"She's right about this, too, isn't she?" Ryan said, knowing the answer before he'd asked the question.
Defeated, Russ merely nodded. "But how did you know?"
"The guy's in jail in Boston and we found out he has a mob connection to the same people involved in the truck robberies. I also had my brother-in-law run a check on you during Faith's troubled years." She shot Ryan a regretful glance, but he wasn't about to be angry at her.
"Do you know how badly I wanted to be wrong?" she asked Russ. "Ryan loves you. He believed in you. I didn't want to think that you were capable of something so low," Zoe said, her anger and fury evident in the clench of her fists and the barely controlled tone of her voice. "Do you realize you scared a fourteen-year-old girl half to death and you violated my parents' home, all to save your sorry— " She stepped forward.
Ryan rose and grabbed her by the waist to prevent her from going after his uncle. Her Mediterranean blood was fired up and though he'd like nothing better than to let her take care of the man, he was compelled to protect her from her own anger.
When her breathing slowed and he knew she'd calmed down, he released her, holding her hand to be sure.
"You also pretended to extend an overture to Sam just so you could get your hands on her keys," Zoe said in disbelief. "She's a child and you violated her trust in the worst way. But then you'd already done the same thing to her mother, so why should Sam get in your way?"
With each word, with each revelation, Ryan's stomach rolled in sick disbelief. "I don't know who you are," he said, glancing at his uncle.
"Sometimes I don't know the answer to that, either," Russ said.
Zoe's hand still in his, Ryan pulled her toward the door.
"Ryan," his uncle called to him.
Ryan paused.
"I've always loved you— you and Faith," Russ told him. "And I pray that someday when you've had time to think this over, you'll see through my weakness and stupidity and realize that."
Unable to see anything at the moment, Ryan strode through the door with Zoe without looking back.
Chapter Fourteen
ZOE FOLDED HER LAST TANK TOP and placed it into her suitcase. A few more items and she'd be good to go. She glanced around the small guest room she'd called home for a short time and realized she'd always felt comfortable here. Not just here in this room, but here in Ryan's apartment and in his life. Surely that was because he hadn't been in his normal routine any more than she'd been in hers.
As she'd told him already, they needed to return to their jobs, their friends, their lives and then their differences wouldn't just be apparent, but dramatically so. Of that she was sure— no matter how much her heart hurt at the thought of leaving him.
Sam knocked, interrupting Zoe's thoughts. She bounced into the room and plopped herself cross-legged on the bed. "So we're going home?" she asked, her gaze on the bag.
Zoe nodded. "It's about time, don't you think?"
"I guess."
Catching the uncertainty in Sam's voice, Zoe knew the young girl had started to care for her new family and would find it difficult to leave them behind— even if it wasn't for good. The next chapter in all their lives promised to be a challenge.
"You had fun here, didn't you?" Zoe asked.
Sam twirled a long strand of her hair around one finger. "This last day or so, yeah I guess I did. Even the old lady isn't so bad as long as I keep Ima away from her." Sam snickered.
"Be nice, you," Zoe chided, but she was laughing, too.
Suddenly Sam sobered. "Am I gonna have to come live here?" she asked, her eyes deadly serious and too wise for her fourteen years.
Zoe turned and sat down beside her, joining her on the bed. "I wish I could say no, but there's a good chance you will."
Sam nodded slowly. "I figured."
Zoe narrowed her gaze, wanting to be sure she was reading Sam's mood correctly. That her lack of tantrums and yelling meant she'd begun to accept the inevitable and even look forward to her future a little bit.
"You're okay with this?" she asked the teen.
"I don't have much of a choice, right? The Baldwins are my real family. I love you guys, but even I know the law and kids always end up with their relatives even if it's not what's good for them."
That damnable lump rose in Zoe's throat. "Is that how you feel? That Ryan's family isn't good for you?"
"No," Sam whispered. She hung her head, shaking it from side to side at the same time. "They're not bad people. Grandma Vivian said she's learned from her mistakes. A person who says that can't be too awful."
Zoe smiled. "Good point."
"But I feel guilty."
Sam looked up with watery eyes and Zoe felt her pain like a punch in the stomach. "Why? All we want is for you to be happy."
"You guys took me in and wanted to adopt me." Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to find the words to explain. "I love you all so much and I feel bad liking these uptight people at all."
Zoe shook her head, rejecting Sam's guilt. "Liking them doesn't mean you love us any less." She reached for Sam's smaller hand. "You have a big heart, honey. Big enough for everyone in your life."
"As big as my mouth?" Sam grinned and at that moment, Zoe knew the teenager would be okay.
"When's Ryan driving us back?" Sam asked.
"Actually I thought we'd fly. I didn't want to put Ryan out and— "
"Isn't that for Ryan to decide?" The man himself stood in the doorway, eyeing the open suitcase with an unreadable expression.
Zoe's stomach cramped at the thought of the conversation to come. "Sam?" she asked pointedly.
"I know, I know, you want privacy," the young girl said with an exaggerated tone and a roll of her eyes that said she thought the adults in her life were complete dorks.
But Ryan didn't appear anything like a dork. Wearing a light blue short-sleeve polo shirt and khaki shorts, he looked completely masculine and self-assured. He was so sexy he literally took her breath away, reminding her exactly why it was time for her to leave.
Ryan cleared his throat.
Sam jumped off the bed. "I'm going, I'm going," she said, ducking underneath his arm.
He stepped into the room.
Sam shut the door behind her and yelled, "I'm gone." Her footsteps sounded behind her as she walked down the hall.
"Gotta love her," Zoe said, forcing a smile.
He strode toward her. "Please don't change the subject or make light of leaving. This is serious."