Wind Chime Point

15



Even though he was reluctant to face another of his sister’s disapproving looks, Wade forced himself to drop by Louise’s after leaving Castle’s. Despite his promise to Zack, he’d continued to put off the visit. It had finally dawned on him, though, that he was not only punishing Louise for wanting to protect him, but his actions were taking a toll on the kids he adored, as well. That had never been his intention, and yet, the proof of that hit him the instant he opened the door and four little bodies hurled themselves at him.

“Unca Wade, Unca Wade, we been missing you,” Chelsea said, her little arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“And I have lots of things to show you,” Bryce said eagerly. “Mom took pictures at my soccer game and I got an A on my math test.”

“Good for you!” Wade said, managing to give Bryce a high five, despite Chelsea’s death grip on him. He looked at Peter. “How about you? What’s up with you these days?”

“I hate my teacher,” the seven-year-old announced with stunning bitterness. Since he’d adored the young, enthusiastic first-year teacher just weeks ago, this was a shock.

“Why is that?” Wade asked him.

“She made him sit in the corner for misbehaving,” Bryce revealed, a gloating note of triumph in his voice.

Wade’s astonishment grew. Peter had always been so well-behaved it was kind of scary. Wade tried to catch his eye, but Peter had already turned his back on them and was trudging back up the stairs. Well, he thought, he’d get to the bottom of the uncharacteristic behavior soon enough.

Now he smiled at five-year-old Katrina, who’d been hanging back shyly. Less exuberant than the others, she was often left out of these initial greetings.

“Hey, short stuff, what do you have to say for yourself?” Wade asked.

She grinned at the affectionate name he’d adopted for her and sidled closer. “I missed you,” she whispered.

He caressed her wild golden curls. “I missed you, too. I’ll bet you haven’t misbehaved at school, have you?”

She shook her head.

“But she peed her pants because she was too scared to ask to go to the bathroom,” Bryce taunted.

Immediate tears filled Katrina’s eyes. “I hate you,” she told her brother. “I hate you, hate you, hate you.”

As she, too, ran off, Wade regarded his oldest nephew with dismay. “Why would you do that?” he asked the boy. “You had to know you were embarrassing her and Peter.”

For just an instant Bryce looked chagrined by the disapproval in Wade’s voice. Before he could try to make excuses, Wade told him firmly, “These sisters and brother are your family. You’re the oldest. You’re supposed to have their back, not torment them, okay?”

He thought he detected an instant of real shame in Bryce’s eyes, so he pressed the point. “Do we have a deal?”

Bryce now looked as if he, too, might cry, but he nodded. “Promise.”

“Okay, then,” Wade said, taking him at his word. He ruffled his hair affectionately, earning a faint smile.

Wade climbed the stairs to the living quarters and found Louise waiting at the top of the steps. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Have you missed me, too?” he asked.

“You know I have. You stayed away too long,” she said, a scolding note in her voice.

“I apologize for that.”

She drew in a deep breath, then looked him in the eye. “I get why you did it, and from here on out I will try like crazy to keep my opinions to myself.” She paused, then amended, “At least about Gabi.”

“I’d appreciate it,” he said, speaking just as solemnly as she had.

“But,” she began, ruining the moment, “I just want to say that I heard what you said a minute ago about family having one another’s backs. All I intended to do was have yours.”

“I know that your intentions were good,” he conceded. “All behind us, okay?”

A smile spread across her face. “Okay. You staying for dinner? I was planning on spaghetti, but since you’ve shown up, I can roast a chicken and make mashed potatoes.”

Wade had considered making a hasty exit, but the hope in his sister’s eyes changed his mind. “Sure. I’ll stick around.”

He managed to disentangle himself from Chelsea and sent her off to join the other kids, then helped himself to a glass of sweet tea. “So, what’s up with Bryce? It’s not like him to be tattling on the other kids the way he did just now. And what about Peter getting punished in class?”

Louise shook her head, her expression bewildered. “I wish I understood it myself. Zack thinks it’s just a phase with Bryce, but I’m not so sure. Not to dump a guilt trip on you, but it started when you missed that soccer game. And you haven’t been coming around, either. I don’t think you realize how much my kids count on you. They’ve asked about you every day and watched for you. It breaks my heart when dinnertime comes and I have to face the disappointment in their eyes.”

