Sea Glass Island (Ocean Breeze) - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,78

this. So are you, by the way.”

They fell silent and sipped their drinks. The Scotch no longer held any appeal for Ethan, so he put it aside and ordered his own club soda.

“Nice job of deflecting the conversation away from Samantha, by the way,” Greg said, his good mood restored.

“Dodge and weave,” Ethan commented. “The first defensive maneuver we learned.”

“I don’t think it was meant to apply to a conversation between two buddies,” Greg said.

“Probably not,” Ethan agreed. “But I am done talking about Samantha, my love life or the entire freaking topic of romance for tonight.” He glanced across the deck to see Boone weaving a bit. “In fact, given my cynical mood, I think I’d better make a toast to the happy groom now, before I’m tempted say something that will be a real buzz-kill on the party.”

“You sure it’s not already too late?” Greg asked worriedly.

“Nah. I know my lines. Emily’s the best. The future’s bright. You’re a lucky, lucky man. Yada yada.”

Greg laughed. “Try saying that with a little more feeling, okay?”

“Do my best,” Ethan promised. Unfortunately, he shared none of Samantha’s acting skills, so it was odds-on that he’d miss the mark.

16

Samantha’s headache in the morning was only marginally better than the hangover she’d endured the week before. She, Gabi and Emily had stayed up past midnight talking after they’d rescued her from the clinic parking lot. Samantha had practiced her little-used bartending skills to make strawberry daiquiris. A lot of daiquiris, apparently, judging from the pounding in her head. She’d lost count after the third batch.

She stood in a hot shower for a long time, hoping to clear away the cobwebs. Overnight one thought had echoed again and again—that the only way to grab the future she wanted was to stay here in Sand Castle Bay and fight for it. That meant letting go of New York and everything it had once represented. She needed to wholeheartedly embrace a new plan for her life, then throw herself into it with total passion.

And, she told herself firmly, it couldn’t be about Ethan. It had to be what she wanted. She had to keep reminding herself of that. If he eventually fit in, all the better.

When she finally made her way downstairs, she found both of her sisters already at the kitchen table. The coffee had been made, but she noticed that neither of them appeared to have the stomach for food this morning.

“You look surprisingly good for a woman who staggered upstairs after midnight,” Gabi said cheerfully. “Is that due to great recovery powers or excellent makeup?”

“Bite me,” Samantha suggested cheerfully, pouring steaming coffee into the largest mug she could find before joining them.

Emily chuckled. “I love seeing you like this.”

“Like what?”

“Off your game,” Emily said. “I’ve always known you had vulnerabilities. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t, but you always covered them so well. Along with everything else, that made me a little crazy.”

“Happy to give you the gift of my insecurities,” Samantha responded. “Consider it a wedding present.”

“I’d be content with that and nothing else,” Emily claimed, then grinned. “But the crystal wine goblets you sent are gorgeous and way too extravagant.”

Gabi looked thoroughly amused by the claim. “I didn’t think there was anything you’d consider to be too extravagant. Your bridal registry choices were evidence of that.”

“Since I’m only doing this once, I wanted things that would last a lifetime,” Emily told her without the slightest hint of remorse. “I imagine you’re not even bothering to register, since you don’t want all the wedding commotion.”

“As a matter of fact, we’re not,” Gabi responded. “But from you we expect presents. Lots and lots of them. I’m thinking Waterford crystal, French china and antique sterling silver place settings. To make up for the guests we’re not inviting,” she added with a grin.

“So you can use them for barbecues in the backyard?” Emily taunted right back.

“There’s no reason not to set a lovely table, no matter where it is,” Gabi retorted, sounding a lot like Cora Jane.

“Enough,” Samantha said, trying not to laugh at the silly argument. She lifted her mug. “Here’s to each of us having the wedding of our dreams, period. And happily-ever-afters, et cetera.”

“I can drink to that,” Emily said.

“Me, too,” Gabi agreed.

For a moment, they sipped their coffee in companionable silence, until Emily regarded Samantha with real concern. “Are you going to give up on Ethan? That’s how it sounded last night. For the record, I think it would be