Sea Glass Island (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,61

your theater will be packed every night.”

Samantha regarded her sister with awe. “You came up with that whole concept in five minutes? You’re amazing. I’ve been thinking about this since I left the school and only came up with the idea to teach a couple of acting classes.”

“You were thinking too small. I say if you’re going to do it, make it big. Just like this place. I could have opened a small gallery, brought in an artist now and then for a show, but by turning it into a working studio with several artists actually working on-site, it’s become a real tourist draw.”

She beamed at Samantha. “And you know what? It’s working. We’ve been getting a lot of press regionally, and people are making this one of the places they want to see when they come to the North Carolina coast. I have a waiting list of interested artists who’d like to rent one of the studio spaces. And art collectors and gallery owners from major cities are popping in to see whose works are being displayed, looking for the next big talent.”

“It’s fantastic that it’s working so well,” Samantha said. “But could I really do anything on such a large scale? It’s not as if I have piles of savings to invest the way you did.”

Gabi waved off the problem as if it were of no consequence. “Get a few investors. Use the school auditorium for productions, if you have to at first. Then build your playhouse a couple of years down the road when you’ve become a huge success. Or buy a fixer-upper now and let Wade and the guys he and Boone know convert it into a showplace for you. You know they’ll do it for a good price, the same way they did this gallery for me. This building was a shambles till they got started on it. Look at it now.”

“It’s beautiful,” Samantha agreed, infected by her sister’s enthusiasm. “It would be amazing to create a playhouse from scratch, even perform from time to time.” Then her excitement was overrun by worry. “What if I’m no good at any of this? I’ve never taught. I’ve never run a business.”

“Take on one or two students for a few weeks and see how it feels,” Gabi advised. “As for the business stuff, you have me, you have Emily and you have Grandmother, who’s no slouch when it comes to making a success of a business in this community. She, by the way, will be absolutely over-the-moon about this idea.”

“Don’t say anything yet, okay?” Samantha cautioned. “I need to think some more. Maybe find a couple of interested kids and test the idea with them.”

“Do whatever you have to do to be comfortable with this whole thing,” Gabi said. “But I know it’s going to work. I can feel it in my bones.”

Suddenly Samantha was every bit as excited as her sister was. She just wished she shared Gabi’s unbridled confidence.

* * *

Ethan was finishing up making patient notes for the day when Cass came barreling into his office, a beaming smile on her face. The smile was so rare, he didn’t have the heart to remind her that she was supposed to have permission before coming into the back part of the clinic.

“Before you yell at me for busting in here, Debra said it was okay and to tell you she was leaving.”

So, it was the receptionist who needed a reminder about office protocol, he concluded. No surprise there. Debra liked pulling the occasional stunt like this, especially when she was annoyed with him, which she apparently was today. He had no idea why. If she weren’t generally good at her job, he’d have given up on her long ago. Amazingly, Greg didn’t seem to have the same problems with her.

Debra, however, could wait for another day. He focused on Cass.

“You look happy,” he commented. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me Sue Ellen quit the play.”

“No,” Cass said, a note of disgust in her voice. “Even after forgetting almost every single one of her lines today, she doesn’t have sense enough to call it quits. The play’s going to be a disaster.”

“Is that what has you looking so cheerful?” he inquired worriedly. Gloating wasn’t an especially attractive trait. It certainly wasn’t one he intended to encourage.

“No. We had a speaker today, a real actress who’s been in commercials and TV shows and on Broadway. It was soooo awesome!”

There was little question in Ethan’s mind who that