Summer Lovin'

Chapter Two

RYAN REALIZED THE MOMENT his cover had been blown and his stomach churned with a combination of relief that he could end his deception and anticipation that a confrontation was sure to follow. He'd been preparing himself the entire car ride from Boston and he was ready now.

He glanced at Zoe. Gone was the solicitous woman who'd sought to charm and accommodate him. Instead he looked into deep green eyes, which only minutes ago had flickered with warmth and interest, and that now held cold contempt.

"Who the hell are you?" Zoe asked again.

Ryan welcomed the intervention of fate. "I'm Sam's uncle."

"Sam has no family." She folded her arms across her chest defensively. "Care to cough up another lie?"

"It's the truth. My sister, Faith, was Sam's mother."

"Sam's mother's name was Sara."

He reached into his pocket for the papers he'd received from the P.I. and handed them over.

Zoe glanced through the sheets, which acknowledged her words and verified his, and paled. "I'm assuming these are copies?"

He nodded. "Feel free to keep them."

She rolled them tight, hanging on to the documents with one hand. "Even if you're telling the truth, wouldn't you say you took your sweet time coming around?"

"Faith ran away from home when she was seventeen. I was only thirteen. She got involved with drugs and changed her name so many times, her trail grew cold. But make no mistake, Sam is my niece."

"And?" She spat out the word.

"And I want to bring her home."

"What if that isn't what Sam wants? After years of being shuffled from foster home to foster home, she finally has a family. Here. With us."

If Ryan had admired this woman before his revelation, her spunk fired his blood now. Even their differences didn't stop the desire racing through his veins.

"Do you really think you can show up, wave some documents that proclaim you're a blood relative and whisk her away? Think again. You're years too late to do Sam one bit of good."

He swallowed hard, because Zoe had voiced his biggest fear. But that didn't mean he'd back down. He leaned closer, getting into her personal space. "No court's going to hold it against me because I was too young to track Sam down sooner."

Court? Zoe grew dizzy, feeling the blood rush out of her head. Her family might pass inspection with a social worker. But if a judge was faced with choosing between this man, who had blood ties to Sam and who seemed impeccably normal, or her wacky family, the Costas clan didn't stand a chance.

She understood this just as she understood the ramifications of Ryan Baldwin's claim. A claim she intended to check out ASAP. In the meantime, while she got Quinn and Connor digging into the man's past and present, she needed to buy her and her family some time.

No way could he reveal the truth to Sam or Social Services just yet. "Please don't tell me you think you can snap your fingers and all will go your way," she said with sugared sweetness.

He shrugged, but there was a definite arrogance to him she hadn't noticed earlier. Hadn't wanted to notice, she was forced to admit. She'd been taken in by his good looks and suckered by his claim that he was a public servant.

Now that she allowed her training to kick in and looked more closely, she realized his European suit was more expensive than any social worker could afford and his voice held a trace of a fine New England accent. Which meant he not only had the intent to fight her family in court, should it come to that, but probably the financial means, as well.

The Costas family didn't.

She gathered her wits and her defenses and pulled on every shred of self-confidence she could muster to go toe-to-toe with him. Her family and Sam's emotional well-being were at stake. "Okay, let's agree on a few points, shall we?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Right now my family has custody and controls access to your niece. You need that access as well as a smooth introduction. Are we on the same page so far?"

"So far, yes." He studied her with those astute brown eyes.

"I'm also sure you don't think we're just going to hand Sam over to a complete stranger, blood relation or not. We're going to want to know what kind of home you plan to provide for her. Fair?"

He inclined his head, but didn't answer.

She studied his expression closely. A muscle ticked in his jaw, telling her that something she'd just said had put him on edge.

She intended to push him a little further. "Are you married?"

"No."

"Engaged?"

He shook his head.

"So you're a single guy then. Interesting," she said, referring to more than his ability to raise a teenage girl. "You mentioned that your sister ran away when you were young but you never mentioned other family. Are your parents still alive?"

"Yes." His expression grew more shuttered.

She narrowed her gaze. "That's it? Yes? Do they know you found your sister's child?"

"Yes." His jaw tightened, almost imperceptibly.

"Yet they aren't here with you."

He paused, then said, "We thought it best I come down and check out the situation first." The tick in his jaw became more pronounced.

