Ever the optimist, Samantha had survived discouraging times more than once since arriving in New York just out of high school as a fresh-faced girl with stars in her eyes. This dry spell, however, was the worst she could recall. More disturbing was that now it came with pitying looks from other actresses up for the same roles. Her once exuberant, supportive agent had started dodging her calls, then parted ways with her. His replacement, though enthusiastic, hadn’t gotten promising results.
Samantha had been in New York long enough to read the handwriting on the wall. She was thirty-five, and while still beautiful, she was past her prime. Parts that once would have been hers for the asking were now going to women in their early twenties. It didn’t seem to matter that the casting call was for someone her age, or even older. At the same time, she wasn’t quite old enough for the burgeoning niche for older actresses. There wasn’t enough optimism in the universe to counter that harsh reality.
When her phone rang, she lunged for it, which told her just how desperate she’d become. She didn’t like the feeling.
“Samantha, hey. I’m so glad I caught you,” her youngest sister, Emily, said, as if finding her at home was a rarity, rather than commonplace these days. “We need to talk. Now that Gabi’s had her baby, it’s time to get serious about my wedding. It’s just around the corner.”
Despite her generally sour mood, Samantha smiled. “Does Boone have any idea you weren’t always serious about the wedding?” she quipped. “Remind me, when is it again? Sometime next year?”
“Very funny. It’s less than a month away.”
“That soon?” Samantha teased.
“Soon? This has been forever in the making. How long were Boone and I apart? Years and years. We need to make up for lost time.”
The excitement in Emily’s voice was wonderful to hear, Samantha thought, trying not to envy her. She and Boone did deserve this long-delayed happiness.
“When are you coming to North Carolina?” Emily prodded. “You have to have another dress fitting, not that you ever gain an ounce. It’s more of a show of solidarity with Gabi, who’s still fighting baby weight. And there’s the bridal shower Grandmother and Gabi are throwing, then the rehearsal dinner. I’m thinking we need a bachelorette night, just us girls. I want you here for every minute. This is going to be the absolute best summer the Castle sisters have ever had in Sand Castle Bay.”
“I wouldn’t miss any of it,” Samantha assured her. “After all, wasn’t I the one who predicted last August that you and Boone were going to get back together?”
“Yes, you demonstrated amazing insight, but it wouldn’t be the first time that some irresistible part came through at the last second and you bailed on me. My college graduation comes to mind.”
“Well, there’s no way I’d bail on your wedding,” Samantha reassured her. The likelihood of a plum role being offered was abysmally small. Besides, she’d never let Emily down after promising to be her maid of honor. The fact that Emily had even asked had come as a surprise. Their relationship had been tainted by some kind of sibling rivalry she’d never understood, but her sister seemed to be sincerely trying to leave that in the past.
“I’m driving south the day after tomorrow,” she told Emily, not mentioning that the wedding was providing the perfect excuse to leave New York behind during these depressing dog days of summer. “I’ll be there to do whatever you need.”
“Are you bringing What’s-his-face with you? The guy from the network or the producer? I lose track.”
“Truthfully, so do I,” Samantha admitted. “There’s no one I’d want around for an occasion as important as my little sister’s wedding.”
There was a faint hesitation on the other end of the line and then Emily asked slyly, “Not even Ethan Cole?”
Samantha’s heart did a predictable little stutter step. “Why on earth would you bring up Ethan? He’s ancient history. Not even history, come to think of it. He never even knew I existed back in the day.”
“Aha!” Emily said triumphantly. “You do still have feelings for him. I told Gabi you did. She thinks so, too. Our powers of observation are every bit as good as yours when it comes to romance.”
“And you got that from my asking why you mentioned him?” Samantha inquired irritably, hating any possibility that at her age she could be wearing her heart on her sleeve for anyone to detect. Especially when the man in question probably wouldn’t even recognize her if their paths crossed.
“I got that from your wearing his old football jersey around the house the whole time you were home after the hurricane last summer,” Emily responded. “And, amazingly, it disappeared after you went back to New York. I’ll bet it’s in your closet up there right this minute.”
“It is not,” Samantha retorted, glancing down at the gold-and-green jersey she was currently wearing. So what if she still harbored a not-so-secret crush on the star quarterback from the high school? Three years older and surrounded by throngs of local girls, Ethan had never once noticed her back then. She was a summer kid, not even a blip on his radar. She seriously doubted he’d discovered deep feelings in the intervening years just from spotting her in some detergent commercial, and that was even assuming he knew it was her.
“You know he never married,” Emily said casually. “And he and Boone play golf together. Boone’s asked him to be in the wedding.”
Samantha’s stupid heart did another of those annoying little telltale hop, skip and jumps. “Not on my account, I hope.”
“Of course not,” Emily said. “But he is Boone’s best man, which means you’ll be seeing a lot of him.”
Samantha groaned. She’d expected this sort of matchmaking from her grandmother, who’d actively campaigned to see that Emily and Boone were reunited and had done her share of manipulating to see that Gabi wound up with Wade Johnson. Samantha had been certain, though, that Cora Jane would show a little more respect for Samantha’s ability to find her own man. Then, again, there wasn’t much evidence that Samantha had made any particularly good choices up to now. The men she’d dated had been seriously lacking in staying power.
“Did Grandmother put you up to this?” she asked testily.
“Up to what?” Emily replied innocently. “I told you, Boone and Ethan have been friends forever. Their families go way back. It makes perfect sense that he’d want Ethan in the wedding.”
“I suppose,” Samantha conceded.
“Gotta run. I love you,” Emily said. “See you soon.”
“See you soon,” Samantha echoed.
Suddenly going back to Sand Castle Bay for her sister’s wedding had gotten a lot more interesting...and maybe just a little dangerous.
* * *
Gabi held Daniella Jane in her arms, rocking her gently as she studied the color in Emily’s cheeks.
“Well, did you find out whatever it was you wanted to know when you spoke to Samantha?” she asked.
“Oh, Samantha still has it bad for Ethan, all right,” Emily replied with a smirk.
“Which means you intend to meddle,” Gabi guessed.
“Well, why not?” Emily inquired, reaching to take the baby from Gabi’s arms and