Page 20 of Summer of Love (Costas Sisters 2)
“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 ashambles, 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.
She winked at Sam, then stood beside her father. “What happened?”
“Someone broke in here and—how do you say—they trashed the place,” her father said.
Now that she knew everyone she loved was fine, her heart rate slowed and she took in the damage for the first time. The kitchen drawers were in disarray; things had been pulled out and strewn everywhere. “What other rooms were touched?”
