Under the Boardwalk (Costas Sisters 1)

“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 info rmation 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.