there are lots of other roles where it wouldn’t matter at all. It might even be a help, something that could be worked into a script. Do you recall the actor who was severely injured while serving in the military, then went on to become a big hit on All My Children, despite his very visible scars? The show worked those into his story line. He even won on Dancing with the Stars because he made people look beyond his burns to see the wonderful, funny, inspirational, talented man he is.”
“That’s J. R. Martinez,” Cass said at once. “He’s awesome. Sexy, too.”
“He really is,” Samantha agreed.
“So you’re saying it’s not impossible for me to succeed?” Cass asked hopefully.
“I’m a big believer that nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough,” Samantha told her. “But you do need the talent to back up that dream.”
“I have that,” Cass said with an unabashed confidence that would have made Ethan proud.
“Want to show me?” Samantha asked.
Cass blinked at that. “What do you mean?”
“We could read a couple of scenes together, maybe try a few with another actor or actress and see how it goes. I know you know Sue Ellen’s role by heart. We could start with that.”
“Really?” Cass asked excitedly. “I wouldn’t be imposing?”
“Not in the least,” Samantha assured her. “But it will need to be one day next week. This wedding is going to be all-consuming for the rest of this week.”
“Next week works for me,” Cass said. “Any time you say.” She hesitated, making a face. “Well, not when we have rehearsals. Sue Ellen’s lost if I’m not there to feed her the lines. It would be irresponsible of me not to show up.”
Samantha nodded approvingly. “It shows a lot of character that you’re willing to put the play first, even though you must have been hurt not to be in the cast.”
Cass shrugged. “Somebody has to try to keep it from being a disaster. Just so you know, though, I’m not as much of a Goody Two-shoes as that probably makes me sound. I figure I’ll end up on stage when Sue Ellen passes out from stage fright or something. I want to be sure I’m ready.”
Samantha laughed. “I love your attitude, actually. Does Dr. Cole know what a natural optimist you are?”
“Nah, because mostly he’s seen me at my worst,” Cass admitted. “Since the accident, not every day has been such a good day. I didn’t show a lot of love for anybody or anything there for a while. He had to really push me to see that maybe my life didn’t totally suck.”
“Understandable,” Samantha said. “The key to living a good life, I think, is to wind up with more good days than bad ones. And you know what? I really do believe we have some control over that.”
“That’s what Dr. Cole says, too,” Cass told her. Her expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe you two should get together sometime. You might hit it off.”
Great, Samantha thought. Just what she needed, yet another meddler! And she could only imagine what Ethan would have to say if he heard about Cass’s theory.
“Maybe you should steer clear of the matchmaking and stick to preparing those readings for me,” Samantha said. She gave Cass a piece of paper. “Write down your phone number and I’ll give you a call on Monday. We’ll set something up.”
Cass gave her the number, then gave her an impulsive hug. “This is so great! Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me just yet,” Samantha said. As much as she liked Cass’s eagerness and admired her determination, she still didn’t have the first clue about whether the teen had what it would take to overcome the natural biases she was likely to face from some casting directors. And if she didn’t, letting her down was going to require diplomatic skills Samantha wasn’t entirely certain she possessed, no matter how confidently she’d assured Ethan that she would protect Cass’s feelings.
* * *
Ethan had arranged to move his regular session with the kids to Tuesday this week since he’d scheduled Boone’s bachelor party for Thursday night on the outside deck at Castle’s, which would be long closed by the party’s starting time.
Today he planned to take them to a pool where he’d arranged for them to have swimming lessons. Most kids who lived in the coastal communities were in the water practically from infancy, but for some whose injuries had affected their mobility, the ocean had become the enemy. He