Under the Boardwalk

CHAPTER SIX

Ready to face a new day, Ariana walked into the kitchen. She had a full agenda, including filling her parents in on her plans to stay here for awhile, though as soon as her sister came home safe, Ari would be on her way. In the meantime, she was adapting to living with her family again. The carafe in the coffeemaker was full, but having learned her lesson, she sniffed before pouring herself a steaming hot cup.

She sat down at the table and immediately saw a note propped on the centerpiece. Her aunt and uncle had gone out for the day, her father was at the diner, and her mother, the note said, was outside gardening. Without warning, memories assaulted her. Of the hectic breakfasts before the rush to school, when Ari would choose yogurt and Zoe would pick Froot Loops. Their differences were apparent even in such a trivial decision, she thought, smiling at the memory.

The peace and quiet she felt now was an unusual phenomenon, one that emphasized Zoe’s absence. But this being her parents’ home, of course it didn’t last. Before Ariana could settle in, she heard the sound of voices and the subsequent slam of the front door.

“Ari?” her mother called out.

“In the kitchen.” Ariana cupped her hands around her coffee mug and waited.

“You have company,” Elena’s voice came closer. “But you were in the shower so I had your friend wait with me.” She walked into the room, holding hands with Spank on one side and, to Ariana’s shock, the young girl she’d met yesterday on the other.

Ariana jumped up from her seat. “What are you doing here?” She started toward the girl. “Better yet, how did you know where to find me?”

Her mother prodded Sam into one of the kitchen chairs. “Relax, Ari. Let her have a drink first.” As Elena got busy pouring Sam a glass of juice, she continued to speak. “She’s wonderful company-”

“Sam, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

Elena placed the glass in Sam’s hands, then gestured toward Ariana. “Go on,” she prodded the girl. “Tell her the truth.” Apparently her mother had formed a fast bond with Sam if she’d already uncovered answers.

The teen met Ariana’s gaze briefly, guilt etching her features as her eyes darted away. “I got your address from here.” She pulled Ariana’s day planner from the plastic bag she was carrying.

“You took this?” Ariana grabbed the leather-bound planner, which also acted as her wallet, out of Sam’s hands.

Sam nodded. “Yesterday, when you were arguing with Quinn. I bumped into you and snagged it.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Elena praised Sam’s truth-telling. “But stealing from people is wrong, young lady.” Elena stroked the girl’s long blonde hair at the same time she reprimanded her.

The con artist chiding the little thief. Ariana shook her head and wondered if her mother realized what a contradiction she presented. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and wondered what to do with the runaway teen.

While Sam stared at her hands, Elena walked over to Ariana and whispered in her ear. “Her technique must be good if you didn’t notice your wallet was missing,” Elena said in awe.

Oh, she’d noticed earlier this morning. She’d just assumed the planner had fallen out on the floor of the car, as often happened back home.

“But still, she’s too young to be doing such a thing,” Elena said softly.

Ariana agreed. She glanced at Sam. “You took my wallet but you came to return it. What gives?”

Sam shrugged. “I took it ’cause I liked you,” she said, mumbling, her voice filled with embarrassment.

A headache had begun to develop and Ariana pressed her fingers against her temples. “You wanted a reason to see me?” she guessed.

Sam nodded and once again the lump of emotion inside Ariana grew. Though she had problems with her relatives, at least she had a family of her own. “I bet people are looking for you.”

“They think I’m at school.”

“And won’t school call home when you don’t show up?”

Sam kicked at the kitchen tile with her sneakered feet. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Unfortunately it does. I’m going to have to call Quinn.” Ariana glanced at Sam. “Unless you want to call your foster parents yourself and let them know you’re okay?”

Sam shook her head. “I don’t want to talk to them. But Quinn’s gonna kill me.”

“Nothing that drastic, I’m sure.” Ariana stood and reached for the portable phone. Leaving her mother alone with the runaway, Ariana dialed Damon’s and asked to be connected with Quinn.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Ariana left Sam and her mother in the kitchen and opened the door for Quinn.

