Summer Lovin'

Chapter Eight

ZOE WAITED FOR RYAN'S UNCLE to speak. The muscles in the back of her neck hurt from nerves and stress and she rolled her head from side to side, trying to ease the tension.

"Faith liked to stir things up," Russ said at last. "She had obviously planned to run away because she knew I kept petty cash in my briefcase and she stole that money before she took off."

"From the business?" Zoe asked, surprised any teenager would take that kind of risk.

Russ shook his head. "She stole money from the home office, actually."

"Uncle Russ lives in a gatehouse on the property," Ryan explained. "He and my father have an office there. Wasn't that also during the days when there were mob-related truck hijackings?" Ryan asked his uncle. "I remember Dad talking about those days when J.T. was ready to come into the business."

His uncle nodded slowly. "Yes, yes. Those were chaotic times in every sense of the word," he said.

"And why is it you never tried to find Faith?" she asked, turning the subject back to what was important. She met the older man's gaze and waited for an answer.

He cleared his throat. "I beg to differ, young lady. I did try to find my niece. Unfortunately her trail grew cold rather quickly."

Ryan rose from his seat. "Uncle Russ is my main ally and supporter. I've seen his paperwork and the detective I hired worked off of any trail he'd managed to find."

Zoe glanced at the older man. "Speaking of trails, did you find anything in her room?"

"Beyond all those candles, stuffed animals, magazines and books?" He shook his head laughing softly. "She's obviously been treated well."

"Here," Zoe reminded him. "She's been treated well here." She pointed to the floor of her home. "Before that it was the foster-care shuffle and nobody bought her a damn thing unless she absolutely needed it."

Ryan placed a calming hand on her arm. "Let's try to hold it together until she comes home, okay?"

Zoe nodded. Another half an hour passed during which she thought she'd go mad, mostly from the feeling that Ryan's uncle was watching her and her actions around his nephew. She hated being under a microscope and this man made studying and examining an art form.

Ryan and his uncle spoke in hushed tones in the corner of the family room, yet every so often she'd catch Ryan's compelling gaze on her and she'd heat up, knowing they still had unspoken feelings and desires between them.

Zoe was lying on the couch nearby with one arm covering her eyes when the phone finally rang. She jumped up and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Francesca at the spa. I think I have someone here you might be looking for," the woman said in a lowered voice.

Zoe swallowed hard, her relief so profound her legs began to shake. "How long has Sam been there?"

"I found her outside the entrance this morning and she followed me inside. She said she was wondering if I could fit her in for a manicure."

She'd been right next door the entire time? Good Lord.

Nobody had thought to check the spa because since they'd opened, Sam had never once shown an interest in beauty treatments of any kind. Manicures, pedicures and facials weren't her thing, she'd often said. Sam was more of a tomboy, so looking for her at the spa had never dawned on any of them who knew her well.

So much still didn't make sense. Even if Sam had changed her mind about more girlie things, why not just ask Elena for an appointment? Why sneak out the window for something so innocent? Especially the morning after she'd received devastating news.

Zoe shook her head. There was much more going on, of that Zoe was certain. "What happened next?" she asked Francesca.

"I told her I was booked for the early appointment, but if she didn't mind waiting an hour or so I could fit her in. She sat and watched me most of the morning. But just now, when I said I needed to check on Elena and see why she hadn't come in today, she freaked out. She begged me not to call and it was obvious something was going on. She thinks I'm in the ladies' room now."

"Keep her there for me. I'll be right over. And thank you so much for calling."

Zoe exhaled a huge breath of air.

"Well?" Ryan stood towering over her.

"She's at the spa and please don't ask why we didn't realize it before now. I don't have time to explain."

"Thank God," he muttered. "Thank God."

She wanted to hug him and join in his relief, but she had to stay focused on Sam. Zoe grabbed a pad and jotted down a bunch of cell-phone numbers. "Please call my parents, Quinn and Ari, and Connor, with the news." She handed the pad to Ryan.

"Sure thing."

"I'm going next door to get her. And Ryan?"

"Yes?" He gazed at her with those gorgeous brown eyes.

Zoe paused, knowing her next words would sound cruel. She truly wasn't looking to hurt Ryan; she just wanted to look out for Sam. "Could you…could you not be here when we get back? I promise to call you this afternoon. Just let me get Sam here and talk- "

"No."

Zoe blinked. "Excuse me?" She thought he'd be understanding. Reasonable.