Though he knew she was intentionally heaping on the guilt, Wade still flinched at the direct hit. He’d always taken his responsibilities as an uncle seriously. The last time he’d stayed away had been after Kayla’s death, and he’d seen the toll it took. He should have remembered that.

“I’m so sorry. I honestly didn’t give a thought to what my staying away would do to them. After the last time, I should have. It won’t happen again. If I can’t stop by, I’ll at least call to speak to them.”

As Louise took the chicken from the refrigerator and readied it for the oven, she seemed to be weighing something carefully before she spoke. Wade had a hunch he knew what was coming.

“Are you still seeing Gabi?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.

“Yes.”

“How’s it going?”

“I like her,” he said simply. “More and more all the time.”

“How does she feel?”

He shrugged. “I think I’m making progress.”

A frown crossed her face. “And that’s enough for you? Some kind of maybe progress?”

“For now, yes,” he said emphatically, hoping to dissuade her from pursuing the topic before their detente could be destroyed.

She drew in a deep breath, then gave a little nod. “Then I’ll try again,” she said. “If she’s important to you, I need to make more of an effort.”

Wade studied her. “What does that mean exactly? You’ll invite us back to dinner?”

“No, I was thinking maybe she and I could get together for lunch sometime. Just the two of us.”

“Oh, no,” he said at once.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t entirely trust you not to warn her off,” he replied candidly.

She gave him a gentle punch in the arm. “Give me some credit. I’m a little more trustworthy than that. And I have been duly chastised for my past behavior, so I’ll observe the boundaries.”

“You’re not always quite so trustworthy when you’re on a mission,” he said. “And when you’re convinced you’re in the right.”

“The mission’s changed,” she told him. “It’s now about getting to know Gabi for myself, not about running her off. If you truly care about her, then she must have a lot going for her. I want to see that side and not just all the red flags.”

“You promise?” he inquired doubtfully.

“Cross my heart,” she said, sketching an exaggerated sign across her chest.

He deliberately caught and held her gaze. “Okay, then, but if I get wind of so much as a hint that you’re trying to cause problems, you and I will have big-time issues.”

“Understood,” she agreed. Without looking away, she added, “If this woman really is the one for you, I just want it to work out. I love you. I want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

He pulled her into a hug. “Thank you. Now let me spend a little time with the rug rats before dinner.”

“Just don’t give them that candy I know you have in your pocket,” she said.

Wade regarded her with surprise. “How’d you know about that?”

“I know you. You always have a bribe handy. Why do you think those children love you so much?” She waved a finger under his nose. “After dinner and not one second before.”

He laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll be watching,” she warned.

“Never doubted it for a second.”

But, he thought, as he joined the kids, how seriously could one little piece of chocolate hurt their appetites? He’d just have to make sure they all brushed their teeth before they came to the table.

* * *



When Gabi got back to Cora Jane’s, she found Samantha packing, her expression grim.

“What’s going on?” she asked her sister.

“I’m heading back to New York first thing in the morning,” Samantha said, her tone surprisingly flat. “My agent called. I got a part in a commercial that’s shooting in a couple of days.”

Gabi studied Samantha’s expression more closely. “Then why don’t you look happier?” she asked with candor.

“Because it’s a slight secondary role,” Samantha responded. “If you blink, you’ll miss me completely. I was up for the lead.”

“Oh,” Gabi said softly. “I’m sorry.”

Samantha sank down on the side of her bed. “Don’t be sorry. This is just the way it is. I probably have to learn to accept it.”

“Meaning?”

“That once you hit a certain age, it’s going to be harder and harder to get into commercials, unless I want to start auditioning for things meant for seniors like absorbent panties or denture adhesive. There’s a big market for older actresses these days, but I’m caught somewhere in the middle.”

Gabi wasn’t sure which surprised her more, trying to imagine her thirty-five-year-old sister in a commercial aimed at seniors or the bitterness in Samantha’s voice. Probably the latter, since in all these years she’d never before heard that kind of defeated attitude coming from her perpetually upbeat sister. She had no clue what to say to try to bolster her spirits. Acting was too far from her area of expertise. She had no idea if the bumps in the road were to be expected, something that was likely to pass, or if this was the pattern Samantha could expect from here on out.

She was struck, though, by a sudden idea. “Maybe I could help,” she said, trying to work it out in her head before she said more.

Samantha stared at her. “Help how?”