As if she hadn’t even seen him last night, she devoured him with her gaze, surprised at how good it was to see him. He hadn’t shaved yet today and a darkened shadow covered his cheeks. His eyes were glassy and he looked tired. Like her, he probably hadn’t completely recovered from his late night. If this was how he looked in the morning, she definitely wouldn’t mind waking up beside him. Her body tingled at the seductive, heady thought.

And when he spoke, his severe tone sent shivers of another kind through her. “Where is she?”

“In the kitchen. But before you see her, I think you need to take a deep breath first.”

“Easy for you to say. Her foster parents called me two hours ago. I’ve been making phone calls and driving around looking for her. I’d finally given up and gone back to the hotel. Then you called.”

She placed a hand on his arm to calm him. “I’m sorry. I called you as soon as I knew she was here. Unfortunately I don’t know how long she was outside with my mother. They bonded,” Ariana said wryly.

“At least she’s safe.” He glanced at Ariana, a flicker of warmth and appreciation in his gaze.

Ariana smiled. “Now that you’ve collected yourself, let’s go talk to her and see why she pulled a disappearing act.”

“I know why. She’d been led to believe if things worked out with Aaron and Felice, they’d consider adoption. The way things were going, there was no reason to think anything would mess with that. I mean, they couldn’t have kids, and Felice wanted a girl. Despite the few times the little pickpocket tested them, Aaron and Felice understood. Hell, I thought they’d adopt her.” He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident.

“And then Felice got pregnant,” Ariana said. He’d told her as much yesterday.

“Yeah. It shouldn’t make a difference to them. But it does. And I’ve seen it time and again. I should know better than to hope. Damn, I should have known better than to let Sam hope.”

Ariana’s heart twisted with emotion, for Sam and for Quinn. The fact that he’d given her insight into his feelings was shocking. So too was the depth of his caring. For as much as Ariana didn’t know about him, she liked everything she’d already learned. He had a good heart despite his secrets. “You’re doing your best for Sam.”

“Yeah, and I hate it that my best isn’t enough. I was so sure that this perfect looking couple with their perfect little house would make room in their hearts and home for a beautiful young girl.”

She was shocked by how much she wanted to help him, not just with Sam, but with his feelings and his pain.

Without warning, Quinn pulled away from her touch as if realizing how much he’d revealed. “I need to talk to Sam.”

Ariana nodded. “Just remember she’s hurting, too.”

She led him toward the kitchen, and as they entered the room, Quinn bellowed, “Samantha!”

“So much for taking my advice,” Ariana muttered.

Sam winced at his yell, and Spank the monkey, who’d been sitting at the table letting Sam paint her nails, dove underneath the table and covered her head with her hands.

“You scared her,” Sam said accusingly to Quinn. She obviously wasn’t intimidated by his bluster.

Then again the kid lived in foster homes and never knew where she’d be next. She wouldn’t fear much, Ariana thought sadly.

“Spank doesn’t like loud noises.” Elena held a hand out to the monkey.

Spank let Elena pull her out from her hiding place. She turned to Quinn, gave him a raspberry with her tongue, then climbed into Sam’s lap.

The young girl giggled and Quinn stopped himself from yelling and demanding an explanation for her behavior. He hadn’t seem Sam laugh. Ever.

He was furious at the scare she’d given him, but he didn’t know what made him angrier, that Sam had run away or that she’d come here instead of calling him when she was upset. But as he’d told Ari, at least she was safe.

“Let’s leave Sam and Quinn alone, Mom,” Ari said.

He stopped himself from asking her not to leave. He could have used her support about now, and that shocked the hell out of him. For a man who’d always lived life on his own to need a woman who wanted nothing more than to find her sister and disappear from this town, well, it wasn’t a smart move.

Elena looked at her daughter and nodded. “You’re right. Come, Spank.”

Sam shook her head and wrapped her arms tighter around the damn monkey. “I want you all to stay.”

“We’ve imposed on them enough, Sam,” Quinn said.

“Nonsense,” Elena said. “She’s welcome here any-”

Ariana interrupted her mother by pulling her out of the room, dragging the monkey she took from Sam along. As Spank reached the doorway, she lifted her skirt. Damned if the monkey hadn’t mooned him on purpose. But what marked this meeting for Quinn was Ariana and her obvious insight and understanding of him and what he needed.