"No, I won't disappear. We'll all deal with Sam together, your family and mine," he said, his gaze encompassing both Zoe and his uncle.

She could see from his clenched jaw that he wouldn't budge on this issue. Apparently, she didn't know Ryan as well as she'd thought.

IN THE SPA, ZOE FOUND Sam having a grand old time. She sat with her bare feet in a pedicure tub full of bubbling water. Her nails had been freshly done. She had a mud pack spread across her face and she was currently applying the same salve to Ima Pig's skin. When she finished, she lifted the animal's hooves and held them under the dryer along with her own nails.

Zoe stepped closer. Sure enough, Ima's nails, or whatever they were called on a pig, had a bold red color that matched Sam's.

Zoe cleared her throat.

Sam glanced up, saw Zoe and jumped. Her nails hit the fans. She put Ima on the floor, then glanced at her hands and frowned. "You made me mess my manicure."

"I'm going to mess more than that. Do you realize that everyone in the family is out looking for you? Connor checked all the hospital emergency rooms. Mom and Dad and Ari and Quinn are driving all over creation, knocking on your friends' doors, and you're here having a pampering session!" Zoe yelled, not caring about disturbing other customers.

Sam glanced down, obviously duly chastised. Then without warning, she threw herself at Zoe, sobbing like crazy. "I'm sorry. I was going to run away. I was. And then when I got down the tree by my window, I saw that guy."

Zoe's nerves went on alert. "What guy?"

"The guy that was in my room the other day. He was lurking in the shadows by the house. Right beneath my window," she said, eyes wide.

Theatrics aside, Sam had obviously been spooked.

"Are you sure he was the same person?" Zoe asked, then shivered. Because if Sam was right, they'd been searching for someone with a beef against her parents, but maybe someone wanted something from Sam.

"I'm sure. He had dark hair like the guy who was in the kitchen that morning, ugly face with big teeth and everything. I got scared and I hid behind the tree. Even if I wanted to go back, I couldn't. I'm good, but not even I could climb back up that tree as easily as I got down. And I didn't want him to see me and end up following me. I could end up like someone on those Without a Trace or CSI shows, you know?"

"Heaven forbid!" Zoe said.

"Well there was no place for me to go even if I changed my mind. The alarm was set and I'd forgotten my key, and I couldn't just ring the doorbell and tell you all I was going to run away again, so I just hid, praying that man wouldn't see me," she said, her voice rising.

"Slow down, okay?"

"Okay." Sam sniffed and drew a deep breath. "When I looked out from around the tree again, I didn't see him there. So I started to walk, sticking close to the house, and then I saw Francesca opening up the spa and I thought, safety in numbers."

"So you told her you wanted a manicure."

Sam nodded. "Besides I didn't want to leave you guys. I really didn't. So I thought I'd hang out with Francesca and maybe by the time Elena came to work, I'd have figured out some story and wouldn't get in any trouble."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Trouble is your middle name, missy. Go wash the mud pack off your face. By then let's hope everyone will be back and we can deal with all this." She prodded Sam's back.

"I'm going," she muttered. She picked up Ima and they started for the bathroom. Five minutes later, Sam and Ima returned, all cleaned up.

Zoe ushered them to the door, pausing at the front desk where Francesca sat. "Don't you have something to say?" Zoe asked Sam.

"Thanks for this morning," Sam said. "And I'm sorry that I lied."

Francesca smiled. "You're a good girl, Samantha. You take care of yourself and that piglet."

"I will."

They traipsed back to the house, Sam dragging her feet as they walked. "You called everyone and told them I'm okay?" she asked in a low voice.

Oh boy, Zoe thought. Now came the fun part. "I didn't call. I came right over to get you. Ryan made the calls for me."

As Zoe had expected, Sam dug in her heels. "If he's there, I'm not going back."

"Something tells me you're in no position to be making demands right now. Besides, you can't hate Ryan just because he's related to you."

"Well where has he been up until now?" Sam pouted like a little girl, but in her eyes Zoe saw the ache deep in her heart.

"I'm sure he can answer that better than I can." Zoe met Sam's gaze. "But my understanding is that when your mom ran away, he was young, about your age. And by the time he was able to start looking, she'd managed to make herself hard to find. He just found out his sister had a child and he came to find you right away." Again, she found herself defending Ryan at the expense of her own interests.

"So maybe he can come visit once a year at Christmas," Sam muttered.

Out of the mouths of babes, Zoe thought and she couldn't help but laugh dryly.