She made a mental note to have Quinn look deeply into their family history. If he had been thirteen when his sister ran away, what had his parents done about finding Faith before the trail had grown cold? Ryan Baldwin's silence spoke louder than any words could and perhaps whatever was behind that reticence would provide her with the leverage she needed to stall his revelation to Sam.

She sidled up beside him, this time more aware of his expensive cologne, a scent that under other circumstances she could definitely get used to. "I'd like to propose a deal. A quid pro quo of sorts."

"Again, I'm listening."

"You just can't spring this on my family or Sam. She's fragile and needs to get to know you first."

He nodded in understanding, his expression softening. "That sounds fair. What are you proposing?"

"Katherine, the social worker, has put off the final evaluation a few weeks while she's away on a family emergency. They're so overburdened they can't spare anyone for this case. I suggest you hold off telling Social Services or Sam who you claim to be."

"Who I am."

She shook her head, refusing to accept him at his word just yet. "Whatever. What I'm suggesting is that you continue your charade. Pretend to be a social worker and come by as often as you like during these last few weeks of the evaluation period. You'll get to know Sam and see her in her element here."

He frowned. "That sounds awfully one-sided. What do I get out of this?"

"My cooperation in getting to know Sam. If you dump this news on her, I can promise you every defensive mechanism she has will surface and your chances of winning her over will be slim. She considers me her sister. She trusts my judgment. Like it or not, you need me, Mr. Baldwin. So do we have a deal?" She held out her hand.

He hesitated for a second, before grasping her hand. If Zoe thought the first sparks between them were a fluke, she immediately discovered she'd been mistaken. The man might have lied from their first meeting, might be the biggest threat to the Costas family since her father's bout with cancer, but somehow the attraction was there, strong and undeniable.

She gathered her composure- which wasn't easy when she liked the feelings he evoked- and yanked her hand back. "One more thing."

"What's that?" he asked, flexing his fingers as if he needed to shake himself free of her touch.

She understood and had to force herself to focus on their predicament. "When Sam gets her birthday gift, you will grin and laugh and look the other way."

"What's the gift?" he asked warily.

"You'll see." Despite herself, she couldn't help but grin.

RYAN TRIED TO MAKE HIMSELF comfortable at the party. With the truth out in the open between himself and Zoe, he felt as if he'd just dodged a bullet and also knew for a fact that he'd bought himself some time at the Costas home. As tough as it was to admit, Zoe had raised many good points, the most important of which was that he needed her. Zoe's parents were Sam's guardians, which put them at a legal advantage. Emotionally, they also had the upper hand since they knew Sam and understood how she would react to his sudden appearance in her life. He'd foolishly thought he'd be rescuing her from hell and she'd greet him with open arms. Zoe made him realize Sam might well resent him for all the years she'd suffered in foster care, and now that he thought about it, such a reaction would be understandable.

No fourteen-year-old would be able to rationalize the situation enough to forgive and forget immediately, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Still, he tried to play devil's advocate, to think through all possibilities. Though there was a chance that Zoe was trying to discourage him with her warnings about Sam's defense mechanisms springing into place, he decided it was unlikely Zoe would lie about something so important.

As an attorney, he'd learned to read people and trust his instincts, and Zoe Costas, for all her family's eccentricity, seemed to be honest and upfront. Most important, it was obvious that she loved Sam- enough not to put her emotions at risk. He felt the same way and that's why he'd agreed not to rush into revealing who he was.

An hour after she'd uncovered his real identity, the last of the guests had left the party and only the family remained gathered in the family room. They were a large group, Elena and her husband Nicholas; Zoe's twin, Ari, and her husband, ex-cop Quinn Donovan; Quinn's best friend, Connor Brennan, and his fiancée, Maria; Nicholas's sister, Kassie, who owned a local diner called Paradeisos; a man named Gus; Elena's sister, Dee, and her husband, John…the list went on and on.

All except for the monkey, who thankfully had departed with her trainer, but not before dropping her pants and mooning the crowd one last time. Sam had slipped the monkey five dollars, tucking the folded bill into the white-lace panties beneath the primate's dress. Spank had changed clothing before leaving, much as a bride would prior to her departure with her groom.