He still couldn’t allow himself to get too close or too attached to the woman, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t developing feelings for her anyway. Damn him. He turned his attention to Sam instead.

“You gonna yell at me for stealing Ari’s wallet?” Sam asked.

He blinked. “You what?”

“Oops.” Sam blushed a furious red. “She didn’t tell you?”

He shook his head. “Obviously she protected you. But at least now I know how you found Ari,” he said, solving the mystery he hadn’t been able to figure out. He already knew why Sam had taken off. “Running away isn’t smart,” he told her.

“Why the hell not?”

“Watch your mouth, Samantha,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Well, tell me why not. It’s not like Aaron and Felice give a sh- I mean, it’s not like they care.”

He pulled out a chair and, straddling the back, sat down beside her. Her defiance was a shield from her pain, her big, glassy eyes a better giveaway to her true feelings. Which led him to choose his words carefully now. “They care about their responsibilities,” he said, slowly. “And they get to give a recommendation. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want you labeled as trouble for new placement.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Let me live with you? Please? I won’t cause any trouble, I promise. I’ll clean up after myself and I’ll even disappear if you want to bring a lady friend home,” she said, too wise for her years. “I swear you won’t even know I’m there.”

“That’s the problem, kid.” He knew exactly how she was feeling, had begged and said those same words to different people in his past. His throat nearly closed and he wished he could give her what she wanted. “I’m not even there. It’s not a supervised home. I wish I could let you stay with me, but I can’t.”

“Won’t.” She folded her arms across her chest. “You’re no different than Aaron and Felice or any one of the other homes I’ve been in.”

Each word she uttered was another dagger in his heart. Just when had this kid come to mean so much to him? he wondered.

“You just play the do-good act better than most,” she said, hurt and accusation in her tone and in her gaze.

He swallowed hard. “You don’t believe that for a minute. I do care.” He held out his hand and then, lowering his voice, he said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back to Felice.”

“For how long?” She sniffed and wiped her eyes on her arm, ignoring his outstretched palm.

“Until Social Services finds another home.” Her running away had been the excuse Aaron and Felice needed to decide to call Social Services and tell them they were opting out as foster parents.

The knowledge caused a raw, painful feeling in his throat. But there was no point in telling Sam. The couple would have backed out anyway, she’d just made it easier for them to walk away. Though how anyone found it easy to give up a kid was beyond him.

To his surprise, Sam didn’t argue. Refusing to take his hand, she stood up, slid her chair under the table, and came up by his side.

As he led her out, his gaze fell on the manicure stuff spread over the table. He wondered when anyone had cared enough to let Sam be a girl. Play. Just have fun. Even if it was with a monkey, she’d had an hour of normalcy in this crazy house. A house Sam ran to-and Ari ran from.

• • •

Ariana cleaned off a table with a damp rag, then placed her tray on the bar. She couldn’t think about anything except Sam, who’d come to find her. Obviously the girl saw her as some sort of salvation and for a brief time thought she’d found it in Ariana’s home. Which was ironic, since Ariana knew well that her eccentric family wasn’t the best influence.

Then there was Quinn, who’d looked so distraught, she’d wanted to do nothing more than take him in her arms and make him forget. Her own thoughts had become so overwhelming, she wished she could do the same.

“I’m taking a break,” she told Connor during a lull at the bar.

“Don’t take too long. You never know when it’s going to pick up again.” He looked across the room, seeming to nod at someone.

Ariana turned, but didn’t see anyone. She narrowed her gaze, wondering if she’d imagined it. “Don’t worry. I just need a quick breather.”

“Understandable,” he said and winked at her before turning back to his duties behind the bar.

Ariana made her way to the employees’ restroom because thankfully it lacked the hustle and bustle common in the larger restrooms inside the casino. Though she wasn’t alone here, Ariana still relished the peace. She sat on the couch in the outer lounge, leaned against the backrest, and sighed aloud.

“It’s hard working for a living.”