WHILE ZOE HAD GONE to pick up Sam from the spa, Ryan had talked his uncle into taking his car and making himself scarce. Ryan would have liked him to stay, but the family didn't need an unfamiliar face and more important, neither did Sam.

When she'd returned, he'd waited while Sam had had her reunion with everyone and then sat through the Costases' lectures about running away and letting everyone worry about her. Then Sam had gone to her room while the family had excused themselves to meet alone in the kitchen.

Now Ryan sat with them in the den. Actually, he sat apart from them, as nobody wanted to get within inches of him. They stood united on one side of the room protectively huddled around Sam who'd stomped down from her room. All except Zoe eyed him with distrust and Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"We found footprints near the tree where Sam said she saw the intruder," Quinn said.

"I told you!" Sam raised a victory hand in the air.

Zoe sighed, grabbed Sam's wrist and pulled her arm back down. "Go on," she said to Quinn.

"We have nothing specific to tell us that this person is targeting Sam, but it's the only conclusion since he was in her room the first time and beneath her window this morning. Add to that she's seen his face and can identify him. If you ask me, Sam's definitely at risk."

Each family member murmured in agreement, and then Quinn continued. "We talked in the kitchen and we agree that Sam needs to get out of here for a while."

Ryan hadn't been included in the family discussion, but he remained silent as he listened to their concerns.

Elena rose from her seat. "I'll take her to Greece." She nodded and folded her arms in front of her, the long flowing sleeves of her outfit hitting Nicholas in the face as she moved.

Ryan stiffened at the suggestion, but before he could react, Quinn shook his head. "Nothing that drastic is necessary and it wouldn't work, anyway. First, you won't get Social Services to approve the trip and second, you can't run away from the other problem." With that pronouncement, his dark gaze settled on Ryan.

He took that as his cue. Rising from his seat, Ryan faced the family. Their angry stares and hurt gazes weren't easy for him to bear. Zoe and her feelings would be even more of a challenge, but he would have to deal with them later.

"I apologize for lying to you all. The first time was a misunderstanding and after that…well all I can say is that it seemed like the right thing to do." He was careful not to lay blame at Zoe's feet since he'd started the charade and had chosen to let it continue. "I wanted you to know and like me before I gave you the news about who I was."

Zoe shot him a quick smile of gratitude and, dare he hope, respect? But in the silence that followed, Ryan couldn't begin to judge the rest of the family's true feelings or reaction to his confession.

"What is it you want from us?" Nicholas asked, his hands firmly on Sam's shoulders.

Ryan wasn't ready to answer that and start a war, not when they had so much to deal with, beginning with the break-in and, most important, Sam's welfare. "I want time to get to know Sam and for her to know me. I'm willing to start with that."

"I already know all I need to about- "

Zoe slapped a hand across Sam's mouth before she could insult him and it was his turn to shoot her a grateful look.

"Wanting to get to know each other sounds reasonable enough," Zoe said.

"I agree," Quinn said, seeming to be the spokesperson for Zoe's parents. "What's your situation in Boston?"

Ryan let out a laugh. "Something tells me you can answer that as well or better than I can. I'm sure you've dug deep into my history."

Quinn inclined his head. "True. So let's cut to the chase. After your sister ran away, your parents didn't go out looking for her. They were glad to be rid of the problem, weren't they?"

Ryan's stomach cramped at the harsh reminder. "It's more complicated than that, but they didn't do much more than report her disappearance and let the police handle things. By the time Faith ran away, they'd lost their ability to handle her and didn't know what more they could do to bring her in line."

"Children have wills and minds of their own," Ari, the psych professor, chimed in.

"And my parents failed to respect that. Why are we even discussing this?" The last thing Ryan wanted was to showcase his family's shortcomings when Sam was in the room, and when it would do nothing to strengthen his claim to having her in his life.

"Because Sam needs to get out of New Jersey until we figure out who wants something from her and why. And though you've been careful not to say it, obviously you're contemplating asking for custody of Sam and bringing her home to Boston with you." Quinn stepped between Ryan and the group across the room, obviously sensing they'd take issue with his words.

"The hell I'll go- " Zoe again shut Sam up with a hand across her mouth.

"I think we can accomplish dual goals if Sam takes a short trip with you. I just want to make sure that the atmosphere there isn't hostile, that your parents won't make her feel unwelcome or traumatize her in any way."

Ryan was still reeling from Quinn's words. They were letting him take Sam to Boston without him having to ask? He glanced down and realized his hands were shaking.