“You have an agent,” she said slowly.

“Obviously.”

Gabi met her gaze. “But do you have a publicist?”

“Are you kidding me? I can’t afford to hire a publicist.”

“What about one you wouldn’t have to pay, namely me? I’ll bet I could plant your name in a few columns, get a little bit of a spotlight shining on you. That could help, couldn’t it?”

“It couldn’t hurt,” Samantha said, her expression thoughtful. “Do you have time to do that?”

Gabi laughed. “Sweetie, I have nothing but time. I’ll get my hands on the New York papers, start looking online to see what sort of opportunities there might be, then you and I can talk about a strategy. Maybe we should even have a conference call with your agent and decide the sort of angle that will get the attention you want in the right circles, with the commercial casting agents or Broadway casting directors, whatever. What do you think?”

“I think you’re amazing for even offering to consider this. It could be my last chance.”

“Stop talking about last chances,” Gabi said firmly. “This is going to work. And from now on, all of our spin is going to be positive. Understood?”

Samantha still didn’t look totally convinced, even though she seemed more optimistic than she had a few moments earlier. “I hope you’re right,” she said. “But I think it may be time for me to start being more realistic. If the parts simply aren’t going to be there. I need to begin thinking about what comes next.”

“In due time,” Gabi told her, determined not to allow Samantha to sink into despair before they’d even given a good publicity campaign a try. Gabi sat beside her and nudged her with an elbow. “So, you’re in? You’ll work with me on this?”

Samantha glanced over at her, a smile on her lips. “I’m in,” she said. “And if this works, I will pay you.”

“Not even the tiniest chance I’ll let you do that,” Gabi said. “This is what sisters do, period.”

She’d come to appreciate that kind of unconditional support lately. She’d had it from Emily and Samantha the moment they’d learned about the baby. Now it was her turn to return the favor.

* * *



Gabi, Cora Jane and Samantha had barely finished dinner when the phone rang. Samantha glanced at the caller ID and chuckled.

“Surprise, surprise, it’s Wade,” she announced, handing the phone to Gabi without answering. “For you, no doubt.”

Gabi scowled at her sister, but took the phone. “Hey. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you tonight. I thought you were going to spend the evening with your sister and the kids.”

“I did,” he told her. “And now I’m calling to warn you to be on the lookout for a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Louise wants to get together with you.”

“Uh-oh,” she said, immediately understanding his concern.

“My sentiments exactly, but she swears she will be on good behavior, that she won’t try warning you off, or make any trouble.”

“And you believe that?”

“She did promise,” he said. “But I’d still keep my guard up, if I were you.”

“Maybe I should just avoid this little get-together,” Gabi said, thinking that would definitely be the least stressful strategy.

“Have you met my sister?” he asked with a rueful laugh. “Evasion is not an option. She will hunt you down.”

“Gee, what fun!”

“You can handle her. Just tune her out, if that’s what you have to do.”

“You don’t want me to do my best to impress her?”

“Sweetheart, you don’t need her approval. You have mine. Though it would be nice if the two of you could find a way to get along,” he said wistfully.

Even though their relationship was far from certain, Gabi understood how important Louise’s opinion was to Wade. “I’ll be on my very best behavior, too,” she promised, then teased, “First, though, she has to catch me.”

“I’m sorry to put you in this position,” he said.

“You’re not putting me in any position,” she said. “Louise is the one with the problem. Since you’re my friend and I know how deeply you care about your sister, I’ll try to smooth things over. I’m all about being surrounded by positive energy these days.”

“You’re an angel,” he said.

“Some would say if I am, then I have a slightly tarnished halo,” she replied. “I’ll keep you posted if I hear from her.”

“Oh, you’ll hear,” he said. “The only question is when.”

“Good night, Wade.”

“Night, angel.”

Despite the troubling warning he’d just delivered, Gabi discovered she had a smile on her lips as she hung up.

“Trouble with the potential in-laws?” Samantha asked, obviously having eavesdropped.

“Pretty much,” Gabi said. “If Louise has her way, Wade and I will never get past the holding-hands stage. Not that we’re even there yet,” she added hurriedly for her grandmother’s benefit. Cora Jane could probably turn handholding into an engagement in the blink of an eye.

Even so, the remark about Louise’s sour attitude caught Cora Jane’s attention. Her gaze immediately narrowed. “What’s her problem with you?”

