Sea Glass Island (14 page)

“You’re going home to crawl back into bed with your wife, aren’t you?” he said, surprisingly envious.

Greg winked. “Could be. I’ll be back to take over by one. Or two.”

“Take your time. Enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks.”

“No, thank you for having my back on the Debra thing.”

“Just trying to keep the peace around here,” Greg said.

Ethan laughed. Who knew such a simple thing would turn out to be so tricky?

* * *

Samantha had barely walked in the door at Castle’s-by-the-Sea, where she planned to meet Emily and Gabi to discuss what they were going to do for Emily’s prewedding girls-night celebration, when Cora Jane stopped her and handed her an order book.

“Wait on tables seven and twelve,” she said. “One of the waitresses called in sick. Her replacement’s due in an hour, but we’re already swamped.”

“Sure,” Samantha said. She’d pitched in enough since the hurricane when she and her sisters had first started coming home more regularly to remember the drill. “Any specials?”

“On the chalkboard, like always,” Cora Jane said, clearly harried by the unexpected disruption in her typically smooth-running operation.

Samantha took drink orders for the assigned tables, then headed into the kitchen, where Jerry saw her and lifted a brow.

“Drafted into service?” he asked.

She nodded. “What’s up with Grandmother? Usually having a waitress call in sick doesn’t faze her.”

“Wedding frenzy,” he said succinctly. “She has a thousand things on her mind. I told her to stay home and focus on those, but she told me the day she can’t juggle a few details will be the day she retires. Since I’m all for her realizing she needs to retire, I clamped my mouth shut.”

Samantha nodded. “I’m with you on the retirement thing, but we both know she’ll never do it. In the meantime, though, I will try to get her to head home to concentrate on the wedding. I can stick around for the rest of the lunch rush.”

“Bless you,” he said, and went back to flipping burgers with one hand and giving an occasional stir to a pot of soup with the other.

Samantha placed the food orders for her assigned tables, seated guests at three other tables, then all but dragged Cora Jane aside.

“Go home,” she said quietly. “You’re always the first one to remind us that family takes precedence over everything else. That means Emily’s wedding needs to be your priority, especially since you flatly refused to let her hire a wedding planner and insisted you could handle it. Go home and do that.”

Cora Jane scowled at her. “Jerry put you up to this, didn’t he? He thinks I’m too old to keep so many things straight.” She waved a fistful of papers. “That’s why I keep lists.”

Samantha bit back a smile. “Nobody is saying you’re old. We wouldn’t dare. We just want you to relax and enjoy this wedding. We don’t want you so worn out you sleep through it. Besides, you ordered Dad to get over here. He’s here. Put him to work.”

“What does your father know about planning a wedding?” she scoffed.

“Absolutely nothing,” Samantha said. “Which means you get to boss him around. You’ll love that.”

Cora Jane chuckled at that. “You’re right. That could be fun. Okay, I’ll go if you’re sure you can handle things around here.”

“What I can’t figure out, I’ll ask Jerry or one of the waitresses about. Emily and Gabi are due any minute. I’ll put them to work, too. It’s all good.”

Even with that reassurance, Cora Jane hesitated. “Maybe I should call in another waitress.”

“I’ll be insulted if you do. Now go!”

Cora Jane eyed her suspiciously. “You planning a takeover?”

Samantha laughed. “You wish.”

“Call me if you need me.”

It took another five minutes to coax Cora Jane out the door. By then Samantha was more exhausted than she would have been waiting on a dozen tables.

“Good grief, she’s stubborn,” she muttered to Jerry in passing.

“Part of her charm,” he said, then winked. “Just so you know, all three of you girls got a fair share of that from her. It helps when you’re going after something you want.”

He almost sounded as if he knew that Samantha had something big in mind, but how could he? Gabi wouldn’t have blabbed, and no one else knew.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said as she picked up an armload of orders and headed back into the dining room.

She knew she had the professional expertise to execute her dream. Now Jerry had reminded her that she more than likely had the grit it would take to make it happen.

But until she’d put a real plan down on paper, she didn’t intend to say a word to anyone. She needed to see the concept laid out in black-and-white, maybe even with a few financial figures attached, before she’d allow herself to believe.

* * *

“You left Samantha in charge at Castle’s,” Sam Castle said incredulously to Cora Jane. “Ma, what are you up to?”

“Up to? She practically kicked me out,” she told him, mustering up a suitable amount of indignation.

“Which was exactly what you wanted,” her son concluded. “You are not thinking that Samantha is your last, best hope to take over the restaurant, are you?”

“Well, why not? Anyone can see she’s at loose ends. On top of that, she’s falling for Ethan Cole. She needs a reason to stay here.”