"She's perfectly safe with me."

Nicholas eyed him warily, but obviously had agreed to defer to Quinn.

Quinn nodded. "Okay, then. You should know that Elena and Nicholas have agreed to let Social Services know about you and your relationship to Sam. But they aren't giving up their rights as foster parents or their adoption desires. Not yet. We'll have to fully discuss everything over time. But for now, you have the right to get to know your niece and, for her safety, she needs to get out of town."

Ryan stepped forward, gratitude welling in his throat, almost choking him. They could have fought him. They could have engaged him in a prolonged fight for Sam. Hell, they still could.

But for now the Costas family was obviously willing to make him a part of Sam's life and have him help them in protecting his niece. "I don't know what to say. I'll take good care of her."

"Damn right, you will," Nicholas said. "And Zoe will go along to make sure you and your family don't misbehave."

"Or stifle Sam's individuality," Elena added.

Ryan opened his mouth, then shut it again, the shock of it all making him mute. Sam and Zoe were going home with him?

Obviously this had been the focus of their discussion in the kitchen earlier. Just as obviously she'd agreed.

He glanced at Zoe, meeting her gaze. Her cheeks were flushed pink, but she didn't say a word nor could he decipher from her expression how she felt about this turn of events. But no matter how Zoe viewed things, Ryan felt as if he'd been given a second chance with her and with Sam.

And this time they'd be on his turf. Though normally advantage went to the home team, the old adage didn't apply here and Ryan knew he'd have to work extra hard to win Sam over. And not to lose Zoe at the same time.

ZOE SHIFTED in the passenger seat of Ryan's car. With every breath she took, she inhaled his cologne and her insides cramped with a burning need she couldn't suppress no matter how much practicality dictated she ought to.

She still didn't know how she'd ended up accompanying Sam to Boston with Ryan. She'd fought the good fight with her parents and Quinn, but even she'd agreed Sam needed to get out of town. And everyone including Zoe felt that Sam couldn't go alone with Ryan.

For his part, Ryan had been understanding of Sam's feelings. He'd even shocked Zoe by convincing his uncle that meeting Sam right now would be too traumatic. So after staying one night with Ryan, Russ had gone home and neither Zoe nor her family had had to deal with him just yet.

Just when she thought she'd pegged Ryan, a conservative man with whom she had nothing in common, he went and did something that put him back into high esteem, leaving her confused about her feelings. She shook her head, knowing she'd lied. She wasn't confused. She desired Ryan Baldwin. She liked the man a whole lot. Unless he morphed into the uptight man she'd first met. Then he scared her. And now they were heading to his territory, a place where she had no bearings and where she feared he'd definitely become a man she couldn't understand.

For now she sat in the middle of a mini war zone with Sam having entrenched herself in the back, determined not to like Ryan. She'd wanted to bring Ima and though Zoe had agreed, she'd had a gut feeling Ryan would not. So she'd instructed Sam to put Ima in the dog tote they'd bought for her until she became too big to be a lap pet, and Zoe had placed the covered bag in the back with Sam when Ryan wasn't looking. Sam had already learned how to keep the pig happy and relatively quiet and each bathroom trip Sam made, she took Ima with her so the pig could relieve herself somewhere besides the car or the carrier.

Unfortunately, taking along Ima hadn't appeased Sam. She'd spent their first hour on the road sulking in the back seat. Ryan had long since stopped trying to make conversation with her and after a short talk about the Red Sox and Yankees, in which Zoe discovered that being a Mets fan made her rise further in Ryan's estimation, they'd reverted to a silence that included Sam's prolonged sighs and groans.

For her part, Zoe tried not to stare at Ryan's handsome profile or reach out and touch his hand to reassure him that in time he would win Sam over.

"I have to pee," Sam said from behind them.

Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror. "I just stopped for you not fifteen minutes ago."

"Yeah, well, I have to pee again."

Zoe shook her head. Between Sam's language and rest stop commands, she was sorely testing Ryan's patience. Not even Ima, who'd already begun to train, needed to relieve herself that often.

"I'll make you a deal. You watch your mouth, especially when we hit Boston, and I'll stop as many times as you need without complaining." Despite his dark sunglasses, Zoe could tell he was watching in the mirror for a reaction from the teen.

Zoe turned toward the back seat in time to see Sam shrug, but she didn't volunteer a yes or no answer.