Ryan had been speechless. He still couldn't believe this day, which had been filled with one shock after another. Had his family seen the spectacle of that monkey, his mother would have passed out on the spot while his father would have called for Hilton, the butler, to show the animal to the door. The only one in his family Ryan could picture enjoying the animal was Faith, and she was long gone. Only her daughter remained, her legacy and a testament to her free spirit.

With the huge family surrounding him, he sensed the surprises weren't over yet. There weren't enough chairs to hold all the relatives, but no one seemed to mind, and though he tried to give any one of the women his seat, they'd refused. He was the guest, they'd informed him. He knew they meant the social worker and all were on their best behavior.

Only Sam seemed oblivious to his presence as she bounced from person to person, begging for clues about her birthday gift. Nobody was speaking on the subject, leaving both Sam and Ryan in the dark.

Without warning, Ryan heard a drumroll and turned to see Nicholas playing a small set of drums, deliberately building anticipation.

"Come on, I want to see!" Sam said, her enthusiasm tangible and contagious.

Even his stomach churned with unfamiliar excitement. Growing up, the most exciting birthday gift his parents had ever given him was a savings bond. At least he'd had Uncle Russ, his father's brother, for the kind of fun gifts a kid needed like a bike or the latest gadget.

This large gathering and the love in the room was as alien to him as the young girl who was his niece. Not for the first time, he realized he had his work cut out for him when it came to winning her trust.

He glanced at Zoe, who sat on the arm of the sofa beside him. By the way she glared at him when she sensed no one else was looking, she obviously hadn't forgiven him for his lie. Despite the fact that they were adversaries, she hadn't thrown him out, at least not yet. Instead he sensed that for the time being, they were on the same side, though solely for Sam's benefit.

He owed her for that and as he met her gaze, an odd sense of gratitude filled him. Who was he kidding? When he looked at the raven-haired beauty, a hell of a lot more than gratitude washed over him.

"Introducing Sam's birthday gift and the newest member of the family!" Elena said, interrupting his thoughts as she walked into the room, holding a leash in one hand.

"Ooh, what is it?" Sam asked.

Ryan tried to see, but she darted in front of him, blocking his view. He heard a loud squeal that could have come from Sam, but his gut instinct told him the sound was from an animal.

Of the swine variety, if he wasn't mistaken.

"It can't be," he muttered.

"It is," Zoe retorted.

He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"And you will be nice about it." She treated him to a forced smile.

He rose and stepped around the couch to catch his first glimpse of the…pig. A tiny, black-and-white pig. Snout and all. "It's gratifying to know my hearing's not going."

"Your mind's not playing tricks on you, either," Zoe said helpfully.

"Gee, thanks."

Elena leaned down beside Sam and patted the space beside her. "Come sit quietly."

Sam did as Elena instructed, both women sitting cross-legged on the floor. Everyone else had grown silent, too, respecting the fact that the tiny piglet was shaking like a leaf.

"Sam, meet Ima. Ima, meet Sam," Elena said, lifting the pig and placing her gently in Sam's lap.

"Ima?" Sam asked. She paused, her nose crinkling as she thought about the name. "Oh I get it!" she finally said and began giggling.

"I don't," Ryan muttered.

Every eye in the room turned his way.

"I'm a pig, doofus," Sam said, grinning. "Get it? Her name's Ima Pig." When Ryan didn't answer right away, Sam rolled her eyes. "See, Zoe, I told you he's got a- "

"Samantha!" Elena and Nicholas said at the same time.

Elena gently took Sam's chin in her hand and turned her face toward her own. "Be nice to Mr. Baldwin. He's a guest in our home and he's your elder. In this house we respect our elders."

Sam glanced down before looking his way, her features contrite. "Sorry, mister," she said, her hands gripping the old keys around her neck.

Ryan struggled for air. She was being reprimanded for being fresh to him while he sat here and lied to her face. It wasn't right or fair. The charade he'd begun had already started to weigh on him and he wondered how he'd manage to play social worker for any stretch of time.

"That's okay," he managed to tell her. "It's your birthday and you're excited. I understand." Though he sensed it wouldn't matter what day it was. Sam's tough exterior had been formed long ago.

Excusing himself, he made his way into the kitchen. Above the whispers of the family, he heard Elena's instructions about how to care for the animal, how not to scare it, how Ima would think anyone coming for her from above was a predator and so Sam should always approach the pig from the side. She'd obviously done her research on the care and feeding of pigs. If her actions with Sam were any indication, Elena Costas was a loving, caring parent and the thought scared him spitless.