“And you need to let her find her own reason,” Sam said. “Don’t trick her into this. You’ll just make her miserable and live to regret it.”

“Well, what would you have me do? You’re the one who said you thought she didn’t want to be an actress anymore. I’m giving her an alternative.”

“One she’s repeatedly made it plain she doesn’t want,” he told her. “Let her work this out for herself. Samantha has a very good head on her shoulders.”

“Oh, what do you know? How much time have you spent with her in recent years?”

He frowned at that, but he didn’t try to deny it. “Maybe that’s exactly why I can see things more clearly,” he said. “And I can recall how carefully she planned out the whole New York thing. She was every bit as thoughtful and meticulous with the details as Gabi and Emily were with their careers. Samantha will do that again as soon as she’s figured out what she wants next.”

“Will you object if she says she wants to take over Castle’s?”

“Of course not. But the restaurant was Father’s dream. You’ve kept it going. Maybe it’s time to let go.”

Cora Jane felt tears well up at the suggestion. “How can I do that? That’s our family’s legacy.”

“Then find the perfect caretaker, someone you trust to take it over, keep it the way you would.”

“You’re talking about Boone,” she said.

“You trust him, don’t you?”

“Of course. And he knows how important Castle’s is to this community. He wouldn’t turn it into something it was never meant to be,” she conceded.

Still, she waved off the idea. “That’s not something that needs to be decided right now. Did you make all those calls on the list I gave you?”

He grinned at her. “Of course. And every person confirmed that every little detail is handled and on schedule. This wedding is going to come off without a single hitch. You can stop worrying.”

“Maybe so, but checking and double-checking is the best way to be sure of that,” she told him. “And I don’t care if you do make fun of me, that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

He laughed. “Never doubted it.”

“And you’re going to help me,” she told him emphatically.

“Never doubted that, either,” he said, looking resigned.

She studied this man she’d borne but sometimes felt she barely knew. “You’re enjoying being a part of all this, aren’t you?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” he admitted. “So I suppose I should thank you for seeing to it that I do more than write checks.”

“No thanks necessary,” Cora Jane told him. “Just remember that it’s never too late to get things right.”

He bent down and kissed her cheek. “And thank you for seeing to it that I’m aware of that, too. I’ll head out and take care of those errands you wanted run now.”

Cora Jane watched him go, then smiled. Though she’d despaired about his relationship with his daughters for a long time, she thought those days were finally behind them. She’d keep a watchful eye, though, just in case.

14

A
fter what Ethan had told her the night before, Samantha was not the least bit surprised when Cass Gray walked into Castle’s just after the restaurant’s three o’clock closing. She approached Samantha hesitantly.

“I’m not sure if you remember me from school yesterday. I’m Cass Gray,” she said in a rush. “I was wondering if you might have some time.” She glanced around the empty restaurant worriedly. “Is it even okay that I’m here? I saw the sign said Closed, but the door was unlocked.”

Cass’s gaze went to Gabi and Emily without waiting for an answer. They were seated in a booth with Samantha. She immediately turned pale. “I guess I’m interrupting. I’m sorry.” She turned to go.

Samantha stood up and touched her shoulder. “Cass, it’s okay. We hadn’t locked up yet. These are my sisters,” she explained, making the introductions. “And you’re not interrupting anything important. We were just talking about Emily’s wedding. It’s Saturday.”

Cass’s eyes lit up. “Come on. That
is
important! I heard about the wedding from Dr. Cole. He says he’s the best man.”

“Well, I actually think my husband-to-be is the
best
man,” Emily joked, “but Ethan’s a close second.”

Cass grinned. “You’re funny.”

“Oh, she’s a real stand-up comedian, all right,” Gabi commented. “I need to get her out of here.” She glanced at Samantha. “So we’re agreed about the whole girls-gone-wild thing for tonight?”

“I am,” Emily affirmed. “I can hardly wait to have one last crazy fling before I tie the knot.”

“You will not be having any flings,” Gabi chided. “Samantha and I have to answer to Boone.”

As Gabi led Emily away, Samantha turned to Cass and gestured to the booth they’d vacated. “What brings you by?”

Cass squirmed uncomfortably. “I wanted to ask you some more questions about how hard it is to be a working actress. That is, if I’m not being a bother.”

“It’s no bother,” Samantha assured her. Keeping Ethan’s concerns in mind, she still felt compelled to say, “It’s not easy, Cass. Only a very, very few become huge stars overnight. Most of us struggle to keep working. It takes real drive and determination to stick with it. And there are big differences between starting in New York on the stage and in Hollywood in films or in TV. Some people do commercials when they’re starting out. I still do.”

