She faltered ever so slightly at his conviction. “You think so?”
“Oh, he may not know you have Samantha in mind, but he knows you have someone waiting in the wings. He wants no part of your scheme. He made that plain.”
“But he’d be perfect for Samantha. Don’t you think so? He’s a fine man. Steady and honorable. Quick to lend a hand.”
“And not looking for a serious relationship,” Jerry reminded her.
Cora Jane waved off the comment. “No man thinks he wants a serious relationship until the right one comes along,” she said confidently.
Jerry sighed heavily. “No matter what I say, you’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Of course not. I intend to see all my girls happily settled.”
“And yourself?” he asked. “What do you want for you?”
She linked her arm through his. “I already have everything I need.”
He gave her a tolerant look filled with unmistakable devotion. “Good answer, my darlin’. Good answer.”
* * *
When Wade finally dropped Gabi off at Cora Jane’s, the house was dark even though there was a car in the driveway.
“Samantha? Grandmother?” Gabi shouted as she started inside, flipping on the kitchen light.
“Out here,” Samantha responded.
Gabi glanced across the porch and saw her sister settled into a rocker with what looked to be a margarita in hand.
“Uh-oh, bad day?” Gabi asked.
“Nothing that unusual,” Samantha said, her voice filled with resignation. “I was up for a part in a series pilot being shot in New York. I didn’t get it.”
“Oh, Sam, I’m sorry,” Gabi said, worried by her sister’s dejected tone. “There will be other parts.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve had to tell myself that?” Samantha asked. “It’s wearing pretty thin.”
“But you can’t give up,” Gabi told her. “Acting was always your dream.”
“But when do I accept that my career isn’t really going to get off the ground? I’ve been a working actress, sure, but I’ve spent more time waiting tables, bartending and being a hostess in a restaurant than I have actually acting. That’s not what I signed on for. Maybe it’s time to call it a day.”
“And do what?” Gabi said, working to hide her shock.
Samantha laughed, but it was definitely forced. “Now that is the million-dollar question.” She glanced at Gabi, then lifted her drink. “I hear your day was about as confusing as mine.”
“You heard about Dad and my job?”
Samantha nodded. “I did. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to turn it down,” Gabi said.
Samantha sat up a little straighter. “Seriously? Won’t Dad go ballistic?”
“More than likely.”
“When do you plan to tell him? I’m guessing you haven’t, because you don’t have that shell-shocked look that comes from having him cut you into little pieces for not living up to expectations.”
“I haven’t quite worked up the courage,” she admitted.
“Is that because you’re not sure you’re making the right decision?”
Gabi shook her head. “No, I’m sure about this. I just don’t know if I’m ready for all the aggravation, especially when for a few shining hours the other day, Dad was on my side.”
“That was definitely a long-awaited Hallmark moment,” Samantha agreed.
Gabi glanced over at her. “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”
“Indeed,” Samantha said. “At least Emily seems to have her future all mapped out. She’s got the job of her dreams out in Los Angeles, and Boone found a way to drop everything here and be right there with her.”
“Boone’s a rare man,” Gabi said.
“So’s Wade,” Samantha said slyly.
Gabi nodded. “Yes, he is.”
Samantha’s eyes widened. “Wow! No argument?”
“How could I argue with that? He was there for me this afternoon. Amazingly, he never once pushed me to do what he wanted. He just poked and prodded till I figured out what I wanted.”
“How do you see this playing out?” Samantha asked. “Between you and Wade?”
“It is way too soon to even think about that,” Gabi said. “Maybe I know that going back to my old job is not the answer for me, but the rest of it?” She shrugged. “Not a clue. And until I have my life under control, I can’t even think about dragging anyone else into it. The only other human being I have to consider right this second is my baby. Deciding what to do for my child has to be a top priority.”
“So, you’re still considering adoption?” Samantha asked, her tone surprisingly neutral given her past opposition to the idea.
“It just makes so much sense under the circumstances,” Gabi said, but even she could tell there was no enthusiasm for it in her voice.
Samantha reached over and touched her arm, then waited until Gabi met her gaze. “But you want to keep the baby, don’t you?”
Tears filled Gabi’s eyes as her hand instinctively covered her belly. “Yeah, I do.”
“Then do it,” Samantha urged. “You can handle being a single mom, Gabi. You’ll have the whole family’s support, and something tells me you’ll have Wade’s if you want it.”
Gabi held up a hand. “It’s not fair for me to rely on him. It’s just not. Maybe later, once I have my own life under control—”
Samantha interrupted. “Is Wade going to stand by patiently while you get to that point?”
Gabi admitted to herself that she’d wondered the same thing. To Samantha she said only, “I guess we’ll see.”
“How do you feel about the possibility of losing him if it takes too long for you to figure things out?”
“I haven’t let myself think about that,” Gabi declared. “I have more than enough pressure to deal with as it is.”
But amazingly, for the first time, she could almost view that with excitement rather than dread. Perhaps it had taken closing the door firmly on the past to allow her to open the next one, which could lead to all the possibilities.
* * *
“Unca Wade, do you like that lady who was here with you?” Chelsea asked, her expression serious but not half as