“She’s worried I’ll break her brother’s heart,” Gabi said, then admitted, “I can’t deny it’s a real consideration. How can I fault her for that?”

“Worrying about loved ones comes with the territory,” Cora Jane conceded. “Interference, though, that’s something else.”

Gabi exchanged a look with Samantha. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” she teased her grandmother.

“But I want the best for both of you,” Cora Jane said, clearly convinced she was on the high road. “Trust me, it’s entirely different.”

“If you say so,” Gabi said, smiling.

“I do say so,” Cora Jane responded with a little huff. “And if you need me to have a word with Louise, just let me know.”

Gabi managed to contain a chuckle until after Cora Jane had left the kitchen. “Oh, she is priceless,” she murmured when she and Samantha were alone.

“Absolutely priceless,” Samantha agreed.

Gabi grinned at her and lifted her glass of tea in a mocking toast. “And just think, sister dearest, your turn is yet to come.”

“Heaven help me,” Samantha said with heartfelt emotion.

* * *



Gabi had come up with her first idea for an original wind-chime design, based on the graceful flow and colors of a weeping willow. She could see exactly how it should look in her imagination, had even roughed out a sketch on a piece of paper, but now she was completely stymied.

“What’s the problem?” Sally asked, peering over her shoulder.

“I have this vision,” she said, her voice filled with frustration. “But I don’t have a clue how to execute it.”

“You’re going for the cascading branches and leaves of a weeping willow, right?”

Gabi regarded her with astonishment. “You can actually tell that from what I drew?”

Sally patted her arm. “Wild guess,” she admitted. “The color clued me in more than the design.”

“So, what do you think?”

“Great concept, but a little tricky to pull off on your first attempt at a solo project.”

Up to now, Gabi had only worked for the past week on following Sally’s step-by-step instructions and only on the simplest designs. Her results had been less than stellar, but even so, Sally had encouraged her to start trying to find her own style.

Gabi sighed heavily, her mood as dreary as the cold winter rain falling outside. “I’m beginning to have my doubts about all of this,” she muttered.

Sally merely smiled. “Do you have any idea how much glass I blew through when I started? Come on, girl. Mistakes don’t matter. It’s not trying that’s the kiss of death.”

As a pep talk, it was about as effusive as Sally ever got. Still, Gabi had come to appreciate her gentle nudges and determinedly optimistic outlook. Even her harshest criticism was couched in language meant to encourage. If she was going to be an apprentice to someone, Sally had been the perfect choice.

Gabi drew in a deep breath. “Okay, then, let’s talk about the basics. Does the design have any merit?”

Sally grinned. “It’s terrific,” she said, clearly not feigning her enthusiasm. “Wish I’d thought of it myself.”

“Seriously?”

Sally’s expression instantly sobered. “I will never lie to you, Gabi.”

“So, I just need to work on the best approach for executing it,” Gabi concluded. An idea came to her. “Is there any more of the green glass?”

Sally nodded, clearly pleased by her shift in attitude. “Over there. There are several shades of green, in fact,” she mentioned casually.

“Ah, an honest-to-goodness hint,” Gabi teased. “I thought you were determined to make me figure out every little thing on my own.”

“What can I say? Sometimes I can’t resist.”

Sally went back to her own project, and Gabi gathered the material she needed to give hers another try. She was about to start cutting the glass, when there was a tap on the door, followed immediately by Meg stepping inside. Then, to Gabi’s shock, she spotted Louise right on her heels.

“I brought company and lunch,” Meg announced. “Louise stopped by the shop just as I was leaving to drive out here, and we decided to surprise you both with sandwiches.”

“And cupcakes,” Louise added cheerfully as she regarded Gabi with a hesitant smile.

“You’re goddesses,” Sally said, whipping off her goggles and clearing a space at a table. “Grab some stools. Since it’s such a crummy day outside, there’s no point in trying to traipse over to the house. We can eat right here.”

This whole visit was definitely a turn of events Gabi hadn’t expected.

“You three know one another?” she asked

“Louise helped us get all our business paperwork done,” Meg said. “If you ever need an attorney, she’s the best around. She tells me you’ve already met.”

Gabi nodded. “We have.”

“And got off to a very bad start,” Louise said with a directness that stunned Gabi. “Actually, I begged Meg to bring me along today so I could apologize.”

