Sherryl Woods - Sea Glass Island

Under summer skies, New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods evokes family, friendship and heartfelt emotion

With her two younger sisters heading for the altar, will Samantha Castle exchange old dreams for new ones? Lately she’d rather be on the North Carolina coast with family than in New York with agents and actors. Though she vows not to let her teenage crush on Ethan Cole influence her decision, it’s hard to ignore her feelings for the local war hero.

Ethan lost more than his leg in Afghanistan. He lost his belief in love. Even being surrounded by couples intent on capturing happily-ever-after won’t open this jaded doctor’s heart. It’s going to take a sexy, determined woman—one who won’t take no for an answer.

Praise for the novels of

New York Times and USA TODAY

bestselling author Sherryl Woods

“Sherryl Woods gives her characters depth, intensity

and the right amount of humor.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

“Woods really knows what readers have come to expect

from her stories, and she always gives them what they want. Here, she pens another great love story populated with funny, witty and charming characters, written with great care.”

—RT Book Reviews on Where Azaleas Bloom

“Woods knows how to paint a vivid picture that encourages the reader to feel the emotions of her characters…

everyone will be able to relate to this book.”

—RT Book Reviews on Catching Fireflies

“Charming characters combine to create the interfering yet lovable O’Brien family…a satisfying, heartwarming conclusion to the Chesapeake Shores series.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Summer Garden

“Love, marriage, family and forgiveness all play an important part in Woods’s latest richly nourishing, holiday-spiced novel.”

—Chicago Tribune on A Chesapeake Shores Christmas

“Sparks fly in a lively tale that is overflowing with family conflict and warmth and the possibility of rekindled love.”

—Library Journal on Flowers on Main

“Woods’s readers will eagerly anticipate her trademark

small-town setting, loyal friendships and honorable mentors

as they meet new characters and reconnect with familiar ones in this heartwarming tale.”

—Booklist on Home in Carolina

Sea Glass Island

Sherryl Woods

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Dear Friends,

Most of us have come to accept that dreams change as we go through life. Sometimes this is the product of maturity and new life experiences. Sometimes we’re simply forced to accept a harsh new reality.

That’s the case with both Samantha Castle and Ethan Cole in Sea Glass Island. But while Ethan has embraced his new life running a small emergency clinic on the North Carolina coast, Samantha is still struggling to find a new focus for her future. She knows only that the acting career she once dreamed of is no longer as successful or fulfilling as she’d hoped. As readers have come to know, Sand Castle Bay is the perfect place to reevaluate goals and ambitions. And thanks to a little nudge from their grandmother, it’s also been the ideal place for the Castle sisters to find love.

I hope you’ll enjoy this final installment of the Ocean Breeze trilogy and that Samantha’s story will remind you that there’s often a new—and unexpected—dream right around the corner, if only you open your heart to the possibilities.

All best,

Sherryl Woods

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

Excerpt

1

Samantha plunged a spoon into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, then sighed as the decadent ice cream melted in her mouth. Guilty pleasures like this were about all that kept her going these days. With enough Ben & Jerry’s came hope that her acting career would pick up. A positive attitude had helped her to weather tough times in the past, after all.

It was getting harder and harder to believe, though. The silence of her phone lately had been deafening. In late spring, she’d had a minor role in a prime-time TV show that filmed in New York, but it hadn’t led to other opportunities despite the enthusiasm of the director and the producers. Fall season shows were back in production, but she’d received none of the promised job offers, not even for bit parts.

She hadn’t had a single callback for a commercial in weeks. If it weren’t for her job as a hostess at a high-priced Upper East Side restaurant, she’d be in the most serious financial trouble she’d faced since coming to New York over fifteen years ago. Even with that, she’d had to dip into her savings already.

Though her sister Gabriella had mounted a terrific PR buzz campaign for her back in the spring, its effects had worn off in weeks, rather than months, and now, once again, she was struggling. She’d worn out her list of contacts. But with everything going on in Gabi’s life these days, Samantha hadn’t felt she could ask for more free publicity assistance. Gabi was adjusting to being a single mom and trying to work things out with the very patient man in her life, who’d agreed to postpone their own wedding until after their sister Emily’s in a few weeks.

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.”