. Samantha’s comments earlier had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. She’d seen through him, something few others had taken the time to do. In fact, she’d seen something he hadn’t wanted to admit, even to himself, that he wanted someone in his life, after all. Maybe even Samantha.

Unfortunately, letting go of the stubborn posture he’d taken since the breakup was going to provide entertainment for a lot of people. Greg and Boone, for two, would laugh themselves silly if they found out they’d been right all along.

“You can’t avoid me forever,” a voice filled with amusement whispered in his ear just then.

He whirled around to find that the very woman in question had slipped up behind him. She’d kicked off the high heels she’d worn for the ceremony and was barefoot in the grass. Her dress, which was an utterly feminine shade of peach, brought out the color in her cheeks and made her eyes sparkle. Or maybe that was the mischief he thought he detected.