But he was Sam's uncle. Her flesh and blood. Surely that counted for something…didn't it?

SITTING IN HER FAMILY HOME and watching Sam unwrap gifts reminded Zoe of past birthdays and holidays. All involving family fun and unbelievable presents. Zoe remembered the dog she'd been given for her tenth birthday. Ari had received a cat. And somehow, maybe because the Costases had said so, they'd all gotten along, she recalled. This feeling of family made her whole and she wanted the same for Sam.

That's why Zoe had let Ryan watch her family interact with the teenager for a while before she'd come up beside him, and why she gave him a few minutes alone in the kitchen to think things over before joining him in the other room. She wanted him to realize how well Sam fit in with them.

"Hey there, Mr. Social Worker, how's it going?" she asked.

"It's fine and I'm confused. She's really excited about the pig," he said, shaking his head.

"It's a legal pet to replace the monkey. Not replace it in her heart, but in the house- "

"I get it. I just couldn't believe your mother walked in with a freaking pig."

Zoe blinked, startled. Something told her Mr. Uptight, Conservative Bostonian didn't curse often. "A Vietnamese potbellied pig, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

"Liar."

To her surprise, he burst out laughing. "Are you people for real?"

"Last time I checked." She nodded toward her family gathered in the other room. "We may be different, but we love each other so if you're thinking you can use our uniqueness against us- "

"Whoa." He held up a hand. "I didn't mean anything except you're all nothing like what I'm used to."

Zoe stopped, smiled slightly, then placed her hand on the back of his larger one and gently pushed it down, keeping her fingers lightly closed around his. "And what would that be? Proper decorum at all times," she teased softly.

A dimpled grin worked its way across his face, but his stare remained fixed on their hands. She suspected he also felt the heat passing between them.

No doubt he needed an explanation for her behavior when they were supposed to be on opposing sides. She wished she could understand it herself. How could she be so attracted to a man she knew was lying? A man who was, in essence, forcing her to lie to her family?

Yet she was attracted. Very attracted. Enough that she couldn't control the smiles he evoked or the warmth surging through her body right now.

He also deserved an explanation. "What can I say? You may be a lying creep, but you interest me." In fact, her insides tingled, making her aware of sensations that had been dormant for a while. She couldn't remember the last time simply touching a man had caused her breasts to grow heavy and her nipples to tighten against her shirt.

Oh yes, she liked how this man made her feel.

When she'd worked for the Secret Service, the agency had frowned on mixing work and pleasure. She'd resented the rule at the time and had bent it on occasion, but with Ryan's relationship to Sam between them, she'd be smart to follow a no-fraternization rule now.

On the other hand, he was hard to resist; his pull was magnetic. And he'd be around for a few weeks, underfoot, watching them and getting to know Sam. She couldn't deny the desire to get to know him equally well. Without a doubt she knew he'd give her all the heat she desperately needed without being any threat to her resolution to advance her career and her life. It was an ideal situation.

"You see? Not only are you one big, loving group, but you say what you think." He shook his head in disbelief.

She swung their clasped hands back and forth. "Better than keeping your feelings bottled up until you explode."

"Or run away," he muttered.

She paused. "Your sister?"

He nodded. "She chafed under rules and restrictions."

"And your parents had a lot of them?" she guessed without too much difficulty.

"You could say that. Ever hear the term upper crust?"

"Of course."

"Well imagine all that term implies. My brother and I conformed. She didn't."

Zoe raised an eyebrow, interested in his background for reasons that went beyond Sam. "How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"There were three of us in total. There's the oldest, J.T., then came Faith, then me." His eyes glazed over at the mention of his sister's name.

"So Faith was the only girl."

He nodded. "My parents had high hopes for her. They expected her to have a traditional coming-out when she turned sixteen, but Faith was anything but traditional."

Being so close to her family, and knowing what Ari had gone through when Zoe'd had to fake her disappearance, she could empathize with his pain over his sister.

She squeezed his hand tight. "I really am sorry." And she was, despite that he might want to take Sam away. "So your folks must be thrilled that you've found Sam." Her voice caught in her throat, this time at her pain over the fear of losing someone.

"My family is adjusting to the news," he said vaguely. "So how do you care for a pig?"