Ariana glanced up as Maria walked into the restroom’s lounge area. “It’s not the same as my old job,” Ariana replied, “but work is work.”

The other woman strode over to the mirror and adjusted her skirt and top, then opened her purse to pull out a tube of lipstick. “What was your old job?” she asked, then began the meticulous job of applying a rose-colored lipstick while watching Ariana in the mirror at the same time.

“I’m a psych professor, but I’ve waitressed before. Back when I put myself through school.” This was Maria’s first attempt at civil conversation, and Ariana didn’t want to blow it by coming off as too academic.

“Returning to your roots?” Maria’s gaze narrowed while her tone indicated she still didn’t like or trust Ariana.

Since she didn’t have the time to play games, Ariana opted for the truth. “No, I’m looking for my sister.”

For the first time, Maria’s hardened expression changed and softened. “She was real,” she said. “We all liked her.”

Ariana swallowed over the lump of emotion knotted at the back of her throat. “Did you see her that last time she worked here?”

Maria shook her head. “I was out that night.”

“Then did you hear anything when you came back? Anything unusual happen around here that day?”

The other woman paused, obviously giving the question some thought. Finally she shook her head. “Not that I can remember. Except everyone was really quiet after the police came sniffing around.”

“I guess that would be understandable.” If someone was covering something up, they’d definitely remain silent, Ariana thought. And if the employees knew nothing, they’d have nothing more to say. “What about Connor?”

Maria stiffened and Ariana realized she’d made a tactical error and hit a nerve. “What about him?” Maria asked, her walls and suspicions back up and in place.

“He’s the bartender,” Ariana explained. “He’s here every night. If anyone was going to see or hear anything, wouldn’t it stand to reason it would be him?”

The other woman shrugged. “It might. Then again you might be using your sister’s disappearance to get closer to him.”

Frustration filled Ariana and she clenched her teeth as she spoke. “If I was, why would you care? Danielle said you won’t give the man the time of day, so why give me the cold shoulder over him?” She deliberately used another waitress’s information as a means of confronting Maria.

“I have my reasons.” She bit down on her bottom lip, the first real hint of vulnerability Ariana had seen. “They’re just none of your business. Just because you’re a psychology professor doesn’t give you license to pry into my life.”

Ariana shook her head. She didn’t need this crap right now. “Believe me, I don’t give a damn about anyone who doesn’t care about me, and you’ve made your feelings perfectly clear since the moment we met. All I want to do is find my sister and go back to my life.”

“Then we both want the same thing.”

“Insecurity’s not attractive,” she told the other woman. The psychologist in Ariana came out despite her resolve to keep quiet. “Besides, I’m not after Connor and I’m no threat to your seniority here.”

“You’d better not be, since I need this paycheck and any upcoming raise to support my kid.” She clamped her lips shut tight.

“Then I suggest we both get back to work.” Ariana headed for the door, frustrated that she had no more information now than before.

Maria stopped her with a touch of her hand on Ariana’s arm. “Wait.”

Ariana turned and waited.

“I liked your sister and… well, I have no real reason to dislike you. What’s going on between me and Connor has nothing to do with you.”

Since the woman appeared to be choking as she swallowed her pride, Ariana figured that was as close to an apology as she was likely to get. Grateful for even that much of a concession, Ariana smiled. “Then maybe things can get more pleasant around here?”

Maria nodded. “And since I’ve been such a bitch, the least I can do is give you one piece of information.”

“I thought you didn’t see or hear anything about Zoe that night.”

“It’s just that what I heard and what I trust are two different things. And since I saw you kissing Quinn, I didn’t know if I should tell you.”

Ariana’s fingers clutched her purse tightly, her knuckles turning white and her nerves prickling with anticipation. “I want to know anything about Zoe. Even if it involves Quinn.” Especially if it involved Quinn.

“You haven’t been here long but I’m sure you realize Quinn’s considered a prime catch.”

Ariana raised an eyebrow. “I hadn’t heard.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Come on. He’s single, he’s gorgeous, and he’s Damon’s right-hand man. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that?”