Her words clearly caught Sally and Meg’s interest.

“How so?” Sally asked.

“It’s up to Gabi to fill you in on the details, if she wants to,” Louise said discreetly.

“I think we should put it behind us,” Gabi replied, determined to do just that, and not only for Wade’s sake. If Louise was friends with these two women she’d come to admire, then Gabi wanted to give her another chance on her own merits.

Obviously picking up on Gabi’s desire to put the subject behind them, Meg studied her, then said, “I swear your baby bump has doubled since the last time I saw you. How are you feeling these days?”

“I’m good,” Gabi said. “But I do need to find an obstetrician here. I drove over to my old one in Raleigh the other day for my routine checkup and picked up my records.”

“Mine is great,” Louise told her. “Believe me, Zack compulsively checked out all of her credentials before he allowed me to walk into the office when I was first pregnant with Bryce. She’s delivered all five of my kids.”

“Now that’s a recommendation!” Meg said.

“It sure is,” Gabi agreed.

Louise pulled a piece of paper from her purse, glanced at her cell phone, then jotted a note. “Here’s her name, number and the office address. Tell her I sent you.” She hesitated, then asked, “Maybe I shouldn’t ask this, but are you still considering adoption?”

Though it wasn’t something she would have brought into the open in front of Meg and Sally herself, Gabi found she was actually relieved to have the subject out there. It helped, she supposed, that this time she didn’t detect disapproval in Louise’s voice. Nor was there any sign of it in Meg’s eyes or Sally’s. Instead, she saw curiosity, perhaps even a hint of sympathy.

“I’m still considering all my options,” she told them. She met Louise’s gaze directly. “It’s getting harder and harder to think about giving up my baby.”

Louise nodded in understanding. Now there was no mistaking the relief in her eyes. “I only asked because Dr. Hamilton can help with adoption if you do decide to go that route. So can I, if you make a final decision that it’s the way you want to go. She and I have handled a couple of private adoptions that have worked out well.”

Gabi couldn’t hide her surprise. “Really?” she asked, but then it dawned on her that Louise’s initial reaction hadn’t been to the idea of adoption, but to a woman in her brother’s life giving away her baby after he’d lost his own child.

Louise smiled as if she could read Gabi’s mind. “Seriously,” she replied solemnly. “Sometimes it is the best choice for everyone. Sometimes not. I only want people to be certain. Otherwise, it can lead to heartache.”

Gabi nodded. “And that’s exactly why I’m still thinking about this. I don’t want to live the rest of my life with regrets. I want to do what’s best for my child.”

“And for you,” Meg said, chiming in for the first time. “You matter, too, Gabi. And I, for one, think you’d make a terrific mother.”

“You don’t really know me that well,” Gabi protested.

“Remember what we said when Meg first brought you here to see me?” Sally asked. “You’re a kindred spirit. We’re intuitive about these things.”

“Besides, if I can actually meet the challenge of getting my teenage daughter out of high school, into college and settled in life, then raising a child should be a breeze for you. Look at the example you’ve had. Cora Jane Castle is a legend around here.”

“An original, for sure,” Louise agreed. “A strong, compassionate woman. And since she clearly adores my brother, she’s obviously a woman of discriminating taste, as well.”

“Ah-ha!” Sally said, her expression brightening. “That’s the connection. Gabi and Wade!” She looked from Gabi to Louise and back again. “So what’s the story there? Are you two an item?”

Gabi blushed furiously. “We’re friends,” she said very firmly, then said a little prayer of thanks when Louise didn’t correct her.

A grin spread across Meg’s face. “Not entirely buying that,” she said. “How about you, Sally?”

“Not a word of it,” Sally agreed. “Louise? You obviously know more than we do. What’s the real scoop?”

“If Gabi says they’re just friends, then I’m going with that,” Louise said diplomatically.

“And on that note, I need to take off,” Gabi said hurriedly. “Thanks for another great lesson, Sally. And thanks for the lunch. Great to see you both again,” she said to Meg and Louise.

Though she doubted the speculation about her and Wade died with her exit, at least she didn’t have to be in the room to keep up the pretense it was getting harder and harder to maintain. Because the truth was, lately her feelings for Wade were getting to be a little bit more than just friendly. And, though she’d never in a million years have admitted it to Louise, she shared some of her same doubts about the wisdom of that.