Page 26 of Summer of Love (Costas Sisters 2)
“Would it make you feel any better if I told you I was doing some more investigating of the Costas clan on my own?”
She burst out laughing. “Not really, but I’m glad to see we think alike.”
“Because we both have Sam’s best interest at heart, which leads me back to my original point. I’d like to spend time with Sam.”
“Do you promise not to reveal the truth?”
He covered her hand. Warmth surged through her at his touch, heating her body inside and out.
“I promise. When that time comes for honesty, we’ll tell Sam in the most painless way possible.”
She inhaled and forced herself to agree. Coming from a family of loving con artists, Zoe didn’t normally trust outsiders easily. Which made her feelings for Ryan all the more complicated.
Zoe dropped Ryan off back at the house where he’d left his car. He stood and watched as she drove off for parts unknown. Probably to look into whether her family’s dealings had any relation to the break-in this morning. Only a few hours had passed, but by the time he knocked on the door and Elena let him in, there was no sign of turmoil, except for a few pieces of furniture out of place. The rooms had been cleaned, and the mess put away.
“I take it everyone’s calmed down?” Ryan asked as Elena fussed over him, handing him an unasked-for glass of water.
She nodded. “We’re fine. Fine. Help me move this chair, please.”
He assisted her with order after order, putting the pieces of furniture back where they belonged.
Elena was in a frenzy, issuing directives and speaking a mile a minute.
A tornado, he thought to himself again.
“Anyway,” she continued. “Sam helped us clean the little things around the house so we can pull off the surprise party tonight. Quinn’s going to bring Ari, and I was hoping you’d bring Zoe.”
“What party?” he asked.
Elena paused. “What party?” she repeated and stared as if he ought to know the answer. “Zoe and Ari are turning thirty today. Tonight we’re throwing a surprise party at Paradeisos.”
“We need you to be the decoy,” Sam said, bouncing down the stairs and joining them. Her eyes were bright and happy, no sign of trauma from the incident earlier.
“Decoy, huh? How do I do that?”
She tossed her long ponytail over one shoulder. “I told you he’s dense,” she muttered, and then before anyone could reprimand her, she continued. “You call Zoe, on the phone. You know, a tel-e-phone. Ask her on a date—”
“And then bring her to her aunt’s diner again? Somehow I don’t think she’d buy that as a real date,” he said laughing. “Now who’s dense?” he asked, proud he’d one-upped Sam.
The young girl blinked. “Uh, the answer to that is still you. Because what happens is that you’re going to take her to this very fancy restaurant where you’ve made a reservation, and then on the way, Zoe’ll get a frantic call from Elena at Paradeisos and then Zoe’ll beg you to turn around and come see what’s wrong with me.”
“Then hopefully Quinn will get Ari there at the same time, and everyone will yell surprise!” Elena said with a grand sweep of her arm.
“And if Ari gets there first? Or later?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Then we yell surprise twice, of course.”
“Of course.”
“So now that you’ve helped with the furniture, what can we do for you, Mr. Baldwin?” Elena asked.
He cleared his throat. “First, please call me Ryan. And second, I was wondering if I could steal Sam for an hour.”
Sam stiffened her shoulders. “Why? I didn’t do anything wrong. The pig’s allowed to stay. Zoe said so.” She uttered Zoe’s name with reverence and awe. The big sister Sam probably had never thought she’d have.
Meanwhile, she stared at him as if he were the pond scum who wanted to steal everything she held dear. Which, he thought, wasn’t far from the truth.
He drew a deep breath. “The pig’s fine. I just thought that we could go for ice cream and I could ask you some questions.” Deceit wasn’t a comfortable fit for him, and he tried to keep his answers as honest as possible.
Elena nodded. “That’s a wonderful idea.”
Sam merely glared. “No matter what you say to me, I still want to be adopted and live here forever.”
A slicing pain ripped through his gut. “I understand what you want, Sam. I just want to get to know you better. That’s all.”
“Can I get a sundae?” she asked.
“If I say yes, will you come with me?”
Sam walked over to the phone, picked up the receiver and handed it to him. “After you ask Zoe for a date tonight.”
Ryan shook his head and laughed because if he hadn’t known that they needed him to get Zoe to her party, he’d think the kid and Elena were actually matchmaking.