A not-so-subtle change of subject and Zoe made a mental note to mention it to Quinn and Connor during their meeting tomorrow morning. Planning the discussion at the office seemed like an even better idea now, since she didn't want to run the risk of Sam or anyone else in the family overhearing. And now that she'd found out some more information on Ryan Baldwin, she decided to play along with his topic change.

"You can feed and train the pig like any other domestic animal. Don't you read the papers? George Clooney has one and he loves that animal more than any woman he's met yet. Want to go meet Ima?" she asked.

"Ima Pig," he said and shuddered. "No thanks. I'll avoid it for now."

"Chicken." Zoe grinned. "So where are you staying?"

"TrumpPlaza."

"All the way in Atlantic City?" she asked. With their house right by the beach, there were a number of small, but nice hotels and motels closer to Ocean Isle.

"It's only twenty minutes according to AAA."

She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. A motel close by never even crossed your highfalutin mind."

He opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head. "Never mind. You already seem to have my number."

"That I do, Mr. Baldwin. Just tell me that you're going to honor our deal." Because she had no choice but to trust him.

Trust that he wouldn't go to Social Services and announce his status as Sam's uncle. Trust that he wouldn't tell her parents and completely freak them out, sending them into a tailspin and likely triggering a reaction she didn't even want to imagine. And worse, she had to trust that he wouldn't tell Sam.

Zoe swallowed hard.

This time he squeezed her hand tight. She'd grown so comfortable, she'd forgotten they were still standing that way.

"I realize you don't know me well and that I just showed up out of nowhere and turned your life upside down. But if there's one thing I can promise you, it's that despite my social-worker lie, I'm a man of my word. If I make you a promise, you can believe in me." His voice grew low and husky.

"And?" she asked.

"And I promise to keep my end of the deal." Those deep brown eyes met hers, warm and compelling. Sexy and real.

She had to be a fool- because she believed him. "I have a meeting tomorrow morning so I'd appreciate it if you didn't show up here until after noon."

He nodded. "I can do that."

She had one more question before she walked him to the door. "What do you do that you can take time off so easily and hang around Ocean Isle until this gets resolved?"

"I'm a lawyer."

Swell, she thought, but she'd had to ask. "Family practice, I take it?"

He shook his head. "I might have conformed better than my sister, but there are still things I do my own way." In his gaze, she thought she saw a hint of mischief. A sexual warning of sorts.

But then she reminded herself that this was Mr. Conservative and she had to be mistaken. Still, she couldn't help but think of him doing things to her his own way.

"I'll keep that in mind," she heard herself say before pulling him back to the family for his goodbyes.

THE NEXT DAY, Zoe showed up early for the meeting with her partners so she could prep what to tell the two men. Both had a soft spot for very few people, but Sam was at the top of their list. Now Zoe paced the office space she, Quinn and Connor had recently rented, located about a block from the rec center where the men volunteered and where Sam hung out after school. On a clear day like today, the large office windows provided a nice view of the ocean. It was a decent amount of space for their rental money. All that was missing was a firm name, but what had been a priority yesterday seemed insignificant today in comparison to the problem Ryan Baldwin presented.

"Are you going to tell us what's wrong or are you just going to wear out the new carpet?" Quinn asked, his voice tight with frustration.

Zoe groaned and detailed all she'd learned from Ryan yesterday, including his true identity.

"He's Sam's what?" Quinn yelled, shaking the walls if not the foundation.

Zoe winced. If anyone had a stake in Sam's future, it was the man who'd secured her first one foster home, then another in an effort to find her a good, solid home. Being a product of the foster-care system, Quinn understood only too well how abandoned, traumatized and confused Sam would feel upon learning the truth.

If it was the truth. But after a few hours in Ryan's company, Zoe believed him.

She handed Quinn the papers Ryan had given her. "I'd handle digging into Baldwin's family and background myself except that I want to be around the house at all times. I don't want him alone with Sam, or my parents, for that matter. I need what little control I can get over him and this situation."

Quinn ran a hand through his brown hair as he flipped through the papers. "His sister's birth certificate, even her death certificate…Holy hell," he muttered. "All this bastard has to do is demand a DNA test and he can prove he's family. From there, a judge would only be too happy to hand her over."

