Summer Lovin' (Costas Sisters 2)

Now that he knew they were a force in Sam's life, he wanted to find out more about their background and what kind of people he was dealing with. He already knew they didn't have the money to compete with him in court, but each one of them had more heart than his family combined. And that scared him.

So did Zoe. It was one thing to be attracted to a woman, another to be affected and something about Zoe got to him. Her devotion to a child who wasn't a blood relative, her kindness to him despite his potential to upset her world, and her free spirit made him feel in a way he never had before. Not in a family that went out of their way to rein in emotion and put up barriers. When he was with Zoe, holding, kissing and laughing with her, there were no walls.

Which was why he decided to steer clear for the coming weekend. Though it would be damn difficult not to show up at the Costases' house during the next two days, he intended to stay away from the new women in his life. As far as his cover went, his decision made sense because he doubted a social worker would make house calls on Saturday or Sunday. Instead, he planned to do some work that he'd taken with him and recoup for Monday morning when he'd deal with Zoe and her family again.

Now fresh from a shower, Ryan sat on the bed in his hotel room. After ordering room service, he decided to check in with his family. He'd info rmed his parents he was going to New Jersey to follow up on a lead about Faith's daughter. They knew Faith had died and that they had a granddaughter out there somewhere, yet they hadn't been interested in accompanying him on his trip.

"Let sleeping dogs lie, Ryan," his father had said. "Faith's gone. No good can come of dredging up the past."

And though he'd mentioned that their granddaughter was being shuffled through foster care, his father's attitude hadn't softened. "Most probably she's stubborn and harder to handle than Faith, then." Mark Baldwin had dismissed any type of reunion, as had his mother, Vivian. But Ryan had seen a hint of emotion in her eyes and held out hope for when she met Sam.

But his father's brother, Ryan's uncle Russ, supported his quest and had from the time Ryan had told him Faith had a daughter who was alive and living in New Jersey . So it was Russ he turned to now.

Ryan reached him at work in the corporate offices of Baldwin 's, New England 's favorite department store and his family's dynasty, he thought wryly. Some dynasty when it excluded family at whim.

Uncle Russ had devoted his life to the business, more so after Ryan's father's heart attack and subsequent cutting back over the past couple of years. Though J.T. worked at Baldwin 's, he was more a hands-on manager while Uncle Russ oversaw delivery and transport.

"Hi, Uncle Russ," he said when the other man answered his private line.

"Ryan, it's good to finally hear from you. I was beginning to think I'd have to come after you myself."

He shook his head and laughed. "Nothing that drastic is warranted, I promise you."

"Did you find the girl?" Uncle Russ asked.

"Samantha. As a matter of fact, I did."

Uncle Russ sucked in a sharp breath. "After all this time!"

"She looks exactly like Faith."

"That is remarkable. I didn't think, well I don't know what I thought you'd find."

"Have my parents given any indication of coming around?" Ryan asked.

The other man cleared his throat. "I think that like me, they didn't know what would come of this quest. In truth, they haven't discussed it with me."

"Ever the diplomat, Uncle Russ?"

He chuckled. "Well, now that you've found the young lady, I'll talk to them again." He paused. "So, what does this Sam think about having an uncle?"

Ryan winced. He'd been hoping to put off disclosing the details of Sam's situation and his agreement with Zoe.

"That's a little complicated. She doesn't know who I am just yet. The family she's staying with thinks it's best if she's eased into things."

"I see."

A knock on the door told him room service had arrived. "I need to go, but I'll call soon."

"Okay, and you take care."

Ryan hung up the phone, grateful he had at least one relative he could count on. Unlike Zoe, who had more than a handful of strange but caring people who would always be there for her.

Over the long, lonely weekend, Ryan watched three rental movies in his Atlantic City hotel room. First thing Monday morning, he took Zoe's advice and booked a room closer to Ocean Isle, closer to Sam. And closer to Zoe. Once he got settled, he decided that although the place wasn't five-star, it more than suited his needs. He checked in at his office and after speaking to his secretary, he was certain his partners were handling everything in his absence.

It was time he turned his attention to the here and now.

And now it was time to visit the Costas clan.

Chapter Four

MONDAY MORNING, Zoe left the house bright and early at 7:00 a.m. to meet with Quinn, Connor and a friend of hers who used to work with the Secret Service, but who was now a promoter with GSC Music Company. GSC needed bodyguards and security specialists for their talent performing in the area and Zoe, Quinn and Connor needed clients.

Although the hour was early for a business meeting, Zoe's friend had to be at a rehearsal this morning. Zoe was also only too happy to avoid dealing with her family on her birthday. Normally she loved birthdays, and aging didn't bother her much, but thirty was a milestone and she didn't want to hear the family grumbling about how Ari had managed to marry while Zoe was still single.

She sneaked out of the house and reached the office, which was freshly painted in a bright yellow, much to Connor and Quinn's frustration. To appease them, she'd promised masculine accessories, even if they had to be purchased secondhand, which was all they could afford.

The discussions between the parties took place around the only furniture they owned, a conference table left by the original tenant and bridge chairs donated by her family. Nobody seemed to mind as they drank coffee and hammered out an agreement, easily reached since everyone involved had an interest in working together. By 9:00 a.m. , they'd decided on the preliminaries for a contract and Zoe, Quinn and Connor had officially retained their first client.

Zoe arrived home, pulling up to the house to find a police car out front. She bolted inside, her fear overwhelming. In the kitchen, her mother paced the floors, muttering in Greek. Her father stood speaking to two uniformed officers, while Aunt Dee and Uncle John, who lived across the street, had joined them still wearing their pajamas. The room was in a shambles, and Sam was nowhere to be seen.

Zoe glanced around. Finally her gaze settled on the half-open door of the pantry. A quick glance told her Sam sat huddled inside, no doubt with her new pet. The poor kid probably feared the cops would take Ima away for the same reason they'd had to find a new home for Spank the monkey. At a glance, the pig's cage looked like a puppy crate, so there were no worries there.