“She did. And I think it’s great that you took the time to speak to the cast. Cass was obviously thrilled. Whatever you said inspired her.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It should be,” he conceded. “What I’m worried about is that she wants to get to know you better. I think she has some idea that you hold the key to her entire future. When she found out we know each other, she asked me to set up something.”
“Why is that a problem?” she asked, though she thought she knew the answer. He still didn’t entirely trust her not to be insensitive.
“It isn’t necessarily a problem,” he said quickly. “I just know how crushed she was by Mrs. Gentry’s failure to cast her in the play. I’m afraid if you tell her she’s wasting her time pursuing an acting career, it will be the last straw. I know she talks tough, but Cass is fragile. What she needs more than anything these days is to hang on to hope.”
“Even if it’s false hope?” Samantha asked, although she did understand his concern.
He regarded her with immediate dismay. “Do you think it will be?”
She put her hand over his. “Ethan, I have no way of knowing. I didn’t see her act or even read a single line. Mrs. Gentry says she’s good, and I trust her judgment.”
“But that didn’t stop her from rejecting Cass for a part in the play.”
“She knows now that she made a mistake, that she based her decision on appearances, not on Cass’s talent,” Samantha told him. “She says you made her see that, by the way. Good for you!” She held his gaze. “I can promise you this, if I do get to know Cass, if I do have the chance to hear her read for a part, I won’t judge her the same way.”
Ethan didn’t look as relieved by that as she’d thought he would be. “Not good enough?” she asked defensively, hurt by his lack of faith in her.
“I know it’s perfectly reasonable. I’m just scared for her. She’s finally making some progress with her self-esteem and her self-image. I don’t want her to go backward.”
“You can’t protect her from life,” Samantha warned him. “If you were listening to me earlier, you know that this business she’s chosen isn’t easy. It takes a tough hide to handle the rejections that are a natural part of it, or the bad reviews, or sniping from actresses who thought they should have gotten the part you were given.”
“Maybe it’s not possible to protect her from that forever,” he agreed. “But for now, I only want her to experience the most positive things possible.”
“And you don’t think you can trust me to be real with her without crushing her spirit?” she concluded.
“I trust you,” he insisted. “I’m just worried for her.”
“So, what’s the bottom line? Will you get us together or not?” She held his gaze. “You do know if she wants this badly enough, she’ll find another way to get to me. Even with all the tourists, Sand Castle Bay is essentially a small town. She’ll know where to look if she wants to cross paths with me.”
He gave her a wry look. “No question about it,” he acknowledged. “So, if you’re still around after the wedding, we’ll work something out.”
“Not this week?” she asked, disappointed. Cass was one of the people she’d envisioned as a test case for this acting school idea.
He frowned. “I get the sense that you’re almost as eager to see her again as she is to spend some time with you. Is there a reason for that?”
Samantha wasn’t ready to reveal her plan just yet. For one thing, she didn’t begin to have everything worked out in her head. For another, ironically just like Cass, she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to hear from any naysayers. It was possible Ethan would be a big booster, but she wasn’t quite ready to find out.
“Just an idea I wanted to run past her,” she said eventually. “I’m still working out the details.”
He didn’t look overjoyed about being left in the dark. “When you have them all worked out, fill me in,” he replied. “Then we’ll move forward.”
“You’re a tough negotiator,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“I’m not so sure I meant it as a compliment,” she grumbled.
In fact, right this second, it seemed as if he was standing in the way of her dream.
* * *
Something was going on with Samantha. Ethan had seen it in her eyes when he’d insisted on knowing more before he brought her and Cass together. He couldn’t imagine, though, what she felt the need to hide from him. He did know it hurt that she wouldn’t confide in him. However, since he was the one who’d put the brakes on getting too close, he supposed this was fair turnabout. But he didn’t have to like it.
“You look cheery,” Greg noted when he walked into Ethan’s office. “Somebody steal your morning coffee?”
“Nobody made my morning coffee, come to think of it,” Ethan said. “Where is Debra?”
“She took the day off,” Greg revealed. “Didn’t she mention it to you?”
“Apparently she’s not speaking to me. Any idea why?”
Greg settled into a chair across from him, shook his head and gave him a pitying look. “No wonder my wife thinks men are oblivious.”
“Oblivious to what?”
“Our receptionist has a serious crush on you.”
“She’s a kid!” Ethan protested.
“She’s twenty-three, which makes her a woman and old enough to have a serious, if unrequited, crush on her boss.”
Ethan frowned. “This isn’t good.”
“Well, it’s not exactly great, but it’s not a calamity,” Greg said. “The good news is that she knows nothing is ever going to happen, not only because of the age difference, but because you’re not the kind of guy who hits on an employee.”
“You’re sure she’s clear about that?” Ethan asked worriedly.
“A hundred percent. We’ve talked about it. Just yesterday I told her she needs to move on, find someone her own
