“He knew,” Wade said. “He discussed it with me. He was afraid that not hearing anything meant he wasn’t going to get it. He’s prepared for bad news.”
Sam looked skeptical. “You ever known a nineteen-year-old kid who’s really prepared for bad news, especially news that’s going to ruin his chances at the bright future he deserves?”
“Jimmy’s taken a lot of hits in his young life. He may be more prepared than most,” Wade said.
“In a way, that’s what makes this even harder. The kid could use a break,” Sam said, sounding genuinely dismayed. “It’s killing me that the news isn’t what we’d hoped for. Though I wanted to talk to you about Gabriella, I also wanted to drive over here today so I could talk to Jimmy in person. I didn’t want this news coming from somebody he’s never even spoken to before.”
Wade regarded him with surprise. “That’s very kind of you.”
Sam shrugged. “I’ll admit it, the boy got to me. He reminds me of someone else—me when I was his age. Gabi mentioned it herself when she first told me about him.” He met Wade’s gaze. “Which is why I want to fund his education myself.”
The statement left Wade openmouthed with shock. “You’d pay for him to go to college? Why?”
“Because he deserves this chance, and I have the means to give it to him. I know I wasn’t always the best father to my girls, but I have an opportunity to help this boy. Maybe that’ll make up for some of the things I didn’t do in the past. A little karmic balance or whatever they call it.”
Wade smiled hearing Sam Castle, a man dedicated to scientific pursuits, talking about karma.
“Now, here’s the big question,” Sam said. “Do I tell him I’m behind this or let him think he won the scholarship or even just tell him I’ve found a different scholarship for his education.”
“You tell him the truth,” Wade replied without hesitation. “Not so you can take the credit for saving the day, but because the truth will eventually come out, and he needs to know it now, from you. What you’re doing is incredibly generous. He should know that.”
“Okay, that’s the quick, easy answer and I agree on almost every level,” Sam said, “but you know this family. You know Jimmy. Are they going to think it’s charity and dismiss it out of hand?”
Well, hell, Wade thought, surprised by Sam’s perceptiveness. That was a real concern. He gave it the consideration it deserved.
“I think it depends on how you handle it,” he said eventually. “Give Jimmy the option of paying you back.”
“I don’t want his money,” Sam protested. “I don’t want him to leave school saddled with debt.”
“Not even if that’s the only way he’ll accept the offer?” Wade asked. “Run this by Gabi, but I think I’m right. I think this is the only way Jimmy will accept your help.” He smiled. “Of course, when the time comes and he’s some rising superstar in the biomedical field, you can always turn down the payments he sends you or put them into a scholarship for another young student who shows promise.”
Sam grinned. “I like the way you think. That’s what I’ll do. I think I’ll call my mother and see if we can pull together a little gathering at the house for tonight. We’ll turn this into a celebration. You’ll be there, of course.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Wade told him. Not only did he want to see Jimmy’s face when he got the news, but he wanted to be there in case Sam decided to start something with Gabi over her decision to stay here on the coast.
“By the way, sir, before you go, there’s something I need to discuss with you,” Wade said impulsively, hoping this would be the most persuasive argument yet against Sam trying to get Gabi back to Raleigh. “From what you said earlier, it’s clear you already have some idea that I’m in love with your daughter.”
To his surprise, Sam actually looked taken aback. “I knew you were close, but this hardly seems the time...”
“Which is why I haven’t pushed her too hard,” Wade agreed. “But I do plan to ask her to marry me when the time is right. I’d like your blessing for that. I also thought you might find it reassuring to know she wouldn’t be giving up everything to stay here. She might be gaining more than she loses.”
For an instant, Wade thought Sam might argue, but then a smile spread across his face. “I have the feeling you’re absolutely right about that,” he said. “I may not know you well, young man, but I like what I’ve seen. I like how you’re looking out for my daughter and for Jimmy and even my mother. I doubt I’ll have any say over whatever decision Gabi makes, but I think she’d be doing just fine if she does choose you.”
For a visit that had begun on a contentious note, Wade thought it had turned out pretty well. Of course, he might be busy lining up all his ducks, but he had a hunch Gabi was still a long way from being ready to align hers in the same row.
22
The hastily pulled together gathering at Cora Jane’s seemed to Gabi less like a celebration than a wake. She didn’t know what was going on, but the somber expression in her father’s eyes when he’d arrived earlier didn’t bode well for a fun evening.
The fact that he’d alerted her that he wanted to have a private conversation at some point didn’t sound promising, either. She joined Cora Jane at the sink, where her grandmother was rinsing off vegetables for the salad.
“Any idea why Dad turned up here today?” Gabi asked her.
“Not a clue. He called me earlier and said he was on his way and would I mind having a few people over. Of course I said it was fine. He