“I don’t know,” Ariana murmured. She didn’t want to think of other women ogling Quinn or his interest in them. Not when her interest in Quinn was growing with each passing day. “What does this have to do with my sister?”

“Well, he’s also a prime topic for gossip and speculation, especially since unlike Damon, he keeps to himself instead of choosing from his pick of women.”

Do tell, Ariana thought.

“Anyway, when Zoe disappeared and then the police came around, people here wondered if he had something to do with it.” Maria shook her head. “But it never sat right with me, you know? Quinn can be cold and disinterested. It’s the strong, silent quality that attracts women, but…” She shook her head.

“But what?” Ariana pushed harder. Maria had come so far in confiding in Ariana. She couldn’t stop now.

“Look.” Maria waved a hand through the air. “I’ve been in a bad relationship and I like to think I’d recognize a guy who’d do wrong by a woman. Quinn just isn’t one of them.” She pulled the door open. “I just thought you should know,” she said before slamming the door behind her.

Ariana let out a long stream of air. She wanted to agree with Maria and in her heart she did. But if she was here to investigate, she had no choice but to pursue leads, no matter where they led.

And so far her only tip pointed to Quinn. A man Ariana had already decided to get to know better.

• • •

Connor wiped down the bar and poured himself a beer. They were closed for the night and all his waitresses were long gone. Except for Maria. Though she was normally the first one in and the first one out, tonight she stuck around even longer, helping him clean. He watched the sway of her hips and the determination she put into everything she did. Man, he had it bad.

Returning to business, he recalled the brief conversation he’d had with the “customer” who was actually working along with himself and Quinn. He’d signaled her to follow Ariana to the ladies’ room and make sure she stayed out of trouble. The woman had been able to eavesdrop on Ariana’s conversation with Maria. The two waitresses still hadn’t hit it off, but Maria had come around and given Ari some vague information, the woman had told him.

Maria hadn’t done anything more than supplied the realities and the rumors as she’d heard them. At least Ariana hadn’t gone snooping around any of the offices, which was what he and Quinn were afraid of and was the reason he’d had her followed. The same way he’d had her tailed after her shift ended since Quinn hadn’t shown up to take her home. Damn Damon anyway, Connor thought. The man was a pain in the ass. Both Connor and Quinn would be happy to see the last of him.

A low tune interrupted his thoughts and the happy humming settled inside him, warm and comforting. Maria. She was still cleaning, happy in her work despite the late hour and the grueling time on her feet.

He admired her. “You’ve cleaned enough. I can already see your reflection in the tables. Care to tell me why you’re still hanging around?”

She seated herself on a barstool and met his gaze, propping her chin in her hand. “I’ve been asking myself that same question.”

“Are you reconsidering my invitation?” He’d been asking her on a date nightly since they’d met. Of course only an idiot put up with so much rejection, but there was something about this woman that wouldn’t let him shelve his desire and forget about her.

Perhaps it was because she gave him a glimpse of himself. A solitary person needing a break from the daily grind. They’d have hot sex, that much he knew for sure, and the desire thrumming through him backed up his hunch. The fact that sometimes he wanted to know her secrets wasn’t something he liked to contemplate. He was a man used to being alone. He didn’t know how to open up and he didn’t care to try.

Flirting, however, was another story. “Well, sweetstuff?”

“I might be thinking about changing my mind.” She studied him closely as she chewed on a piece of bubble gum. She blew a bubble that he tried in vain to pop before she sucked it back between those lips he was dying to kiss.

“Dare I ask why the sudden shift?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes the harder you try to avoid something, the more it crowds you.” She stood and slid her hand into her apron pocket. “If you’re serious, you can pick me up at noon on my next day off.” She handed him a scrap of paper.

He glanced down and saw her handwritten address. He was completely taken off guard, and for a split second, his stomach churned with all the excitement and anticipation of an adolescent who’d just gotten a yes to his first date. “I’ll be there.”

She started to walk away, then turned, uncertainty in her eyes. “Remember what they say.”

“What’s that?”

“What you get may be much more than you bargained for.”

He laughed, but once again his gut tightened. He had the distinct impression this date could change his life forever.