"Jeez, Quinn. Thanks for the vote of confidence. He says he's from Boston, has two siblings including Sam's mother, and from what I can gather, they're on the uptight side."

"That much was obvious from the way he jumped out of the way when Sam tried to put the pig in his arms," Connor said, chuckling.

"And you're one to talk. My family still gives you hives." Zoe laughed.

Connor had the grace to flush red in his cheeks. "Only because I'm not used to so many wacky people in the room at one time."

"He was probably afraid the pig would soil his designer duds," Quinn offered helpfully.

Zoe drew a deep breath before giving her opinion. "He seems nice enough. In fact I wish I'd met him under other circumstances. If I could just get him to loosen up a little, we could have some fun."

"Changing from tight-ass briefs to boxers would accomplish the same thing." Connor rolled a pen between his palms as he contemplated the thought. "Seriously, Zoe, you can't get involved with the guy. Talk about a conflict of interest!"

"Hell yes, she can," Quinn said.

Zoe and Connor's gaze flew to their partner's. "What?" they asked simultaneously.

"You already made the decision to stick close to home until we figure out how to handle the guy, right?" Quinn leaned forward, elbows on his desk, and pinned Zoe with a determined glare.

Too bad she'd long ago learned how to handle wannabe bad guys like Quinn. "Yes. But you don't scare me, so lose the Bad Cop look. I'm already on your team," she reminded him. "Of course I'm sticking by Sam's side. What's your point?"

"Well it's summertime. She'll be all over the place with her friends and we don't want Ryan Baldwin loose in town, asking questions and stirring up trouble. So use that chemistry to your advantage and when you can't be with Sam, make it your business to be all over Baldwin. From what I noticed in the kitchen last night, you won't find the assignment a hardship." A smart-ass smirk was on Quinn's face while Connor was doing his best not to snicker.

Zoe strode up to the desk and leaned forward. Nose to nose, she warned him, "You keep this up and I'll tell Ari you're smoking the occasional cigar. You'll be sleeping on the couch for at least a week." Zoe stood straight, folded her arms over her chest and grinned. "We both know even one night without my sister would be a hardship."

Quinn let out a laugh. "See now this is why I agreed to this partnership. You give as good as you get and you don't get on my nerves- much," he added, with a wink. "Listen, Zoe, all kidding aside, we need you to stick close to this guy."

She nodded, understanding how serious this was. "I will."

"But watch yourself," Connor said. "There's no good outcome on this one, and if you get involved, you could end up hurt."

This time it was Zoe's turn to laugh. "Not a chance, guys. To be hurt, you have to fall for a guy and that's definitely not my MO."

Both men snorted. "Like it was either one of ours?" Connor asked.

"Hey, just because the two of you are now whipped doesn't mean I'll end up the same way."

She didn't intend to live by her parents' example. Her parents were and always had been head over heels in love, which usually meant stormy disagreements and heated apologies that ended up with them in the bedroom, locked inside for hours. She and Ari had learned to keep themselves busy during those times, though at such a young age she probably shouldn't have been aware of what the glow on her mother's face afterward really meant. But they shared a romantic, storybook kind of love.

The give and take between her parents represented the best in a relationship, but they'd married young. And the older Zoe got, the more she feared that settling down with any man after all her years alone would mean compromises that would chip away at the essence of who she was. A person that was still too undefined, she thought.

Zoe had had her share of relationships and men. If love had been in the cards, she would have definitely discovered it by now. At the very least, she'd have been through devastating heartbreak. Instead she'd been disappointed at times, hurt on occasion, but she'd always bounced back, never truly having had her heart broken. Never having said, I love you.

"I guess it's not in my genetic makeup, so I'll hang around with Ryan Baldwin and keep a close eye on him." A very close, admiring eye.

"Just be careful," Quinn said. "I don't want you hurt. You're like a sister to me and if Baldwin turns out to be who he claims he is, I'd hate like hell to have to beat the crap out of Sam's uncle." He slammed his hand on the desk and muttered a succinct curse. "Uncle. This is going to kill everyone involved."

Connor nodded. "Let's just hope like hell we find dirt on his family and maybe then there'll be some way Zoe's parents can keep Sam."

Zoe shuddered. The entire situation was a mess she couldn't begin to decipher. Instead, she waved at her partners and headed home- before Ryan could show up and possibly alert her parents or Sam to the fact that something was wrong.