“I did speak to a couple of agents this week,” Samantha admitted. “And I called a couple of casting directors I’d gotten to know. I just wanted some realistic outside perspective on my chances.”
“And? What did they tell you?”
“Both agents said they were familiar with my work and asked me to send over my résumé,” she said, her tone brightening. “I’m including the reel of clips I’ve had put together from some of the TV shows and commercials I’ve done.”
“How about the casting directors?”
“They said they had projects coming up and would consider me for a couple of things, if I get new representation. None of them seemed to think I should turn my back and walk away, though they were pretty candid about how my age could be an issue.”
“Okay, then. Why don’t we get a little proactive, create some buzz? How about it?” Gabi said eagerly. “Maybe your old agent just wasn’t being aggressive enough and one of these new people will take you on and things will start to happen.”
“God, you are so good for my ego,” Samantha said. “You actually make it sound as if anything’s still possible.”
“I believe it is,” Gabi told her. “The question is, do you?”
“After talking to these four professionals, I’ll admit, I started feeling more optimistic.”
“All right, then!” Gabi enthused.
“But,” Samantha cautioned, “this is it. I’m giving it a few more months, not years. I don’t want to be waiting tables when I’m fifty and talking about the days when I used to act.”
“That seems reasonable,” Gabi told her. “It never hurts to have a timetable in mind. But, Samantha, don’t be afraid to change the timetable if it feels right, if you sense that the next big thing is just around the corner.”
“Forget the next big thing. I’ll be happy with just one tiny glimmer of hope.”
“Okay, then. I’m getting paper and a pen. We’re going to start making some notes.”
For the next half hour, she interviewed her sister as she would any client whose story she wanted to sell.
“You know all this stuff,” Samantha complained.
“But I can come up with better angles and livelier copy if I have the information in your own words. I’ll draft a couple of things and run them by you in the next few days. I’ll go back and look for the best places to plant some items in the media up there. In the meantime, can you try to find out what projects these casting directors are working on? Maybe we can hint that you’re under consideration for something that’s getting a lot of buzz.”
“Isn’t that dishonest?”
“Not if I handle it properly. Besides, PR is a game. You know that as well as I do. Once people start thinking you’re a hot commodity, they’ll all want to check you out.”
Samantha laughed. “Does Dad have any idea how good you were at your job and what a jerk he was for not hiring you himself?”
“I doubt it,” Gabi said. “But I’ve got an equally exciting client right now, and I’m going to make you a star.”
“That may be overly ambitious, but I appreciate the thought.”
“Love you,” Gabi told her.
“Love you back.”
“And we’ll talk soon. Thanks for listening to me about Wade. You helped me sort through my thoughts.”
“Anytime,” Samantha said. “One last bit of advice—give the guy a break. Men like Wade aren’t lurking around every corner.”
Gabi smiled. “No, they certainly aren’t.”
And she probably needed to keep that in mind.
* * *
“So I filled her in about me and Kayla, and she walked away,” Wade told Louise two days after his conversation with Gabi. “I haven’t seen her since.”
Louise stared at him in shock. “You told her everything?”
“Everything,” he confirmed.
“Even the part you never acknowledged to me?” she asked pointedly.
He leveled a look into her eyes. “Even that.”
“Have you called?”
“I left a couple of messages. She hasn’t responded.” He peered closely at his sister. “Are you gloating? Don’t you dare gloat.”
Louise frowned at him. “Do you honestly think I would ever be happy about anything that caused you pain? This is what I was trying to prevent. Gabi’s life is obviously in turmoil. I doubt she can see anything clearly at the moment except that she’s pregnant and has no career. It’s not exactly the best time for her to form a new bond with a man, unless she’s the clingy type that just needs a man to prop her up.”
“That is definitely not who she is,” Wade said, dismissing the possibility.
His sister nodded. “I agree, which means she’s going to want to get her feet back under her. Maybe then she’ll be ready for a new man in her life.”
Wade leveled a look at her. “I want to be that man,” he said flatly.
Louise blinked at that. “You’re that sure?”
“I’m that sure,” he confirmed.
“What if she decides her best option is to go back to Raleigh? Would you seriously consider making a move?”
“I might,” he said, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. He thought about the compromise Boone had reached with Emily, opening a restaurant in California to be with her while she worked on something that meant the world to her. How could he be willing to do any less, if that’s what it took to make things work out?
“Boy, you do have it bad,” Louise said. “I didn’t think you’d ever leave Sand Castle Bay.”
“I wouldn’t want to,” he conceded. “And I think the fact that Gabi put her town house in Raleigh up for sale is a pretty good indication that she’s cutting those ties.”
“Wade, you heard her say at lunch that she doesn’t know what the future for her here holds. The whole wind-chime thing seems a little crazy to me. I think it’s been some kind of creative outlet for her, but I seriously doubt her life’s work is in cutting up bits