“As long as it’s acting, I don’t care what I do,” Cass said. “I like being somebody else for a little while.”

Samantha wondered if that had always been true or if she’d developed that interest after her accident. “When did you first know this was something you wanted to do?”

“In second grade when I got to sing a solo in the holiday pageant at school.” Cass beamed. “People clapped and cheered.”

“The applause is addictive,” Samantha confirmed. “Ever been jeered?”

Cass looked horrified. “Never. Have you?”

Samantha nodded, recalling an off-Broadway production that had been an all-around disaster. “It wasn’t nearly as much fun.”

“Well, whoever did that was just plain rude,” Cass said indignantly.

“True, but critics can be cruel, too. Their reviews can amount to the same thing as jeering and in a much more public forum. Think you’re tough enough to handle that?”

“Sure,” Cass said with bravado, then hesitated. “I guess I couldn’t go punch them, could I?”

Samantha laughed. “It’s frowned on, but I imagine it’s happened once or twice.”

“When you started, were you scared?”

“Sometimes,” Samantha admitted, “but mostly of letting my family down.”

“Did you go to college?”

“I didn’t, but it’s a good choice, a place to keep learning the craft and get some more experience. In the right drama program, you’ll be seen by directors and producers who will be able to help your career along if you have the talent.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“I thought about it, but college can be expensive. I thought some of that money would be better spent by my folks if I went to New York for a year to try to prove myself. In a way, I thought of college as my backup plan, the thing to do if I couldn’t find work. I’m not sure it was the smartest plan, but it worked out okay for me. I wasn’t afraid of hard work, so I juggled a couple of part-time jobs, took some serious acting classes and tried to find an agent. I won’t lie to you, it was a tough year. I thought about giving up more than once.”

“But you stayed and it was worth it, I’ll bet,” Cass said eagerly. “I’m a hard worker. I can handle a tough schedule. I’d do anything to make this happen.” Her expression fell. “But I know there are some people who think I’d be wasting my time.”

“What people?”

“Mrs. Gentry mostly.” She held up her prosthetic arm. “This is why she didn’t cast me in the play at school. She said it would be a distraction, that people would just feel sorry for me.”

Samantha felt the same surge of annoyance that Ethan must have felt. “Sweetie, I can’t deny that your injury could keep you out of some parts, but there are lots of other roles where it wouldn’t matter at all. It might even be a help, something that could be worked into a script. Do you recall the actor who was severely injured while serving in the military, then went on to become a big hit on
All My Children,
despite his very visible scars? The show worked those into his story line. He even won on
Dancing with the Stars
because he made people look beyond his burns to see the wonderful, funny, inspirational, talented man he is.”

“That’s J. R. Martinez,” Cass said at once. “He’s awesome. Sexy, too.”

“He really is,” Samantha agreed.

“So you’re saying it’s not impossible for me to succeed?” Cass asked hopefully.

“I’m a big believer that nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough,” Samantha told her. “But you do need the talent to back up that dream.”

“I have that,” Cass said with an unabashed confidence that would have made Ethan proud.

“Want to show me?” Samantha asked.

Cass blinked at that. “What do you mean?”

“We could read a couple of scenes together, maybe try a few with another actor or actress and see how it goes. I know you know Sue Ellen’s role by heart. We could start with that.”

“Really?” Cass asked excitedly. “I wouldn’t be imposing?”

“Not in the least,” Samantha assured her. “But it will need to be one day next week. This wedding is going to be all-consuming for the rest of this week.”

“Next week works for me,” Cass said. “Any time you say.” She hesitated, making a face. “Well, not when we have rehearsals. Sue Ellen’s lost if I’m not there to feed her the lines. It would be irresponsible of me not to show up.”

Samantha nodded approvingly. “It shows a lot of character that you’re willing to put the play first, even though you must have been hurt not to be in the cast.”

Cass shrugged. “Somebody has to try to keep it from being a disaster. Just so you know, though, I’m not as much of a Goody Two-shoes as that probably makes me sound. I figure I’ll end up on stage when Sue Ellen passes out from stage fright or something. I want to be sure I’m ready.”

Samantha laughed. “I love your attitude, actually. Does Dr. Cole know what a natural optimist you are?”

“Nah, because mostly he’s seen me at my worst,” Cass admitted. “Since the accident, not every day has been such a good day. I didn’t show a lot of love for anybody or anything there for a while. He had to really push me to see that maybe my life didn’t totally suck.”

“Understandable,” Samantha said. “The key to living a good life, I think, is to wind up with more good days than bad ones. And you know what? I really do believe we have some control over that.”