Although Zoe agreed that Sam needed to refine her choice of words, she couldn't help but fear that Ryan's demand had more ominous undertones, ones that had roots in his late sister's behavior and the reasons she'd run away from home. Zoe didn't want to see Ryan, the relaxed man she'd come to enjoy in New Jersey, revert to the stuffier man she'd first met. The one she'd seen again when his uncle had arrived.

"I'm waiting for an answer," Ryan said.

Zoe shivered and pushed up the air-conditioning vents so they pointed away from her, but the chill remained.

"I don't see that I have a choice but to follow your rules unless I want a flood back here," Sam muttered.

A muscle twitched in Ryan's cheek. "You just reminded me of my next condition. No more soda until we get there."

Sam started to stick out her tongue, then obviously thought better of it and whipped her head around to the side, glancing out the window. "Whatever you say, oh great one," Sam muttered.

Ryan raised an eyebrow Zoe's way. "Is she always this pleasant?"

Zoe couldn't help but stifle a chuckle. "I have to say she reserves her best behavior for you."

"I feel so privileged." Ryan grinned and they shared their first easy laugh of the day.

True to his word, he pulled off at the next rest stop and drove up to the entrance of a small mini-mart with bathrooms around the side.

Sam yanked on the handle, obviously intent on storming out of the car.

"Come right back," he called after her.

She saluted and marched out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

Zoe rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat. "I hope you don't think you've won this round."

"What does that mean?"

"Just that I expect Sam will stop ordering you to pull over now that you promised her that her demand for pit stops won't bother you."

He lowered his sunglasses. "And wasn't that the point?" he asked with all the confusion of a man unfamiliar with children.

His puzzled expression was endearing, showing her yet another side of this multifaceted man. She shook her head and laughed. "Ryan, you have a lot to learn when it comes to teens. I mean, just don't think she's letting up because you put one over on her or because she's found some sort of respect for you. You just took the fun out of her game. She'll find another way to torture you instead."

He turned in his seat. "Well I'll call it a draw, then."

She inclined her head, giving him this one. Heaven knew Sam would find enough ways to challenge him in the days ahead. But without the frequent pit stops now, Zoe knew they might not have another chance to talk alone.

"Ryan, something you just said bothers me," she stated bluntly. She bent one knee beneath her, accidentally brushing her leg against his thigh. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to focus.

He whipped off his eyeglasses, placing them in the empty cup holder, and his deep gaze bored into hers- so warm, so darn sexy, she thought she'd melt right then and there. She flipped the vents again so the cool air blew directly onto her skin.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding as if he truly cared.

She badly wanted to believe that he did. "We already talked about you not trying to mold Sam into some perfect child your family will accept."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand, forestalling him. "I'm not suggesting her current language is appropriate or even acceptable. She needs discipline and I agree with how you're handling her."

"Thank you for that." He tipped his head to one side. "Then I don't see what the problem is."

She sighed. How to explain and not insult him at the same time? "The problem is you need to accept her for the free spirit she is. So does your family. Otherwise not only will they have learned nothing from your sister's running away and subsequent death, but you'll end up running Sam off, too."

Despite Sam's frequent over-the-top behavior, Zoe had seen firsthand the fun and joy he experienced watching her just be herself. That was the man Zoe enjoyed, too, and she didn't want to lose him when they reached Boston.

Her fingers twitched with the desire to reach out to him, her emotions warring with her mind. Her emotions won. She placed a hand over his warmer, more roughened one. "Am I making any sense to you?"

Ryan nodded. Her soft fingers wrapped around his hand and the heat shot straight through to his heart. This woman affected him. She made him want to please her in ways he'd never thought or cared about with any woman who'd come before. For that reason he was listening to her concerns and honestly trying to keep an open mind. But the truth was that coming home would mean a reversion of sorts and that included a stricter code of behavior. Especially if he was going to convince his parents to accept Sam, as they hadn't accepted their own daughter.

Ryan had never faced a greater challenge. Except for keeping Zoe happy. He had no idea how he'd accomplish both goals.

"I'll try to be more understanding," he promised, not just for Sam's sake, but for his and Zoe's. The key to any kind of future with this woman lay in her believing in him.

She nodded. "That's all I can ask for."

Her hand still lay on top of his, and as gestures went, he knew it was a big one.

They waited five minutes more, but there was no sign of Sam. "Want to go in after her?" he asked.

"I guess I'd better." Zoe reached for her seat belt buckle when a piercing scream shattered the silence.

Both Ryan and Zoe darted out of the car.

He ran to the end of the small building in time to see Sam running and shrieking.