“That’s what Dr. Cole says, too,” Cass told her. Her expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe you two should get together sometime. You might hit it off.”

Great, Samantha thought. Just what she needed, yet another meddler! And she could only imagine what Ethan would have to say if he heard about Cass’s theory.

“Maybe you should steer clear of the matchmaking and stick to preparing those readings for me,” Samantha said. She gave Cass a piece of paper. “Write down your phone number and I’ll give you a call on Monday. We’ll set something up.”

Cass gave her the number, then gave her an impulsive hug. “This is so great! Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” Samantha said. As much as she liked Cass’s eagerness and admired her determination, she still didn’t have the first clue about whether the teen had what it would take to overcome the natural biases she was likely to face from some casting directors. And if she didn’t, letting her down was going to require diplomatic skills Samantha wasn’t entirely certain she possessed, no matter how confidently she’d assured Ethan that she would protect Cass’s feelings.

* * *

Ethan had arranged to move his regular session with the kids to Tuesday this week since he’d scheduled Boone’s bachelor party for Thursday night on the outside deck at Castle’s, which would be long closed by the party’s starting time.

Today he planned to take them to a pool where he’d arranged for them to have swimming lessons. Most kids who lived in the coastal communities were in the water practically from infancy, but for some whose injuries had affected their mobility, the ocean had become the enemy. He wanted them to rediscover the joy of swimming. For many of them, exercising would even be easier with the water’s natural buoyancy. He’d assembled several volunteer instructors who had experience working with people under these conditions, enough that the kids would have close to one-on-one instruction.

When it was time to leave for the pool, he kept glancing at the clock, then looking for Cass. When he could wait no longer, he told the driver to take them on to the pool. En route, he dialed Cass’s cell phone.

“Where are you?” he asked without preamble when she answered. “You know you were supposed to be at the clinic ten minutes ago.”

“Oops,” she said, though she sounded more excited than apologetic. “I’ve been with Samantha Castle. I forgot we’d switched the day for our outing.”

Ethan felt his heart sink. He’d worried about exactly this, and Samantha herself had warned him that Cass would seek her out on her own, if she wanted her advice badly enough. At least Cass sounded upbeat.

“You had a good conversation?” he asked.

“The best,” she assured him. “I’m going to read some scenes with her next week. Can you believe it? I get to read with somebody who’s been on TV and in plays on Broadway.”

“That’s great,” he said, forcing himself to sound enthusiastic. At least that meant Samantha would be sticking around a little longer. He couldn’t help wondering what that meant, if anything. “Do you want to meet us at the pool? You can tell me all about it.”

“Is it okay if I miss today? I really didn’t remember about the switch, so I don’t have my bathing suit with me, and by the time I get home to get it and make it to the pool, you’ll be finishing.”

“Fine,” Ethan said, relenting at her logic. “But I do want to hear more about your meeting with Samantha next time I see you.”

“Promise,” she said at once. “I’ll probably talk till you’re sick of hearing about it. She is sooo amazing.”

Yeah, Ethan said to himself. He thought so, too. And more and more he was wondering if he was a fool not to do something to try to keep her right here in Sand Castle Bay.

* * *

As soon as Samantha got home, her grandmother took one look at her and smiled. “You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. Something happen after I left Castle’s today?”

“Cass Gray stopped by,” Samantha told her.

“I see,” Cora Jane said. “She wanted your advice about acting, I’m guessing.”

Her comment startled Samantha. “You know her?”

“Of course. I’ve made it my business to attend all the productions at the schools to lend my support to the kids. Cass was always a real standout. What did you tell her?”

“I asked her to read with me next week. I want to see if she truly has what it takes before I say anything about her prospects. It could be tough enough for her even if she’s loaded with talent. If she’s borderline, she needs to know that now.” She sighed. “Of course, Ethan doesn’t agree.”

“Oh?”

“He’s made it clear how strongly he feels about her being surrounded by positive vibes these days.”

Cora Jane nodded. “I suppose he has a point. She’s traveled a rough road the past couple of years. Adjusting to an injury like hers would be tough enough, but with her longing to be in a profession that relies so heavily on looks, it’s been particular devastating.”

“I understand that, but what am I supposed to do? Should I lie to her?” Samantha asked in frustration.

“Well, hopefully, you won’t have to do that. As I said just now, I’ve seen her in several plays. Of course the ones in elementary school hardly count, but the spring play she did in middle school and the first one she did at the high school were quite good. And she had unmistakable star qualities, or at least it seemed that way to me. She has a lovely singing voice, too. That high school play was a musical, and she was the lead. I’ve heard enough kids butcher the melodies of some beautiful songs to recognize one with talent when she comes along.”