"Come back!" she yelled and began to run toward the patch of grass on the boulevard.

In that instant, Ryan somehow knew exactly what was going on and he sprinted past Sam, determined to stop the wandering pig. Unfortunately Ima had other ideas and the little runt continued to bolt toward the grass. The highway lay just beyond.

He managed to step on the leash, which gave him a chance to reach for the pig, but she was more than an arm's length away. He stumbled and she scooted ahead, giving him no choice but to dive into the grass and grab her leash just in time.

He rose to his feet, trembling pig in hand, to find Sam and Zoe staring at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"Your stowaway, I presume?" He held Ima out for Sam.

She grabbed her pet, first wrapping her hand around and around the leash so the animal couldn't run away again. "You saved her from becoming roadkill," Sam said, obviously grateful he'd shown up when he had.

Zoe cleared her throat loudly.

"Thank you," Sam added.

"You're welcome." He met her gaze and for a brief moment, all her teenage anger and resentment disappeared.

Only gratitude and pleasure shone in her blue eyes and Ryan warmed, happy to be the recipient of something other than her disgust.

"What happened?" Zoe asked.

Sam shrugged. "It was so fast, I'm not sure. I used the bathroom and then I took Ima out so she could do the same thing. Somehow the leash slipped out of my hands and she bolted. I was so scared when she started running for the highway." She shivered. "I didn't want some car makin' bacon out of her."

Ryan shook his head and tried not to laugh at her description. "You should have told me you wanted to bring her along. Then you wouldn't have had to sneak her out for walks behind my back."

"We were afraid you'd say no," Sam said.

"We were afraid?" He glanced Zoe's way.

She clasped her hands behind her back and began whistling, deliberately not meeting his gaze.

She definitely wasn't innocent. "You didn't have much faith in me, did you?" he asked her.

She looked away. "I guess not."

The admission hit him in the gut and hurt more than it should have. He wasn't sure what disappointed him more, her lack of trust or himself and what he'd done to bring it on.

In silence, the three of them walked back to the car. Before getting in he paused to brush the dirt off his arms and khaki slacks, figuring he resembled a major-league ball player after a long skid home.

Unable to help himself, he glanced up at the sky and laughed.

SINCE RYAN WOULDN'T HEAR of Sam staying in a hotel and Sam wouldn't remain at Ryan's without Zoe, Zoe found herself unpacking clothing in one of the two extra rooms in Ryan's townhome in downtown Boston.

The condo was an old brownstone duplex apartment that had been renovated inside with gorgeous crown moldings and auburn-colored wood floors. Although the apartment had obviously been decorated by a professional, Zoe couldn't fault Ryan for going to excesses. Every piece in the apartment served a purpose or looked as if it belonged.

For warmth and personal touches, on the shelves she'd passed in the living room he'd placed photographs- Ryan and a couple that had to be his parents, Ryan and his uncle, whom Zoe hoped to avoid on this trip because he made her uncomfortable, and a photo of his sister, Faith, at Sam's age. Forever young because of her untimely death.

Zoe liked Ryan's home, and the fact that it lacked the uptight, artificial feeling she'd feared she'd find here, gave her hope. Hope that Ryan had more of the man she liked inside him.

It had been a day of contrasts, she thought. Her mind strayed back to the incident at the rest stop with the pig. He'd thought nothing of his own safety or his good clothing, as he'd dived into the dirt to save Ima because he knew how much the animal meant to Sam. And because he knew his life wouldn't be worth squat if Sam lost her pet.

His expression when he'd handed the pig back to Sam had been priceless, a man so proud of his accomplishment- until he'd realized even Zoe hadn't trusted him enough to ask permission to take Ima along. The hurt and desolation in his gaze stayed with her even now.

But then there was the moment at the car when he'd brushed off his filthy pants and arms. He'd been dirty, disheveled and sexy. A man comfortable in his own skin. And when he'd laughed- oh, when he'd looked up and flashed those dimples- Zoe could have sworn the sun shone more brightly in the sky. She'd felt the heat and happiness and wished it could always be that way between them.

"I'm unpacked!" Sam bounced into the room and onto the bed.

"Someone's in a good mood."

"Yeah well you-know-who said Ima could stay with me in my room."

"No kidding? Well make sure you keep her in her crate so she doesn't mess the floors," Zoe warned.

"Yeah, yeah. So how long do we have to stay here before we can go back home?" Sam asked.

Zoe shivered, not wanting to admit to Sam that for all they knew, this would be her home.